Humanscale M2 Flat Panel Monitor Arm
The M2 Flat Panel Monitor Arm uses a spring instead of a gas cylinder to hold your monitor for a great long lasting arm that works well and is durable as well as good looking.
Ease of Use, Performance: 24/25
Look & Feel: 24/25
Features 23/25
How much I enjoy 24/25
Total: 95/100
The M2 Monitor Arm is a chrome two piece design that uses a heavy duty spring in the upper arm to hold the monitor arm up instead of a gas cylinder. The M2 arm has a two type mounting base and your typical swing type arm that works very well as well as being easy to install.
The M2 Arm has a solid base that mounts either on a desk edge or through a hole and has convenient cable clips along the base all the way up to the monitor mount. I really like the base cable clip that holds cables down against the base so your cables are uncluttered but you don’t have to use any or just some of the cable retainers.
The M2 arm installs easily using either mounting type and once installed on a desk is quite sturdy but you may have to have someone hold the base if you’re using the bolt mounting. The base is heavy but if you are installing using the bolt you may not be able to reach the bolt as well as hold the base depending on your table or desk type and position.
I installed the M2 Monitor Arm in my office at my old house and have since moved so we packed it up and got to install it in my new office. My desk is against the wall and I needed to have someone hold the base while I threaded the bolt from the bottom of my desk.
Once mine was installed in my new office it worked quite well at positioning the monitor and has the most unique feature I found on monitor arms, a quick remove latch. The monitor mount clips into the arm after installing on the monitor and releases with a latch instead of being bolted on or otherwise permanently attached.
This makes quick removal of your monitor and moving around so very much easier; you can simply push the latch and lift off your monitor and then mess with moving the arm with the monitor safe from scratches or damage. The monitor arm swivels smoothly from side to side and the ball joint on the back of the monitor base allows for smooth but tight, non movement adjustment in a full circle.
The ball joint means you can turn the monitor, swivel it and perform all kinds of minute adjustments to get the monitor in just the right position. The chrome finish of the arm blends nicely with the white plastic pieces like the cable retainers and base but looks are only a part of the overall picture.
The monitor holds up well and the spring is fully adjustable just like those gas cylinders are, I had no problem installing my larger 22 inch monitor on the M2. Height adjustment friction is adjusted by two small screws on the sides of the arm and use a simple hex key that is included.
I found the only thing not included for installation is a larger hex key if you want to install the monitor arm using the bolt which uses a 6mm hex key. The M2 comes with three other hex keys for adjusting and installing the arm but you may have to get the larger hex key size from a local hardware store.
The monitor mount has holes for both common sizes of mountings so you have no worry about which hole spacing your monitor has and even has spacers for some monitors that have a recessed back. They really have thought of a lot when designing this monitor arm and you have the adjustments not only for the spring to tighten or loosen but you can loosen or tighten the ball joint as well.
The M2 monitor arm is a great all around monitor arm for those desks where you frequently move your monitor around or if you want to get the exact positing you need and keep it there. I highly recommend the M2 Monitor Arm from Humanscale for a great monitor arm that is easy to install and holds rock steady during daily use.