The best monitor arms in 2023

Save the strain on your eyes and spine: the best monitor arms will make your office work more comfortable

• The best monitors for photo editing• The best video editing monitors• Best ultrawide monitors• Best USB-C monitors

The best monitor arms are essential if you want to save yourself from worsening eyesight and potential neck, back and shoulder pain. Because unless your monitor stand places your screen in the exact perfect position (and lets face it, that's unlikely), you'll need a way of placing it more effectively.

So if you've invested in the best monitors for image or video editing, it's worth putting a little extra money into getting it into the right position for your health, stress levels and sanity.

These desk-mounted monitor arms clamp securely to the back edge of your desk, maximizing your work area in front. And they offer a ton of flexibility, in terms of height, pan (left/right) and tilt (up/down) movement. 360 degrees of rotation is also a common feature, allowing you to easily switch from landscape to portrait. In all, much better than relying on your existing stand.

To help you find the right model, this article brings together the best monitor arms available today. We've included monitor arms for single monitors as well as for multiple monitor setups, so you're sure to find what you're looking for here.

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We'll start with the best of the best. Ergotron's LX Desk Monitor Arm impresses with its polished aluminium construction which is solid enough to support a monitor weighing up to 11.3 kg and/or 34-inches screen size, plus it's guaranteed for 10 years.

The arm itself weighs in at 3.6kg and attaches via a clamp to a desk surface 10-60mm thick, and it's packed with ergonomic adjustment. You get 33cm of height adjustment, 70 degrees of backward tilt and 5 degrees forward tilt, 360-degree pan and 360-degree rotation. The arm can fold right back to sit directly above the base, maximizing desk space in front. Just be sure the monitor you'll be mounting has VESA mounting holes conforming to either a 100 x 100mm or 75 x 75mm pattern, though these are almost universally standard.

Want a cheaper option? This desk-mounted monitor arm may not have quite as much wow-factor as pricier models on this list, but it can certainly match them on specs. You can mount a display up to 32 inches, it'll support up to 9kg, and there's an excellent 33cm of height adjustment. You also get all the usual range of adjustment, with up to 90 degrees of up or down tilt and 360-degree rotation. There's even a gas spring inside to balance varying monitor weights for super-simple height adjustment.

The aluminium and steel arm can be had in silver of black finishes and will attach to a desk up to 8.4cm thick. Providing your monitor has a 100 x 100mm or 75 x 75mm mounting hole pattern (highly likely), this arm is a great value buy.

Amazon's Basics range is cheap but reliable, and this back-to-basics arm is a good example. The main catch (other than the less-than-designer looks) is you're limited to a max monitor size of 24 inches. But if that's not a problem, this arm enables a decent range of adjustability, although changing height requires you to release a clamp and to slide the arm up or down the mounting pole - no gas lift monitor balancing here. But since most of us rarely need to change the height of our display, that's not necessarily a deal-breaker.

This arm will, however, clamp to any desk from 2 to 10cm thick and it's compatible with standard 100x100mm and 75x75mm VESA hole patterns, so you should have no trouble fitting it to your desk or monitor.

Don't fancy mounting your monitor to your desk and want a more solid fixing point? A wall-mounted arm could be the answer. You'll just need a power drill, some basic tools and the right fixings to suit the construction of the wall you'll be mounting to.

Once in place, Ergotron's MX Wall Mount LCD Arm is ideal for supporting big-screen and ultrawide monitors up to 13.6kg in weight and a whopping 42-inches large. As such, the mounting plate is larger than average, accommodating typical 100 x 100mm & 75 x 75mm VESA hole patterns, along with large panel 200 x 200mm and 200 x 100mm hole patterns.

The arm itself is easy on the eye with its polished aluminium finish and it features internal cable routing to maintain the sleek look. Monitor manoeuvrability isn't quite as extensive as with some desk-mounted arms, but it's still respectable, offering 12.7cm height adjustment, 90 degrees rotation and 360 degrees of pan movement.

Here's a great choice if you have a heavier set up. The 3M Dual-Swivel Monitor Arm is capable of supporting screens up to 30lbs/13.6kg, and can clamp to desks up to 4.25 inches thick. It offers with 18.6 inches of vertical adjustment and horizontal extension up to 19.5 inches, and allows angle tweaks for perfect positioning as well as giving you the option to rotate from landscape to portrait orientation.

This arm is hollow, allowing you to run your cables inside, and avoid lots of trailing wires getting in the way. It's a bit trickier to set up than many of the models on this list, but the extra strength and solidity it provides makes that well worth it should you have a weighty monitor.

If you're tall, a wall-mounted monitor arm may be for you. It allows you to position your screen at the ideal height to suit your eyeline. But if you'd rather not start drilling big holes above your desk to fit a wall-mounted arm, this desk-mounted alternative with an extended height range is worth considering.

Where the standard Ergotron LX Desk Monitor Arm 'only' offers 20cm of height adjustment, this Tall Pole version ups that range to 30cm. So even LeBron James perched on a bar stool should still be able to be able to get a comfortable viewing position. Apart from the extra lift, this arm is essentially the same as a regular Ergotron LX Desk Monitor Arm with excellent adjutsability. There's also a dual-screen Tall Pole option should you need it.

The NB North Bayou Monitor Desk Mount Stand is another great option if you're looking for the best monitor arm for a large display. It's made of high quality steel and aluminum alloys, with heavy duty construction to keep everything stable. Supporting monitors between 24 and 42 inches in diameter, and up to 33lbs (15kg) in weight, it's a good choice for heavy gaming monitors. It's compatible with 75 x 75mm and 100 x 100mm VESA mounts, and rotates throughout 360 degrees.

If you have two monitors to support but they're on the smaller side – 24 inches or less – then here's another good option. This dual monitor arm is on the expensive side, but it is very well made and robust. Each monitor arm holds up to 19.8lbs (9kg) in weight, is fully articulating, and rotates the full 360 degrees. Height can be adjusted up to 12 inches and arm extension goes up to 29 inches.

VESA-compatible, this dual monitor arm comes with a universal desk clamp, a cable management clip, and some tools you need to install it, which can be a little fiddly. Note, also, that it can't be installed on desks that are more than two inches thick.

Read more The best monitors for photo editing The best monitors for video editing The best ultrawide monitor Best Benq monitors Best Dell monitors Best touchscreen monitors Best portable monitors Best USB-C monitors for photo editing The best monitor stands Best keyboard for video editing Everything photographers need to work from home Best webcam for home working

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Tom May is a freelance writer and editor specializing in art, photography, design and travel. He has been editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. He has also worked for a wide range of mainstream titles including The Sun, Radio Times, NME, T3, Heat, Company and Bella.