Next Level Racing Monitor Stand Review

The Next Level Racing monitor stand is a free standing option for those looking for a mounting solution for their sim racing display. But is it worth the price tag?

In this review, I’ll go through the pros and cons of the NLR monitor stand in detail and explain what it’s like to set up and use, so you can decide if it’s the right option for you.

Note: This is available as both a single and triple monitor stand, and I bought the single option. I’ll comment on the triple monitor stand later, but the bulk of this review will only be discussing the single monitor stand.

Pros & Cons Of The Next Level Racing Monitor Stand

PROS	CONS
Solid construction	A bit pricey
High load capacity	Not the most adjustable
Easy to move around on the wheels

The Design Of The Next Level Racing Monitor Stand

The overall design of this stand is pretty simple. It’s made from various pieces of carbon steel that fit together at right angles, and so it’s a pretty standard, rigid structure once you put it all together. It doesn’t look like anything special, and it’s fairly minimalist. I think that’s what you want from a monitor stand though.

I’ll list the dimensions again later on, but you should know right off the bat that the stand itself is 91.5 cm (36 inches) tall at its lowest and 130 cm (51 inches) tall at its highest. There are 60 cm (23 inches) between the two bottom parts of the legs, and these parts are also 60 cm long from front to back.

This means you have 60 cm (23 inches) to play with if you’re planning on putting this over your sim racing rig (like I have). This should be enough for most pedal sets, but it may not be enough to straddle your rig depending on what you have.

Rig Compatibility

It’s wide enough to go over my Playseat Challenge with Thrustmaster T-LCM pedals attached, but it’s designed to be compatible with the likes of the GTTrack cockpit and NLR’s F-GT cockpit. However, given I haven’t used these myself (and have only used it with my Playseat Challenge), please do your own research before you buy to make sure this will work with your particular setup!

I found the overall size and shape to be perfectly adequate, with no issues to report or complaints to make. You’ll notice in the images in this article that I’m using it with my TV right now, rather than with my PC monitor. It holds up very well (it’s a 42” TV that weighs 8.7 kg for reference), and it was easy enough to mount.

VESA Mounting

I’ll go through the particulars of the setup procedure later, but it’s worth mentioning the mounting requirements here. You will need a VESA compatible monitor or TV, and the VESA mounts supported run from 75×75 all the way to 450×660 mm.

Note: I used bolts that came in the box to mount my TV, and NLR say that there should be 4 x M4 and 4 x M6 bolts in the box for mounting, but I have seen some people say they had to use their own (I assume for smaller mounting holes). This is something to be aware of, but it wasn’t an issue for me.

In terms of getting the TV/monitor on the stand, it’s fairly easy. You get two brackets that you attach to the back of your monitor, and once these are secure you lift the monitor up and slot it into place on the stand itself. It’s super simple, and you can take it back off again with ease if you need to adjust it (like I did about 4 times until I got the right height for my Playseat Challenge!).

I’ve seen some people online complain that it’s not suitable for curved monitors, but that seems to primarily be an issue for triple screens. I can’t comment on that’s specifically, so again please do your own research if you plan to use this with a triple setup. It works perfectly fine with a single monitor/TV setup.

Note: It does only seem to support curved monitors that are larger than 34” so bear that in mind before you buy!

Slight Downward Angle

Given I’m using quite a large TV, it does angle slightly downward (too little to notably show in an image thankfully), even with the adjustment screws in place on the back. I think this is just a result of the size of the TV, and don’t imagine it would be too noticeable with a lighter monitor, but it’s something to be aware of.

Adjustability is possible with this stand, but it involves disassembling some parts, so it’s not too easy to do on the fly. It’s easy enough, just a bit of a hassle, as it would be with any stand like this. You can move the two side bars (the ones that slot into the top of each leg) up and down to your desired height, or omit them entirely if you want to use this with a low/formula style cockpit (like I have).

Note: This will become clearer in the manual when you’re setting it up. Essentially, they allow you to have your screen higher up, and I didn’t need to use them as I wanted my screen lower than these would allow.

