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 every recorded check passes ⇒ within published limits. "Within published limits" is not an installation approval.

Source documents

What's in the current catalog

4 arm configurations, 2 verified monitor records, 1 maker-stated desk restriction. 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.

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.