Monitor arm Vs monitor stand: which should you use?

Your desk setup and how you mount and position your monitor/s affects comfort and productivity. The main option people have is using the monitor stand that comes with their monitor – usually a foot pedestal of some kind – or investing in monitor arms.

Following we explore the pros and cons of native monitor stands and monitor arms. 

Monitor arms usually clamp to the rear of a desk and allow attached monitors to be easily adjusted – up, down, forward, back, tilt, pan, levelling – to the position most comfortable for the user. Their primary benefit is flexibility.

Monitor arms allow wide adjustment of monitor position. Most monitor arms allow adjustment of monitor position as well as adjustment of how the monitor tilts – meaning independent up, down, forward, back, tilt, pan, levelling for each monitor.

This is perfect for users and facility managers that prioritise ergonomic comfort, which reduces neck, shoulder, and eye strain. This characteristic is why monitor arms amp productivity.

Note we say ‘most’ above; some monitor arms are very short with no forward/back movement, for example. But generally monitor arms have all the attributes described above.  

Desks are shrinking, have been for years, as workplaces accommodate more people in a set space. Monitor arms offset the impact by lifting the arm entirely off the desk. When not using a computer, monitors can be pushed to the rear of the desk to open up space for documents and other work. 

Related to the first point, but a different benefit – ease or movement and degree of adjustability makes changing monitor position based on current activity practical. 

Common examples we see:

• Software engineers rotate monitors to portrait when coding, back to landscape when reviewing and updating a sprint – often change once or more daily.

• Remote workers changing between a professional setup and leisure setup – eg, rotating and moving a screen closer for chat apps.

• Investment bankers and traders create custom monitor layouts as their style evolves – likely to change weekly or monthly.

Modern monitor arms have a sleek, modern design that suits minimalist workspaces. In this one item we’re biased to Atdec – but the vast majority of monitor arms have greater aesthetic appeal than the native stand that comes with a monitor.

Many monitor arms have the added benefit of cable management to hide or even conceal cables, makes a dramatic difference to visual harmony. 

On balance we think monitor arms are worth it, but they aren’t without downside. 

The primary con is cost. Monitors always come with some form of monitor stand in the box, whereas a monitor arm is another separate expense. This upfront investment is a deterrent to the budget-conscious. 

Monitor arms require more effort to set up than the native mount. Monitor arms have a desk fixing to install plus a VESA plate for your monitor. The monitor will then be slid into place on the arm. It’s not much effort, but it’s more than most native stands require. 

Once installed, monitor arms are less portable than mounts. If you frequently move between locations, disassembling and reinstalling an arm will likely become a hassle.

This limitation affects home offices and workspaces differently, in practice.

Office desks without grommet holes or rear scallops (space for clamps before desk dividers) can be tricky to retrofit, albeit this is relatively rare to find. Desks in Europe and UK often require extremely shallow clamps to avoid interference with cable trays and so on mounted under the desk – most reputable manufacturers have clamp options to accommodate that need (including Atdec).

Home offices are more likely to have large bevels. Clamps cannot connect to desk edges with a large bevel and owners of large bevel desks are usually reluctant to bore a grommet hole through it. In that case we divert to freestanding models. The other thing we see in home offices is glass or glass-topped desks, which also require a freestanding alternative. Freestanding mounts usually have less flexibility than desk-fixed options, but you can’t clamp to glass! 

This section speaks primarily about native monitor stands that come with a new monitor with some discussion of separately purchased mounts like risers. 

Monitor stands are cheaper than monitor arms. Most monitors come with a stand in the box, requiring no additional spend, and third-party stands like risers are $50 or less (usually much less). This is a compelling argument. 

Most monitor stands require little to no assembly, just place the stand on your desk and slide or put the monitor on it. 

Monitor stands are easy to move. They are lightweight and require little to no effort to ‘reinstall.’ This may be attractive if you frequently move your setup.  

While mounts are practical, they lack virtually all the versatility monitor arms provide.

Most monitor mounts offer minimal adjustment options. Basic stands might only raise the monitor a fixed height, while wall mounts lock it into one position. This can be a drawback for users needing ergonomic flexibility or those with varying tasks.

Native monitor stands and risers both take a lot of desk real estate, and they cannot be easily moved to free a meaningful space for non-computer work. This can feel restrictive, particularly on small desks.

Stands are static by nature with little to no ergonomic adjustment for focal distance or even tilt. 

Unless a user magically has perfect height , eyesight, etc for the monitor stand, the setup will not be ergonomic. That will deteriorate comfort, health, and productivity. Focal distance is particularly important, and almost certainly sacrificed by using a stand.  

In most cases, the choice between a monitor arm and monitor stand is made based on how the buyer assesses ergonomic benefit Vs price. Opt for a monitor arm if you value ergonomics, have a small desk, or want dynamic adjustability. Professionals that clock a lot of desk time tend to value ergonomic comfort more. When the budget is tight, monitor stands are a good choice – and users can always upgrade later.