Wasted $150 on a monitor arm, desk lamp is a better investment

Everyone raves about gas spring monitor arms for a clutter free desk. I bought a fancy $150 Ergotron arm and honestly, my neck still hurts. The real win for me was a $30 IKEA desk lamp with an adjustable neck. It clears up the same space and lets me see my keyboard and papers way better. Anyone else find monitor arms overrated for actual comfort?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesf411mo ago

Wasted $150 on a monitor arm" - I did the same thing and now my fancy arm holds my monitor at the exact same height as the stack of old textbooks it replaced. Guess my neck didn't need a $150 solution, just a better angle on my desk lamp. So now I've got an expensive paperweight and better lighting, which is basically a $120 lesson in common sense.

phoenixb341mo ago

I read somewhere that something like 40 percent of people who buy monitor arms end up returning them or not using them right. @jamesf41 your textbook stack story hit close to home because I did almost the same thing with a cheap laptop stand last year. I spent $40 on a fancy aluminum one and ended up propping it on a cookbook from my kitchen instead. The arm just made my setup look cleaner but didnt actually fix the real issue, which was my chair being too low. I think we all get tricked into buying gear when what we really need is just adjusting the stuff we already have. So youre not alone in that $120 lesson, trust me.

harpery471mo ago

a $120 lesson in common sense" - I once paid $80 for a cable organizer and used a shoelace instead.