The 5 Best Monitors For MacBook Pro - Spring 2021 Reviews

The best monitor for MacBook Pro we've tested is the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV. This is a newer version of our top budget pick, the ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV. It largely performs the same as its predecessor, but it has a few additional features. It's well-built, with a stand that allows for an exceptional amount of ergonomic adjustments so that you can place the screen in an ideal viewing position. Its wide viewing angles make it great for sharing content, and it provides good visibility in well-lit settings.

It's a good choice for content creators, especially those working in the sRGB color space. However, its Adobe RGB coverage might be too low for professional photo editors, and it doesn't support HDR at all. It has impressive gradient handling to minimize banding, and there are no signs of color bleed. It has a 75Hz refresh rate and great response times, resulting in a smoother and snappier desktop experience than on a typical 60Hz panel.

The most notable change in this newer model is the addition of a USB-C input. It lets you dock your laptop, charge it, and access the monitor's USB 3.0 hub with a single USB-C cable, minimizing the number of cables in your setup. Like its predecessor, it has several on-screen overlays that let you preview and align documents in their actual sizes before printing. All in all, it's a feature-rich productivity monitor worth checking out.

The LG 38WN95C-W is the best display for MacBook Pro with an ultrawide screen. At 38 inches, it gives you plenty of screen real estate for multitasking, and its 3840x1600 resolution delivers a crisp image. It has a curved screen and feels well-built, and while you can't rotate it into portrait mode due to its ultrawide size, it has tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.

You get two USB 3.0 ports and a USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, so it provides enough connectivity and power delivery for your MacBook and peripherals. It has a fantastic SDR color gamut, including excellent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in photo editing. Unlike a lot of office monitors, it has a high 144Hz refresh rate that's suitable for gaming, as well as a low input lag that makes for a responsive desktop experience. It also has a remarkably fast response time and variable refresh rate (VRR) support.

Unfortunately, it has a low contrast ratio, but that's typical of an IPS panel. The upside is that it has wide viewing angles, which is great for sharing content and ensures the image stays mostly accurate from the sides. On top of that, it also has built-in speakers and a Picture-by-Picture mode, allowing you to display from two input sources at once. All in all, this is the best ultrawide monitor for MacBook Pro that we've tested.

The ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV is the best monitor for MacBook Pro in the budget category that we've tested. It sports a 27 inch screen with a 1440p resolution, and it comes with a stand for an incredible amount of ergonomic adjustments, including a full 180-degree swivel range. On top of that, it has wide viewing angles, making it a fantastic choice for those who need to share content or work with others regularly. It provides good visibility in bright settings thanks to its good reflection handling and high peak brightness.

Color accuracy is good out of the box. It has near-full sRGB coverage, but its Adobe RGB coverage is only decent and might not be ideal for photo editors working in that color gamut. Response times are great, and it has a 75Hz refresh rate that results in smoother motion and a more responsive desktop experience. If you want to game a bit on the side, it has FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing.

Unfortunately, while it includes four USB 3.0 inputs, there's no USB-C connectivity. Also, it doesn't support HDR. On the upside, there are speakers built-in if you don't have the space for dedicated ones, and it has a QuickFit Virtual Scale feature that adds an overlay on the screen so that you can preview and align documents in their actual sizes before printing. If you're shopping on a small budget, this is a great monitor that's worth considering.