- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Best
- Best Ultrawide
- Most Accurate
- All Reviews
- Discussions
The 5 Best Office Monitors - Fall 2018
Reviews
- Store-bought monitors; no cherry-picked units
- Retest after major updates
- Easily comparable results
- No ads; unbiased reviews
Whether you are shopping for your home office or to equip an entire company with monitors, there is a huge selection of monitors available. While most monitors will perform decently for business use, there is an entire subset of monitors specifically designed for an office. These monitors typically have more versatile stands, as they will be used by a variety of people with different needs. They are also usually larger, with higher resolutions screens, to make it easier to multitask. The desire to be more productive has even led to the development of a new class of ultrawide monitors that approximate two full HD monitors side-by-side.
We've reviewed 53 monitors and below are our recommendations for the best ones for use in an office.
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Best Work Monitor: Dell U2718Q
Usage Ratings - Version 1.08.0OfficeScore components:- 16% Resolution and Size
- 15% Vertical Viewing Angle
- 12% Horizontal Viewing Angle
- 7% Ergonomics
- 7% Reflections
- 7% Gray Uniformity
- 6% Input Lag
- 5% SDR Color Gamut
- 5% SDR Color Volume
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 4% SDR Peak Brightness
- 4% Gradient
- 2% Motion Blur
- 2% Refresh Rate
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 1% Image Flicker
- 1% Curve radius
Score distribution:LCD Type: IPSWhat it is: Type of LCD technology used by the monitor.When it matters: Different technologies have different viewing angle properties.Variable Refresh Rate: NoWhat it is: Feature that allows the monitor to synchronize its refresh rate with the input device's output and reduces stuttering and screen tearing.When it matters: Almost every usage, but is most noticeable in gaming where constant fluctuation in framerate cause distracting artifacts.The Dell U2718Q is the best work monitor that we have reviewed so far. It has a great stand with very good ergonomics that can easily be adjusted to the most optimal viewing position, which is great if you are buying in bulk to equip an entire office. The wide viewings angles are great for sharing your work with other people.
The large, 27" screen and 4k resolution are great for multitasking. It supports Dell's Easy Arrange feature with the Dell Display Manager software, so you can create multiple virtual displays.
Although it supports HDR, there is little benefit to it as it doesn't support a wide color gamut and has disappointing HDR color volume. Like most IPS monitors, it isn't the best for a dark room. It has a mediocre contrast ratio and sub-par black uniformity.
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Cheaper Alternative: Dell U2518D
LCD Type: IPSWhat it is: Type of LCD technology used by the monitor.When it matters: Different technologies have different viewing angle properties.Variable Refresh Rate: NoWhat it is: Feature that allows the monitor to synchronize its refresh rate with the input device's output and reduces stuttering and screen tearing.When it matters: Almost every usage, but is most noticeable in gaming where constant fluctuation in framerate cause distracting artifacts.If the Dell U2718Q is too expensive for you, the Dell U2518D is a cheaper alternative. It has a very similar design to the U2718Q, with a nearly identical stand. It has a smaller, lower resolution screen that isn't quite as good for multitasking or design work where you need to see small details. Overall though, it performs very similarly and even performs a bit better in HDR.
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Best UltraWide Work Monitor: Dell U3417W
Usage Ratings - Version 1.07.9OfficeScore components:- 16% Resolution and Size
- 15% Vertical Viewing Angle
- 12% Horizontal Viewing Angle
- 7% Ergonomics
- 7% Reflections
- 7% Gray Uniformity
- 6% Input Lag
- 5% SDR Color Gamut
- 5% SDR Color Volume
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 4% SDR Peak Brightness
- 4% Gradient
- 2% Motion Blur
- 2% Refresh Rate
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 1% Image Flicker
- 1% Curve radius
Score distribution:LCD Type: IPSWhat it is: Type of LCD technology used by the monitor.When it matters: Different technologies have different viewing angle properties.Variable Refresh Rate: NoWhat it is: Feature that allows the monitor to synchronize its refresh rate with the input device's output and reduces stuttering and screen tearing.When it matters: Almost every usage, but is most noticeable in gaming where constant fluctuation in framerate cause distracting artifacts.If you want the ultimate in multitasking, the Dell U3417W is the best ultrawide office monitor that we have reviewed so far. The huge 34" screen and 3440x1440 resolution make it easy to multitask, allowing you to display two full-screen windows side by side.
It has great wide viewing angles, so the monitor appears uniform from edge-to-edge even when sitting up close. It also has great reflection handling, and the great SDR brightness makes it a good choice for a brighter office setting.
Unlike most Dell monitors, the stand can't swivel or rotate to a portrait orientation. Like most IPS monitors, it isn't as well suited for a dark room due to the disappointing contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
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Most Accurate Work Monitor: Acer Predator X27
Usage Ratings - Version 1.07.9OfficeScore components:- 16% Resolution and Size
- 15% Vertical Viewing Angle
- 12% Horizontal Viewing Angle
- 7% Ergonomics
- 7% Reflections
- 7% Gray Uniformity
- 6% Input Lag
- 5% SDR Color Gamut
- 5% SDR Color Volume
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 4% SDR Peak Brightness
- 4% Gradient
- 2% Motion Blur
- 2% Refresh Rate
- 2% Pre Calibration
- 1% Image Flicker
- 1% Curve radius
Score distribution:LCD Type: IPSWhat it is: Type of LCD technology used by the monitor.When it matters: Different technologies have different viewing angle properties.Variable Refresh Rate: G-SyncWhat it is: Feature that allows the monitor to synchronize its refresh rate with the input device's output and reduces stuttering and screen tearing.When it matters: Almost every usage, but is most noticeable in gaming where constant fluctuation in framerate cause distracting artifacts.If you need the most accurate colors possible, the best office monitor that we have reviewed so far is the Acer Predator X27. Unlike most monitors, the Predator X27 delivers nearly 100% coverage of the Adobe RGB color space. It also has the widest HDR color gamut we have measured on any display so far, including TVs.
The 27" screen and 4k resolution are great for multitasking, and the stand has decent ergonomics that make it easier to adjust to an ideal viewing position. It has wide viewing angles and is extremely bright in HDR.
Unfortunately, it doesn't come cheap. It also isn't recommended for use in a dark room, as it has bad black uniformity and a mediocre contrast ratio.
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Cheaper Alternative: LG 32UD59-B
LCD Type: VAWhat it is: Type of LCD technology used by the monitor.When it matters: Different technologies have different viewing angle properties.Variable Refresh Rate: FreeSyncWhat it is: Feature that allows the monitor to synchronize its refresh rate with the input device's output and reduces stuttering and screen tearing.When it matters: Almost every usage, but is most noticeable in gaming where constant fluctuation in framerate cause distracting artifacts.If the Acer Predator X27 is too expensive for you, the LG 32UD59-B is a cheaper alternative. It doesn't perform as well as the X27, with a more limited coverage of the Adobe RGB color space, and it doesn't support HDR. The larger, 32" screen is great for multitasking or for seeing more of your project, and the stand doesn't swivel. The 32UD59 doesn't have as good viewing angles, but it performs better in a dark room.
Notable Mentions
- ASUS ROG PG279Q. Great office monitor, but not much improvement over the Dell U2718Q for the price. See our review
- LG 27UK650. Great work monitor, but the Dell U2718Q has a slightly more versatile stand. See our review
- LG 27UD68P-B. Good business monitor, but not much improvement over the Dell U2518D. See our review
- Dell UP2417H. Good budget monitor, but the 1080p resolution is limiting. See our review
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best business monitors that are 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 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.
