best lcd monitors for lapop work use pricelist

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Who this is for: A dual-monitor setup is usually the best option if you want to have a bunch of app windows open at once. But an ultrawide model might be a better choice if you need a ton of unbroken horizontal space, or you don’t want monitor bezels in between windows.

Why we like it: The Dell P3421W has a sturdy adjustable stand, lots of ports (including a USB-C port that can handle power, display, and data over a single cable), and a three-year warranty. And it has a built-in KVM switch that allows you to easily swap your keyboard, mouse, and video between two computers. The 1440p display has a 60 Hz refresh rate, which is great for typical office work, web browsing, and casual gaming.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: If you use your display in direct sunlight, this monitor might not be bright enough for you. It can also provide 65 W of power over USB-C, but some laptops require more. If you have a laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU or an Intel Core i7 processor, you might need to keep the laptop plugged in to a separate charger or use a Thunderbolt dock that can provide the extra power.

Most ultrawide monitors are also curved. This design helps minimize viewing-angle problems—when you’re sitting centered, things on the far edges of the screen won’t look as washed out as they would on a flat display of a similar width. But this also makes ultrawide monitors inaccurate for precision tasks requiring straight lines, such as drawing, photo editing, or similar design work.

The best cheap monitors offer a gorgeous picture experience — without the bank account-burning price tag. They also serve up impressive displays, decent brightness, accurate colors, VESA-mount compatibility, and more. You shouldn"t have to shell out heaps of dollars just to snag the best cheap monitor for yourself, right?

However, finding the best cheap monitors isn"t easy, whether you"re looking for a gaming monitor or a work-from-home display. There are somany aspects to consider, including brightness, color quality, resolution, size, refresh rates and more! Taking all of these factors into consideration, we"ve rounded up a list of the best cheap monitors you can buy.

Note:Black Friday 2022 falls on Nov. 25 and we expect to see tons of excellent holiday deals on monitors. Be sure to bookmark ourBlack Friday monitor dealshub for the best discounts.

The Acer R240HY bidx monitor has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating on Amazon(opens in new tab), which is pretty darn close to perfection if you ask us! This 23.8-inch stunner is one of the best monitors of 2022 because of its ultra-slim bezels and sleek design, gorgeous, vivid colors and wide viewing angles.

Users heralded the the Acer R240HY bidx as an excellent choice for the external monitor experience and for hooking up with one"s gaming console. The Acer monitor for its 178-degree wide viewing angles, impressive 72% color gamut coverage, as well as its low-blue light feature for those who work hours upon hours staring at a monitor for work (Acer Vision Care). Ports include VGA, HDMI and DVI.

The 24-inch ViewSonic VP2458 Professional is the best cheap monitor for users seeking a monitor with vivid and accurate color. This ViewSonic color has a Delta E score that is less than 2 — the closer to zero, the better. Delta-E tells you how accurate the colors on your monitor will be, so you can be rest assured than ViewSonic"s color accuracy will be satisfactory for your viewing pleasures. The ViewSonic monitor will likely appeal to graphic designers and other digital artists.

The Asus VS228H-P monitor is one of the best cheap monitors due to its bargain price, but it comes at the expense of screen size, offering a 22-inch screen with a basic TN panel.

The AOC C24G1 24-inch Curved Frameless Gaming Monitor is one of the best cheap monitors you can get with a high refresh rate of 144Hz. There"s a reason why it"s got an Amazon rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. Customers who"ve had the pleasure of taking this beautiful monitor home gush about its sharp, crisp visual quality -- it"s not as visually pleasing as a 4K monitor, of course, but the picture quality is impressive.

The AOC C24G1 24-inch Curved Frameless Gaming Monitor has a quick response rate of 1ms, which is particularly useful for games requiring fast reflexes or precise timing. This is a great selling point for gamers: in gaming situations where the difference between life and death is measured in milliseconds, having a speedy response rate is crucial to have an edge over your opponents.

HP sells the Omen in several display sizes, but let"s zoom in on the HP Omen 24.5-inch model that you can snag for around $250(opens in new tab). What we love about the HP Omen as the best cheap monitor is that it has everything a gamer needs to have a satisfying, immersive gaming experience.

The Dell P2219H monitor has an impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon due its modern, thin-bezel design, variety of ports and angle versatility. For those with sensitive eyes, Dell introduced a ComfortView feature that reduces blue-light emissions that can harm you. So if you tend to spend hours and hours at work on your monitor, you can reduce the straight on your eyesight.

This Dell SE2416H monitor is ideal for everyday productivity. It has a stylish, elegant design, and customers are ravingabout its sturdy base of excellent build quality. The quality is decent for a sub-$200 monitor, providing sharp colors and crisp picture. It"s packed with VGA and HDMI ports for your connectivity needs.

This monitor has viewing angles of 178 degrees vertically and 178 degrees vertically. Its panel has an anti-glare coating and covers 84% of the color gamut. One downside, however, is that it"s not VESA mount compatible. However, it"s not the end of the world; you can always purchase a VESA adapter such as the Dell Monitor Arm/Mount VESA Adapter(opens in new tab) for $26.

The SE2416HX is the best cheap monitor from Dell. It has an attractive price for a 24-inch display. Viewing angles are quite good; thanks to an IPS panel. Its color accuracy is solid (0.11) -- if not the best we’ve seen -- and its 108% of the sRGB color gamut is in the middle of the pack.

However, there are some trade offs for the cheaper price tag. The Dell SE2416HX monitor suffers from dimmer-than-average brightness (averaging 179 nits) and slow response times (6 milliseconds) that result in image smearing when viewing fast-paced video or games. The monitor has an attractively sleek design with inputs for both HDMI and VGA, but it lacks any mounting support. It is covered by a one-year warranty.

In this price range, expect screens that are less than 30 inches and have 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution, but not higher. Some of the budget monitors we looked at use IPS display technology, but the majority use the older TN panels, which often suffer from narrower viewing angles and less accurate color. You’ll also give up conveniences like built-in USB connections, faster refresh rates and height-adjustable stands.

Let"s talk screen size. Monitors can be anything from 20 inches to 49 inches, more or less, in size. But if you don"t want to spend too much on a monitor, you"ll have to settle for a screen display that"s under 30 inches.

You"ll also want to consider resolution, which refers to the number of horizontal and vertical pixels -- the higher the number, the sharper your display will be. However, when it comes to cheap monitors, it"s not likely that you"ll get anything higher than 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels). The bigger your screen gets, the higher the resolution should be. For example, a 1080p monitor might be fine on a 24-inch monitor, but not so much on a 27-inch monitor because it would have to "stretch" itself to fit more screen real estate.

