Making your desk look better? Want a more ergonomic desktop space? This is what you need to know.

Most people recommend getting a monitor arm if you want an ergonomic computer set up. And yes, monitor arms are great add-ons for any office. That's because it allows you to adjust your displays any way you see fit, helping prevent eye strain and other posture-related pains.

However, installing a monitor arm isn't as straightforward as it seems. Here are eight things you should consider before getting one.

Most monitor arms use VESA's Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI) standard to ensure they will fit most screens. However, not all displays are VESA compatible. So, if you're planning to get a mount or arm for the monitor you have or are planning to buy, you should ensure it's compatible with the VESA standard.

Some displays, like the 55-inch Samsung Odyssey Ark, don't have a VESA mount. So, if that is the case, you must buy an unsightly monitor brace that holds up your display around the edges. If you don't want to see your monitor like that or your screen is too curved for this solution, you're stuck using your display's included stand.

One more thing you should check with the monitor arm versus your screen is the weight. Monitor arms are only rated for a specific weight, which varies between model and manufacturer. While LED displays nowadays are lighter than the CRT screens of yesteryear, monitors 27- inches big or greater tend to be on the heavy side.

So, before you mount an expensive display on a cheap monitor arm, double-check if it can carry the monitor's rated weight. Otherwise, you risk damaging your display when the arm breaks or tips over because it can't support the weight it's carrying.

Aside from ergonomics, another reason people use monitor arms is to have a clean desk. So, when they finally install a monitor arm, they route their display's power and connection cables through the arm's cable channels. Or, if the arm does not have a channel, they use a sleeve that secures and conceals the cables.

However, when you do that, you add extra distance between your computer and monitor. So, unless your computer is placed close to your display, you'll have to invest in a longer cable than the one in your monitor's box.

If you're using a clamp-mount fixed monitor arm, you only need a little space between your desk and the wall behind it. However, fixed position arms defeat the purpose of monitor arms because your screen is tied to a fixed position, and you must adjust to it instead of the other way around.

However, if you have a fully-articulating monitor arm and you want to push the arm away from you, you'll need space behind the desk to accommodate the arm behind the screen—between two to six inches. If you work in a cramped space, you will have less room to move around.

Most monitor arms are either clamp- or grommet-mounted. That means your desk must have sufficient strength to support the weight of the monitor, monitor arm, and other accessories you place on your monitor (like a webcam).

So, if you're using a thin and cheap desk you bought off a flea market, you should double-check if it will break once you put all that pressure in a smaller area. Furthermore, some desks with fancy edges won't work unless equipped with a grommet and your monitor arm comes with a grommet mount.

Although most hardwood desks can withstand the weight of monitor arm setups, you have to if its surface won't get damaged by the monitor arm. Since these mounts usually hold relatively heavy weight, you should securely clamp them to your desk.

However, when you do so, you apply pressure over a relatively small area. That means it could leave a mark in the long run. Monitor arms could even scuff your table's surface when you install it. So, to protect your desk's finish, use some paper or carton cut to your monitor arm's footprint.

Monitor arms are especially useful if you have multiple monitors. That's because these mounts allow you to place your monitors close together freely, especially if you have a lot of other stuff on your table. However, most multi-monitor arms have a maximum size limit they can accommodate.

So, if you're planning to buy three 34-inch ultrawide monitors, you have to check if the monitor arms you're buying to go along with it will fit them. After all, if the mount's arms are too short, you'll either end up with a poorly-positioned monitor system or you can't use the monitor arms at all.

You might think you're good to go if you've done your homework and measured everything—from your desk to your office space, monitor weight and size, plus the number of screens you plan to install.

However, you should also consider one last thing, especially if you have more than one display. Monitor arms are notoriously hard to set perfectly. While you can easily adjust a single screen on a monitor arm, since you only move it relative to your position, it's more difficult when you have to adjust a monitor relative to you and the monitor next to it.

You might find yourself consistently adjusting one monitor because it looks skewed versus your main display. Once you've found your perfect spot, it's difficult to readjust your monitors again perfectly if you want to change their positions. And, if your coworker accidentally bumps into one of your displays, you'll have to adjust them again to avoid the unsightly gap or skewed look relative to the other screen.

Furthermore, if you're using monitors from different brands, you have to calibrate your monitors' colors to help with consistency. This is difficult and nearly impossible to perfect unless you have an excellent monitor color calibrator.

If you want an ergonomic desk, you have to expend effort and resources to get it. And even if you get a pro to set up your monitor arms for you, you still have to work with them to ensure they set your monitor's position perfect for you. After all, we all have different body types, so the perfect monitor placement for one person can be terrible for another.

Nevertheless, monitor arms are good investments as they can help you avoid future physical problems. By allowing you to keep a healthy posture while working, you will not only feel less stressed but also get less body pain, even after a long day in front of your computer.

Jowi is a writer, a career coach, and a pilot. He's been using, discovering, and exploring PCs since Windows 95 and was on board the Android bandwagon since Gingerbread. He started occasionally writing in 2015 and transitioned to it full-time in 2020. Jowi finished a university degree with related units in journalism in 2012. But even before he stepped into university, he's been known by his friends and family as the go-to person when anything computer-related requires explanation.

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