Monitor Setup

How to set up your monitors

Your screen position affects your neck more than almost anything else on your desk. The top of the screen should sit at or slightly below eye level, about an arm's length away. A laptop on its own puts the screen too low, so raise it with a stand and use a separate keyboard.

A dual monitor arm lifts two screens off the desk, lets you set their height and angle precisely, and frees up the space underneath. Before you buy one, check these:

• VESA mount. Most monitors have a 75 × 75 mm or 100 × 100 mm screw pattern on the back. Check yours, and look for an adapter if it has none.
• Weight and size per arm. Each arm has a limit. Curved and ultrawide monitors are often heavier than they look.
• Desk fit. Clamp mounts need a desk edge of the right thickness and some space behind the desk. Grommet mounts need a hole through the desk.
• Adjustment. Gas-spring arms move up and down easily. Fixed-pole arms are steadier but slower to adjust.

Good cable routing along the arm keeps the setup tidy.