Good single or double arm helping hands that clamp on desk?

[Humanoid]

The more I work on stuff, the more I find I need some helping hands, especially when I have a large piece and a small piece that need to connect and I'm lacking a third appendage.

Most helping hands I see look cheap, too flimsy, too rigid, or look like an octopus. I need something simple and effective.

Any suggestions for a single arm or double arm setup that can clamp to side of a desk, easily be articulated, yet strong enough to not move once set? Would prefer if they don't cost a fortune. One arm should be fine, but two is okay. This would be for holding small items, not cinderblocks.

[redg]

The term "helping hands" seems fairly specific to the soldering crowd. What you're looking for is known more widely as an articulating arm. Maybe have a search for that term on B&H Photo's site. Lee Valley Tools might have something suitable as well. There's also PanaVise, whose products are apparently popular among people who solder.

[Fulmir]

There's various options on Amazon if you search for "third hand clamp" or "helping hand clamp". I've personally got a non-clamp on setup and I'd recommend going for something with the same kind of arm: https://smile.amazon.com/Soldering-NEWACALOX-Flexible-Assembly-Modeling/dp/B08MQM3ZS7/

Those things are pretty solid and hold position well enough, and if you get one that doesn't for some reason you can return it.

They will move a *little* if you bump them, but most of mine only move like 5-10mm at most and that's just flex in the materials. The resting point doesn't easily change on most of them.

If you need something more steady or larger than that then you may want to look at rigging something up with some lamp/webcam arms and attaching clips to the ends, or going for a more expensive options.

[wickated]

there are 2 types of holder you need to use.
1) heavy plate with vice-clamps

2) crocko clamps for everything else without any useless attachemnts with stiff nut holders, not "octopus". i use this one and also clamp it to desk edge

[Old Printer]

I recently bought one of these on Amazon after looking at them for years. The brand is QuadHands, and they come in various sizes and number of “hands”. Not cheap, but very well made. The base plate is nice and heavy, and the arms attach by super strong magnets so you can arrange them how you prefer.