We've bought and tested over 50 LG monitors. LG is a South Korean brand that's well-known in the world of electronics, and they make a wide range of products, including monitors. Their monitor lineup offers both gaming and office solutions, so you'll likely find what you need. They make displays in a variety of sizes, from small 24-inch models to large 48-inch monitors. Their monitors are known for their outstanding motion handling and variable refresh rate support, but their stands lack good ergonomics.
Also, make sure to check out our recommendations for the best LG TVs.
Updates
- 12/16/2022 LG 32GN600-B updated
- 10/19/2022 LG 27MN60T-W reviewed
- 10/12/2022 LG 48GQ900-B reviewed
- 09/02/2022 LG 32GN63T-B reviewed
- 08/25/2022 LG 32GQ950-B reviewed
Best LG Monitors
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Best LG Monitor
Mixed Usage8.3Office6.9Gaming9.0Media Consumption8.9Media Creation8.1HDR8.9Size48"Pixel TypeOLEDMax Refresh Rate138 HzVariable Refresh RateYesNative Resolution3840 x 2160HDR10YesAs LG makes many gaming monitors with great performance, the best monitor from LG that we've tested also happens to be the best LG gaming monitor available, which is the LG 48GQ900-B. One advantage that LG has as a monitor manufacturer compared to other brands is that it also produces TVs, including its own OLED panels, which they've started to use in monitors like this one. OLEDs have a near-infinite contrast ratio for perfect blacks, and there isn't any blooming around bright objects. They also have a near-infinite contrast ratio for smooth motion handling.
As this is a 48-inch display, there's plenty of room for multitasking or seeing more of your game at once, but that means it has worse text clarity due to its lower pixel density. If that's too big for you, the LG 42 C2 OLED is a 42-inch TV that's popular to use as a monitor, but that means you're getting a built-in smart system that you don't necessarily need with a monitor. The 48GQ900-B also has lower input lag for a more responsive feel.
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Best LG Office Monitor
Mixed Usage7.5Office8.0Gaming7.2Media Consumption7.5Media Creation8.3HDR6.5Size40"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate72 HzVariable Refresh RateYesNative Resolution5120 x 2160HDR10YesIf you're looking for an LG monitor for work purposes, they have a few options for your needs, like the LG 40WP95C-W. It's very different from the LG 48GQ900-B because it has more office-oriented features, so only get this if you're going to take full advantage of it and you don't need it for gaming. It has a big 40-inch screen with a 5120x2160 resolution, so it's the equivalent of an ultrawide 4k monitor, and the text clarity is fantastic.
What makes it great for work is that it has a USB hub that features two USB-C ports and both of them support Thunderbolt 4. It means you can easily connect a laptop to display an image and charge it thanks to the 96W of power delivery. It's also a great choice if your work requires accurate colors because it has an sRGB mode that results in excellent accuracy before calibration and displays a wide range of colors in SDR. Even in HDR, it has an excellent color gamut, but it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights stand out.
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Best Upper Mid-Range LG Monitor
Mixed Usage8.2Office8.2Gaming8.8Media Consumption7.6Media Creation8.4HDR7.1Size32"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate160 HzVariable Refresh RateYesNative Resolution3840 x 2160HDR10YesIf you prefer having something that's both great for work and excellent for gaming and you want a cheaper option than the LG 40WP95C-W, then check out the LG 32GQ950-B. It has the same high 4k resolution as the LG 48GQ900-B but with a smaller screen, resulting in sharper text and images, which is ideal if you need to browse the web and also for seeing a lot of detail in your games.
It has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth that makes it a great choice for console gaming as you can play 4k games up to 120 fps without issue on it, and even if you want to use it for PC gaming, it has a max refresh rate of 160Hz that you can achieve with a DisplayPort connection.Motion looks incredibly smooth, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel. Its picture quality is good as it gets bright in HDR to make highlights pop and colors look vivid, thanks to its impressive color volume. Images look life-like thanks to the great color accuracy, and it displays a wide range of colors both in SDR and HDR.
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Best Mid-Range LG Monitor
Mixed Usage7.8Office7.8Gaming8.5Media Consumption7.3Media Creation7.9HDR6.5Size27"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate180 HzVariable Refresh RateYesNative Resolution2560 x 1440HDR10YesWhile LG's high-end monitors have a 4k resolution, their mid-range and lower mid-range models have a 1440p resolution, like the LG 27GP850-B. It's different from the LG 32GQ950-B because of the lower resolution, and it also has a smaller screen. However, there's a 32-inch model that's very similar, the LG 32GP850-B, if you want to get something with a bigger screen anyway. The 27GP850-B doesn't have the same HDMI 2.0 bandwidth for console gaming, but you won't have issues using it for PC gaming as it has a 180Hz refresh rate with native FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing.
One thing that stands out about this monitor is that it has remarkable motion handling, which is typical of LG monitors, and you won't notice motion blur even with low-frame-rate signals. It also has low input lag that makes your actions appear on-screen instantly. It even has a backlight-strobing feature that helps reduce persistence blur, but it works within a limited range and doesn't work at the same time as VRR, which is expected for most monitors anyways.
