I’m basically trying to recreate this, minus the absolutely insane pricetag. Desk mounted versions exist for literally one-twentieth the cost, but for some reason that three foot pole and wheels causes the price to explode.
So… this is for sure a DIY project. My thought is to buy a desk mounted stand, and remount the arms to a makeshift floor pole… Like the 5-wheel base of an office chair with an iron plumbing pipe shoved into the middle. Not sure if that’d give the stability I need, but that’s why I’m trying to run it by folks with a mind for this kind of thing :p
Use case: my computer desk my living room couch. Right now the monitors are on a coffee table. Keyboard goes on lap, mouse goes onto a makeshift mousepad frame to my right. Works great, except the screens are just hanging out in the middle of the room when not in use. Wife’s comfy spot is on the other side of the couch where she watches the TV on the other side of the room: when we both want to watch something on the tv, the monitors become an annoyance, so being able to easily wheel them to the side of the couch and back is the goal.
Either that or something like a swivel-arm, but the weight of two monitors would be a lot for something like that.
Any ideas?
Skateboard. Poof done.
Oof, I really wouldn’t.
The main issue is weight distribution. You’re looking at a very imbalanced fulcrum here, with the foot (which is usually mounted to the desk, therefore providing more stability) needing to be super heavy to counter the weight of the monitors.
Even a lightweight monitor - say, a ~2kg one (my 34" Samsung ultrawide OLED, which has its PSU completely separate), would put enough weight on it that any kind of movement would risk tipping this entire structure over.
The reason why it’s so expensive is because 1, it’s a very niche product and 2, because it’s so risky to use on anything larger than a dual 17" setup.
If you want to DIY, of course you can go with a pole on a rolling stand and then buy individual pole mount arms for the monitors… but you’ll need to make the base super heavy. we’re talking at least 15-20kg, a big concrete block with some lead blocks embedded, or using the base as a weight rack for workouts, to prevent tipping.
Alternatively, have you considered replacing your monitors with AR glasses? Something like the Rokid/Xreal/Viture brands’ offerings. They can do both fixed monitor (the entire glass display is a single monitor so it’s always in front of you), as well as virtual monitor (one to five monitors arranged in a virtual space anchored to the glasses’ position but not orientation so you can look away from them). We’re talking a $300-400 expense for a much more portable experience with no DIY.
Yeah, the mechanical part of this is easy enough, but unless you make the stand out of wolfram and ridiculously big, it’s gonna topple.
I think fixing it on a linear bearing is the only way.
It doesn’t necessarily have to topple. I have my ~10kg TV on a similar stand and even though the main vertical element is off center, it’s super stable.
My main concern is that OP’s approach is with two - potentially different size/weight) monitors, with movable arms, which does mean the center of weight moves around a lot with every change.
Alternatively, have you considered replacing your monitors with AR glasses?
Oh man, there’s a whole world that I know absolutely nothing about. My immediate concern is resolution and latency - I use my computer for gaming mostly, would these have a look and feel on screen similar to a decent monitor?
Second concern… I’d kinda hate to even support that product line. The concept is good for what I’m asking about, but these things are a security and privacy nightmare in general. Mine would never leave the home, but even just buying a pair would feel like making a deal with a serial voyeurism sex offender. Is there a brand that doesn’t have the sketchy camera?
Resolution is a pretty standard 1080p@90Hz for most devices. For your purpose I guess a single fixed monitor setup would be ideal, as multimonitor setups mean you can’t get both screens in your view, and it increases latency too.
general latency in single monitor mode is pretty okay though, around 12-16ms on most models I tried. Not as good as a dedicated monitor, but it’s a solution. A lot of people use these glasses with slabtops (generally macbooks with the display torn off), handhelds (Switch, Steam Deck, etc.), and other on the go devices.
Most of Xreal’s models don’t have cameras. And you’re not forced to use their software, by default 99% of these devices works as a simple DisplayPort device + USB hub for the attached accessories (microphone, speaker, camera).
a swivel-arm, but the weight of two monitors would be a lot for something like that
I’m still wanting to build a rolling desk myself and have some components already, but you might want this: Humanscale M10. It’s pricey but it’s the heaviest-load arm on the consumer market. It can take 48lb, and if that’s overkill, they have cheaper arms that will carry less. You might find some of the cheaper brands will do what you need without the cost, but I don’t have experience with them.
