Solid, as in thickish, metal design for the poles holds up well. Clamp is easy to use. Going on over ten months of use, where it just sits there on the desk with minimal to no movement, so haven't tested how it holds up if you need to constantly swivel or tilt the monitor it holds. Holds the weight of aViewSonic VA2249S 22-Inch LCD Monitorwithout the poles sliding down into itself, fully extended since day one and still going on.