A quality monitor arm is among the smartest upgrades you can purchase for your home office setup. Monitor arms greatly improve the range of positions a monitor can take on your desk, providing more comfort and an attractive look. They also free up space on your desk, leaving it open for other use.
These perks are offset by a problem: the price. Most monitor arms worth buying are close to $200, and heavy-duty arms are even more expensive. It’s important to buy the right monitor arm the first time—to that end I put several popular monitor arms through their paces. Here I offer the best monitor arms from my tests.
1. BEST MONITOR ARM: ERGOTRON LX
Price: $269
The Ergotron LX is a sturdy, practical monitor arm that can handle most monitors. It’s easy to set up, easy to use, and (when purchased in its white or polished aluminum colorway) attractive.
Ergotron positions the LX as an entry-level monitor arm, but the company’s definition of “entry level” exceeds that of most competitors. The arm is primarily constructed from metal, with some plastic cladding, and can support monitors that weigh up to 25 pounds. Ergotron recommends sticking to monitors 34 inches wide or smaller. The monitor arm is backed by a 10-year warranty.
The arm has a healthy range of adjustment that includes 13 inches of lift, 75 degrees of
