When it comes to setting up a place to study or work at home, the best monitor for the job depends on what you’re going to be using it for, the size of space it needs to fit into, and how much money you’ve got to spend.
Dedicated monitors have numerous benefits over laptop screens: you get more space for a start (you might even want to get two set up), you can sit up straight while you’re looking at them, and they’re great for gaming and movies, as well as work.
This trio of recommendations – based on my many hours of testing monitors of all shapes and sizes over the years – should give you something that fits the bill, and that’s going to serve you well for a long time to come.
Next to each of these monitors you’ll find direct links to the best prices for the model currently available on the web. Whether you’re connecting them to a desktop or laptop, it means you can get them at the cheapest price possible for your perfect WFH setup.
The best monitor for TV and gaming
(Image credit: Samsung)
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) is a superb monitor choice in all kinds of ways: not only is it brilliant for productivity, with vibrant colours and a super-sharp 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution, it also has specs that gamers are going to appreciate a great deal – specifically the 240Hz maximum refresh rate, and the 0.03ms grey-to-grey response time.
Not only that, but it does double duty as a smart TV, with all the popular streaming apps available to you with just a few taps on the bundled remote. It’s not the cheapest of monitors, but it’s worth the investment, and the top-tier OLED tech on show ensures that your games, movies, and even your spreadsheets are always going to look their best.
The best all-round monitor
(Image credit: BenQ)
When it comes to all-round capabilities and versatility in a monitor, my pick for the best model for working from home is the 31.5-inch BenQ GW3290QT. Running at a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, it offers a sharp and bright display with wide viewing angles that’s perfect for research, productivity, web browsing, and plenty more besides.
There’s a built-in USB hub for connecting and charging other gadgets, plus you can adjust the height, tilt, pivot and swivel of the screen so it’s set up exactly how you want it. It even comes with BenQ’s eye care technology to cut down on flicker and blue light exposure. You get integrated speakers and even a microphone, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack – so this one is well kitted out for all your endeavours.
The best affordable 4K monitor
(Image credit: AOC)
Maybe you don’t want to spend a huge amount to upgrade your home office setup, and that’s where the AOC U27P2CA comes in. Although it doesn’t cost much, this 27-inch screen brings with it a 4K resolution, plenty of ports to play around with, and lots of flexibility in terms of the height and angle of the screen – you can’t ask for much more for working-from-home greatness.
It couldn’t be any simpler to set up, you get some very decent brightness and contrast from this panel, and there are even some built-in speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack for connecting headphones. When it comes to getting as much from your money as possible when shopping for a 4K Ultra-HD monitor, I think it’s difficult to beat the AOC U27P2CA in the home office.