There are four main types of panels: TN, IPS, VA and OLED. TN and VA panels are usually the least expensive. On the plus side, TN panels feature decent response times and low input lag, but tend to offer not-so-great color richness and viewing angles. VA panels offer better contrast and vibrant colors, but typically are not recommended for budget gamers (TN may be a better choice for response rates, but you"ll have to sacrifice image quality). IPS offers better image quality than TN and VA panels, but the response time may be subpar for a gamer. IPS panels are best for creators (e.g. video editors, image editors) seeking the best cheap monitor. OLED is the priciest option -- you likely won"t find this premium panel on a cheap monitor.

You"ll also need to observe which ports you"ll need. Most current laptops, for example, use one or more of the following for display connections: HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C (Thunderbolt 3). You"ll want to double-check to see if your chosen monitor can effectively connect with your laptop.

Working from home has become the new normal for many people, so finding the best computer monitor is more important than ever. After all, you want to see the best visual quality from your coworkers" best webcams, right? And while many PC components are still enduring depressing shortages, performing a screen upgrade is one of the most accessible and most impactful changes you can make to your gaming rig at the moment.

Why you can trust Tom"s HardwareOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.What’s your monitor’s purpose?If it’s gaming, you’ll generally want something with a high refresh rate (ideally 100Hz or more), low response time and AMD FreeSyncor Nvidia G-Sync for fighting screen tears at low framerates. For general use, look for high contrast, and for creative work prioritize color accuracy.What resolution do you want? More pixels means a sharper image. No one should be buying anything under 1080p/FHD (1920 x 1080) these days. But if your budget can handle it, 4K is as sharp as it gets at a reasonable price. Many gamers find 1440p/QHD (2560 x 1440) a good compromise between price and high-refresh-rate performance.Contrast and color.We consider contrast the most important factor in image quality, with 1,000:1 being solid. Color errors are particularly important avoid for content creators, and anything with a Delta E (dE) greater than 3 may show visible errors.Panel tech:When it comes to image quality, TN< IPS< VA. VA monitors typically still have better contrast than even the best IPS panels, although IPS panels are also known to be very colorful.What size do you want?These days, 24-inches is on the small side and 27 inches is mainstream, while 32-inches is a good large size for those on a budget. Anything bigger than 43 inches probably won’t fit on a regular desktop. For portable monitors, stay in the 17-inch range or under. Anything bigger isn"t really all that portable.sRGB or DCI-P3? In most cases, you’ll either be getting a monitor made for the sRGBcolor space or the more colorful DCI-P3 one. Technically, Windows, the web and non-HDR games and video all use sRGB, but if you want an extra colorful screen, an accurate DCI-P3 monitor is more appropriate.

Before we get into our primary list of picks, here is an amazing deal on one of our favorite tested monitors below. Sure, it"s more of a TV than a monitor, but it"s hard to pass up a big OLED screen for $600 (after an admittedly annoying $200 mail-in rebate).

This excellent 48-inch 4K OLED monitor/TV with 120Hz Refresh Rate, 1ms (GTG) Response Time, HDMI 2.1, and support for FreeSync Premium has had an amazing $900 cut from its original price.

Earning a 5-star rating from Tom"s Hardware, the Samsung Odyssey G7 32-inch is the best computer monitor. For gamers, it boasts the strongest curve currently available, 1000R, for incredible immersion, along with speedy gaming numbers. The 240Hz monitor has a 1ms (GTG) response time and put up a 5ms response time score in our testing, beating some 165Hz screens by 2ms. In addition, benchmarking showed input lag at 20ms, a full 6 to 10ms faster than some 165Hz screens we’ve tested, including the Dell S3220DGF also on this page.

This is also a strong work monitor. Its 32-inch panel offers plenty of height for productivity, like working on long spreadsheets in a way that’s easier than on a 32-inch ultrawide. And at a 2 to 3-foot viewing distance, we don"t have any distortion issues with that dramatic curve. Just be sure to bring your own audio because, despite the price, there are no speakers here.

The Dell S3222DGM is the best gaming monitor for many gamers. This follow-up to the highly-rated S3220DGF(opens in new tab) boasts a 32-inch VA(opens in new tab) panel, QHD resolution and 165 Hz refresh rate with Adaptive-Sync(opens in new tab) support. Other perks in its favor are 85 percent coverage of DCI-P3 and a display curve with an 1800mm radius.

However, Dell really knocks it out of the park with the S3222DGM"s contrast ratio(opens in new tab). VA panels are known for their excellent contrast, but the S3222DGM is rated at an impressive 3,000:1, easily blowing away IPS competitors. But our sample managed to better that figure by a third, coming in at 4,000:1 in instrumented tests.

This 32-inch monitor offers plenty of vertical screen real estate without the need for scrolling and 1440p resolution(opens in new tab), the current sweet spot between image quality and gaming performance. And while the S3222DGM is targeted primarily at gamers, we found that it is also great for general productivity and anything in between.

While the S3222DGM lacks HDR(opens in new tab) support, its excellent contrast doesn"t detract from that missing "bullet point" and its overall performance is hard to beat at this price point. Throw in Dell"s usual solid build quality, and this represents a great monitor for enthusiasts looking to build out a mid to high-budget gaming PC.

With a 1ms (GTG) response time and 144Hz refresh rate, the LG 27GN950-B is the best computer monitor for 4K gaming. If you’ve got the graphics card, ideally one of the best graphics cards, you need to handle 144 frames per second (fps) at 4K; this monitor will ensure that power doesn’t go to waste. In our testing, the monitor showed a 7ms response time, keeping up with pricier 4K, 144Hz screens, like the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ, and even beating some when it came to input lag. Plus, FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync Compatibility will fight screen tears for those times when framerates drop below 48 fps.

Although VA panels are known for their high contrast, this IPS monitor can hold its own, hitting 1,034.7 before calibration and 8,475.3:1 with HDR, based on our benchmarks. Those who want the most accurate color may find the sRGB mode too saturated, but the 27GN950-B proved accurate when it came to the more colorful DCI-P3 space.

eSports players and hopefuls rely on the fastest peripherals available to attenuate the delay between deciding on in-game action and when that action happens on screen. 360 Hz is the fastest refresh rate PC monitors have today, and the MSI Oculux NXG253R is the fastest of them all. Yes, the NXG253R is the fastest display we’ve ever tested, making it the best computer monitor for eSports you can buy.

