Mount the screen first, then adjust the tension a little at a time until the screen stays wherever you leave it and moves with light, steady pressure. If it sinks, add tension; if it rises or springs back, reduce it. Most arms use a hex key in a screw at the elbow or near the base; a few show the right setting in a window.
Before you start. Weigh the screen without its stand and check it is within the arm’s range — both ends: a screen below the minimum can be too light for even the lowest setting. The arms in our monitor arms hub take 2 to 9 kg (4.4 to 19.8 lb), except the Ergotron at 1.8 to 10 kg (4 to 22 lb). Find the tension screw and the key that came with the arm, and the manual’s note on which direction adds tension.
1. Hold the arm level and mount the screen. A spring arm released without a screen on it can spring up sharply. Keep the arm horizontal — some must be raised to their top position before the screen goes on; the manual says which — and fit the screen to the VESA plate.
2. Let go gently and watch. If the screen drops, the tension is too low; if it rises, too high. Hold it while you adjust.
3. Adjust in small steps. Turn the screw a quarter or half turn, then move the screen up and down through its range and let go at several heights. Repeat until it stays put at each one. A gas spring can take many turns between its lightest and heaviest setting, so do not be surprised if it takes a while.
4. Check the feel. The right tension holds the screen still but lets you move it with one hand and light pressure. If it needs real force, the tension is too high even if it does not move by itself.
5. Set the tilt and swivel joints. Each has its own friction screw. Tighten the tilt until the screen keeps its angle, and the swivels until the arm stays where you swing it.
Arms that make it easier. The HUANUO in our hub has a viewing window that shows when the tension is right, and a VESA plate that clips on without tools. The Ergotron’s tension can be set once and repeated across several workstations.
After a week, check again. A new spring can settle slightly. If the screen starts to drift later, or if you change screens, see why a monitor arm won’t hold its position.
What buyers ask us first
Which way do I turn the screw?
It depends on the arm — many mark + and − next to the screw, and the manual says which way adds tension. If neither is clear, turn a full turn one way and check whether the screen holds better or worse.
Can I set the tension before mounting the screen?
Only roughly. The right tension depends on the screen's weight on the arm, so set it with the screen fitted. Some arms ship set for a mid-range weight, which is why a light or heavy screen moves on its own at first.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026