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 of these 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. While OLED monitors tend to provide the best overall performance and picture quality, they also risk burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time. This isn't a problem for mixed use, but it's a concern for office use.
We've bought and tested more than 415 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, 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.
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Best Ultrawide Monitor
OfficeEditingPC GamingConsole GamingBrightnessResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureColor AccuracySize34"Panel TypeOLEDSub-TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate360 HzNative Resolution3440 x 1440See all our test resultsCurve RadiusThe 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, ideal for playing reaction-based games. It even offers fantastic picture quality with its QD-OLED panel, which delivers vivid colors and bright highlights. It also has a coating that minimizes black level rise in bright rooms compared to older QD-OLEDs, which have a purple tint. However, this monitor's 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 standard RGB 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.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor
OfficeEditingPC GamingConsole GamingBrightnessResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureColor AccuracySize39"Panel TypeOLEDSub-TypeWOLEDMax Refresh Rate330 HzNative Resolution5120 x 2160See all our test resultsCurve RadiusShould you find the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN too expensive, but you still want a premium model, the Dell Alienware AW3926QW is a solid alternative. It's different from the ASUS in a few ways, with some advantages and disadvantages depending on what you need it for. For example, the Dell has a lower native 165Hz refresh rate, and despite the fact that it has a dual mode to boost it to 330Hz with a lower resolution, it doesn't offer the same smooth gaming experience as the ASUS. It also uses a different OLED panel type than the ASUS, with its Tandem WOLED display not getting as bright, and it has slightly less vivid colors. It at least displays the same deep blacks as the ASUS, and it maintains low black levels in bright rooms.
The advantage of getting the Dell is if you want a more immersive gaming experience thanks to its larger 39-inch screen. This also helps for multitasking with different windows open, and it even has a higher 5k2k resolution for sharper text. Like the ASUS, it comes with a USB hub to connect various devices, and its KVM switch makes it easy to change sources and use the same devices on both. However, it also risks burn-in, so it's something to get if you switch between gaming and work, and not for work only.
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Best Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor
OfficeEditingPC GamingConsole GamingBrightnessResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureColor AccuracySize34"Panel TypeOLEDSub-TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate280 HzNative Resolution3440 x 1440See all our test resultsCurve RadiusAs you get into mid-range options, the Dell Alienware AW3426DW offers good value as a cheaper model compared to the Dell Alienware AW3926QW. The AW3426DW is lower-end with a smaller 34-inch screen and lower 1440p resolution, so it doesn't offer the same immersive gaming experience with sharp text. Its QD-OLED panel also has worse black level rise in bright rooms, so blacks look gray, and you need to use it in a dark room to get its perfect blacks that OLEDs are known for. It at least displays more vivid colors and gets as bright as the AW3926QW, so it delivers an impactful HDR viewing experience.
It also lacks a few features the AW3926QW has, like a KVM switch and DisplayPort Alt Mode over USB-C to get an image from a laptop via USB-C. It still has a small USB hub, though, including a USB-C port to connect and charge a device. It doesn't have high-bandwidth DisplayPort inputs either, which is something to consider if you have a DisplayPort 2.1 graphics card. Besides that, this monitor is at least fantastic for gaming. It has sharp motion at any refresh rate, including up to its max of 280Hz. Gaming feels smooth because of this, but it doesn't have a dual-mode feature to boost it any further.
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Best Budget Ultrawide Monitor
OfficeEditingPC GamingConsole GamingBrightnessResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureColor AccuracySize34"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeVAMax Refresh Rate180 HzNative Resolution3440 x 1440See all our test resultsCurve RadiusIf 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. Also, it doesn't handle motion as sharply as on the AW3426DW. That's what you have to expect from an entry-level ultrawide model.
It's still versatile for different uses, though. 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 to connect a few devices. However, it has a narrow viewing angle, meaning the image washes out from the sides. 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 in dark scenes. It at least has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which helps if you have an HDMI 2.1 graphics card.
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Best Ultrawide Monitor For Work
OfficeEditingPC GamingConsole GamingBrightnessResponse TimeHDR PictureSDR PictureColor AccuracySize40"Panel TypeLCDSub-TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate120 HzNative Resolution5120 x 2160See all our test resultsCurve RadiusIf 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 productivity, and it differs from other options, like the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM, because it has worse motion handling. However, this is what you have to expect from a work-focused monitor, so it's not something to get for gaming. Its picture quality is fairly similar to the AW3425DWM, though, and it at least gets bright enough to fight glare in most well-lit rooms, but reflections are distracting in a sunny environment.
Despite its high cost, the advantage of it is that it has a big 40-inch screen with a 5k2k resolution, which is the equivalent of an ultrawide 4k screen with extra space on the sides. This makes it a fantastic choice for multitasking. Its high resolution also helps make text look sharp. Plus, 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 140W 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.
Notable Mentions
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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 39GX950B-B:
The LG 39GX950B-B is a high-end 39-inch monitor with a 5k2k resolution, competing with the Dell Alienware AW3926QW. While the LG is still great overall, it's not as well-rounded as the Dell because the LG has more fringing around letters and less vivid colors.
See our review -
Dell Alienware AW3425DW:
The Dell Alienware AW3425DW is an older model compared to the Dell Alienware AW3426DW. The AW3425DW uses an older panel that isn't as bright, and it has worse text clarity. That said, it's worth considering while you can find it for cheaper than the AW3426DW.
See our review -
Dell S3425DW:
The Dell S3425DW is a budget-friendly model that's a work-friendly alternative to the Dell Alienware AW3425DWM. The S3425DW has a bigger USB hub, including USB-C ports to connect your laptop. However, the S3425DW has a lower refresh rate and worse motion handling.
See our review -
Dell U3425WE:
The Dell U3425WE is a 34-inch ultrawide work monitor that costs a lot less than the Dell U4025QW. It has many of the same features as the U4025QW, including the large USB hub. However, it has a smaller screen with a lower resolution, so text isn't as sharp.
See our review
Recent Updates
Nov 03, 2026:
We added the Dell Alienware AW3926QW as the 'Best Upper Mid-Range Ultrawide Monitor' to give another option. We also added the Dell S3425DW to the Notable Mentions.
Sep 23, 2026:
We replaced the Dell U3425WE with the Dell U4025QW, which has a bigger screen and higher resolution. In the Notable Mentions, we replaced the LG 34GS95QE-B with the Dell AW3425DW, and we added the U3425WE.
Aug 10, 2026:
We replaced the Dell Alienware AW3425DW with the newer and brighter Dell Alienware AW3426DW.
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.
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.
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.