Ultrawide monitors are a class of displays with a 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratio. Most have a 34-inch screen, while others have 40-inch and larger screen sizes. There's even a type known as super ultrawide, with a 32:9 aspect ratio and generally with 49-inch screens. With more horizontal screen space than traditional 16:9 monitors, ultrawides are great for opening multiple windows side by side or for an immersive gaming experience. On top of that, they tend to have curved screens to bring the edges closer to you.
While many ultrawide monitors are designed with gaming in mind, most are good enough for productivity, making them versatile for work and play. If you aren't a gamer, you can even find models geared for work use, which tend to have higher resolutions and more features, like USB hubs. Since models are available at different price points, consider your budget and how you'll use the monitor.
We've bought and tested more than 375 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best widescreen monitors. See our picks for the best ultrawide gaming monitors, the best curved monitors, and the best 34-49 inch monitors.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, with units that we buy completely on our own, without any cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized and custom tools to measure various aspects with objective data-based results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance against the competition, and whether or not it's easy to find.
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Best Ultrawide Monitor
Office6.9Editing9.0PC Gaming9.1Console Gaming9.1Brightness6.8Response Time9.8HDR Picture9.4SDR Picture10Color Accuracy9.4Size34"Panel TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate240 HzNative Resolution3440 x 1440See all our test resultsCurve Radius1800RThe best ultrawide monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3425DW. It's a high-end QD-OLED monitor with outstanding performance and picture quality. It has a 34-inch display with an 1800R curve that's meant to bring the edges of the screen closer to you. Its 3440x1440 resolution delivers decent image and text clarity. It also has gaming-focused features, with a 240Hz refresh rate and support for all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing. Plus, it has a near-instantaneous response time at any refresh rate, so fast-moving objects look sharp.
It's fantastic for gaming in dark rooms, as it displays deep, inky blacks without haloing. It also makes some small highlights pop in HDR and displays a wide range of vivid colors. However, it doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare, and deep blacks appear purple in a bright room. The biggest downside of using an OLED like this is the risk of burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time, like if you only use it for work, but it's less of an issue if you vary your usage. Its pros outweigh the cons, though.
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Best Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor
Office7.6Editing9.0PC Gaming8.9Console Gaming8.3Brightness6.7Response Time9.9HDR Picture9.3SDR Picture9.9Color Accuracy9.4Size34"Pixel TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate165 HzNative Resolution3440 x 1440See all our test resultsCurve Radius1800RIf you find the Dell Alienware AW3425DW too expensive or you won't take advantage of its high refresh rate, a mid-range option like the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is a good alternative. It's worth getting when it's on sale. It's similar to the AW3425DW for the most part, but one difference is that it has a lower 165Hz refresh rate, so it doesn't feel as smooth or responsive. That said, it still has a fast response time for sharp motion at any refresh rate.
As it's a QD-OLED like the AW3425DW, it has the same fantastic picture quality. Additionally, it has incredibly accurate colors before any sort of calibration, which is useful for content creation. Like the other ultrawide displays here, it has a curved screen that brings the edges closer to your field of view. However, while it displays the same deep blacks in dark rooms, those blacks appear purple in bright rooms.
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Best Budget Ultrawide Monitor
Office7.5Editing7.5PC Gaming7.6Console Gaming7.3Brightness7.7Response Time7.7HDR Picture6.3SDR Picture7.9Color Accuracy8.4Size34"Panel TypeVAMax Refresh Rate180 HzNative Resolution3440 x 1440See all our test resultsCurve Radius1500RIf you're on a tight budget, there are some good options you can get, like the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM. However, you have to accept that it's a step down in performance from higher-end monitors, like the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF, because it offers worse picture quality. It can't display the same deep blacks with bright highlights that pop, and it doesn't have the same sharp motion handling as the AW3423DWF. However, that's what you have to expect from an entry-level ultrawide model.
It's still versatile for different uses, though, since it doesn't risk burn-in like OLEDs, so you can use it for work without worrying about long-term screen damage. It also offers some productivity perks, like a small USB hub. However, it has a narrow viewing angle, so it's less than ideal if you need to share your screen with someone next to you. As for gaming, it has a 180Hz refresh rate and good motion handling, but there's smearing with fast-moving objects.
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Best Ultrawide Monitor For Work
Office8.1Editing8.0PC Gaming6.3Console Gaming5.8Brightness7.7Response Time3.9HDR Picture6.2SDR Picture7.5Color Accuracy8.9Size40"Panel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate120 HzNative Resolution5120 x 2160See all our test resultsCurve Radius2500RIf you need a monitor just for work and you don't need the gaming features of the monitors mentioned above, then check out the Dell U4025QW. It's designed for work, and it differs from other high-end options like the Dell Alienware AW3425DW because it doesn't deliver the same bright highlights and deep blacks. However, what this monitor does have is a large 40-inch screen with a high 5120x2160 resolution. This is equivalent to an ultrawide 4k screen, so text is extremely sharp.
It also offers a ton of work perks, including a massive USB hub for connecting various devices. This includes a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support and up to 140W of power delivery, which is ideal for connecting even power-hungry laptops. It also has a KVM switch, making it easy to use the same keyboard and mouse with multiple computers connected to the monitor. It even supports daisy chaining to a second display. That said, if you don't need such a big display, the Dell U3425WE is a similar monitor that you can get for less, but it has worse text clarity.
Notable Mentions
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MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED:
The MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED is an alternative to the Dell Alienware AW3425DW. Both perform very similarly, and the MSI has a few features the Dell lacks, like a KVM switch. However, the MSI tends to cost more.
See our review -
LG 34GS95QE-B:
The LG 34GS95QE-B is a WOLED alternative to the Dell Alienware AW3425DW, with similar pricing and screen specs. It's worth considering if you want a display with deeper blacks in a bright room, though its colors aren't as vivid.
See our review -
LG 40WP95C-W:
The LG 40WP95C-W is a 40-inch office-oriented monitor that competes with the Dell U4025QW. It's a good alternative if you want something cheaper, but it has fewer features.
See our review
Recent Updates
Feb 13, 2026:
We renamed the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF to the 'Best Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor' to better reflect its market position.
Dec 17, 2025:
We updated the text for clarity throughout and verified that the recommended monitors are still available.
Sep 04, 2025:
We replaced the LG 34GS95QE-B with the Dell Alienware AW3425DW, as it has more vivid colors and costs less. Additionally, we replaced the Dell S3422DWG with the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM, as it has better motion handling and a higher contrast ratio. We also removed the LG 34GP83A-B and added the MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED and the LG 34GS95QE-B to the Notable Mentions.
May 09, 2025:
We replaced the MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED with the LG 34GS95QE-B due to the MSI's availability. We also moved the LG 34GP83A-B to the Notable Mentions because it's becoming harder to find, and we removed the Dell Alienware AW3423DW from the Notable Mentions.
Feb 19, 2025:
We added the MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED as the top pick to be consistent with other recommendations, and we renamed the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF to 'Best Upper Mid-Range.' We also removed the Gigabyte M34WQ from the Notable Mentions as it's hard to find. Lastly, we introduced a new format to the article and updated the text to reflect these changes.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best ultrawide monitors currently available. They're adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. The rating is based on our review, factoring in price and visitor feedback.
If you'd prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all of our ultrawide 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.