You can also adjust the angle of the monitor somewhat with the two screws on the back that I mentioned above. You can of course also move it backwards and forwards if you put it on wheels.

I like that it comes with some Velcro cable management ties, which I have used to keep my TV’s power cable tight to the stand. It’s a small thing that not everyone will use, but it’s a nice touch. I actually used the leftover ties to manage my cables from the Thrustmaster T300 RS on my Playseat Challenge!

One final thing I love about the design of the NLR monitor stand is the fact it can be mounted on either wheels or caster cups, both of which are included in the box. I don’t currently have space for a permanent sim racing setup, so I opted for the wheels to be able to move things around when I want to just watch TV rather than go racing.

The wheels allow me to do this with ease, and they have brakes on them too to ensure it stays in one place. This also means you can move it back and forward to optimize your FOV. Overall, I’d give the design a 9 out of 10 for my purposes, as I really can’t fault it other than the slight downward angle that I’m stuck with as a result of using a large TV.

What About The Build Quality?

The Next Level Racing wheel stand is made entirely out of carbon steel (aside from the plastic wheels/caster cups). It’s a solid bit of kit, and every individual piece feels really sturdy and high quality, and even the plastic wheels feel premium.

When you put it all together, it’s not going to move. It can take up to 70 kg (154 lbs) apparently from an 85” screen, although I didn’t get that far myself! But I have no doubt this will be secure enough for most sim racers’ needs.

There’s not much else to say really on the build quality of this monitor stand, as it’s rock solid. It’s a free standing monitor stand, so it doesn’t need to put up with the shaking of a rig if you were using a high-torque direct drive wheel base, but nonetheless it’s very stable.

I’d give it a 10 out of 10 in this department, as I have zero complaints about the build quality.

How Does It Perform?

This will be another short section, as unlike a wheel base or pedals, a monitor stand doesn’t have to do anything but support your screen! And the Next Level Racing monitor stand does that very well. It’s sturdy, neat and tidy, and it does everything it needs to do.

However, the slight forward tilt issue I alluded to in the design section means I can only give it a 9 out of 10 here. That does seem to only be an issue for pretty heavy monitors/TVs, but it’s something I can’t ignore.

Is The Next Level Racing Monitor Stand Good Value For Money?

I think this monitor stand is excellent value for money. As with all Next Level Racing equipment, it’s solid and made from high-quality materials. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do and the only gripe I have is very minor regarding the angle mentioned above. However, it isn’t the cheapest monitor stand on the market (more on some of the cheaper options at the end).

It costs close to $200, which is a chunk of change by anyone’s standards. However, it’s a robust stand that I believe will last me until I no longer need it. I also get great value from it as it has my TV on it, so I can move it around (thanks to the wheels on the bottom) to wherever I need my TV to be.

This makes it super valuable in my opinion, although still pricey, and I’ll give it an 8 out of 10. But that’s my use case. Who is this wheel stand really for?

Who Should Buy This Monitor Stand?

I think this wheel stand is ideal for any sim racer that has a decent bit of budget to spare and needs a portable and flexible monitor or TV stand. It’s the ideal choice for those with a non-permanent setup, and it’s perfect for Playseat or Next Level Racing cockpit users, as it can be positioned over your pedals and moved as close or as far away as you need.

Note: There are integrated monitor stands available for some Next Level Racing cockpits, so be sure to check compatibility with your specific setup before you buy

It’s a great option for those that sim race on a TV, as it’s a sturdy bit of kit that will support huge and heavy TVs. It’ll obviously work great for smaller monitors too, but being able to mount a TV on it and move it around on wheels means it can give you more versatility with your setup.

For example, you can have it over your sim rig when you want to race and then move it around to the end of your bed when you want to watch a movie.

However, it is a bit pricier than some other options that may be better for beginners or those on a tight budget, such as NLR’s Lite monitor stand or Sim Lab’s offering. It’s also obviously not a suitable choice for those that want an integrated monitor stand (as this one is free standing).

