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Desk & Dowel

HUB 02 · Monitor Arms & Mounts

The Best Single Monitor Arms

One screen, one clamp, the cleanest desk. Five single monitor arms ranked by motion, build, fit range and value, with live prices.

By Stephen V.Updated How we pick
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We earn a commission when you buy through our Amazon links, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our rankings, and we say so when the cheaper product is the better buy. How this works.

One screen, one clamp, the cleanest possible desk. A single monitor arm is the highest-value upgrade for a small workspace because it removes the one object that takes the most depth — the monitor stand — and hands that depth back to your keyboard. Everything here mounts with a clamp, so nothing gets drilled.

The Amazon Basics gas-spring arm is the pick for most people: full motion, a wide fit range, and a price below the desk space it frees. Spend up for the Ergotron LX if the arm has to outlast several moves; save with the HUANUO gas spring or the manual-tension WALI; and reach for the VIVO ultrawide if one big panel is doing the work of two.

Specs come from each manufacturer listing, not a lab, and the scores weigh motion, build, fit range and value for a small desk. If two screens are the plan, a dual arm is the tidier route; if you rent, the no-drill picks all clamp on cleanly. For the desk underneath, see the best small desks.

The short answer

Quick picks

#ProductBest forScorePrice
01
Amazon Basics Amazon Basics Single Monitor Arm (Gas Spring)
Amazon Basics Single Monitor Arm (Gas Spring)

The default single arm: full-motion gas spring, a wide fit range, no-drill clamp, and a price below the desk depth it buys back. Most small desks want exactly this.

Best overall single
8.9
$29.99Amazon
02
HUANUO HUANUO Single Monitor Mount (Gas Spring)
HUANUO Single Monitor Mount (Gas Spring)

The budget gas-spring single: the same one-finger height motion as pricier arms and a wide 13–32 in range, in a lighter-duty build that is plenty for a single screen.

Best budget gas-spring
8.5
$37.98Amazon
03
Ergotron Ergotron LX Desk Mount Monitor Arm
Ergotron LX Desk Mount Monitor Arm

The buy-it-once single arm. Constant Force lift, an all-metal build that survives repeated re-mounting, and the highest weight ceiling here — you pay for the longevity.

Best premium
8.8
$190.00Amazon
04
VIVO VIVO Single Ultrawide Monitor Arm
VIVO Single Ultrawide Monitor Arm

The single arm for a big screen: rated to a 38 in ultrawide and up to ~26 lb, so one wide panel replaces a dual setup on a single clamped edge.

Best for ultrawide
8.5
$29.99Amazon
05
WALI WALI Single Monitor Mount
WALI Single Monitor Mount

The cheapest way onto an arm: a manual tension mount with no gas cylinder, set-and-leave rather than glide-anywhere, and hard to beat on price for a single screen.

Best cheap tension arm
8.0
$29.69Amazon

#ad · Live prices from the Amazon Product API, as of Jul 24, 2026. Where we have no verified live price we show none — we would rather leave a gap than print a number that has rotted.

In detail

The picks, in full

01
Amazon Basics Amazon Basics Single Monitor Arm (Gas Spring)

Best overall single

Amazon Basics Single Monitor Arm (Gas Spring)

VESA
75×75 / 100×100 mm
Mount
C-clamp + grommet
Fits
Up to 32 in
Weight
Up to ~17.6 lb
Motion
Gas spring
8.9/10

The default single arm: full-motion gas spring, a wide fit range, no-drill clamp, and a price below the desk depth it buys back. Most small desks want exactly this.

Motion
8.8
Build
8.6
Fit range
8.8
Value
9.4

Pros

  • Full-motion gas spring lifts, tilts, swivels and rotates
  • No-drill C-clamp or grommet mount
  • Wide fit range for most single monitors
  • Excellent value against a deeper desk

Cons

  • Needs re-tensioning for a much lighter screen
  • Trim is plainer than the Ergotron

Skip this if…

…your monitor exceeds the weight range — an overloaded gas spring drifts. Match the arm to the panel, or move up to the Ergotron LX.

$29.99View on Amazon

Price as of Jul 24, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to Amazon Basics Single Monitor Arm (Gas Spring)

02
HUANUO HUANUO Single Monitor Mount (Gas Spring)

Best budget gas-spring

HUANUO Single Monitor Mount (Gas Spring)

VESA
75×75 / 100×100 mm
Mount
C-clamp + grommet
Fits
13–32 in
Weight
Up to ~19.8 lb
Motion
Gas spring
8.5/10

The budget gas-spring single: the same one-finger height motion as pricier arms and a wide 13–32 in range, in a lighter-duty build that is plenty for a single screen.

Motion
8.4
Build
7.8
Fit range
8.6
Value
9.2

Pros

  • One-finger gas-spring height
  • Wide 13–32 in fit range
  • No-drill clamp or grommet mount
  • Strong value for a full-motion arm

Cons

  • Lighter-duty than the Ergotron or Humanscale
  • May need re-tensioning out of the box

Skip this if…

…you run a heavy panel at the top of the range — a sturdier arm holds a big screen more confidently.