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Best Budget LG Monitor
Mixed Usage7.6Office7.5Gaming8.2Multimedia7.5Media Creation7.5HDR Gaming6.8Size 27"Pixel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate144 HzVariable Refresh RateAdaptive SyncNative Resolution 1920 x 1080HDR10 YesIf you're looking for an LG monitor on a budget, they have a few good 1080p options that don't cost much, like the LG 27GN650-B. As expected for a low-cost display, it has a lower resolution and 144Hz refresh rate compared to the LG 27GP850-B, but it still has great gaming performance, making it an ideal choice if you're just getting into PC gaming and you don't have a high-end graphics card. It has an incredibly fast response time, especially at its max refresh rate, and it even has a backlight-strobing feature, which isn't something many budget monitors have.
While its 1080p resolution may seem limited, the text clarity is still decent. If you think you need something with a higher resolution, the LG 27GN800-B, LG 27GL850-B, and the LG 27GP83B-B are all 1440p monitors available at a low cost, but they either cost more than the 27GN650-B or are harder to find. The LG 27GN750-B is another budget-friendly monitor that has a higher 240Hz refresh rate, but once again, it costs a bit more, so the 27NG650-B offers the best value for its cost.
Compared to other brands
- Variety of models and sizes. If you're looking for an LG monitor, including the best LG ultrawide monitor, you'll find an array of options available from them. They make 34, 38, and even 40-inch ultrawide displays, or you can find plenty of models in the 27 and 32-inch range.
- Great gaming features. Since LG mainly focuses on gaming, most of their monitors offer fast refresh rates and excellent motion handling.
- Few issues. LG monitors are typically a safe bet when it comes to build quality and firmware issues. An LG monitor rarely has issues out-of-the-box, so if you don't want to worry about that, go for an LG.
- Limited ergonomics. LG isn't known to make good stands. Even their highest-end office monitors don't offer many ergonomic adjustments.
- Low contrast ratio. Since most of their models have IPS panels, they have a low contrast ratio, and blacks appear closer to gray when viewed in the dark, but they've started making OLED monitors.
LG vs Dell
LG and Dell directly compete with each other as they make office and gaming monitors. Dell's models usually have much better ergonomics and more office features, while LG excels with gaming models as they offer a wider range of models, and they usually have better motion handling.
LG vs Samsung
Samsung and LG target similar markets, with both brands offering high-end gaming monitors with advanced features. While LG mainly uses IPS panels with wide viewing angles, Samsung typically uses VA panels with high contrast. Samsung monitors usually have better build quality than LGs, but they're plagued with firmware issues, which is rare on LG monitors.
LG offers options with larger screens and higher resolutions than most of its competitors. However, its office monitors don't have as good ergonomics or as many productivity features as other brands. Also, they don't make as many high-refresh-rate displays as some other brands, but they still have a ton of gaming models available. Regardless, you'll likely find what you need with LG.
Lineup
LG offers three different monitor lineups: UltraGear for gaming, UltraWide, and UltraFine for office monitors. Their naming convention can be confusing at first, but once you learn, it's fairly easy to tell which lineup the monitor belongs to.
LG's monitors start with a number, which indicates the size, followed by the lineup letter:
- G: UltraGear lineup for gaming.
- W: UltraWide lineup, and as the name suggests, it has their ultrawide monitors.
- U: UltraFine lineup, their office lineup with mainly a 4k resolution.
The next letter is the year: Q (2022), P (2021), or N (2020); it's the same order as their TVs. The next set of numbers relates to the model's position in their lineup. The higher the number, the higher-end it is; 600 and 650 are the lowest-end models, while 950 is the premium model.
Some models have another letter following those sets of numbers, but not all of them have it. They usually represent a feature of the monitor:
- F: Native FreeSync support.
- G: Native G-SYNC support.
- C and U: Thunderbolt support.
Lastly, there's one final letter that represents what color the body is: W for white and B for black.
For example, the LG 27GN950-B is a premium 27-inch monitor in the UltraGear lineup, released in 2020, and the body is black. The LG 24GL600F is an entry-level 24-inch model from 2019 with native FreeSync support. Lastly, the LG 40WP95C-W is a premium ultrawide monitor that LG released in 2021; it has a USB-C input with Thunderbolt support, and the body is white.
Recent Updates
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Dec 14, 2022: Restructured article to reflect currently available monitors; replaced the LG 27GP950-B with the LG 48GQ900-B because it's much better and added the LG 32GQ950-B as the 'Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor'; replaced the LG 32GP850-B with the smaller LG 27GP850-B; replaced the LG 27GN800-B with the LG 27GN650-B because it's easier to find; removed the LG 34GP950G-B.
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Sep 06, 2022: Restructured article to reflect how users are looking for LG monitors; renamed the LG 27GP950-B to 'Best LG Monitor' and the LG 32GP850-B to 'Best Mid-Range'; replaced the LG 27GN650-B with the LG 27GN800-B as the budget monitor for consistency; replaced the LG 34GP83A-B with the LG 34GP950-B because it's better overall and added the LG 40WP95C-W.
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Mar 31, 2022: Verified our picks for accuracy and refreshed the text.
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Dec 01, 2021: Restructured and rewrote the article with a focus on usage rather than the specific resolution of the display.
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Aug 06, 2021: Verified accuracy of picks. Replaced LG 34GN850-B with LG 34GP83A-B.
Conclusion
LG makes monitors for both office use and gaming, and they're available in a wide range of sizes and shapes. Their UltraGear models usually offer great gaming performance with outstanding motion handling. They also produce more 4k and ultrawide monitors than some competitors. LG's options have limited ergonomics and rarely offer swivel adjustments; if that isn't an issue for you, you'll be happy with most of their monitors.