Next Level Racing Monitor Stand Specs

Spec	Value
Materials	Matte black carbon steel
Dimensions	750 x 600 x 915-1300 mm
Product Weight	12 kg / 26 lbs
VESA Compatibility	75 x 75 – 450 x 660 mm
Max Load	70 kg / 154 lbs
Max Screen Size	24” – 85”

Setting Up The Next Level Racing Sim Racing Monitor Stand

Now let’s go through what it’s like to set this monitor stand up. I won’t give a tutorial here, but I will provide some things I noted while setting it up and give you some tips and tricks to bear in mind if you do decide to buy it.

Firstly, it took about 45 minutes for me to set up from unboxing to sitting down and testing it out. I wasn’t rushing through it at all and had to answer the door at one point as well, so it’s definitely not going to take you hours to put together. The instructions are fairly clear, but there are lots of helpful videos out there as well if you get stuck.

The first thing you’ll notice when setting it up for the first time is how weighty it is. The metal components are solid, there’s no doubt about that!

A few tips to bear in mind when setting it up include:

• Stick a washer on every bolt before you start setting it up. This just made things a bit easier and less tedious once I started putting the bits together.
• The instructions say very little about using washers and nuts. Make sure you have a washer on each bolt, and screw on a nut to every bolt!
• Have some tissues or a rag handy as there is a fair bit of oil on the washers specifically. This is nothing exclusive to this product of course, but a useful tip nonetheless to save you getting oil on your pristine sim racing gear!
• Be mindful of the stickers on the various components, as it’s easy to set it all up and then realize that one side has the NLR sticker facing outwards and the other side has it facing inwards!
• If you have a low/formula style seat (or the Playseat Challenge like me) you can sit your monitor/TV much lower than the manual suggests. I had to use the third hole from the bottom of the top section of the mounting brackets to have my TV low enough, and even then it could potentially go further (see image below for a clearer illustration!).
• You get everything you need in the box, including bolts, washers, nuts, a spanner, and various Allen/hex keys. Depending on your VESA mounting arrangement, you may need to supply your own bolts to attach your monitor.

Single vs Triple Next Level Racing Monitor Stand

I’m only going to give a brief note on the differences between the single and triple versions of the Next Level Racing monitor stand. The main reason is that there aren’t many differences!

The triple setup is basically the same as the single setup but with an extra leg on either side and a few extra mounting components. Setting it up is basically the same as well, as you put the single section together first then add some brackets on and connect the two outer legs for the other two monitors.

As I’ve said, I can’t comment on the stability or functionality of the triple setup, but I can’t imagine it’s far off the single setup.

However, you cannot upgrade the single version to a triple version as you can’t buy the extra parts separately from NLR. So, if you think you might use this for triple monitors in future, it may be worth buying the triple stand option from the start!

Alternatives To The Next Level Racing Monitor Stand

Next Level Racing Lite Monitor Stand

The first alternative I’ll suggest is another option from Next Level Racing. This is a much cheaper choice, and its design is a bit different. It has a folding leg design, which makes the stand itself very portable, but also not as strong or as versatile as the one in this review.

The folding one is probably best for sim racers that need a portable setup and that are on a tight budget. It will work best for small, light monitors (up to 55”), and its lower weight capacity (20 kg/44 lbs) makes it less suitable for TVs. It’s also not as adjustable as the free standing monitor stand I’ve reviewed above.

Sim Lab Monitor/TV Stand

Another alternative to the NLR options is from Sim Lab, with their own free standing monitor stand. This is a fairly basic stand, and it’s made of aluminum profile and designed to be a sturdy but fairly budget friendly option, although it does come in around the same price as the Next Level Racing monitor stand in this review.

It supports VESA sizes from 75×75 up to 400×400 mm, and it stands at 123.5 cm tall (48 inches). It’s not very adjustable, but it will handle large and heavy TVs, so it’s one to check out if you’re looking for something similar to the NLR option.

Final thoughts

The Next Level Racing monitor stand is an excellent choice for those that want a durable, sturdy, versatile monitor stand for their sim racing setup. It has dramatically improved my particular setup, and its simple design, ability to move around on wheels, and large holding capacity make it great for sim racers with temporary setups or those that race on a TV or wide monitor.