TL;DR
Match rod length to your monitor's height and width (double rods run vertically beside the panel) and to how far you want accessories to sit from the edge.
When in doubt, size up - rods extending past the panel edge are intentional and useful.
Every Double Rod kit already includes its own Magic Arm - count those before adding extra Magic Arm kits to your cart.
Common Sizing chart
Note: This is general guidance. If your montior has VESA holes positioned off-center vertically or you use angled single rods, you'll need to accoount for the difference.
Monitor | Double Rod (side mounted) | Single Rods (perpendicularly top mounted) | Notes |
24–27" 16:9 | 30 cm | 10 - 15 cm | 10cm single rods only if you want a very flush look above the monitor edge and monitor back isn't very deep |
32" 16:9 / 4K | 30 cm | 15 cm |
|
34" ultrawide | 30 cm | 15 cm |
|
45" LG 5K2K ultrawide | 40 cm | 20 - 25 cm | Heavy curve and high interacts strongly with your seating position |
49" super-ultrawide (G9 / Neo G9) | 40 cm | 15 cm | Heavy curve and high interacts strongly with your seating position |
57" Samsung G9 | 40 cm | 20 - 25 cm | Heavy curve and high interacts strongly with your seating position |
Rules of thumb
Horizontal Double Rods: Double Rods should roughly match or slightly exceed your panel's width to create full-height side rails you can position gear anywhere along.
Reach: more extension means more leverage - for gear far from the plate horizontally, prefer Double Rods over Single Rods (see "Single Rod vs Double Rod").
Mixing lengths: plenty of setups combine lengths, e.g. long verticals plus a short 15 cm top rod for a webcam.
FAQs
Can rods be longer than my monitor?
Can rods be longer than my monitor?
Yes, deliberately - Rods extending past the panel edge give you mounting points beside the screen (lights, mics) rather than in front of it.
Can I combine two rods to make a longer one?
Can I combine two rods to make a longer one?
Yes, you can screw rods into each other. You can connect the rods of single and double rod kits and you can extend them with extension kits.
My monitor isn't in the chart.
My monitor isn't in the chart.
Tell us the model in chat - we'll size it for you and add it to this chart.