Your neck hurts. You have looked at the guard arms. And you’ve seen them on Amazon for $30, maybe $35, and you’re wondering if that’s a fix or just wishful thinking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhq8PbzkhU
I have been using guard arms for over 17 years. One of my favorite desk items, honestly. So I bought five of the top-rated options on Amazon and tested them myself. I wanted to know which ones hold a 27″ to 32″ monitor without shaking, and if the cheap ones are worth it.
Full Disclaimer: We are an office furniture retailer and sell some computer arms that we review. To learn more about the products we sell, our review process and why you can trust us, please visit: Why we’re different. Who is BTOD.com and the Breakroom Blog?
1. North Bayou Monitor Arm
This monitor arm is priced at $29.90 and has over 15,000 reviews on Amazon – the most of any arm I’ve tested. One of the first things I noticed was how similar it was to the Huanuo arm.
The North Bayou comes with a clamp and grommet mount system, almost identical to the Huanuo. The finish on the arm was much better than expected based on the price. It is constructed using a mixture of plastic, steel, and aluminum. Overall, the best looking arm out of all the products I tested.
It shows the North Bayou
According to the instructions, it supports monitors from 4.4 to 19.8 lbs and 17″ to 30″ in size. In my tests, there are no problems supporting 27″ and 30″ monitors. When I turned the 30″ monitor to portrait, it tended to sink back into a more upright position – it didn’t like being tilted forward to the user. Cable management is included and it’s really easier to connect cables than the Huanuo, although the top clip was flimsy with a few cables on it. Overall, good stability for a 27″ monitor; stability decreases when fully extended or supporting a 32″ monitor.
2. Huanuo
Huanuo costs $35.99, making it less expensive than North Bayou. At first glance the two products look similar, but the Huanuo looks and feels cheaper – it uses more plastic in the most obvious areas, most notably on the upper part of the arm.
The cable control system was a little less intuitive. You need to loosen a few screws to get to the cable management, but it’s a permanent solution. From a stability standpoint, the two arms are very similar. However, Huanuo was better able to handle the large monitor in a tilted position – the monitor did not tilt, making it a better option for that use case.
Huanuo
Huanuo comes with a five-year written warranty on all mounts. The arm didn’t offer enough flexibility to easily rotate the monitor into portrait mode from landscape, but you can tilt it forward and back, or mount it in portrait mode from scratch. I think the Huanuo is worth the extra $5, especially if you want a durable cable management system, a better grip for the monitor pivot, and a written warranty.
3. The mountain
The Mounup can be purchased for $37.99, but this is my least favorite product of the five. Both Huanuo and North Bayou have a high quality feel at the same price. Mountup uses more plastic and the finish doesn’t look good.
The mountain
Mountup uses a grommet and c-clamp mounting system. I had no problems holding 27″ and 32″ monitors in various positions. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to use this monitor in portrait mode because it doesn’t raise high enough from the desk. This arm was also a small stable in the group. With poor stability and concerns about warranty support, I would recommend passing on this watch arm. For about the same money, you can get something better.
4. Vivo
This is the least expensive arm at $34.99. It’s also a very basic system, with no gas or spring adjustment arm for height changes. I am familiar with the Vivo brand, which leads me to believe that it may be your safest option from a product support and customer service perspective. I feel more confident about the company’s 3-year warranty than Huanuo’s 5-year warranty.
If you don’t plan on doing a lot of height adjustments, the Vivo is more durable thanks to its heavy-duty feel. Most of the arm is made of metal, which made me feel comfortable using 27″ and 32″ monitors. In testing, there are no problems holding the monitors in different places. To adjust the height, you need to loosen the bolt and slide the monitor up and down the long post.
Vivo
There is also limited cable management at the post and completely absent from the arm. There is a small problem when you try to fold the arm back on itself – not a big deal. Of all the arms I’ve tested, I feel the safest about placing a large monitor on this mount.
5. He refused
This is the most expensive monitor arm at $38.99. It’s my favorite of the bunch based on practical perception, even though it’s probably the worst of the bunch. The Wali is the second rear-arm design in the group but it is quite different from the Vivo.
The Wali is well built and heavy. The upper arm comes with some extra plastic housings that feel cheap, but these plastic parts seem to be more finished than the Vivo. Cable management includes both post and extension arms – all were easy to use and I really liked this feature.
The Wali
The Wali comes with a ton of height adjustment that lets you quickly move the monitor up or down or switch from landscape to portrait mode. It easily handles both size monitors and with the arm attached to the post, there is even more height flexibility over the length of the post. My two concerns are the warranty and the ability to contact support – I couldn’t find any written information on either, and the website’s contact page didn’t work. Hopefully if you go this route, you won’t need any extra parts or help.
The Bottom Line
If you’re still on the fence about whether a monitor arm is a good addition to your desk setup, all five of these arms show that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a meaningful ergonomic benefit. The North Bayou looks the best, the Huanuo has the best warranty and tilt control, the Vivo is the most stable for large monitors, and the Wali has the best overall performance. Avoid the Mountain. Keep reading our post for more desk comfort tips and accessory recommendations.