The NXG253R outperformed other 360 Hz monitors by 1-3ms (depending on the rival screen) in our absolute input lag test. It also matched all its 360 Hz rivals in our response time test with a 3ms score. The monitor also fights screen tears down to a 1 Hz refresh rate with G-Sync and includes the Nvidia Reflex latency analyzer to help fine-tune your eSports performance further.

If you want an affordable screen with many pixels, the Samsung UR59C is the best budget 4K monitor for you. The VA panel delivers contrast (2590.5:1 after calibration), making everything from photos to videos to games look better. This is clearly not a high-end gaming monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate, 4ms (GTG) response, and noFreeSync or G-Sync. But casual gamers can make do, thanks to the combination of high pixel density and high contrast, keeping games looking realistic.

Curves are generally more effective on ultrawide screens, but the UR59C’s 1500R curvature was effective and beneficial for this 32-incher, such as when multitasking with multiple windows. And if you don’t mind calibrating, you can get rid of the UR59C pesky color errors, which, unfortunately, were visible out of the box. Our calibration settings reduced the error from 4.3dE to 0.9dE.

Making HDR pop over SDR is all about contrast, and for the ultimate contrast, there’s nothing better than OLED. The Aorus FO48U’s massive OLED panel not only delivers immeasurably high contrast, but we recorded 107.7% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and near-flawless grayscale tracking. As a result, you get a rich image that’s also accurate out of the box. However, it’s not as bright as a premium LCD (399 nits with HDR, according to our testing).

Aorus’ OLED monitor is fit for high-speed HDR gaming on both PCs and consoles, thanks to DisplayPort 1.4 with Display Stream Compression (DSC) and HDMI 2.1, respectively. The monitor held its own against 120Hz and 144Hz rivals in our speed tests, only falling 4ms behind its OLED gaming rival, the Alienware AW5520QF. Unfortunately, you don’t get Dolby Vision or support for the 50p and 24p TV formats, but the monitor has two 15W speakers and one 20w speaker for outstanding audio quality.

Asus has gone all out with the ProArt PA32UCG, combining 1152 dimming zones in its full-array Mini-LED backlight. A quantum dot film covers a considerable color gamut, almost 78% of Rec.2020. And it is the brightest monitor we’ve ever tested at over 1700 nits peak. To that, it adds precise out-of-box accuracy for every color mode in use today. Though it includes many calibration options and a bundled colorimeter, it’s ready for work or play, with no tweaking necessary.

A lot of us are finding ourselves working in tight spaces these days. If you’re looking to add another screen to your space, the Lenovo ThinkVision M14 is the best portable monitor. Its most standout feature is a critical one: a reliable, strong kickstand that’s easy to use, thanks to two flip-out feet. While many portable monitors are stuck with flimsy sleeves that double as stands, you can intuitively prop up the ThinkVision M14 at a -5 to 90-degree tilt or even in portrait mode. Unfortunately, its travel case isn’t as tough.

According to our benchmarks, with 244 nits max brightness and 98% coverage of the sRGB color space, the ThinkVision M14 is perfect for surfing the web or watching a movie in SDR. USB-C connectivity, meanwhile, means it won’t run out of battery when plugged into a laptop. It can also deliver as much as 65W of power to a device if plugged into a wall adapter. But those whose PC or device, such as a Raspberry Pi, doesn’t have a USB-C port with DisplayPort 1.2 Alt Mode and USB PD 2.0 or better will be out of luck.

With a 240Hz refresh rate, 3ms (GTG) response time, and even FreeSync, the Asus ROG XG17AHPE stands high above the competition and easily snags the best portable gaming monitor crown.

However, the XG17AHPE is as expensive as it is unique. In fact, you can buy a much larger desktop-sized monitor with the same amount of speed for cheaper than this, over $400 17.3-incher. And the origami-style cover Asus includes isn’t sufficient for protecting this expensive piece of hardware or providing a reliable stand.

The HP Omen X 65 Emperium is the best computer monitor to replace your living room TV. First, it’s massive. It also comes with a remote and powerful audio that’ll fill your space, thanks to four 4-inch woofers, two 1-inch tweeters and a pair of passive radiators. The inclusion of Nvidia Shield means access to the apps you’d want on a smart TV, including Netflix and YouTube, plus access to hundreds of free games.

If you want something a little smaller and cheaper, theAlienware AW5520QF is excellent and offers even higher contrast with its OLED panel but is much dimmer than the Omen X 65 Emperium.Round up of today"s best deals

4K monitors are a curious beast. They cram a ton of pixels, but whether or not that"s useful heavily depends on the size of the screen and how far you sit from it. TVs benefit from 4K panels because they"re huge and you don"t sit too far away to not notice the difference. Meanwhile, phones rarely have 4K displays because the pixels they cram into such a small frame are so close to your face and are already imperceptible.

A 4K monitor like this one from Monoprice would need to be pretty big to be worthwhile. Fortunately, the 28-inch frame here is at least the minimum you"d need to feel a difference. It also supports HDR and its colors are suitably vibrant. WIRED reviews editor Julian Chokkattu used it in both a Mac and Windows setup and says it worked great in both. He VESA mounted it, but do note that the mounting holes are recessed—you can use longer M3 screws to make it work. The stand is easy to attach and is height adjustable too. Whichever way you set it up, if you do a lot of video editing—especially 4K footage—or you just want the highest possible resolution on a monitor without spending a boatload of cash, then this is the best we"ve tested.

Computer monitors keep evolving rapidly, with new technology like OLED Flex, QD-OLED and built-in smart platforms just in the last year alone. That’s on top of big improvements in things like color accuracy, image quality, size and resolution.

The choice is nice but overwhelming, as there are a lot of products in this market and a lot of features. Buyers looking for computer monitors now have to consider things like HDR, brightness, color accuracy, type of display technology, input lag and more. And then there are the usual considerations like size, adjustability, inputs and so on.

To help you with all that, we’ve researched the latest models for all kinds of markets, whether you’re a gamer, business user or content creator. Read on to find out which is the best computer monitor for you and, especially, your budget.

The cheapest monitors are still TN (twisted nematic), which are strictly for gaming or office use. VA (vertical alignment) monitors are also relatively cheap, while offering good brightness and a high contrast ratio. However, content creators will probably want an IPS (in-plane switching) LCD display that delivers better color accuracy, image quality and viewing angles.

