ERGOTRON LX MONITOR ARM
PRICE £120 | Company Ergotron | WEBSITE www.ergotron.com
A potential workspace addition
T here are a number of reasons you might want a monitor arm. The most common use is for easy repositioning during the working day, whether for minimising glare or to bring the monitor closer for certain tasks. Another common use is to aid in setting up a workspace in such a way that alleviates strain on the neck and back, reducing physical problems associated with working at a desk.
Ergotron offers numerous such devices and this LX version seems to follow the company’s other designs in both form and function.
The arm itself is solidly constructed, with a clean and simple white finish (polished and black variants are available) and with minimal work needed to install. You can choose a permanent mount or a clamp style, which is very effective. The arm tested was supplied with VESA mounting fittings for my monitor, so ensure you get the correct one for your setup.
Installation is a breeze. Attach one part to the rear of your monitor, the other to the base and then adjust some tensioners to get the balance right and you’re done. The tensioning is adjusted with a simple Allen wrench at the top of the arm, making it easy to reach and test as you go. This is something that needs to be done over a few days of use, as the arm settles and you get used to the feel of it. Once dialled in you can easily move the monitor with a single fingertip, left and right, up and down and back and forward, as well as tilting and rotating into portrait mode.
A nicely thought-out design means you can remove the underside of the casing from the arms, feed your monitor cables in, hold in place with cable ties and replace the casing. The entire setup is neat, tidy and makes for a really clean install. Better yet, the cable ties, wrenches and everything needed are supplied with the unit, in separate compartments of a bag roll. This is something we consumers have come to expect but is still sorely lacking in many areas, so is lovely to see here.
The last point of note is that this design is about as compact as it can be, with the arm folding over its own base when pushed back. This means if you work in mixed media, or you need to clear some room for certain tasks, you can do so with ease. A welcome design choice indeed.
If you like adaptability or, more importantly, could use some adjustability to help your back or neck, then this monitor stand is about as good as they get and is certainly well worth the investment.