HDR is a display signal format that enhances the picture quality in content compared to SDR (see SDR vs. HDR) mainly because it uses a wider range of colors and higher brightness levels. While most monitors support HDR, that doesn't guarantee good performance, as you need the monitor to have deep blacks, get bright, and accurately display content the way the creator intended. Although monitors are behind TVs when it comes to HDR as they lack processors and don't usually support advanced formats like Dolby Vision or HDR10+, they're slowly catching up with more OLED and Mini LED models coming out for better picture quality.
The advantage of choosing a monitor over a TV is that they're smaller and more versatile for other tasks like gaming or productivity. High-end monitors have at least good HDR performance and often include more gaming features than TVs. That said, many budget monitors are limited in HDR performance, so if you're on a limited budget, check out the best TVs for watching movies instead.
We've bought and tested more than 325 monitors, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the best monitors for HDR, including the best 4k HDR monitors. Check out our recommendations for the best HDR gaming monitors, the best OLED monitors, and the best Mini LED monitors.
The best HDR monitor we've tested is the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80. It's versatile for both watching content and gaming in HDR. What makes this better than most other monitors is that its QD-OLED panel produces deep, inky blacks without any blooming, which is ideal for watching your favorite movies in dark rooms. It also gets bright enough for small highlights to stand out against the rest of the image and makes colors look very vivid.
This outstanding picture quality makes it a good alternative to getting a larger TV; plus, it has a built-in smart platform, so you can watch your favorite HDR content without a PC, similar to a TV. However, it doesn't support advanced HDR formats like Dolby Vision, and if you want a monitor that does, the Dell Alienware AW3225QF is a great alternative that uses the same QD-OLED panel. You can't go wrong with either monitor, but the Dell has a curved screen, which may not be to everyone's liking for watching content.
If you find the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80 out of your price range and want something less expensive with high-end HDR performance, check out the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG. Like the Samsung, it has an OLED panel that allows it to display deep and inky blacks without any blooming, but it's different in a few ways. The panel type is WOLED, which has less vivid colors than the QD-OLED of the Samsung, so it doesn't deliver the absolute best HDR performance, but it's still fantastic. It also has a lower resolution than the Samsung, so images are less detailed, but that doesn't impact the HDR performance.
This monitor is better for HDR than other competing monitors with WOLED panels because it gets very bright, so highlights really pop. It also has a glossy screen coating, which most other WOLED monitors don't have, making images appear clearer. However, it has more distracting reflections from strong light sources, so it looks best in dim or dark rooms.
Although OLEDs like the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG and the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80 offer the best HDR performance, they're also costly, so if you want to save money, then check out the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. Instead of having an OLED panel with perfect blacks in dark rooms, it has an LCD panel with Mini LED backlighting that lets it get very bright, which is ideal for watching content in bright rooms, but it also makes highlights stand out in HDR. Although it doesn't have the same deep blacks as the ASUS and Samsung, it has a decent local dimming feature that improves the contrast ratio and decent black uniformity with local dimming enabled, too.
It even displays a wide range of colors well in HDR, making them look vivid. Its 4k resolution delivers more detailed images than the ASUS, and it is great for watching the latest HDR movies in 4k. However, it lacks a built-in smart platform like the Samsung monitor.
While most budget monitors have limited HDR performance, there are a few with good picture quality in HDR, like the AOC Q27G3XMN. It uses Mini LED backlighting like the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx and has a better local dimming feature than most monitors. This helps it display deep blacks with bright highlights, making it a great choice for watching HDR content. Even if you don't want to use the local dimming feature, it has a high native contrast ratio for deep blacks.
There are a few differences with the Acer, though. It has a lower resolution, so images aren't as detailed, and it also has a more narrow color gamut in HDR, but that's the trade-off for getting something cheaper. One thing to know is that it sometimes goes out of stock, so if you can't find it, the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx is a great alternative that delivers similar picture quality, but it has more blur with fast-moving objects.
Aug 29, 2024: We changed the title to 'Best HDR Monitors' from 'Best 4k HDR Monitors' to give a wider scope of monitors we can recommend as it better reflects the current market. Because of this, we replaced the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 and the Dell S3221QS with the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG and the AOC Q27G3XMN, respectively, because they have better picture quality. We also replaced the Dell Alienware AW3225QF with the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80 for consistency with other recommendations. We updated the Notable Mentions based on these changes.
Jun 06, 2024: Replaced the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 with the cheaper Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 to better represent the monitor market. Moved the Samsung Smart Monitor M7/M70C S32CM70 to the Notable Mentions as it went up in price. Replaced the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM and the Cooler Master Tempest GP27U with the AOC Q27G3XMN and the INNOCN 27M2V in the Notable Mentions for consistency with other recommendations.
Apr 19, 2024: Ensured our selections are accurate and up-to-date.
Feb 08, 2024: Added the Dell Alienware AW3225QF as the 'Best 4k HDR Monitor' and renamed the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 to 'Best Upper Mid-Range'; removed the LG 48QG900-B as the 'Best Large Monitor' and the Dell Alienware AW3423DW from Notable Mentions because they don't fit into the scope of the article.
Nov 24, 2023: Replaced the Sony INZONE M9 with the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx because it's cheaper and is better for HDR, and moved the Sony to Notable Mentions.
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best monitors for HDR available, including the best 4k HDR monitors. They're adapted to be valid for most people. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price, and feedback from our visitors.
If you would prefer to make your own decision, here's a list of all the reviews of monitors that support HDR. 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.