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How to Choose the Best Monitor Arm

Written by Jared Saaib on

The best monitor arm is the one rated for your monitor's real weight without its stand, that fits your desk edge or grommet hole, and that reaches your eye height. Check weight per arm first, then screen size and VESA pattern, then the base and the spring. Gas spring arms move by hand; pole mounts cost less but you set the height with a tool.

Article Contents

The best monitor arm is the one rated for your monitor's real weight without its stand, that fits your desk edge or grommet hole, and that reaches your eye height. Check weight per arm first, then screen size and VESA pattern, then the base and the spring. Gas spring arms move by hand; pole mounts cost less but you set the height with a tool.

5 checks before you buy

  1. Weight per arm. Weigh your monitor without its stand, or find the "without stand" weight in its manual. Ratings are per arm, so each screen must sit inside its arm's range. Gas spring arms also have a minimum: a screen that is too light drifts up. The heavy duty single arm (MI-4881), for example, is rated 4.4 to 44 lb.
  2. Screen size. Check that your monitor falls inside the arm's screen size range. Wide and curved screens need an arm made for them: the MI-4881 fits 17" to 49" screens, curved ones included.
  3. VESA pattern. Find the hole pattern on the back of your monitor, for example 75 x 75 or 100 x 100 mm, and make sure the arm's mounting plate matches it. Not sure your screen has one? Check if your monitor can be mounted. A monitor without VESA holes needs an adapter.
  4. Clamp or grommet, and desk thickness. A clamp grips the desk edge with no drilling; a grommet mount bolts through a hole in the desktop. Each arm lists the desk thickness it fits: the MI-4881 clamp fits desks 0.39" to 3.3" thick, its grommet 0.39" to 1.9". Measure your desk, and check there is room behind it for the base.
  5. Arm type. Gas spring and mechanical spring arms let you move the screen by hand, which suits people who change position during the day. Pole mounts are simpler and cost less, but you set the height once with a tool. Single, dual, triple and quad arms exist; two single arms suit screens of very different weights.

Compare monitor arms on these five specs, not on how they are ranked.

How we compiled this

This guide was written by the Mount-It! team from the spec sheets of our own monitor arms and the standard VESA mounting patterns. Product specs are taken from each product's page as of October 2026. We do not claim lab testing, and we do not rank products: the right arm depends on your monitor and desk.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best monitor arm?

There is no single best arm: the right one holds your monitor's weight without its stand, fits your desk and reaches your eye height. Start from those three numbers and compare arms that meet all of them.

What should I check before buying a monitor arm?

The weight range per arm, the screen size range, the VESA pattern, how it attaches (clamp, grommet or wall) with the desk thickness it fits, and whether it uses a gas spring or a pole.

Gas spring or mechanical spring arm: which is better?

Gas spring arms usually move more smoothly over a wider height range. Mechanical spring arms are often simpler. Both need tension set to your monitor's weight.

How do I clean a monitor arm?

Wipe it with a dry or slightly damp microfiber cloth and skip solvents on painted and plastic parts. Check that the clamp and VESA screws are still tight while you are at it.