If maximum brightness is important, a quantum dot LCD display is the way to go — those are typically found in larger displays. OLED monitors are now available and offer the best blacks and color reproduction, but they lack the brightness of LED or quantum dot displays. Plus, they cost a lot. The latest type of OLED monitor, called QD-OLED from Samsung, just came out this year. The most notable advantage is that it can get a lot brighter, with monitors shown at CES 2022 hitting up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness.

MiniLEDs are now widely used in high-end displays. They’re similar to quantum dot tech, but as the name suggests, it uses smaller LED diodes that are just 0.2mm in diameter. As such, manufacturers can pack in up to three times more LEDs with more local dimming zones, delivering deeper blacks and better contrast.

In this day and age, screen size rules. Where 24-inch displays used to be more or less standard (and can still be useful for basic computing), 27-, 32-, 34- and even 42-inch displays have become popular for entertainment, content creation and even gaming these days.

Nearly every monitor used to be 16:9, but it’s now possible to find 16:10 and other more exotic display shapes. On the gaming and entertainment side, we’re also seeing curved and ultrawide monitors with aspect ratios like 21:9. If you do decide to buy an ultrawide display, however, keep in mind that a 30-inch 21:9 model is the same height as a 24-inch monitor, so you might end up with a smaller display than you expected. As a rule of thumb, add 25 percent to the size of a 21:9 monitor to get the vertical height you’d expect from a model with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

A 4K monitor is nearly a must for content creators, and some folks are even going for 5K or all the way up to 8K. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need a pretty powerful computer to drive all those pixels. And 4K resolution should be paired with a screen size of 27 inches and up, or you won’t notice much difference between 1440p. At the same time, I wouldn’t get a model larger than 27 inches unless it’s 4K, as you’ll start to see pixelation if you’re working up close to the display.

One new category to consider is portable monitors designed to be carried and used with laptops. Those typically come in 1080p resolutions and sizes from 13-15 inches. They usually have a lightweight kickstand-type support that folds up to keep things compact.

HDR is the buzzy monitor feature to have these days, as it adds vibrancy to entertainment and gaming – but be careful before jumping in. Some monitors that claim HDR on the marketing materials don’t even conform to a base standard. To be sure that a display at least meets minimum HDR specs, you’ll want to choose one with a DisplayHDR rating with each tier representing maximum brightness in nits.

However, the lowest DisplayHDR 400 and 500 tiers may disappoint you with a lack of brightness, washed out blacks and mediocre color reproduction. If you can afford it, choose a model with DisplayHDR 600, 1000 or True Black 400, True Black 500 and True Black 600. The True Black settings are designed primarily for OLED models, with maximum black levels at .0005 nits.

Where televisions typically offer HDR10 and Dolby Vision or HDR10+, most PC monitors only support the HDR10 standard, other than a few (very expensive) models. That doesn’t matter much for content creation or gaming, but HDR streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other services won’t look quite as punchy. In addition, most models supporting HDR600 (and up) are gaming, rather than content creation monitors – with a few exceptions.

Refresh rate is a key feature, particularly on gaming monitors. A bare minimum nowadays is 60Hz, and 80Hz refresh rates and up are much easier on the eyes. However, most 4K displays top out at 60Hz with some rare exceptions and the HDMI 2.0 spec only supports 4K at 60Hz, so you’d need at least DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 120Hz) or HDMI 2.1. The latter is now available on a number of monitors, particularly gaming displays. However, it’s only supported on the latest NVIDIA RTX 3000- and 4000-series, AMD RX 6000-series GPUs.

There are essentially three types of modern display inputs: Thunderbolt, DisplayPort and HDMI. Most monitors built for PCs come with the latter two, while a select few (typically built for Macs) will use Thunderbolt. To add to the confusion, USB-C ports may be Thunderbolt 3 and by extension, DisplayPort compatible, so you may need a USB-C to Thunderbolt or DisplayPort cable adapter depending on your display.

Serious content creators should consider a more costly 10-bit monitor that can display billions of colors. If budget is an issue, you can go for an 8-bit panel that can fake billions of colors via dithering (often spec’d as “8-bit + FRC”). For entertainment or business purposes, a regular 8-bit monitor that can display millions of colors will be fine.

The other aspect of color is the gamut. That expresses the range of colors that can be reproduced and not just the number of colors. Most good monitors these days can cover the sRGB and Rec.709 gamuts (designed for photos and video respectively). For more demanding work, though, you’ll want one that can reproduce more demanding modern gamuts like AdobeRGB, DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 gamuts, which encompass a wider range of colors. The latter two are often used for film projection and HDR, respectively.

Both the Xbox Series X and Sony’s PS5 can handle 4K 120Hz HDR gaming, so if you’re into resolution over pure speed, you’ll want a monitor that can keep up. 4K resolution, HDR and at least 120Hz is the minimum starting point, but fortunately there are 27-inch displays with those specs starting at well under $1,000.

Though the pandemic has eased, monitor supply is still a bit tighter than pre-pandemic levels due to supply and demand issues. To that end, you may have trouble finding monitors at Amazon, B&H or elsewhere for the suggested retail price. For our guide below, we’re basing our picks on the MSRP, as long as the street price doesn’t exceed that by more than $25.

The monitor with the best balance of size, refresh rate and color accuracy is Samsung’s $160 27-inch 1080p T35F. It’s good for business or light gaming and content work, thanks to the IPS panel and 75Hz refresh rate. Plus, it’s fairly attractive and modern looking. There are some things you don’t get at that price, of course – it can only tilt and has an HDMI 1.4 connection.

The $330 28-inch HP U28 4K HDR monitor is a great all around choice, especially for content creators. The 60Hz IPS panel and factory calibration delivers excellent color accuracy and it’s a nice size for creative or business work. It comes with DisplayPort, HDMI and three USB 3.0 ports, along with a USB-C port with 65W of charging for a laptop or tablet. And it’s easy to set just right, thanks to height, swivel and pivot adjustment.

If gaming is more your thing, the $300 Gigabyte G27QC is a top pick. The 27-inch, 1440p curved monitor has an ideal size and resolution for gaming, and it has a quick 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. You can connect via HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 connections and get HDR support – albeit, without DisplayHDR certification.

The $400 BenQ 27-inch 2K QHD HDR model is ideal for creative work, particularly photo editing and graphic design. While resolution is limited to 1440p, it covers 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut with a “Delta E” accuracy value of less than 3 for consistent color performance. You also get height, pivot and swivel adjustment (a full 90 degrees), with HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4 and USB-C daisy chaining and 65W power delivery.

