Choose an adjustable single monitor arm if your main call display is already supported and you want one VESA-compatible script screen beside it. Prioritise a position you can read without repeated twisting, then check the monitor’s mounting pattern and weight against the exact arm and confirm that its clamp suits your desk. If the script is on a laptop, look for a dedicated laptop support instead of a standard monitor plate.
If your call stays on the main display, an arm can put the script screen within a comfortable glance and let you adjust its height or orientation. Keep the display you use most continuously in front of you, in line with Health and Safety Executive workstation guidance.
If the script screen is needed only for calls, check whether the arm can move it aside afterwards without its base, clamp or cables obstructing other desk work.
A laptop needs a purpose-made tray or support rather than a bare VESA monitor plate. For prolonged use with the laptop screen elevated, the Health and Safety Executive advises a separate keyboard and mouse.
Decide where the script screen needs to sit, then check the exact display and desk against the arm’s mounting limits. The Health and Safety Executive advises keeping the screen and keyboard used for sustained work directly in front of you to avoid twisting.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Script position | Check height adjustment, sideways reach and swivel. If you want a portrait script, confirm rotation and allow cable slack. | I need to glance at the script beside my call without repeatedly turning towards a screen that stays too far off-centre; around 40% of consumers put script positioning first. |
| Mounting compatibility | Match the monitor’s VESA pattern and weight to the arm’s full load range, including any minimum. Measure the desk and inspect its clamp edge. | With a light, heavy or non-VESA display, or an awkward desk edge, I need to know the whole setup can be mounted as intended; compatibility is the primary concern for around 40% of consumers. |
| Desk space | Check how far the arm folds back, the clearance behind the desk and the path for power and video cables. | My desk also has to serve other tasks between calls, so I want the script screen out of the way when it is not in use; roughly 20% of consumers prioritise that space. |
An adjustable arm may also have a minimum load. Ergotron gives the older LX Desk Monitor Arm a 3.2–11.3 kg range, while Humanscale’s capacity guide shows that limits can vary by configuration and screen type.
Compare your monitor’s weight and shape with the full range for the exact arm and mounting configuration, rather than relying on a screen-size label.
ARCTIC specifies a 20–55 mm tabletop for the X1-3D and warns that hollow-pocket honeycomb or sandwich desktops may need reinforcement to prevent clamp damage.
Measure the desk thickness and inspect its construction, rear edge and anything beneath it before choosing a clamp mount.
A suitable reinforcement board or a different mounting method may be necessary.
A standard monitor plate does not by itself provide a laptop support. For prolonged work with an elevated laptop screen, the Health and Safety Executive advises using a separate keyboard and mouse.
Choose a compatible laptop arm and tray, or a laptop riser arrangement, if the laptop displays your script.
That arrangement may require a notebook tray and separate input devices.
A side position can work for glancing at a script, but the Health and Safety Executive advises placing the screen and keyboard directly in front of you for sustained work and avoiding back twisting.
Keep the display you use most continuously central, and reposition the script screen when your task changes.
ARCTIC offers single desk-mounted arms and dual-monitor mounts. Its X1-3D is a specific single-arm option to examine when you want to reposition a separate script monitor.
Humanscale’s configurable M2 Pro is relevant if you are assessing an arm for a lighter script monitor.
Ergotron lists single-monitor, dual-monitor and laptop-arm desk mounts, giving you distinct routes if your script display or workstation arrangement changes.
Use portrait orientation if it makes your script easier to scan and the exact arm and monitor allow rotation. ARCTIC specifies 360° rotation for the X1-3D, and Ergotron lists it for the older LX Desk Monitor Arm; leave enough cable slack before turning a connected screen.
A standard VESA plate alone is not a laptop support; choose a compatible notebook tray or laptop-arm arrangement. Ergotron describes a Notebook Tray configuration for its older LX arm, while the Health and Safety Executive advises a separate keyboard and mouse for prolonged use with an elevated laptop screen.
Not if the main call display is already supported and only the script monitor needs mounting: a suitable single arm can serve that arrangement. Consider a dual mount when you want both monitors supported from a desk-mounted system, then check each display and the desk against the exact mount’s limits.