The Best Monitor Arms for a Small Desk

Pros

• +Full-motion gas spring lifts, tilts, swivels and rotates
• +C-clamp or grommet mount means no drilling for renters
• +Wide fit range suits most single monitors up to 32 in
• +Costs less than the desk depth it frees

Cons

• −Gas tension needs re-setting if you swap to a much lighter screen
• −Plastic covers feel less premium than the Ergotron

Pros

• +Constant Force lift is smooth and holds position for years
• +Handles the heaviest screens here, up to 25 lb
• +All-metal build survives repeated re-mounting across moves
• +Clamp or grommet mount, tool-free height on the pole

Cons

• −Priciest single arm in the roundup
• −Tension adjustment needs the included hex key, not one-handed

Pros

• +One-finger gas-spring height, same idea as pricier arms
• +Wide 13–32 in fit range for a single monitor
• +C-clamp or grommet, no drilling
• +Strong value for a full-motion arm

Cons

• −Lighter-duty build than the Ergotron or Humanscale
• −Gas spring can need re-tensioning out of the box

Pros

• +Weight-tuned mechanical spring, no gas cylinder to leak
• +Looks like furniture, not office hardware
• +Clean, minimal single-pivot motion
• +Clamp or bolt-through mount options

Cons

• −Furniture-grade price for a single arm
• −Set-weight mechanism is fiddlier to re-tune than a knob

Pros

• +Rated for ultrawide panels up to 38 in
• +Higher weight ceiling, around 26 lb
• +C-clamp or grommet mount
• +Gas spring holds a big screen at any height

Cons

• −Overkill for a standard 24–27 in monitor
• −Long arm needs desk depth behind the clamp to swing

Pros

• +Two independent gas-spring arms on one clamp
• +Smallest-footprint way to run two monitors
• +Wide fit range on each side
• +Much cheaper than two separate single arms

Cons

• −Two screens still need roughly 47 in of desk width
• −Shared clamp means one point of failure for both