$37.98View on Amazon

$49.9924% off

Price as of Jul 24, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to HUANUO Single Monitor Mount (Gas Spring)

03
Ergotron Ergotron LX Desk Mount Monitor Arm

Best premium

Ergotron LX Desk Mount Monitor Arm

VESA
75×75 / 100×100 mm
Mount
C-clamp + grommet
Fits
Up to 34 in
Weight
7–25 lb
Motion
Constant Force spring
8.8/10

The buy-it-once single arm. Constant Force lift, an all-metal build that survives repeated re-mounting, and the highest weight ceiling here — you pay for the longevity.

Motion
9.2
Build
9.4
Fit range
9
Value
7.6

Pros

  • Smooth Constant Force lift holds position for years
  • Highest weight ceiling here, up to 25 lb
  • All-metal build survives many moves
  • Clamp or grommet mount

Cons

  • Priciest single arm in the group
  • Tension needs the hex key, not one-handed

Skip this if…

…budget is the priority or you will replace the setup soon — the Amazon Basics arm does the same daily job for less.

$190.00View on Amazon

$219.0013% off

Price as of Jul 24, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to Ergotron LX Desk Mount Monitor Arm

04
VIVO VIVO Single Ultrawide Monitor Arm

Best for ultrawide

VIVO Single Ultrawide Monitor Arm

VESA
75×75 / 100×100 mm
Mount
C-clamp + grommet
Fits
13–38 in (ultrawide)
Weight
Up to ~26.4 lb
Motion
Gas spring
8.5/10

The single arm for a big screen: rated to a 38 in ultrawide and up to ~26 lb, so one wide panel replaces a dual setup on a single clamped edge.

Motion
8.2
Build
8
Fit range
9.4
Value
8.4

Pros

  • Rated for ultrawide panels up to 38 in
  • Higher weight ceiling, around 26 lb
  • No-drill clamp or grommet mount
  • Holds a big screen at any height

Cons

  • Overkill for a standard 24–27 in screen
  • Long arm wants depth behind the clamp

Skip this if…

…your monitor is a normal 24–27 in panel — a standard single arm is cheaper and tidier for the same job.

$29.99View on Amazon

$34.9914% off

Price as of Jul 24, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to VIVO Single Ultrawide Monitor Arm

05
WALI WALI Single Monitor Mount

Best cheap tension arm

WALI Single Monitor Mount

VESA
75×75 / 100×100 mm
Mount
C-clamp + grommet
Fits
Up to 27 in
Weight
Up to ~22 lb
Motion
Tension (manual)
8.0/10

The cheapest way onto an arm: a manual tension mount with no gas cylinder, set-and-leave rather than glide-anywhere, and hard to beat on price for a single screen.

Motion
7.4
Build
7.6
Fit range
8
Value
9

Pros

  • Among the cheapest arms that still fully articulate
  • Tension holds a set position dependably
  • No-drill clamp or grommet mount
  • No gas cylinder to wear out or leak

Cons

  • Set-and-leave, not glide-to-any-height
  • Height changes mean re-adjusting the joints by hand

Skip this if…

…you move the screen between sitting and standing often — a tension arm is happiest set once. Buy a gas-spring arm if you re-position daily.

$29.69View on Amazon

$32.9910% off

Price as of Jul 24, 2026. Prices change — Amazon's is the one that counts.

#ad · we may earn a commission from this link to WALI Single Monitor Mount

Match the arm to the screen, then the desk

Two numbers decide fit. First, the monitor: check its VESA pattern (75×75 or 100×100 mm) and weight, and put both inside the arm’s range — a gas spring set for a light panel drifts up, one loaded past its limit sags down. Second, the desk: measure the back-edge thickness for the clamp, usually good from about 0.4 to 3.4″. A screen without VESA holes needs an adapter plate; a glass or floating top may rule out a clamp entirely.

Gas spring or tension, and keeping it tidy

Gas-spring arms glide to any height one-handed and suit a screen you move between sitting and standing; tension arms cost less and hold a fixed position well. Either way, the point is the reclaimed surface, so run the cable down the arm and finish with desk cable management, then add a monitor light bar so nothing returns to the desk you just cleared.

How we picked

We do not run a testing lab

We compiled the published manufacturer specifications, did the footprint and clearance math ourselves, and read aggregated owner reviews, then scored each product against a published rubric. The scores are judgments from documented research — they are not measurements we took, because we do not have a lab and we are not going to pretend we do. Every spec traces back to a listing or manual named in Sources.

Questions

Frequently asked

Is a single monitor arm worth it for a small desk?
For most small setups, yes. The arm removes the monitor stand’s 8–10″ of depth and lifts the screen to eye level, which is both a space win and an ergonomic one. On a shallow small desk, that reclaimed depth is often cheaper than buying a deeper desk.
What size monitor fits a single arm?
Most single arms handle 13 to 32 inches; ultrawide-rated arms like the VIVO reach 38 inches. The limit that matters more is weight — match the panel's weight to the arm's stated range so a gas spring neither drifts up nor sags down.
Do I need a gas-spring arm, or is a tension arm enough?
If you move the screen often — sitting to standing, or sharing it — a gas spring earns its cost by gliding one-handed. If the monitor sits at one height and stays there, a manual tension arm like the WALI holds position just as well for less.

Keep reading

Related

Receipts

Sources

We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Specifications come from the manufacturer or retailer listing; the footprint and clearance math is ours and reproducible. Where we could not verify a number, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.