The 32-inch LG 32UN650-W is a great 4K monitor for entertainment, creative chores and gaming. The 31.5-inch, 60Hz IPS panel covers an excellent 95 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut with 10-bit color, but also supports AMD FreeSync for gaming. It also supports HDR, albeit with just 350 nits of maximum brightness. It has HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports, tilt and height adjustments and even built-in speakers.

Gigabyte’s M28U 28-inch 144Hz 4K gaming monitor sure does a lot. It has an IPS panel with a 2ms (MPRT) response time, 94 percent DCI-P3 coverage, DisplayHDR 400 certification, 2 HDMI 2.1 ports and FreeSync Premium Pro support. It comes in a little bit more expensive than $500, but we"ve often seen it on sale for $480.

In this price range you can have resolution, color accuracy or brightness, but not all three. The one with the best balance is ViewSonic’s $1,000 ColorPro VP2786 27-inch 4K HDR Monitor. The true 10-bit IPS panel covers 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color palette with an excellent Delta <2 accuracy figure, and is certified for soft-proofing by the demanding Fogra print industry. At the same time, it offers HDR10 support, albeit with a limited 350 nits of output. It even includes a “ColorPro” wheel control compatible with Adobe or Capture One apps.

The best 4K gaming monitor under $1,000 is Dell’s G3223Q 4K 32-inch HDR 144Hz monitor because of the speed, brightness and compatibility. It has an IPS panel with a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms GtG response time, 95 percent DCI-P3 coverage and DisplayHDR 600 certification. Plus, it comes with a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports and is both FreeSync and G-Sync compatible.

Dell’s P3223QE 4K USB-C Hub monitor is productivity-oriented, thanks to the wired Ethernet connectivity and USB-C ports that offer up to 90W of power delivery for laptops. It’s a 4K IPS panel with a 178-degree viewing angle and 350 nits of brightness and support for a billion colors (8-bit + FRC). It offers height, pivot, swivel and tilt adjustment, a VESA mounting interface and DisplayPort/HDMI inputs.

The best third-party option is LG’s $700 UltraFine 4 display, also sold on Apple’s Store. With a 24-inch 4K panel, you not only get very high resolution but also 500 nits of brightness (albeit, without HDR capability). It’s color-accurate out of the box, making it great for video- and photo-editing work on a Mac or MacBook. Finally, it supports Thunderbolt 3 with daisy chaining and power delivery, all of which is very useful for Mac users who may want multiple displays.

Ultrawide 21:9 monitors are a great option for some types of content creation, games (particularly driving and flight sims) and productivity work. The best model this year is LG’s 34GP950G-B, a 34-inch 3,440 x 1,440 curved monitor. The curved IPS panel supports HDR10 with 400 nits of brightness and maximum (via overclocking) 180Hz refresh rate. It’s also G-Sync and FreeSync compatible (the latter over DisplayPort only).

For the best balance of performance and price, LePow’s 15.6-inch, 1080p $200 C2S is a solid option. It offers decent brightness (220 nits), solid contrast and a very respectable 96.1-percent sRGB gamut coverage. You get a generous selection of ports (one mini-DisplayPort, one mini-HDMI port and two USB-C ports, along with a headphone jack. The metal stand is solid and practical, and it even has built-in speakers of decent quality.

ASUS still holds the prize for best luxury monitor, but it discontinued the previous mini-LED $4,000 ProArt PA32UCX monitor and replaced it with the $5,000 PA32UCG-K display. It uses the same mini-LED tech, but ups the ante with 1,600 nits of brightness via 1,152 backlight zones, an HDMI 2.1 port, 4K 120Hz resolution, 10-bit, 98 percent DCI-P3 coverage and an impressive 85 percent Rec.2020 coverage. Oh, and it’s one of the few monitors out there that supports Dolby Vision, along with HDR10 and HLG.

You’re probably doing it wrong if you’re using a $5K monitor for gaming. However, it does support AMD FreeSync (good for gaming creation) and has a 5-millisecond response time, very respectable for a display essentially designed for professional colorists. And to that end, color accuracy is calibrated to Delta E < 1 and it’s a true 10-bit panel delivering billions of colors. To verify that, it even comes with an X-rite i1 Display Pro color calibrator, normally sold separately for around $500.

Whether you"re shopping to equip an entire company with the best office monitors or you have the option to work remotely from home, there"s a huge selection of monitors available for work. While most monitors are good enough to work on, including those designed for gaming, there are monitors specifically designed for office use. These typically have more versatile stands, so different people can adjust their screen according to their needs. They also usually have higher-resolution displays to make it easier to read text and have more inputs like USB-C so you can connect a laptop.

We"ve bought and tested over 250 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best monitors for home office to purchase. See our recommendations for the best 4k monitors, the best ultrawide monitors, and if you work on a Mac, then the best monitors for Mac Mini.

The best work monitor that we"ve tested is the Dell U2723QE. It"s an impressive office monitor with many features, so it"s a great choice no matter the work you do. It has an sRGB picture mode that results in excellent out-of-the-box accuracy, which is great if your job requires accurate colors and you don"t want to get it calibrated. Although it has disappointing reflection handling, you won"t have many issues using it in a bright room because it gets bright enough to fight glare. If you want to use it to show something to a coworker or client, it has wide viewing angles, and the screen is easily adjustable, thanks to the remarkable ergonomics.

It has a ton of included inputs, like five USB-A ports and three USB-C ports. One of the USB-C ports supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 90 W of power delivery, allowing you to display an image from your laptop and charge it simultaneously. It also has a KVM switch that lets you control two devices with the same keyboard and mouse, which is great for multitasking.

If you find the 27-inch screen size on the Dell U2723QE too small and want something bigger, ultrawide work monitors are a great alternative if you wish to open multiple windows at the same time. In that case, the LG 40WP95C-W is a great ultrawide office as it has an uncommon 5120x2160 resolution, which is the equivalent of a 4k monitor but with more horizontal screen space. The 21:9 aspect ratio and 40-inch screen let you easily open multiple windows simultaneously, which is great for multitasking.

You can easily connect to it as it has two USB-C inputs with Thunderbolt 4 support, which deliver 96 W of power and is enough to charge even power-hungry work laptops. It has excellent out-of-the-box accuracy and displays a wide range of colors if your work requires accurate colors. While its bigger screen is better for multitasking than the Dell, it isn"t as good to use in bright rooms because it only has decent peak brightness and it isn"t enough to fight intense glare, so if you work in a well-lit office, the Dell is still the better choice.

