At first it may seem an indulgence to spend hard earned money on a fancy new arm mount computer accessory. Yet we now spend more and more time at our desks, and our monitors are only getting bigger and better. Higher resolutions on monitors mean we don’t need to be close to the screen as was the case with previous models. So the benefits of articulated mounts like the Amer Hydra single monitor mount and Amer Hyrda 2 dual monitor mount become clear. Can these arms handle bigger screens in a secure way you can be confident will not fail? Read on to find out!
Specifications of the Amer Hydra monitor mounts
- Adjustable gas spring
- Integrated 180° Rotation Stop
- Free tilting design
- Cable management
- Quick release VESA plate
HYDRA1HDB single monitor arm
- 17” to 35” single monitor support
- Max weight: 33lbs
HYDRA2HANDLEBAR dual monitor arm
- 17” to 32” dual monitor support
- Max weight: 17.6lb (per screen)
- Sliding horizontal bar for multi-screen placement
Setting up the Amer Hydra monitor mounts
It’s immediate as soon as you pick up the box that these are big, beefy, professional mounts that are fit to do the job—no small feat as you’re paying a premium to replace the stand that comes with almost ever monitor ever sold.
Both arms include a large, heavy clamp that you can affix to the side or back of your desk, with a wide opening space that can accommodate most office furniture. You can even drill a hole in your desk, or use a pre-existing slot, to accommodate the alternate mounting solution to bring the central pillar even closer.
Atop this clamp base is a rigid arm which the gas-sprung second portion of the mount is affixed to. The inner spring is adjusted with an included hex tool to get the right amount of friction given the weight of your spring. When dialed in, it’s a breeze to raise and lower the screen with your fingertips, quickly having it float in place exactly where you want without any fear of sag or slow drift downwards.
HYDRA1HDB
If you’ve got one big monitor, or multiple very big monitors that each require their own arm, the HYDRA1HDB is the perfect solution. With a maximum weight capacity of a whopping 33lbs and up to 35” in screen size, you’ll be able to quickly and easily position your screen exactly where you want with minimal fuss.
There’s a single mounting place using the familiar four-screw VESA pattern, making the final setup for this a breeze.
HYDRA2HANDLEBAR
If you’ve got two displays up to 32” in diameter, you may consider this larger mount. The base construction remains the same as the HYDRA1HDB, proving just how robust this system is to maintain the weight of even multiple screens. Instead of a single VESA mount, however, you attach a long bar that spreads out vertically with a slightly curved shape, stretching itself across your desk space. You then slide on two butterfly-shaped brackets from either side where you will see a very familiar screw pattern to stick to the back of your monitor.
The handlebar allows quick up and down adjustments in tandem, quickly moving out of the way, or quickly to eye level when required. This setup is ideal when you have twin monitors of the same form factor. You’d still be able to adjust the balance between one side and the other by sliding the center of gravity with two radically different form factors, but they may just benefit better from single mounts each. That said, you’re welcome to, say, mount one large screen horizontally and one vertically for text scrolling or code, and through use of the bar have it all treated like one single unit.
Each monitor’s bracket can easily be mounted to the respective screen and then slid into place and secured, meaning that switching out a screen, or even reordering, is relatively trivial.
Using the Amer Hydra arm mounts
Simply put, these arms do exactly what they promise, providing a firm, secure hold on your monitor and allowing you to swing it exactly where you want when you want. The advantages come down to saving some valuable desk real estate by having the relatively small footprint of a single pillar, as well as the ergonomic benefit of being able swing and adjust the screen to your exact position as you work throughout the day.
Removing the awkward stand that’s usually occupying space right where you’re typing is a boon, as you have the ability to tweak easily and repeatedly to your prime position depending on what you’re working on at the moment. For gamers or designers, you’ve got a chance to truly feel immersed in the image right up close, but still be able to swing it back for things a bit less demanding of pixel-by-pixel perception. Thanks to the mounts’ adjustability, metal construction, and universal mounting plate, you’re set for many years where your screen may change but your mount will remain secured as a central part of your workspace setup.
When bigger is required
These days monitor sizes reach well past what traditionally was a television size. For models such as the Samsung 55″ Odyssey Ark, which weighs in at a beefy 41.5 kg given its massive wingspan. For such models a regular TV mount will be the way to go, employing the same universal VESA mount. For example, the Amer wall mount fits screens from 40″ all the way to 100″, allowing you to mount up to 58kg to tilt 10 degrees up and down to suit your required viewing angle and still free up space on your desk.
Final thoughts
Over all these arms may feel like an unnecessary luxury, but given the large range of quality monitors these days, as well as the increasing amount of time we spend in front of our screens, it seems a good investment in terms of ergonomic efficiency as well as the decluttering of our desks to seriously consider adding one of the Amer Hydra monitor arm mounts to your home office or gaming setup.
