| | | Product Summary |
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The Freedom Arm for Mac from Ergotech Group is a versatile, economical articulating arm for use with most Apple iMac and Thunderbolt/Apple Cinema Displays. This pole-mount-style desk clamp model has a spring mechanism allowing 14 inches of total height adjustment along an 8" pole and 23.4" of horizontal adjustment; aluminium dual arms for articulating at two points; and a spring tension tilter which tilts at 90° up and 45° down (pan is 180° and rotation is 360°). The arm has a weight capacity of 20 to 30.8 lbs, and there are two models accommodating monitors that either are VESA-compatible for 75 x 75 or 100 x 100 (mm) hole patterns or mount directly to your Mac. Warranty is 3 years.
NOTE: Freedom Arm for Mac is not compatible with the Retina 5k display iMac.
NOTE: The new thin model iMac (2012-present) is now made with a non-removable stand and MUST be ordered from Apple with the VESA mount built into it (instead of a stand) in order to attach the arm. | | Ergonomic Benefits |
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Reduces the Risk of Neck Injury A primary risk factor for injury in an office setting is an improperly positioned monitor. A good articulating monitor arm will help eliminate that problem by allowing height adjustment for the monitor relative to the desk surface on which the keyboard and mouse are situated. The Freedom Arm provides 14" of vertical adjustment and 23.4" of horizontal adjustment, making it easier to adjust the monitor height to a position that is optimal for use while sitting. SPECIAL NOTE FOR THOSE WITH MULTIFOCAL OR PROGRESSIVE LENSES: As individuals with multifocal lenses rely on the lower portion of their glasses for "near" vision, they generally require the monitor to be positioned at a much lower height vertically than those with no glasses or who only have single-vision lenses. Failing to address this will force them to adopt an uncomfortable extension at the neck, as they tilt their head back in order to be able to view out of the lower portion of their corrective eyewear. Those with Multifocal eyewear may be able to position their monitors far enough away for best viewing at the intermediate range. Doing so can mitigate the neck extension as it may eliminate the need to tilt the head.
Increases Desktop Space By raising the monitor above the worksurface, space on the desktop is made available for storage and other office accessories (phones, calculators, etc.).
Optimizes the Viewing Angle Monitors are best viewed when the monitor is parallel to the face. The ideal angle of the monitor is not necessarily perpendicular to the desk in all cases, however, since many may feel more comfortable slightly tilting their head forward, especially when working in a standing position. Note: As the head tilts forward, there is typically increased weight and load placed on the muscles in the neck, and as such any flexion should be limited to no more than 10 degrees.
Eliminates Glare Adjusting the vertical and horizontal angle of the monitor will allow the elimination of glare when viewing the monitor.
Helps Maintain Good Posture When Seated When a monitor is too low or high, workers may choose to adjust the position of their torso instead of or in addition to their neck in an attempt to accommodate incorrect monitor height. This will often result in them leaning forward, shifting them out of the ideal "S" posture in the spine, and losing any potential lumbar support that their chair provides. The correct monitor height may prevent this risk factor from arising.
Accommodates Working in Different Postures Movement is important! When a worker changes their posture between standing, lean-into, sitting, or leaning back in their chair the optimal position for their monitor(s) will change accordingly. The wide range of movement which the Freedom Arm provides will accommodate these new parameters, enabling them to correctly position their monitors for best viewing from any chosen posture.
Allows Multiple Individuals to Share Information Easily In some office environments workers need to share screen information with clients and/or co-workers, but this can be awkward or inconvenient when the monitor is on a stand and cannot easily be moved or oriented towards another person, even one sitting at the same desk. An articulating arm can easily solve this problem because the screen can be swivelled to face even someone on the opposite side of a desk when they need to see the contents of the screen.
| | Features |
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- Spring Mechanism: The spring mechanism of the Freedom Arm helps to counterbalance the weight of the LCD monitor and arm, counteracting the effects of gravity.
- Vertical Range: The Freedom Arm offers a full 14" of vertical range, which is sufficient (if mounted at the ideal height) to provide an appropriate range for sit-stand adjustment for individuals up to 5'8" tall. See the Table of Sit-Stand Heights.
- Horizontal Extension: The Freedom Arm provides 23.4" of lateral reach, allowing the monitor to be brought to the front edge of the desk when clamped at the back of a standard 23.4" deep desk.
