If you’re working from home, we know what you’re missing the most. No, we’re not talking about human interaction. We’re talking about that sweet, sweet second monitor.
For all the spreadsheets, documents, tabs and emails you have to keep track of throughout the day, an extra monitor is absolutely essential. But as you look for a new monitor for your home office, here are some of the reasons you should consider a curved monitor instead of the traditional flat monitor.
Curved computer monitors offer a number of benefits:
- Reducing eye strain
- Wider viewing angles
- Reduced image distortion
- Better-looking design
- Newer technology
- Immersive viewing experience
A curved monitor slightly wraps around the user’s field of view. This means that your eyes don’t have to work as hard to see everything on the screen. Plus, you don’t have to worry about the connectivity problems and cables that come with syncing up two different displays. Curved monitors also make it seem as though your field of view is wider because the edges of the screen are pointing inward and directing more light towards you. It’s almost like an optical illusion, except one that makes your image look better.
Curved computer monitors are relatively new to the scene. And since — for the most part — they are generally geared towards gamers, these monitors often have great display resolution, refresh rates and contrast ratios that are superior to their flat counterparts. That’s ideal for creative work like video or music editing. Plus, curved monitors just look cooler.
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If you’re ready to break the mold and go with a curved monitor for your work or home office, you’ll find our recommendations for the best curved monitors below.
1. MSI MPG Artymis
BEST OVERALL
The Artymis feels like it wraps around your entire body and engulfs you in an immersive viewing experience. When it comes to playing first-person action games, it’s difficult to beat this gaming experience. You’re all in, and that’s exactly what you want from your large curved monitor. You’ll see more of the landscape in your games which means you’ll be more prepared for anything that comes and the ergonomic screen matches the curvature of your eye which helps in reducing eye strain. Besides its sheer aesthetics, this curved monitor comes with technological features like a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 165Hz refresh rate. The gaming experience offered by this curved screen is worth every penny.
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2. Asus Rog Swift
BEST HIGH END
This feature-packed curved monitor is for serious gamers only. The color accuracy and refresh rate on this large display is an absolute marvel. Really, the 200Hz refresh rate paired with the G-Sync Ultimate technology is insane and looks incredible and smooth when you are going hard on any game. And by plugging in a decent gaming headset into the display — thanks to integrated DAC — you can truly be immersed in the game. It’s expensive, but it’s an unbelievably incredible curved monitor — no doubt about it.
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3. LG 49WL85C-B
BEST ULTRAWIDE
This ultra-wide monitor earns an Amazon Choice delineation with a strong 4.5-star rating and over 455 reviews. That’s due to its incredibly large display that allows you to open multiple windows and apps at once as well as solid color accuracy for content creators. It offers a 32:9 aspect ratio, but one of its most nifty features is that USB-C ports will actually charge your device. That’s right, your monitor will actually charge your laptop. Pretty sweet, right?
4. Dell U-Series 38” Screen
BEST FOR THE OFFICE
This large and in charge ultra-wide monitor from Dell provides plenty of real estate — 38 inches to be exact — to put multiple windows up to streamline your workflow. It sports a 3,840 x 1,600 resolution making all of your content crisp and clear and you can easily make adjustments to your curved monitor thanks to a helpful joystick on the bottom of the curved display. And don’t worry, this large curved monitor is easy on the eyes thanks to a feature that filters harmless blue light emissions. With plenty of ports including a couple of HDMIs, DisplayPort and USB-C, this curved monitor will help you connect to everything else you need in your office.
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5. BenQ EX3501R Ultrawide Curved Gaming Monitor
BEST FOR WORK AND PLAY
This ultra-wide monitor is a great addition to your gaming rig, or to your home office for work. It sports great color accuracy making content, photo and video editing more accurate, but also has a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 100Hz refresh rate that lends itself for an immersive viewing experience. For work, there are plenty of connectivity options including USB-C, HDMI, Display Port and USB-A ports for all of your additional devices and even an EyeCare setting for reducing eye strain when you’ve been working too hard. This large curved monitor provides the best of both work and play worlds.
6. AOC C24G1 Curved Monitor
BEST BUDGET PICK
With the sides and top being bezel-free, the 24-inch curved screen actually looks bigger than it really is. You can adjust the height to make the display as comfortable as possible, which often isn’t the case with curved monitors. It can be an addition to your workstation, or serve as a capable gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync, although the 1080p resolution isn’t as high as other monitors. But it’s hard to be too picky when there’s a solid range of features for such an affordable price tag, making this one of the best curved monitors at this price.
7. Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 Curved Monitor
BEST LARGE DISPLAY
When you need to have a lot of programs and windows open to do your job, this 49-inch large curved monitor is a godsend. For this curved screen, you’ll need plenty of room on your desk, but it is absolutely worth it. Not only is it huge, it also boasts a rapid 240Hz refresh rate and supports both G-sync and AMD FreeSync2 if you want to get your gaming on. Something to keep in mind — although you can use it for gaming or watching movies, with a screen this large, there isn’t much content out there with a 32:9 aspect ratio. That being said, you’ll love all the extra screen space this ultra-wide monitor offers for work.
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8. ViewSonic UWQHD Curved Monitor
BEST ADJUSTABLE
You can get nice and comfortable with the ViewSonic curved monitor. You can adjust the height, tilt and swivel of the monitor — a luxury that often isn’t offered with large curved monitors. Its 34-inch screen is plenty wide for multiple windows, applications and tables, and the color accuracy is prime for photo and video editing. This curved monitor even flexes its gaming muscle with AMD FreeSync and a 100Hz refresh rate. This is a solid choice for your office, and even for gaming if you feel so inclined.
9. Sceptre 24-inch Curved LED Monitor
ALSO GREAT
This affordable yet impressive curved monitor provides crisp visuals at 1080p while also boasting a refresh rate of 75Hz, which is good enough for a solid gaming experience. It plugs into your laptop with an HDMI cable or VGA (sorry, new Macbook users, you’ll need a dongle or hub to connect). It even has a Blue Light Shift mode that creates a filter for blue light to help with reducing eye strain for those long days in front of the screen. If you’re searching for the best curved monitors but don’t want to spend more than $300, this is your best bet.
10. Samsung 390 Series 24-inch LED Curved Monitor
BEST VALUE
For a wall-mountable, 1080p curved monitor under $200, the price is definitely right. This 24-inch monitor from Samsung is great for a cramped apartment, cubicle or home office space. And the high gloss, thin-bezel design brings a bit of style along with its utility. Connect your laptop via HDMI and get your home office up and running without putting your wallet under major strain in the process. It’s easy on the wallet and on the eyes thanks to an Eye Saver Mode to help with reducing eye strain. With 4.6 stars from 3,000 ratings, this curved screen is sure to impress.
11. Acer Predator X34 Curved UltraWide Monitor
BEST FOR GAMING
When you take gaming seriously and you’re willing to shell out some serious dough, the rewards are sweet — and the Acer Predator Gaming X34 Curved UltraWide Monitor is proof positive. With a speedy 120Hz refresh rate on a 34-inch QHD screen, the visuals displayed are clean, smooth and free of weird glitching or tracking problems. And if gaming isn’t your thing, this curved monitor can serve as the most advanced monitor in your office. You can be sure of that.
Read More: The Best Gaming Monitors
12. MSI Optix 27-inch LED Curved Monitor
BUDGET GAMING
The MSI Optix curved monitor screams affordability and quality. The 1080p picture quality is great for both office work and gaming. Speaking of gaming, PC gaming enthusiasts will appreciate the 165Hz refresh rate for a smooth, glitch-free gaming experience. And the lighting on the back of the display even shows off your gaming prowess. Regardless, this is an overall quality monitor, even if it’s for office work.
13. Alienware AW3423DW Curved Gaming Monitor
BEST COLOR PERFORMANCE
This option from Alienware uses Quantum Dot Display Technology to ensure superior color performance within its slim design. This curved monitor is great for content creators and designers whose work relies on color precision thanks to its programmable settings that can alternate between the native and the sRGB color space. It also has settings to reduce blue light emissions without impacting color accuracy to help with reducing eye strain and keeping your eyes comfortable for longer work periods.
14. Philips 272E1CA Curved Frameless Monitor
HONORABLE MENTION
This highly rated 27-inch curved monitor from Philips boasts 100% sRGB Color with dynamic contrast for rich color and an immersive viewing experience. It supports a refresh rate of up to 75Hz and displays smooth action with Adaptive-Sync technology. If you’re ready to try a curved screen, but don’t need an ultra-wide monitor nor its high price, this is a great pick for you.