Monitor Arms:
Do You Really Need One?
Published May 16, 2026 · By the Deskwell Editorial Team
A monitor arm is one of the most-asked-about desk accessories. The honest answer: not everyone needs one — but the people who do need one will feel the difference immediately. Here's how to know which camp you're in, and our top picks for 2026.
Walk into any serious home office or tech workspace and you'll see monitor arms everywhere. They've become shorthand for "I take my setup seriously" — and for good reason. But the case for them isn't purely aesthetic.
Monitor arms solve three real problems: poor monitor positioning (the leading cause of neck strain for desk workers), wasted desk surface area (a monitor stand can occupy 15–25cm of depth that an arm reclaims entirely), and lack of flexibility (arms let you swing the monitor out of the way when you need the full desk surface).
The Honest Case For and Against
✓ Reasons to Get One
- Perfect monitor height adjustment — prevents neck strain
- Reclaims 15–25cm of desk depth
- Infinitely adjustable: tilt, pan, rotate
- Cable management built in on quality arms
- Works for portrait mode coding setups
- Enables true dual-monitor configurations
✗ Reasons to Skip
- Expensive quality arms cost $120–200
- Requires a VESA-compatible monitor (most modern ones are)
- Clamp damages thin desk edges
- Unnecessary if you already have correct monitor height
- Over-engineered for occasional users
Who Should Definitely Get One
Get a monitor arm if: (1) you experience neck or upper back pain at the end of work days, (2) your current monitor position forces you to look down more than 15 degrees, (3) your monitor stand takes up more than 20cm of desk depth that you could use for something else, or (4) you work with two monitors and want them in a clean side-by-side or portrait-plus-landscape configuration.
Skip it if: you use a laptop primarily (a laptop stand serves better), you're a casual user who works 2–3 hours at most, or your current monitor setup is already at the right height with no strain.
Our Top Monitor Arm Picks for 2026
🏆 Best Overall
Ergotron LX Desk Monitor Arm
~$159 on Amazon
The benchmark. Smooth CF spring motion, holds 13–34" monitors up to 11kg, 360-degree rotation, tilt and pan, integrated cable clips, and a 7-year warranty. The Ergotron LX is used in professional office environments worldwide and is the single most-recommended monitor arm in the industry. If you buy one monitor arm, make it this one.
Shop on Amazon →💰 Best Budget Arm
HUANUO Single Monitor Arm
~$45 on Amazon
The best sub-$50 option we've found. It lacks the smooth gas-spring feel of the Ergotron, but the adjustment range is solid, the build quality is far better than its price suggests, and for lighter monitors (under 7kg) it performs without complaint. A great entry point if you're not ready to commit $159.
Shop on Amazon →🖥️ Best Dual Arm
Ergotron LX Dual Stacking Monitor Arm
~$199 on Amazon
If you're running dual monitors, the dual stacking arm positions them in a clean vertical stack — main monitor at eye level, secondary monitor just above. This is our preferred configuration for developers and writers who need reference material visible without turning their head.
Shop on Amazon →Our Verdict
If you work 6+ hours at a desk daily and experience any neck or shoulder discomfort, a monitor arm is one of the highest ROI investments you can make. The Ergotron LX at $159 has a 7-year warranty and will outlast multiple desk setups. If the budget is a barrier, the HUANUO at $45 gives you most of the benefit for a fraction of the cost.
Browse Our Monitor Arm Picks
All our curated monitor arms — ranked by category, budget, and use case. Every link is affiliate-supported and reviewed.
Shop Monitor Arms →Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Deskwell earns from qualifying purchases. All recommendations are based on genuine editorial research.