If you don"t need all the Dell U2723QE"s extra features and want to save money, getting a work monitor in the mid-range category might be a good choice. If that"s the case, the Dell S2722QC is a great alternative to the U2723QE. It has a 4k resolution that makes text look sharp and legible, and you can also open two windows side-by-side easily. It has a USB-C input with DisplayPort Alt Mode, so you can easily connect a laptop to display an image from it. It supports up to 65 W of power delivery, allowing you to charge a compatible laptop.

It has excellent ergonomics with swivel, height, and tilt adjustments, and you can rotate it into portrait mode if you want to use it vertically. Also, it has thin bezels, which is great if you want to use it in a multi-monitor setup. You also won"t have any issues with it in a well-lit room as it gets bright enough to fight glare and has good reflection handling, even better than the U2723QE despite being a lower model in Dell"s productivity lineup.

If you want something on a budget, there are a few great options for the office that won"t cost you much. The Dell S2721QS is one of those monitors as it"s a low-cost 4k display that"s a step down from the Dell S2722QC in terms of features but still offers excellent office performance. Not many 4k monitors are available at a budget price like this one; the advantage of getting a 4k display over other budget 1440p monitors is that you get much sharper text due to the increased pixel density.

This monitor is barebones in terms of features compared to the S2722QC, as it doesn"t have a USB hub, but that"s the trade-off you have to make for getting something cheaper. Still, it has the same great SDR peak brightness and very good reflection handling, making it a great choice for use in well-lit rooms. It"s also well-built with impressive ergonomics, so you can easily adjust it. If you want something bigger, the Dell S3221QS is a similar monitor with a larger 32-inch screen, but it has worse viewing angles and doesn"t get as bright, so the S2721QS is better overall.

For some people, even cheap monitors are good enough for office use, and if that"s the case for you, then the ASUS VG246H is a very good option as a cheap monitor. With a 24-inch screen and 1080p resolution, it"s smaller and has a lower resolution than the Dell S2721QS, which isn"t ideal if you want a bigger screen with sharp text, but it"s a good size if you have limited desk space or want a secondary monitor. The text clarity is still decent, and it has amazing out-of-the-box accuracy that makes colors look life-like without any calibration.

ASUS monitors are known for their remarkable ergonomics, and this one is no exception as it offers all common adjustments, and you can swivel it 90 degrees in either direction. Its wide viewing angles make it a great choice for sharing your screen with others. It"s barebones in terms of connectivity and extra features, but that"s normal for a cheap display, and it still has built-in speakers if you want to listen to music while working and don"t want to spend extra on a dedicated setup.

The Apple Studio Display is a great work monitor if you have a Mac computer, as it can take full advantage of the display. However, if you have a Windows PC, it"s better to go for another high-end monitor like the Dell U2723QE, as it"s cheaper.

The Dell U3223QE is essentially a larger version of the Dell U2723QE, so get this if you want the bigger screen, but it also under-saturates colors in HDR, so if you work in HDR, it"s better to stick with the U2723QE.

The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is a budget-friendly display with a lower resolution than the Dell S2721QS, so it has worse text clarity. However, it also has much better color accuracy so if your work requires accurate colors, consider this one.

Moved the Apple Studio Display to Notable Mentions because it doesn"t fit in line with what people are looking for in a work monitor; replaced the LG 32QN55T-B with the Dell S2721QS for consistency with other articles.

Restructured article to reflect user needs; added the Dell U2723QE as "Best Work Monitor" and renamed the Dell S2722QC to "Best Mid-Range"; added LG 32QN55T-B, ASUS VG246H, and the Apple Studio Display to their own categories; replaced the Gigabyte M34WQ with the LG 40WP95C-W for consistency; removed the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV and PA278QV; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.

Moved the Dell S2722QC to its own category as "Best 4k" for consistency; moved the LG 38WN95C-W to Notable Mentions and made the Gigabyte M34WQ the "Best Ultrawide" for consistency; added the Acer Nitro XV340CK to Notable Mentions.

Replaced the LG 34GP83A-B with the LG 38WN95C-W for consistency as the 38WN95C-W offers more office features; added the Gigabyte M32U, Dell S3221QS, Acer Nitro XF243Y, and the Gigabyte M34WQ to Notable Mentions.

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best monitors for home office that are currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people, in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.

If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.

The best monitors can upgrade your desk and enhance your entire computing experience, whether you"re building your ideal PC workspace or just need a nice big screen to plug your laptop into.

To help you pick out the right one for you we"ve looked at monitors ranging from small to extra large, with resolutions from 1080p to 4K, and features like frame syncing and adjustable stands.

We"ve tested them all, measuring everything from the color gamut and brightness to response times, so we can be confident when we tell you that one display is better than another. We"ve also identified specific use cases that make a monitor a better fit for one person or another.

This is important because when you"re spending long hours focusing on work, school, gaming, or even professional graphics work, the right monitor can be the difference between comfort and awkward inconvenience. The best monitors provide a clear view of your work, improve the ergonomics of your desk and enhance your daily productivity.

So whether you"re at home or on the road, tackling work, side projects, or the latest games, here are some of the best monitors you can buy. With November right around the corner we"re already rounding up the best Black Friday deals, too!

Why you can trust Tom"s GuideOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

For general use, we like the Dell SE2719HR. With a solid basic feature set and good performance, this 27-inch Dell 1080p computer monitor is an affordable option that will meet the needs of most users. For something with more of a gaming focus, the Acer XFA240 is a solid performer you can get for under $200, with 1920 x 1080 resolution, excellent color and speedy 144 Hz refresh rate, proving that you don"t need to spend a lot of money for high-quality gaming.

The compact HP EliteDisplay S14 is the best portable monitor out there, giving you a second screen to use on the road. Thanks to an included USB-C cable, it"s easy to connect and the lightweight, compact design is easy to carry with a laptop in your bag. For a truly immersive experience, we like curved monitors, and the ViewSonic Elite XG270QC is the best of the bunch. The 27-inch display wraps around to provide perfect viewing angles from edge to edge, making it a great pick for gaming or just dealing with huge spreadsheets.

If you want an external display for your MacBook, you"ll be well-served by the Apple Studio Display. It"s a bit pricey and the webcam isn"t great, but this 27-inch 5K display offers a killer sound system and a lot of handy functionality when connected to a Mac. Note that if you don"t connect it to a Mac, it"s basically an overly expensive 5K monitor with a lot of nonfunctional features, so it"s really only ideal for MacBook owners.

