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Whether you’ve got a home office setup, fancy playing some PC games or simply want to play Wordle on the big screen, it’s likely that you need a monitor. But what is the best monitor you can currently buy?
Our team of experts have been reviewing countless monitors over the year, so we’ve decided to assemble a list of the very best right here. We’ve also made sure to include a great variety, from budget-friendly panels to widescreen goliaths.
If you’re looking for a display for gaming purposes, we recommend checking out our Best Gaming Monitor roundup instead. It may also be worth checking out our Best Laptop guide, if you fancy a more portable computing setup. But if you want a monitor that excels at day-to-day tasks, check out our list below.
How we test
We use every monitor we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by using it for both everyday tasks and more specialist, colour-sensitive work.
We also check its colours and image quality with a colorimeter to test its coverage and the display’s quality.
Samsung Smart Monitor M7
Best overall monitor
Pros
- Versatile monitor that can also be used as a smart TV
- Solid performance for home office workers
- TV mode makes it an ideal option for people in small or shared acommodation
Cons
- Not a great fit for gamers or creatives
The Samsung Smart Monitor M7 is a display with a clever trick up its sleeve. It isn’t just a computer monitor, as thanks to having Tizen OS built in, it can also operate as a handy 32-inch 4K TV.
Considering this, and the fact it’s excellent in most, if not all, areas, it gets our pick as the best overall monitor. Its multi-purpose nature is hard to ignore, as is the fact it offers solid performance and the usual tropes of more expensive televisions with Filmmaker Mode and good colours characterising what is an affordable display.
A price of £399 isn’t to be sniffed at though. You’re essentially getting two or three devices in one which makes this more than worth the price for generalists. Gamers may want to stay clear however, as £400 or so does buy you some good monitors with higher refresh rates.
Reviewer: Alastair Stevenson
Full review: Samsung Smart Monitor M7 review
Samsung Odyssey Neo G9
Best curved widescreen monitor
Pros
- Show-stopping HDR and SDR ability
- Bold, accurate and vibrant colours
- Excellent refresh rate ability
- Immersive curved widescreen design
Cons
- Wallet-busting price
- 32:9 aspect ratio won’t suit everyone
- Requires a powerful graphics card
- Connectivity could be improved
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 may look out of place on this best monitor list since it’s actually a gaming monitor and has an extravagant £1849 RRP. But this 49-inch panel could actually come in use at your home office too, with plenty of space for multiple browsers, apps and windows to occupy the screen simultaneously.
This monitor also has an outrageously good image quality thanks to the Quantum Mini LED technology. HDR content looks outstanding here, while the 5120 x 1440 also ensures that all content looks super sharp.
Of course, this monitor is only really worth the price if you also play games and make use of the 240Hz refresh rate. But if you want a monitor to double up as both a gaming and office display, this may well be the absolute best option on the market.
Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 Review
HP E27d G4
Best for connectivity
Pros
- Loads of USB connectivity
- Ample adjustment options
- Good everyday image quality
Cons
- Expensive
- Can’t handle creative work
- Mediocre build quality
The HP E27d G4 features a decent 27-inch 1440p display that’s backed up by one of the largest selections of ports for a monitor on the market today.
As well as the usual offerings of 2x DisplayPorts and an HDMI, the E27d G4 also has 4x USB-As, 2x USB-Cs for charging phones and high-speed data transfer and an audio-in if you don’t want to use the built-in speakers. Alongside this comes some good, accurate colours for everyday usage, but do beware that this isn’t the best monitor for more intensive media tasks.
In addition, it isn’t the most well-built monitor in the world, and a £450 price may be a little high for a 27-inch office-designed display. But if you’re yearning for more ports that you can shake a stick at, this is an ideal solution.
Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: HP E27d G4 review
LG UltraWide Ergo 34WN780-B
Best monitor with an ergonomic design
Pros
- Superb ergonomic arm design
- Widescreen, high-resolution display
- Solid, accessible connectivity
- Good build quality
Cons
- Middling contrast ratio
- Mediocre colours
- No USB-C ports
The biggest strength of the LG UltraWide Ergo 34WN780-B is its its ergonomic design, with the 34-inch held up by an arm which can be pushed into a great variety of positions. With 25 degrees of tilt and 130mm of height adjustment, it’s easy to get the monitor into a comfortable position, or even to quickly turn around to your colleagues if you’ve seen a particularly funny meme.
The widescreen panel also makes it easy to view multiple windows at the same time, while the 3440 x 1440 presents content with crisp detail. Image quality is otherwise middling, so you won’t find it in a video editor’s office, but it’s perfectly fine for the average office goer.
You even get integrated speakers here, and some decent connectivity options, even if USB-C is noticeably missing. If you’re looking for a productivity display with a ergonomic design, this is the best monitor you can currently find.
Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: LG UltraWide Ergo 34WN780-B
AOC 24P2C
Best budget monitor
Pros
- Loads of helpful office features
- Solid mainstream image quality
- Decent looks and a low price
Cons
- Colours are over-saturated
- A slow OSD with soft buttons
- Tinny speakers
When buying an office monitor, you probably don’t need fancy features. The AOC 24P2C is a monitor that covers the basics and is available at a very affordable price.
The Full HD resolution and respectable contrast ensure that video content looks sharp, while the IPS panel provides a colour-rich presentation. The display does appear saturated due to a warm colour temperature, but only picture perfectionists will likely find this problematic.
The inclusion of a USB-C port also means you can use just one cable to charge your laptop and turn the AOC 24P2C into a secondary display simultaneously. This is a decent all-round office monitor then, but you’ll want to look elsewhere for content creation and gaming.
Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: AOC 24P2C review
We also considered…
FAQs
IPS (aka in-plane switching) is a screen technology for LCD displays that generally offers good viewing angles and accurate colour reproduction.
The refresh rate is the number of times a screen will updates its presented image. Higher refresh rates result in smoother motion. Most monitors feature a standard 60Hz refresh rate, but gaming monitors can be significantly higher.
HDR (aka High Dynamic Range) is a technology that enables monitors to display a greater brightness and wider spectrum of colours.
Specs comparison
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