- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Best Monitor
- Best Ultrawide
- Best Budget
- All Reviews
- Discussions
- Store-bought monitors; no cherry-picked units
- Retest after major updates
- Easily comparable results
- No ads; unbiased reviews
Curved monitors have just started to catch on, despite being widely available for a few years. As monitors have grown in size, it has become more and more difficult to maintain an accurate image across the entire screen when sitting up close. Curved monitors were one of the solutions monitor manufacturers came up with: a gentle curve brings the edges of the screen into your field of view, so the image remains accurate and uniform even if you are sitting close to a large screen.
We've reviewed 76 monitors so far, and below you'll find our picks for the best curved monitors that are available for purchase in 2019. See also our recommendations for the best curved gaming monitors, the best ultrawide monitors, and the best gaming monitors.
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Best Curved Monitor: Samsung C27HG70
Usage Ratings - Version 1.07.8Mixed Usage7.4Office8.5Gaming7.7Multimedia7.8Media Creation7.3HDR GamingThe Samsung C27HG70 is the best curved monitor that we've tested so far. It's a great gaming monitor, thanks to its fast response time, flicker-free backlight, excellent low input lag, and FreeSync support. It has a decent stand that can easily be adjusted to an ideal viewing position, and it has some great extra features, including a built-in USB hub.
This is a versatile monitor and is a very good choice for almost any use. It has a very good native contrast ratio, great for dark room viewing, but still gets bright enough for a brightly-lit room and has great reflection handling. As an added bonus, it supports HDR and can display a wide color gamut, which is great.
Unfortunately, the image degrades when viewed at an angle, so it isn't as well-suited if you frequently share your screen with someone else. This monitor is available in two sizes: 27", which we tested, and a larger 32" model. We expect our results to be valid for both.
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Larger Alternative: LG 34UC79G-B
If you like the Samsung CHG70 but would prefer a larger screen, check out the LG 34UC79G-B. Like the Samsung, this monitor has a great 144Hz refresh rate. It supports FreeSync, which is great. The 34" screen has a more subtle curve than the Samsung, but has much wider viewing angles, which is great for some quick side-by-side co-op gaming. Unfortunately, this monitor doesn't look as good in a dark room and it doesn't support HDR.
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Best Curved Ultrawide Monitor For Gaming: Dell AW3418DW
Usage Ratings - Version 1.07.7Mixed Usage7.9Office8.2Gaming7.4Multimedia7.5Media Creation5.7HDR GamingIf you want a more immersive gaming experience, the Dell Alienware AW3418DW is the best curved ultrawide monitor for gaming that we've tested so far. It delivers decent picture quality, with wide viewing angles and decent peak brightness. Motion looks great, thanks to the excellent response time.
This monitor delivers a more immersive gaming experience than most standard monitors, thanks to the 34", curved display. It has outstanding low input lag and an excellent 100Hz refresh rate that can be easily overclocked to 120Hz for a slight performance boost. Finally, this monitor supports G-SYNC variable refresh rate technology, for a tear-free gaming experience.
Unfortunately, like the majority of IPS monitors, the Dell Alienware AW3418DW doesn't look quite as good displaying dark scenes in a dark room. Overall, though, it's a great curved ultrawide gaming monitor.
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Alternative With A Different Stand: ASUS PG348Q
The ASUS ROG Swift PG348Q offers very similar overall performance to the Dell AW3418DW, and at a similar price. This monitor defaults to a simple 60Hz refresh rate, which may disappoint more serious gamers, but it can be easily overclocked to 100Hz for a better gaming experience. Like the Dell, it has excellent low input lag and supports NVIDIA G-SYNC. This monitor delivers a very immersive gaming experience, but the screen has a less aggressive curve than the Dell.
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Larger Alternative: Samsung C49HG90
If you want the most immersive curved monitor available, check out the Samsung CHG90 instead. This massive 49" monitor is the equivalent of two 27", 1080p monitors side-by-side and delivers an unprecedented amount of screen real estate to work with. The curved, wide-format screen delivers a more immersive gaming experience, and is excellent for multitasking, as you can easily work with 3 or 4 windows open side-by-side. Unfortunately, its backlight flickers, which may bother some people, especially when using it for an extended duration.
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Best Budget Curved Monitor: Samsung C27F398
Usage Ratings - Version 1.07.0Mixed Usage7.1Office7.5Gaming6.8Multimedia6.7Media Creation5.5HDR GamingThe best budget curved monitor we have tested so far is the Samsung CF398. It has good dark scene performance, thanks to a high native contrast ratio, and it has great reflection handling, although it can't get very bright. The 27" screen has a more aggressive 1800R curve, which helps compensate for the mediocre viewing angles.
It delivers good gaming performance, thanks to FreeSync support, excellent low input lag, and an excellent response time that delivers clear motion with only a short blur trail behind it. It even supports FreeSync when connected to an NVIDIA graphics card, thanks to NVIDIA's new Adaptive Sync drivers.
Unfortunately, this monitor can't get very bright, and the basic 1080p resolution and 72Hz refresh rate might disappoint more demanding users. Overall, the Samsung CF398 is a good curved monitor for budget shoppers.
Notable Mentions
- MSI MPG27CQ: Excellent curved gaming monitor, but not as versatile as the CHG70. See our review
- Dell U3417W: Decent 1440p curved monitor, but the LG 34UC79G-B is cheaper and better overall. See our review
- Samsung C49HG90: Decent ultrawide monitor, but too large for most people. See our review
- Samsung C34F791: Okay curved monitor, but too expensive for the performance. See our review
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best curved monitors 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 curved 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.
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