For the best picture quality you can get, we love the Acer PEO Series ProDesigner PE320QK. Aimed at photographers, and graphic designers who need pixel-perfect images and exacting color, it"s the best monitor for professional users by a long shot. The Alienware AW5520QF is a giant 55-inch OLED gaming monitor that"s big enough to fit in alongside the best TVs. And keep an eye out for new monitors arriving in the next few months like LG"s DualUp monitor.

For a monitor that"s great for everyday use and won"t cost an arm and a leg, the Dell SE2719HR is our pick. Sometimes you just need a reliable, inexpensive display, and based on user reviews, this is a great one to get. The 27-inch Dell boasts an IPS panel, so the display will look great from any angle. While it won"t match the resolution of a 4K monitor, the display is still sharp and clear, with vibrant color and deep black levels. With only HDMI and VGA inputs, it"s not ideal for gaming (DisplayPort is better suited to the higher frame rates of a GPU), but most any other use should be ably handled by the 27-inch display, thanks to its minimal lag times and 75Hz refresh rate.

The Acer XFA240 demonstrates that excellent full HD monitors don"t need to cost a ton of money. For less than $200, this 1080p monitor delivers accurate colors and more extra features than you"d expect, including a full vertical mode that makes it invaluable as a second screen. The monitor works well for both gaming and productivity, with a 144 Hz refresh rate and a variety of ports, including a DVI input for older machines.

The 27-inch Studio Display ($1,599) is a great 5K monitor, one that delivers a lot of the value of Apple"s $5,000 Pro Display XDR in a much more affordable (though hardly cheap) package.

Like the Pro Display XDR, the Studio Display offers useful features for creative professionals, including a range of reference modes and P3 wide color gamut support. But it also has unique features that any Mac user can enjoy, like a killer (for a monitor) six-speaker sound system and a 12MP ultrawide camera that supports Apple"s Center Stage feature, courtesy of an onboard A13 Bionic chip.

The ViewSonic Elite XG270QC is a large curved monitor with an extremely bright screen. While it will take up a lot of your desk space with its tasteful triangular base, the tradeoff is well worth it. You get a vibrantly colored 27-inch 1440p screen, with a refresh rate of 165 Hz. For gamers with powerful GPUs, this means quad HD gaming with the potential for more than 100 frames per second in each game.

The Acer PEO Series ProDesigner PE320QK is a widescreen 4K monitor that"s made for professionals who demand the best color and accuracy they can get for working with images, video and graphics. One of the best monitors overall for serious work, the PE320QK comes calibrated from the factory, offering superb accuracy right out of the box, and comes with a matte display and built-in display hood that eliminates the glare and ambient light that might skew color perception.

The Alienware AW5520QF 55-Inch OLED gaming monitor puts a killer OLED display into a TV-like size that"s made for big screen gaming. With a size that toes the line between TV and monitor, the 55-inch display has a highly polished design, a cornucopia of great features and key gaming monitor features such as DisplayPort connectivity and fast 120Hz refresh rates. And while it"s technically not a TV, it also comes with a slick remote control to adjust the picture settings and navigate menus from the comfort of your couch.

Samsung"s curved 49-inch Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor is a strong overall performer, but its unwieldy design and sky-high price do not make it ideal for everyone.

Boasting top-notch functionality and impressive performance along every metric, the Odyssey G9 is worthy of serious consideration from anyone who can make full use of it. So if you have a high-end graphics card, a spare $1,700 or so, an excess of desk space (or a sizable hunk of wall), a stuffed-to-bursting game library you want to apply a unique (and not always completely complementary) visual spin to, and not much desire to use the monitor for everything else, you probably won’t be disappointed. Plus the next generation of the Odyssey G9 Neo, which replaced the original G9, is tipped to be the world"s first 8K ultrawide curved monitor. Truly astonishing if it comes to fruition.

Finding the best monitor can be a confusing experience when you don"t know what to look for. There are a few key details to pay attention to for any monitor, and some specific advice for certain specialized uses.

We evaluate every monitor on the same basic criteria, starting with size and resolution. In general, more is better here: the bigger the display and the higher the resolution, the more you can see. We also measure several aspects of picture quality as part of our review process, looking at how many colors the monitor can produce (reported as color gamut) and how accurately it displays each color (reported as a Delta-E rating). Better scores here make for a better display in every instance. Display brightness is another factor, but higher brightness doesn"t always translate into a better display, though it does suggest that a monitor will deliver more vibrant color and may offer HDR (high dynamic range) support.

For some uses, like professional graphics work, you"ll need to watch for additional features, and refinements on the basics. If color quality is important in your work, you should look for factory calibrated displays, and pay close attention to the color accuracy and gamut portions of our reviews. You"ll also want to spring for matte-finish panels, displays with shade hoods and adjustable monitor stands that let you find the perfect viewing angle.

Size: A larger monitor is generally a better purchase simply because it offers the most visual real estate, which is better for both full-screen media consumption and split-screen multitasking. Higher resolution is also better, since it allows better detail and lets you see more information in the same screen size. The old phrase "bigger is better" applies to both here, and we recommend opting for larger screens and higher resolution whenever possible.

Response time: If you care about playing the latest games under the most optimal conditions, you"ll want to look for a monitor with low response time. This measures how long it takes for the display to respond to what you"re doing, and it"s typically expressed as a measurement (in milliseconds) of how long it takes a pixel on the display to go from one color to another and back again.

Unless you"re planning to play games that demand quick reflexes or pinpoint accuracy, you really don"t need to worry about response time. In general, anything under 10ms is good, though for gaming under 5ms is better. Many gaming monitors promise response times as low as 1ms, which is about as good as you can hope for.

Refresh rate:Refresh rate measures how many times per second your monitor is able to to draw a new image. It"s measured in Hertz, and again if you"re not planning on doing a lot of intense gaming you probably don"t need to worry about this very much. Most monitor achieve refresh rates of 60Hz or less, and that"s plenty for watching videos or getting work done. However, if you want to play games at higher than 60 frames per second, or you"re planning on working with video at framerates higher than 60 fps, you"ll want a monitor with higher refresh rates. 120Hz is good, 144Hz is better, and there are even gaming monitors that offer refresh rates of 240Hz or higher.

