Ergotron LX - A Monitor Mount

Introduction

It wasn’t long ago when I owned a monitor that was bulky and took up a lot desk space. Since the inception of flat panel LCD monitors, desk space has improved dramatically. Even though the desk space improved, something inherently was missing. That missing piece was the diversity of positioning a monitor to be ergonomically comfortable. Since I have a need for desk space, being an owner of a home studio, I bought a pair of these Ergotron LX monitor mounts to open up desk space even more and to help place any monitor any where I please to improve my productivity at my home studio.

The 5 Pivot Point System at a Glance

The Ergotron LX desk monitor mount is a 5 pivot point system. At the base the first pivot point can move 360 degrees horizontally. However, there is a limitation because you have to hook up the monitor’s cables. In other words you can’t keep spinning the monitor around and around. The first extension arm is place on the base pole in a fixed position, but you can easily adjust the height with a twist of an allen wrench. The second and third pivot points are located at the end of the first extension arm where the monitor arm is connected. There is a secondary horizontal movement point and a smooth vertical pivot point, so you can move the monitor around with little effort. This secondary pivot point helps with back and forth movement of the monitor itself. Finally, the last two pivot points are located at the end of the monitor arm. The first movement point is simply a tilting of the monitor forwards and backwards. The second pivot point is a rotation movement of the monitor. This is useful when the monitor is in a funny position and does not look level to the ground. All in all, there is a great range of motion that can be achieved by this system.

My Applications

The main reason for the initial purchase was to open up some desk space and have the ability to place the computer monitor over the Digidesign 003 or the Motif 8 SX keyboard for faster and convenient ways of producing music. This helps avoid the constant turning of my head to see the results of the music production at hand. However, there are two other fortunate functional components to this system. It is great when you are watching a DVD on the computer because you can position the monitor anywhere in its range to make viewing comfortable. It is also helpful for the rappers in my crew, since I can type in lyrics on the computer then lift the monitor so they can see what was written.

Difficulties

There are three issues with these monitor desk mounts. The first is the consumer must be aware that these mounts are used with desks that are usually made of thick wood (not glass). Also, there must be some overlap of the desk, so you can get the clamp underneath. The second problem is about the cables, you have to buy extensions, or longer cables for this system to work effectively. The third problem is the 12 pound weight limit for the monitor itself.

Conclusion

If you do a lot work on your computer or play on the internet for long periods of time, then this is a product worth investigating. At $130.00 you get a sleek, ultra-modern, monitor desk mount that is surprisingly useful. The assembly is very easy to do, and it is intuitive. It is a sturdy design that will last a long time. My recommendation is to buy it.