The 4 Best Ultrawide Monitors of 2026  

Updated Aug 10, 2026 at 04:03 pm
Best Ultrawide Monitors
 4

Ultrawide monitors are a class of displays with a 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratio. With more horizontal screen space than traditional 16:9 monitors, they're 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. The sizes of ultrawide monitors range from 34 inches to those bigger than 50 inches. There's even a type known as super ultrawide, with a 32:9 aspect ratio, generally with 49-inch screens. This means there's a variety of ultrawide options you can choose from.

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 to connect your devices. Since models are available at different price points, consider your budget and how you'll use the monitor. For example, you'll want a fast response time for gaming, and a bright screen for working in a well-lit space.

We've bought and tested more than 400 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.

How We Test Monitors
How We Test Monitors

We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without 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, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.

  1. Best Ultrawide Monitor

    The best ultrawide monitor is the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN. It's a high-end 34-inch model that excels for many different uses. It's designed as a gaming monitor with a fast 360Hz refresh rate and a near-instantaneous response time, so motion is sharp. It also has high-bandwidth DisplayPort and HDMI inputs to take full advantage of the latest graphics cards. Plus, it supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing and has low input lag for a responsive feel. It even offers fantastic picture quality with its QD-OLED panel, which delivers vivid colors and bright highlights. It also has a BlackShield glossy coating that minimizes black level rise in bright rooms compared to older QD-OLEDs, which have a purple tint. However, its black levels still look gray in a bright room.

    Besides its high-end gaming performance and picture quality, it's also a good choice for productivity. It has a USB hub that includes a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode and 90W of power delivery, which is ideal if you want to connect a laptop. Its KVM switch is also useful if you want to use the same devices on two different PCs connected to the monitor. Lastly, text looks sharp as it uses a new RGB stripe subpixel layout, so it doesn't have fringing like on older QD-OLEDs that have a triangular subpixel layout. Unfortunately, though, it risks burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time. This means you shouldn't get it only for work, but it's useful if you change up what you have on screen.

  2. Best Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor

    Since the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN is expensive, you can save money with a lower-end option, like the Dell Alienware AW3426DW. It's also fantastic overall, with a QD-OLED panel that delivers near-instantaneous response time for gaming and incredible picture quality. However, there are some notable trade-offs compared to the higher-end ASUS. For example, it has a lower 280Hz refresh rate, so gaming doesn't feel as smooth. It also lacks DisplayPort 2.1 bandwidth, which is worth considering if you have a DP 2.1 graphics card. Its QD-OLED panel delivers the same deep blacks and vivid colors as the ASUS, but it doesn't get as bright.

    It at least has the same RGB Stripe subpixel layout, so there's no fringing around letters and text looks sharp. It doesn't have a KVM switch or support DisplayPort Alt Mode to quickly connect a laptop, but it has other USB ports for your devices. Regardless, it's solid for work as it has a wide viewing angle that keeps the image consistent when viewed from the sides. Plus, it's very accurate out of the box, which helps if you want to use it for content creation. Like the ASUS, though, its OLED panel risks burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time.

  3. Best Budget Ultrawide Monitor

    If you're on a tight budget, there are some good entry-level options, 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 AW3426DW, because it offers worse picture quality. As it's not an OLED, it can't display the same deep blacks with bright highlights that pop, and it doesn't handle motion as sharply as on the AW3426DW. However, that's what you have to expect from an entry-level ultrawide model.

    It's still versatile for different uses, though, and it gets much brighter than the AW3426DW, so it's the better choice for bright spaces. 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 the image washes out from the sides. As for gaming, it has a 180Hz refresh rate and good motion handling, but there's smearing with fast-moving objects in dark scenes. It at least has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth like the AW3426DW, which helps if you have an HDMI 2.1 graphics card.

  4. Best Ultrawide Monitor For Work

    If 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 U3425WE. It's designed for productivity, and it differs from other options, like the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM, because it has worse motion handling, limited picture quality, and doesn't support HDR at all. However, this is what you have to expect from a work-focused monitor. It at least gets bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms, but reflections are distracting in a sunny environment.

    The advantage of it is that it 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 90W of power delivery, which is ideal for connecting even power-hungry laptops that require Thunderbolt, like a MacBook. It 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, which helps with a multi-monitor setup. It also has good text clarity, and its 34-inch screen offers enough space to view multiple windows side by side.

Notable Mentions

  • LG 39GX950B-B: 

    The LG 39GX950B-B is a high-end 39-inch monitor with a 5k2k resolution. It delivers more detailed images for a more immersive gaming experience than the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN. However, it has a lower refresh rate, its colors aren't as vivid, and it costs more than the ASUS.

     See our review
  • MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36: 

    The MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is a premium 34-inch QD-OLED monitor that directly competes with the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN. While it performs similarly for the most part and is usually cheaper than the ASUS, it's also harder to find at times.

     See our review
  • LG 34GS95QE-B: 

    The LG 34GS95QE-B is a WOLED alternative to the Dell Alienware AW3426DW, 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, and it has worse text clarity.

     See our review
  • Dell U4025QW: 

    The Dell U4025QW is a bigger alternative to the Dell U3425WE with a 40-inch screen. This monitor also has a higher resolution for more detailed images. However, it costs much more than the U3425WE and offers the same features, so it's only worth it if you want its bigger screen and sharper text.

     See our review

Recent Updates

  1.  Aug 10, 2026: 

    We replaced the Dell Alienware AW3425DW with the newer and brighter Dell Alienware AW3426DW.

  2.  Jun 29, 2026: 

    In the Notable Mentions, we removed the hard-to-find MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED, and we added the LG 39GX950B-B, the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, and the Dell U4025QW to better reflect the current market.

  3.  May 22, 2026: 

    We added the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN as the 'Best Ultrawide Monitor' and renamed the Dell Alienware AW3425DW to the 'Best Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor.' We also removed the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF as it's hard to find.

  4.  Apr 08, 2026: 

    We replaced the Dell U4025QW, which is hard to find, with the Dell U3425WE. We also removed the LG 40WP95C-W from the Notable Mentions.

  5.  Feb 13, 2026: 

    We renamed the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF to the 'Best Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor' to better reflect its market position.

All Reviews

Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best ultrawide monitors currently available in the United States. They're adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. The rating is based on our review, feedback from visitors, and price. For example, two monitors may perform the same, but the cheaper one will be recommended. We also consider availability, as we don't recommend a monitor that's hard to find.

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.