Gaming also has its own unique concerns. When the difference between victory and defeat can come down to split second timing, you can"t afford long lag times. If you want one of the best gaming monitors, we recommend finding a display that offers response times of 15 milliseconds or less.

Smoother gameplay is also part of what you pay for in a gaming monitor, so pay attention to what frame syncing technology a monitor supports. AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync both allow the monitor and the graphics card to coordinate the refresh rate of the screen with the output of the GPU, but they approach this problem in slightly different ways, and a given monitor will likely provide support for only one or the other format. If your gaming rig uses Nvidia cards, you"ll want a G-Sync capable monitor, while AMD-based systems will play nicely with a FreeSync display.

For a secondary monitor to use on the road, you"ll want something that"s small enough to carry with your laptop, and simple enough to set up and use within moments. For this, we recommend choosing one with a USB-C port for connectivity, as that allows the monitor to use a single cable for both video signal and power. While the basic advice of "bigger is better" does still have some application here, it"s also worth considering how well a portable monitor matches the size of your laptop display, since a larger display panel will have different dimensions than your laptop, and may not fit as easily into your backpack or laptop bag.

When seeking out the best monitors, we test every display we review with our Klein K 10-A colorimeter, paired with testing software. We use this high-quality scope to measure the display"s brightness levels, color gamut and color accuracy.

Brightness is measured in nits, or candela per square metre (cd/m2). More nits means a higher brightness, which translates into clearer picture, brighter color and usually a more realistic looking image. For basic monitors, we expect a display backlight to produce between 2-300 nits of brightness, though HDR (high dynamic range) displays will often exceed that with a higher maximum brightness. However, brightness alone doesn"t make for a great display, since some monitors will wash out colors or offer inconsistent backlight that varies in some portions of the display panel.

HDR also presents its own testing challenges, as new capabilities and standards allow a monitor to offer higher peak luminance than our standard tests will register. When in doubt, read an individual review for a discussion of these issues, and how an individual product will handle each.

Color is the other big concern for displays. Monitors that produce more colors have a larger color gamut, as measured under the sRGB or P3 color standards. This is presented as a percentage, with higher percentages indicating more colors.

We also test a display"s response time, using a Leo Bodnar input lag tester. This device measures how long it takes a signal to travel from a source device to the monitor and show up on the display. Measured in milliseconds, this number is most useful for gamers and anyone that needs immediate onscreen feedback from any input.

Finally, every monitor we test is also used for web browsing, streaming video and gaming, as well as the writing of the review itself. Our anecdotal testing will often allow us to note the quirks of a display that lab testing might miss, whether it"s difficulty in scaling content or issues with backlight or color reproduction.Round up of today"s best deals

If you work in an office (or a home office), you’re probably familiar with external monitors. But there’s an intriguing alternative that we’ve been seeing all over TikTok lately: portable monitors. These lightweight monitors are plug-and-play, so you can instantly connect your device, and require only one cable to use, thanks to USB-C ports that can transfer data and provide power at the same time. And since USB-C is becoming standard on new devices, portable monitors can be used with a wide range of devices beyond laptops, from smartphones to gaming consoles to tablets. That means with a portable monitor, you can bring a bigger screen anywhere.

There are still some technical advantages to standard monitors, which often provide better luminosity and refresh rates than their portable counterparts. However, those factors aren’t “really relevant for someone just wanting something basic for working at home,” says Sam Byford, formerly an editor at our sister site the Verge. For many people, it is worth a slight step down in image quality to be able to easily store their monitor away when they don’t need it or toss it in a bag to bring to a café, on a trip, or simply to another room. To help you find the best portable monitor, we consulted six experts on their favorites.

If a portable monitor feels like a brick or doesn’t fit in your bag, it’s not worth using. Portable monitors are designed to be very lightweight. Most of the options below weigh less than two pounds, with the lightest weighing 1.3 pounds and the heaviest weighing 2.2 pounds. They are also thin and sleek, measuring under an inch thick in most cases. They usually come with foldable cases that can also be used as a monitor stand (similar to what you might see on Apple’s iPad cases). The cases tend to allow for multiple viewing angles, and the case also protects the screen from scratches or abrasions while in transit.

Most portable monitor screens measure between 12 and 17 inches diagonally — about the size of a standard sheet of letter paper on the smaller end of that range. If you’re using your portable monitor for light tasks and simple web browsing, anything larger than 17 inches can feel like overkill and be clunky to carry, and you may be better off investing in a larger, stationary monitor.

If you’re mostly scrolling through the web, working in Google docs, taking a peek at some spreadsheets, or watching videos, 1080p HD resolution should be perfectly adequate for a portable monitor. There are ultrahigh-definition 4K portable monitors available, but the higher resolution won’t be as noticeable on their smaller screens.

Byford also recommends finding a monitor with an IPS, or in-plane-switching panel, which will give you a clearer image and improved response time. Without an IPS, you might see a slight lag between your device and the display. And Miguel Melendez, a PC expert at B&H Photo Video, says, “IPS also offers the widest viewing angles and best color accuracy.”

Some portable monitors have internal batteries, which means they have their own power source. Other portable monitors draw power from the device they are connecting to through a USB-C port. Monitors that are device-powered will help to streamline the number of chargers you need for your setup. But having an internal battery means you won’t have to rely on your laptop or tablet for power, which could inconveniently drain your battery. Though having an internal battery will make your monitor a bit heavier, it will also maximize the time you can use both your monitor and the device it’s connected to while on the go. It may even be able to charge that device.

Portable monitors usually connect via a USB-C port, which is now standard across newer devices, including Android phones and tablets, Apple MacBooks and iPads, and Windows-based laptops and tablets. You can also connect an iPhone using a USB-C-to-lightning cable. Some portable monitors have an HDMI port, which will be useful if you want to connect to a digital camera or television. A few monitors even have an integrated speaker, which may be worth looking for if you’re going to be using the monitor for gaming or streaming. However, without speakers you’ll still be able to get audio from your device or use headphones.

“The big promise of USB-C for monitors appears to be finally arriving,” writes the Verge senior editor Tom Warren in his in-depth review of the Lenovo M14. This 1080p 14-inch display weighs only 1.3 pounds — making it the lightest monitor on this list — and comes with a protective cover. There’s no battery, which Warren says “means your laptop, tablet, or even phone is tasked with powering the display” via the included USB-C cable. The Lenovo also supports pass-through charging, so you can charge your device and power the monitor at the same time. “Lenovo has built most of the components into the base, which feels sturdy,” Warren writes. He also likes how the stand offers the ability “to raise the height of