Skip their expensive crossbar adapter though, you can use any much cheaper VESA bracket adapter, you just need the arm itself to be solidly constructed.
The real issue for the design you have in mind though is center of gravity. You’re stuck with attaching it to something very heavy and wide. I’m still in the early stages of fixing that problem myself. My solution is likely to involve significant amounts of V slot aluminum profile.
Looks like a small rolling table, desk, or nightstand would make a fine base. With a monitor stand like that you will probably want a flat horizontal surface to clamp onto. Perhaps there is another type of stand that would be more suited to pole mounting
After reviewing your post again, I don’t recommend the cart I go on about below. Anything heavy and stable enough to support multiple monitors, is not going to be easy to wheel out of the way. And any wall, ceiling, or pole mounted monitor arms will be massive and expensive. Anything with wheels all around is going to be less stable than fat man on a tiny skateboard. Any little imbalance will send the whole thing to the ground. I’d probably just use a few of those portable (and lightweight) extra laptop screens.
I made a rolling server cart out of an IKEA BEKVÄM. The shelves were spaced just enough to fit my printer on one shelf, the UPS and network gear on another, and the server (in an htpc style case) on top. It’s heavy, with the heaviest part (the UPS) taking the bottom shelf. True, it only has 2 wheels, but it’s built like a tank and rolls around easy enough without feeling like it’s going to fall apart. The cart spends most of its time tucked in a corner, but the wheels make it easier to pull out to work on the various things connected to it. A monitor currently only sits on top, but given the weight of the UPS on the bottom shelf, I would not be afraid to mount some simple monitor arms that don’t extend too much.
Side note: Trackball mice work a lot better where mouse pads fear to tread like couches, laps, chairs, even standing. I use a mouse all day for CAD work so these things have made it worth the adjustment from standard mouse: it being in the same place on my desk every time, being able to relax my arm and shoulder while moving the mouse across 3 monitors, and being able to use my laptop in the field from the seat of a vehicle. I have a Logitech Ergo with Bluetooth and a dongle (several actually), one at each desk or couch and one in my work bag.
Look at overbed tables. They are pretty wide, giving more stability. I’m seeing cheapos on Amazon for $50-60. You should be able to mount a dual monitor stand to one, provided your monitors aren’t too huge.
IKEA also have a decent one.
Can you just put casters on your coffee table? You’d need something that either has a really heavy base or has a really large footprint (or both) to keep something like that from tipping over. So, why not the coffee table? If you are OK with something a little janky then I think putting wheels on an existing desk/table and mounting a cheap stand to it would be doable for pretty cheap. You could also easily add weights to a lower shelf of a coffee table for stability.
I don’t know that the base of an office chair would ever really be stable - you need some weight down as low as possible. If you don’t want the whole coffee table on wheels then maybe start with a furniture dolly. Mount your post to that with a flange (this needs to be beefy so the post can’t wobble at all or it will come apart) and then figure out the desktop/monitors. Add weight to the dolly however you can. This sounds generally unstable and likely to wobble apart but could maybe be made to work. Definitely wouldn’t make it any taller than absolutely necessary though.
If you want a custom piece of furniture that isn’t janky you will need some wood/metal working skills and tools. If you don’t have that already then honestly, 1k is probably cheaper than making your own… I tend go overboard but heavy duty casters (50-100) + steel base out of 1/2 in plate or something (idk, but probably measured in hundreds of dollars to have made) + steel post (50) + wood for a desktop (50 or higher, you could spend WAY more here depending on what you want) + monitor stands (50-100) + finishes (paint, stains, powder coating, 20 or way higher depending) + hardware (how does everything connect together, hugely variable depending on if it’s custom made VS off the shelf parts). Obviously a VERY rough outline of costs but it adds up quickly.
Edit: Another idea, use a hand truck - the two wheeled red type. Just mount the monitors to that and put something really heavy on the bottom.
You would be probably much better off with pre-made small table of some kind as a base, as it’ll have much wider footprint. If you can’t find anything you like, there’s always an option of bolting together a frame out of perforated steel angle (or something), putting wheels on bottom and piece of wood on top, and bolting the desk mounted version to said frame (you can probably discard its base)
Just get a portable 2nd monitor.
