Choose independently adjustable arms if colleagues need to position each screen separately; choose a linked crossbar if keeping two documents aligned side by side matters more. For either arrangement, check each monitor’s weight and mounting pattern against the exact configuration, then confirm that its fixing suits the desk. In a shared office, an arm helps with positioning but does not replace a workstation assessment where the Health and Safety Executive’s display screen equipment criteria apply.
People who keep two versions visible at once need room to place both screens where they can read and annotate them without repeatedly rearranging the pair. Ergotron describes both linked and separately positioned dual-screen configurations.
When colleagues use the same workstation at different times, screen positions may need resetting for each person. The Health and Safety Executive advises reviewing a display screen equipment assessment when the user or equipment changes.
Anyone selecting an arm for existing equipment needs to match each screen’s weight and mounting holes to the chosen configuration, then check how its fitting attaches to the desk. Ergotron and Colebrook Bosson Saunders specify these details for particular models rather than for every arm in their ranges.
For a shared comparison desk, decide whether the screens should move together or separately before checking the monitors and desk against a specific arm.
Choose when: Colleagues need different viewing positions, or one document screen must move without shifting the other. Ergotron describes separate positioning for its LX Dual Stacking design.
Trade-off: Allow room for both arms to move, and check the limits of the exact two-screen configuration.
Choose when: The two document screens should stay aligned and move together during routine adjustments, as with Ergotron’s LX Desk Dual Direct arrangement.
Trade-off: A linked pair offers less freedom to set substantially different positions for each screen. Check the current configuration and attachment parts: Ergotron identifies the cited UK no-clamp version as discontinued.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustment between users | Check the height and reach of the exact arrangement, and whether each display moves independently. | If colleagues take turns at the desk, I want to reposition my screen without disturbing their document layout. Around 31% of consumers put quick adjustment first. |
| Side-by-side alignment | Check that the intended screen pair fits the side-by-side arrangement and whether tilt can be adjusted separately. | When both document versions need to remain visible, I want the screens to stay aligned as I move the pair. Keeping that comparison layout comes first for around 31% of consumers. |
| Monitor and desk fit | Compare each screen’s weight without its stand and its VESA mounting-hole pattern with the arm; measure desk thickness and fixing access. | Before approving an arm for existing office furniture, I need to know that both monitors and the desk can accommodate it. For around 23% of consumers, compatibility is the primary concern. |
| Heavier screens or expansion | Check whether capacity is stated per screen or for the whole configuration, and which parts are needed to add a display. | If larger monitors or another screen may be used later, I want to understand the limits of the proposed configuration now. Around 15% of consumers prioritise capacity or expansion. |
A total for the pair does not establish that each screen fits its support. Ergotron specifies 1–5 kg per monitor for the cited LX Desk Dual Direct configuration.
Find each monitor’s weight without its original stand and compare both figures with the individual limits of the exact arm configuration.
Desk thickness and access to the rear edge or underside affect which fixing can be installed. Colebrook Bosson Saunders lists different desk fittings for Flo.
Measure the desk and inspect the intended fixing point before choosing the specified clamp or grommet fitting.
An alternative attachment may also require installation work.
Screen position is only one part of a shared setup; lighting, furniture and each person’s working position still matter. The Health and Safety Executive’s display screen equipment guidance addresses the workstation as a whole.
Set screen height and distance for each user, check glare and desk layout, and complete or review the relevant assessment where the Health and Safety Executive’s criteria apply.
Ergotron identifies its cited UK LX Desk Dual Direct no-clamp configuration as discontinued and says its mounting clamp is not included.
For the exact model being ordered, confirm its current status, included parts and whether the required desk attachment is available.
Compare particular configurations rather than assuming every arm from a brand has the same capacity or fixing.
Its cited LX designs illustrate both separately positioned screens and a linked dual-screen arrangement.
Its office monitor-arm range includes differently configured single- and multi-screen options.
Its UK-listed adjustable arm configurations include a dual-monitor crossbar option.
Choose a linked crossbar when the screens should stay aligned and move together; choose independently adjustable arms when colleagues need to set each screen’s position separately. In either case, check that the chosen arrangement fits both monitors and leaves enough room on the desk.
Check each monitor’s weight without its stand, its VESA mounting-hole pattern and the exact arm’s individual screen limits, then confirm the desk fixing. For example, Ergotron specifies 1–5 kg per monitor and VESA 75 × 75 mm or 100 × 100 mm for the cited LX Desk Dual Direct configuration; those figures should not be assumed for another model.
No. Under Health and Safety Executive guidance, an employer must assess the workstation for workers who use display screen equipment daily as part of their normal work for continuous periods of an hour or more. The assessment considers more than screen position, and should be reviewed when the user or equipment changes.
Start with the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance to place the top of the screen level with the eyes, the screen about an arm’s length away and the display directly in front of the user. Each person should then check the position against their task and lighting rather than keeping another colleague’s settings unchanged.