Best 27" iMac Arm?

October 23, 2009 5:21 AM

What are the best options for a desk mounted VESA compatible articulating arm for the new 27" iMac?

Up until recently, I had an old G5 iMac and although the included stand was an elegant design, I was never very satisfied with the limited range of motion it provided. So now that it has finally come time to purchase a new iMac, I would like to get a well built, stable articulated arm that provides a wide range of viewing positions.

I'm interested in hearing any ideas, experiences, and/or suggestions for a mounting arm that would provide convenient and safe positioning for the weight (20.5 lbs.) and width (27" diagonal) of my new machine.

Some examples that I have been looking at are the Ergotron MX and the iLift, and the Innovative 7500.

With the new iMac's large screen size and my particular room set-up, I would like an arm that is long enough to be viewable at my desk for work and from my bed which is right beside it for watching DVD's.

Out of the models I listed above, the 7500 has the greatest range of movement (27" horizontal and 18" vertical - here is a YouTube video showing it). In my research so far, it seems that if you want to find a longer arm you need to go up to the medical/dental type suppliers such as the ICW Elite (with a 42" reach or longer).

Please don't send me into my next iMac purchase unarmed - - any and all thoughts and suggestions would be most appreciated!

posted by fairmettle to computers & internet (8 comments total)

I've got an Ergotron Novoflex LX on my CAD workstation. I like it. Had to make a custom adapter plate to adapt to my samsung monitor, though.
posted by notsnot at 5:58 AM on October 23

I believe you'll need this adapter plate, regardless of the specific arm you choose. So there's that.
posted by rokusan at 6:58 AM on October 23

My friend has the 7500 and loves it (also attached to his iMac, a 24"). He mounted it to his bed frame so that he can use/watch the machine in bed as well as swing it out of the way when not in use. The long reach is good in that respect - when you want it out of the way it's actually out of the way.
posted by sub-culture at 8:21 AM on October 23

I'm in almost the exact same situation. I'll be buying the top of the line 27" quad in November, and I need a wall-mounted arm that will extend at least 3', have some vertical movement and pan 180 degrees. I'm looking at this Ergomart SAA4229 as it extends 44" and then collapses down to 3.75", but apart from being quite pricy ($460), the color choices are just dreadful. On the other hand, if you don't need that kind of a reach, and can settle for 25", there is an insanely cheap option on monoprice that'll do 66lb, silver colored steel, 3 way adjustable 190 degree swivel - basically do it all for the mind-boggling price of $25.
posted by VikingSword at 3:03 PM on October 23 [1 favorite]

Hold on. Are you sure you meant 20.5lb? Because Apple lists the 27" iMac as - Weight: 30.5 pounds (13.8 kg). Obviously, the weight will vary somewhat depending on configuration (1TB HDD vs 2TB HDD for example), and if mounted, the stand can be taken off, but I doubt it'll ever go down to 20.5lb. Which btw, excludes the ICW Elite you linked to, as it will only carry up to 22lb. No worky. And they ask for $884!

I still think the Ergomart SAA4229 is the best choice, but I'll keep looking.
posted by VikingSword at 3:15 PM on October 23 [1 favorite]

You're right! I misread the Apple website and quoted the weight of the 21.5" iMac.

The SAA4229 does seem to be an excellent solution for the 27" iMac, and while it is indeed pricy, it seems reasonable given it's functionality for my requirements. I wonder how their "Metallic Gray" color would match up with the Apple aluminum?

Thanx, Viking Sword - - enjoy your new iMac!
posted by fairmettle at 4:34 AM on October 24

No problem! I suspect metallic gray will clash with the iMac, but that's a matter of taste, and really should be seen in person, hard to judge in the abstract. Should you decide to go with the Ergomart, come back and let us know how it works out! Good luck!
posted by VikingSword at 11:10 AM on October 24

For the sake of completeness and in the interests of future thread searchers, I followed up on the Ergomart SAA4229 discussed in this thread and was advised that while the SAA4229 arm can handle the weight of the 27" iMac, that the tilt control at the end would need to be extremely tight to hold it's position. To change the tilt angle, it may need to be loosened, repositioned, and then retightened again, which does not fit into my vision of a instantly, infininitely adjustable arm in a 3D hemispherical space above my work area.

I would have liked the 44" length, but at the moment I have resigned myself to the 27" range of the Innovative 7500 that I mentioned in my original post. One reassuring fact is that they have four separate models of this arm, with the heavy duty 7500-1500 model being rated for monitors from 13.5 lbs - 44 lbs, so there's no flirting with the iMac being right at the upper limit of the arm capacity.

At the moment, I'm holding off on my arm purchase concurrently with my wait to see if the new quadcore iMac's have any major first-gen issues. Hopefully, I can be patient enough to hold on until the new year, when all the reviews and complaints come to light - - so if anyone happens to read this in the meantime and they have additional suggestions or ideas, they would still be most welcome!
posted by fairmettle at 4:21 AM on October 29