- Clamp Mount: Every Freedom Arm includes a desk clamp mount (the most popular mounting option), with an optional grommet mount accessory for those who have grommet holes in their desk.
- Monitor Tilter: The monitor tilter mechanism provides 90° and -45° of tilt adjustment at the 'head' or 'wrist' of the arm.
- Monitor Rotation: The monitor tilter mechanism provides 360deg; of monitor rotation allowing rotation from landscape to portrait orientation, even upside down (if required).
- Arm Rotates at 3 Joints: The Freedom Arm provides 360° of rotation at three joints, the base or 'shoulder', the hinge or 'elbow' and the end or 'wrist'. This yields almost limitless flexibility and articulating capabilities, allowing positioning of the monitor at any desired location.
- Cable Management: Cable clips provide cable management to prevent cables from dragging on the desk.
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Freedom Arm for Mac
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| | Technical Specifications |
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| | Usage Tips |
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- Choose an Arm with an Appropriate Weight Capacity - Before purchasing your monitor arm, investigate the weight capacity of the arm so that the weight of your monitor is ideally in the middle of that range. For example, the weight capacity of the Freedom Arm is 8 to 18 lbs. If your monitor happens to be about 10 lbs, the Freedom Arm should work fine for you. The closer to the midrange is the better. If you have not yet purchased a monitor or monitor arm, research your options and choose an arm that will work for the monitor you want. Obviously, if you already have an arm and not the monitor, you will have to choose a monitor with an appropriate weight without its stand included. In addition, you will have to choose a monitor that can be mounted on an arm with an acceptable hole pattern for mounting with screws. For the Freedom Arm, the monitor must have a hole pattern in the back side which is 75 mm x 75 mm or 100 mm x 100 mm square. Otherwise, you may require a special adapter plate.
- Select the Optimal Mounting Location - The Freedom Arm comes with a desk clamp mount. Most prefer the desk clamping option but this only works if your desk has a lip on the mounting side and your desk is reasonably shallow (30" or less deep). Otherwise, a grommet mount or through mount is the next best option. You need a hole of at least 0.5" diameter for the grommet mount to work. You may want to roughly position the mount in different locations at first to get an idea of where the movement of the arm is optimal and then decide on which mounting option works best at that location.
- Adjust the Counterbalance Mechanism with Monitor Attached - After the Freedom Arm has been mounted in its optimal position, you will need to attach the monitor so that you can properly adjust the counterbalance mechanism. This will ensure that the monitor moves up or down effortlessly. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to do this, because if done improperly there may be damage to the balancing system. All hardware to do this calibrating is provided with the arm. After mounting, calibrating the counterbalance is the most critical step in installing your monitor arm properly. Once done, you are almost ready to use the monitor arm (see next tip).
- Become Familiar with the Adjustable Tension Points on the Joints of the Arm - To get the best movement out of your monitor arm, find all the critical joints where you are able to adjust the tension. These can be located using the Instruction Manual and are identified by the presence of a set screw. Allen wrenches are provided that can turn these set screws to vary the force needed to turn the arm at these critical joints. Often these joints are tightened tightly during manufacturing to prevent any loose movement during shipment, so if your monitor arm seems stiff when swivelling at the base, for example, you may need to loosen the set screw at that point. Remember to store the hardware tools in a convenient place in order to make future adjustments quickly when needed.
- Set Monitor at Optimal Height, Angle, and Distance - Once your monitor arm has been installed and calibrated properly, you are ready to set it in the optimal position. In terms of ergonomic principles, the optimal position can vary, but there are definitely improper ways to set your monitor. Learn more about proper and improper ways to position your monitor.
| | Models |
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| For related products, visit our online product listing. | | Model # | Description | Synnex SKU |
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| FDM-MAC-S01 | Desk clamp model for non-VESA compatible Mac in silver | 5306605 | | FDM-HD-S01 | Heavy Duty Desk Clamp Model for VESA compatible Monitors in Silver, 20 - 30.8 lbs Capacity | 5306606 |
| | Accessories |
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| Model # | Description |
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| FDM-GROM-B | Ergotech Group Grommet Mount for Freedom Arm (Requires 0.5" drill hole), Black |
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