HAS TECHNOLOGY LEFT YOUR MONITOR ARM BEHIND?

It’s funny how technology sometimes develops in different directions simultaneously. Take a look at the workspace for example, where computers are shrinking rapidly while monitors are having something of a growth spurt.

You won’t be surprised to hear that there was a leap forward in screen size with the advent of affordable flat panel screens around 20 or so years ago. And screens have been growing ever since, but lately there has been a further shift in technology. Pushed by the sheer amount of information now available and indeed the increasing amount needed to do our jobs, we are seeing a move towards ultra-wide screens as well as double and triple monitor set-ups.

 

Is bigger really better?

 

Simply put, yes, a bigger screen results in improved productivity, for a few reasons. The first is a case of quantity. When you have a wider screen, or multiple displays for that matter, you can simultaneously display more information, which enables you to easily perform side-by-side tasks that would otherwise be impossible with a single or smaller screen. You can also view several documents at once instead of constantly switching back and forth between tabs. With more screen space available you can ensure everything you need is easily in view and set up your workstation to maximise productivity.

This has knock-on ergonomic benefits too. By not having to switch between screens, scroll, adjust your body position or turn your head to look at different screens, larger format screens make work more comfortable.

A larger monitor also improves productivity by allowing you to see the bigger picture, quite literally. With more information on display at the same time, you gain a better understanding and a greater insight into whatever task you have on the go. This ability to see more helps decision making and, ultimately, productivity.

In most cases, the bigger the screen, the higher the resolution. This is important because a higher resolution means clearer images and sharper text. And being able to see whatever is displayed on your screen more easily greatly reduces eye strain and fatigue. This, again, has a beneficial effect on productivity.

The more the merrier?

In a study commissioned by the electronics company NEC, researchers at the University of Utah asked office workers to perform several common tasks using various monitor configurations. They found that people who used two 20-inch monitors were 44 percent more productive at the text-editing tasks the had been set than people using a single 18-inch monitor. Which explains why dual screen set-ups have become more common and haven’t remained in the realms of city traders.

One monitor arm to hold them all

When it comes to monitors then, bigger is most certainly better, which explains the trend for larger screens. The question is though, how does that affect the workspace and, more specifically, its ergonomics? Many of the monitor arms on the market are just not suitable for the new generation of monitors. They either can’t handle the dimensions or the weight or, in the case of curved screens, the format.

The result all too often is a mishmash of monitor arms in the office. And in the case of multi-screen set-ups, a clutter of monitor arms and misaligned screens. Many people who upgrade their screens often suffer from the dreaded droop as their existing monitor arms struggle to cope.

Here at CBS, the office ergonomics specialists, this was clearly not a satisfactory situation and so we set about designing the seemingly impossible – a single monitor arm that could mount the growing variety of screen types, sizes and the wide range of weights necessary in the workplace of today and tomorrow.

Taking large format and mufti-screen support to new heights

Flo X is the result of the engineering challenge we set our designers – a single monitor arm capable of holding heavy, large format screens up to 43” and 18kg, as well as dual and triple monitor set-ups too.

Using unique dual spring technology, Flo X has the power to accommodate a range of large screen sizes and weights up to 18kg. But with future-proof flexibility built in, it is also perfectly suited to lighter screens (down to 3kg), catering to the current trend of large monitor screens becoming lighter. Hence giving you the flexibility to choose the best screen to suit your workspace and your needs.

Clever adaptation of our D-ring mechanism means Flo X has a head holder capable of holding wider monitors and curved screens alike. All while still being able to easily adjust and tilt so you can find the perfect ergonomic position in seconds.

And for those needing a dual or triple screen set-up, Flo X can hold two monitors up to 32” or three up to 27”. What’s more, it has been specifically designed to be as equally easy to adjust with two or three screens as it is with a single screen, so fine tuning the perfect position for all of your screens couldn’t be simpler.