Working from home has become the norm over the past and a half, and it’s proven to have its perks. From the flexible schedule to the ability to take video calls in your sweatpants, working from home can actually be really nice. It turns out, a sizable chunk of the workforce agrees. Not only have we adapted to the WFH life, but many of us have actually come to prefer it. Since a hybrid work model is probably going to become more the norm, and many aren’t going to be abandoning their work-from-home setups anytime soon, it might be time to upgrade your home office setup. Investing in a monitor with a webcam is an excellent way to do that.
Having a seperate computer monitor in addition to your desktop or laptop, or better, yet, two external monitors, is a great way to enhance productivity, especially if you frequently use video conferencing tools. A key element of working from home is being able to have Zoom calls seamlessly, which requires a sharp webcam of some sort. You can always default to the one built into your laptop or tablet, but these can have low quality. Instead, get a monitor with a webcam built right in.
Pros and Cons of Using a Monitor With a Webcam
The best computer monitors with webcams eliminate the additional setup and expense that comes with a separate webcam. It also removes the possibility that your webcam will disconnect suddenly, suffer damage or malfunction during a call and cause an interruption. Some of the models below also have a pop-up feature that allows you to pop your webcam up and hide it from view when you’re not using it. This is not only a plus from a privacy standpoint, but it also saves you the need to purchase a webcam cover and helps protect the camera itself from dust, smudges and damage.
A potential con with some of the more expensive models is you could be paying a premium for a webcam over a similar model that doesn’t have a webcam. If your laptop already has a good camera, or you’ve mastered your ring light setup and your lighting is clear — it might not be a necessary expense. In general, you’ll want to find monitors with webcams that offer 720 or 1080p resolution. In addition, the best webcam monitors also feature a high quality microphone. Without these features, your video quality may not improve much at all.
Finally, we expect webcams to become more standard with computer monitors in the future, in the same way that they’ve become standard in laptops, smartphones and tablets. Get ahead of the curve and invest in one of the best monitors with webcams today.
1. Dell 27 Video Conferencing Monitor With A Webcam
BEST OVERALL
Dell makes great monitors, and this one has that integrated pop-up webcam we were describing above. The 27″ monitor is QHD and has dual 5Q speakers and even a programmed button that’s designated for Microsoft Teams. The camera on this monitor is also 5mp, higher than most webcams that are 1080p which is about 2mp. This means better video quality, better sensors, the ability to handle sunlight and low light as well. You can join meetings, respond to notifications and launch the Teams application all with the use of this button, and there’s a designated LED indicator light that notifies you when you’ve got a Teams alert. The monitor has a built-in, noise-cancelling mic that’s designed to give you crystal clear audio, and the monitor has Windows Hello functionality that’ll remember your face so you don’t have to log in with a password every time.
2. Acer B7 Monitor With A Webcam
BEST VALUE
This Acer B7 monitor is 23.8″ long and full HD. It comes with the ability to adjust the viewing angles, is LED backlit and comes with 2×2 W speakers. It’s got 250 nit brightness capabilities and is designed to work seamlessly with Windows computers. It’s also got HDMI connectors, USB 3.0 upstream and downstream ports as well as a DisplayPort connection.
3. LG UltraFine 27″ UHD Monitor
BEST SPLURGE
This monitor is 5K UHD with 5120×2880 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio — so it’s made to produce a crystal clear image. It’s got a 14 ms response time that prevents ghosting, blurring or streaking during streaming, and a built-in webcam, stereo speakers and a microphone so video calls are easy. It comes with the option to detach the monitor from its base and hang on the wall if you prefer, and it’s got a high contrast ratio with a high number of shades between black and white so the color reproduction is accurate.
4. HP EliteDisplay 27″ LED-Lit Monitor
QUALITY PICK
This monitor from HP comes with a 27″ LED-lit screen with advanced communication tools and 60 hertz of power. The screen is fully adjustable and rotatable so you can make it as vertical or as horizontal as you’d like, and it’s got plenty of ports and connectors on the back for solid streaming, sharing and connectivity. The brightness is exceptional, so much so that some users noted they actually had to turn down the brightness instead of turn it up. The 720p webcam will get the job done and it’s also pop-up so you can hide it after you’re done with your calls for the day.
5. ASUS 23.8″ Full HD LCD Monitor
BEST BUDGET
ASUS’ monitor comes with a 2mp webcam built-in that’s fully integrated with the microphone array and stereo speakers that are great for live-streaming. The monitor has full HD resolution for clarity and the IPS panel is built with 178° of viewing angles horizontally and vertically. The webcam’s eye is adjustable and rotated through 315 degrees, and it comes with 10-degree of tilt in either direction so it can capture the image you want your coworkers to see. The array mic is great for conferencing since it separates your speech from any background noise, and the echo-cancellation technology enhances the clarity of your speech. It’s got HDMI, DisplayPort and D-sub connectivity options so it’s great for Macs, PCs, consoles and other media as well.
6. Dell 34″ Curved Video Conferencing Monitor
BEST CURVED OPTION
Dell also makes a great curved monitor option with a pop-up webcam if you prefer to fully surround yourself in your work. This 34″ monitor with webcam is the largest on this list, and it’s got the same Microsoft Teams plugin which makes conferencing with that software super easy. This monitor also has the dual 5W speakers and 5mp camera as the base option, so you know the video quality is going to be good. It offers safe, secure Windows Hello facial recognition login capabilities, and it’s got Cortana built-in so you can accomplish hands-free commands.
With the curved monitor, strong speakers and great camera, this is also a great choice for streamers.
7. Lenovo ThinkVision QHD VolP Monitor
HONORABLE MENTION
This monitor from Lenovo is built for high-quality, reliable video conferences with a 1080p IRRGB webcam, noise-cancelling mics and powerful speakers in case you don’t like to use headphones. It’s got advanced features for anywhere you like to work, including Smart Guard blurring software that’ll distort the screen as soon as you look away, move away or detect someone looking over your shoulder. It’s got an On-Air button to warn coworkers, partners or children that you’re on a call and not to be disturbed, and it’s got Smart Energy capabilities that’ll turn the screen off to save power.