Methodology & sources

Every number in the fit checker comes from a manufacturer document we downloaded or read ourselves, recorded with a verification date. We record what the maker published, not what a retailer listing or forum post repeated. Where a document does not state a value, it is stored as not stated and the checker reports unknown with a next step — never a default value.

How limits are recorded

• verified_primary — copied from the manufacturer's own spec sheet or product page (linked below), with market noted.
• not_stated — the recorded document does not publish this limit. The checker asks you to check the installation manual rather than guessing.
• user_input — numbers you typed yourself; the check reports against them as given.
• Units are stored canonically in mm and kg; conversions use exact factors (1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg).
• Weight is always without stand (plus adapter weight when an adapter is required).

Result priorities

Any hard limit failure ⇒ not supported. Otherwise any missing key fact ⇒needs verification. A proven adapter requirement ⇒ accessory required. Only when the recorded limits and the desktop details you confirmed pass ⇒ within published limits. "Within published limits" is not an installation approval.

Source documents

What is in the current catalog

6 selectable single-screen arm configurations, 10 selectable monitor models and one reference-only factory configuration, 1 maker-stated desk restriction. One dual-screen arm and the Apple configuration without a full MPN are retained as reference data and excluded from this single-screen tool. The catalog starts deliberately small: each entry is fully source-traced before it ships. Unknown models fall back to manual entry, which the engine treats with the same rules.

How the catalog grows

Public factual samples from SetupSelect, Rig & Route and HomeSmartOffice help us find models and original source documents. Those records enter a staging area, not the live catalog. We keep their region, weight basis and conflicting values, then check the manufacturer before approving a record. A shared model family name does not establish an exact regional configuration.

The US catalog has ten exact monitor models and six single-screen arm configurations. Core weights, dimensions and mounting patterns are source-linked. Samsung US manuals now distinguish the G95C direct VESA arrangement from the required G95NC mounting bracket. The G95NC bracket mass and its inclusion in the published net weight remain unverified; LG 34GP83A-B curvature is not verified here. The checker preserves these gaps.

Selection uses the same rules as the individual checker. Hard failures are shown, remaining candidates are ordered by verification status and missing facts, then name. Typical diagonal sizes in Ergotron sheets are not treated as hard limits; explicit VIVO regular-versus-ultrawide size limits are checked. Depth-dependent capacity and restricted travel can require further maker confirmation.

Feedback and revisions

Optional reports can identify incorrect specifications, a missing model, a blocked clamp or a confusing step. Reports are unverified visitor accounts. We reproduce the issue, check the exact manufacturer revision and add a regression case before updating data or rules. Forum reports and automated checks are not counted as people testing this site. Try a short self-guided task.

Limitations

We do not physically test arms, certify installations, or compute the structural strength of desktops. Totals like a desk's distributed load capacity are not a clamp permission — maker-stated restrictions (like honeycomb-core tops) override generic capacity math. Product data can change; each row carries its verification date, and we re-check on a fixed schedule or on user reports.