AW-ORA-F-B
Ora with F-clamp 2 to 8kg · up to 38-inchRotation can be set to 180 or 360 degrees, with fingertip adjustment at the head.
SEE AW-ORA-F-B
Free monitor arm, yours to keep
Try it on a real desk before you set the standard
Test an Atdec arm with your own monitors and your own team, then take what you learn into your next office project.
- 1Talk us through your workplaceWe'll call for a few details on the desks, monitors, monitors per desk.
- 2Your unit arrivesInstall it, turn a screen to portrait and see how your team works with it.
- 3Make the case for rolloutWe'll give you specifications, warranty details and case studies to take your recommendation through purchasing.
Installed in workplaces includingMacquarie Bank · MinterEllison · Dicker Data · Service NSW
Request your free monitor arm
What a vertical monitor is
A vertical monitor, often called a portrait monitor, is an ordinary monitor rotated 90 degrees so it stands taller than it is wide. Any monitor can run this way, as long as it sits on an arm that rotates.
Nothing about the monitor changes. You gain height and lose width, so the choice comes down to what each person spends their day looking at. How the VESA standard works.
| Landscape | Portrait | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Wide and short | Tall and narrow |
| Suits | Wide spreadsheets, video calls, two windows side by side | Documents, code, chat and ticket queues, long web pages |
| Scrolling | More, for anything long | Less: a full A4 page fits at readable size |
Who gets the most from a portrait screen
Portrait suits people who read down a page more than across it. Four roles see the biggest gain.
Developers
More lines of code on screen at once, so less scrolling through long files.
Best layoutLandscape + portraitLegal and finance
Contracts, reports and statements show as a full page at a readable size, without zooming out.
Best layoutTwo portraitsAccounts
Large spreadsheets best on landscape with messaging feeds and orders visible without scrolling.
Best layoutLandscape + portraitService desk and support
Ticket queues, chat and knowledge base articles stay in view without shrinking the text.
Best layoutLaptop + portraitWhat to check before you rotate a monitor
The monitor already on the desk will often do the job. Four checks tell you whether it will work in portrait.
- Size24-inch and 27-inch flat monitors are the most popular in portrait. Curved ultrawide monitors are made for immersion, so they're best kept in landscape.
- WeightCheck the monitor's weight without its stand against the arm's rating. Every arm on this page lists its rating.
- VESA patternLook for four screw holes 75x75 or 100x100 mm on the back of the monitor, usually at the centre. Some monitors conceal the holes beneath a removable panel.
- Stand or armMonitor stands only offer tilt. An arm adds rotation plus height and reach, so the screen sits at the right height once it's turned.
Not sure about weight or depth? Read how to check monitor arm compatibility.
Vertical monitor setup: three layouts that work
Most portrait setups follow one of three layouts. Pick by role, not by desk.
Laptop plus one portrait screen
For hybrid staff and hot desks. The laptop handles email and calls while the portrait screen holds the document or code.
One landscape, one portrait
The most common portrait setup for developers and analysts. The main screen stays wide, the second turns for code, documents or chat.
Two portraits side by side
Two tall screens make an even workspace for comparing long documents, such as a contract and its previous version.
Turning a screen raises its top edge, so lower the arm until the top of the screen sits at or slightly below eye level. More in our 10 ergonomic tips and our guide to dual monitor configurations.
Monitor arms for a vertical monitor setup
Six arms from the Atdec range that suit portrait and mixed setups, with each one's weight rating.
AWS-ORA2-F-B
Ora Duo with F-clamp 8kg per arm · up to 38-inchTwo independent arms, so one screen can sit in portrait and the other in landscape.
SEE AWS-ORA2-F-B
AWS-N-ORA2-F-B
Ora Duo laptop combo Monitor 2 to 8kg · up to 38-inchA rotating monitor arm beside a ventilated laptop tray, for hot desks and hybrid staff.
SEE AWS-N-ORA2-F-B
AWMS-2-D13
Dual dynamic arms on a short post 8kg per arm · up to 38-inchLandscape-to-portrait rotation on both heads, with five desk fixing options including grommet and bolt-through.
SEE AWMS-2-D13
AWMS-2-4640
Dual swing arms on a medium post 12kg flat, 10kg curved · up to 32-inchFor heavier 27 to 32-inch screens on a fixed post, rotating from landscape to portrait.
SEE AWMS-2-4640
AW-ORA10-F
Ora 10 with F-clamp 3 to 10kg · 27 to 49-inchFor heavier screens, with a one-flick rotation limiter that IT can set.
SEE AW-ORA10-FStacking two screens one above the other instead? See our vertical dual monitor stands.
Rolling out portrait screens across a team
Portrait works best when any desk can switch without new hardware, and when the whole floor runs on one system.
One arm family for every desk
Single monitor arm solution for any combination of landscape and portrait monitors, so IT stocks one system for the whole floor.
Rotation where you want it
Rotation can be locked to 180 degrees or left free to turn a full 360, so arms and screens stop where IT sets them.
Quick to install at scale
Generous cable management bays, drop-on VESA head, post guide marks, and visual tension indication.
Easy to get approved
A 10-year warranty, local stock and engineering support, from an Australian-owned company designing mounts since 1998.
Case study
How Optiver fitted out its new Sydney trading floor
Rows of multi-monitor desks on one of Australia's busiest trading floors, set up on Atdec mounts.
Read the case studyAlso installed at Macquarie Bank, MinterEllison, Dicker Data and Service NSW. Planning a larger rollout? Read our guide to monitor arm rollouts for corporate offices.
Vertical monitor questions
Can any monitor be used vertically?
Yes. Every monitor can be rotated to portrait orientation if it is on a suitable monitor arm. In practice, flat monitors are more popular in portrait mode than curved ultrawide monitors, as curved monitors are designed that way for immersion – they are best kept in landscape orientation. Our compatibility guide covers weight and depth.
What size monitor works best in portrait?
24-inch and 27-inch flat monitors are the most popular for portrait mode on single and dual-monitor desks. Dual swing arms and dual dynamic arm solutions all comfortably accommodate those monitors in landscape and portrait modes. Larger monitors are very tall when rotated and require special consideration to ensure they clear the desk. Monitors such as 32-inch and 43-inch are used in portrait mode for specialist cockpits on trading desks and control consoles.
Is a vertical monitor good for coding?
Yes, which makes developers a good place to start a pilot. A portrait screen shows far more lines of code at once, so developers scroll less and keep more of a file in view. The usual setup is one landscape screen for the running app or browser and one portrait screen for code. Put that pair on an Ora Duo for a developer or two, then ask after a few weeks whether they'd want it on every desk.
How do I rotate the screen in Windows or macOS?
The arm turns the monitor physically and the operating system turns the picture to match. In Windows, open Settings, then System, then Display, and set Display orientation to Portrait. On a Mac, open System Settings, then Displays, and set Rotation to 90 degrees. Some monitors rotate the picture automatically once they detect the turn. Set this up before you hand the pilot desk over, so the tester starts with a screen that is ready to use.
How do we run a portrait pilot before a rollout?
Request a free Atdec monitor arm and set it up on a desk in a role that reads long content, such as development, legal, finance or accounts. Give the tester time to settle in, then ask what changed in their day. Our team calls before the arm ships to match it to your screens. Once the pilot is done, we'll give you specifications, warranty details and case studies to take your recommendation through purchasing.
Prove it on a real desk before your next rollout
Request a free Atdec monitor arm to test with your monitors and your team. It's yours to keep. We'll call first to match the arm to your screens, so you can judge it on a real desk before you set the site standard.