The best monitors for home offices we’ve tested in 2024 | Expert Reviews

WQHD: A resolution of 2,560 x 1,440. The sweet spot for office and gaming, WHQD monitors are available at a huge range of prices and usually measure between 27in and 32in.

UHD: A resolution of 3,840 x 2,160. Normally not very cheap (sub-£400 models do exist). These monitors also mostly come in 27in to 32in sizes.

Ultrawide: Most commonly a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440; there are 5,120 x 1,440 and 2,560 x 1,080 versions around. These are usually more expensive but the 21:9 aspect ratio gives you loads of screen real estate.

For gamers, the resolution you choose will be tied to the power of your gaming console or PC, but normal office users shouldn’t worry about this. For them, price is the most important consideration, followed by monitor size, then the amount of space they need on their screens.

We usually recommend 27in WQHD monitors as a great starting point both in terms of price and performance.

What panel type should I buy?

A monitor’s panel (the screen) will perform differently depending on the type of technology. These are the most popular types:

• IPS panels are the most common: these have great colours, viewing angles and response times but mediocre contrast.
• VA panels are cheaper than IPS ones and have poorer viewing angles, response times and colours, but great contrast.
• TN panels are uncommon these days: they’re cheap, super responsive and have good viewing angles but poor colours and contrast.

The best of the best are the latest OLED and Mini IPS LED displays:

• OLED panels offer stunningly fast response times – 0.05ms or less, and infinite contrast ratios making them great for gaming or watching HDR content.
• Mini LED displays use an array of LED backlights to achieve what’s called “Full Array Local Dimming”, the idea being to generate OLED-like infinite contrast ratios but also higher levels of brightness than OLED panels.

Need multiple monitors? Don’t limit yourself to a single type; the gaps between each are always shrinking.

What refresh rate do I need?

The refresh rate is described as a number in hertz (Hz); this is how many times your monitor refreshes per second. The higher the number, the smoother all movements (such as scrolling down a page, moving your cursor or camera in-game) will look.

You should expect any monitor you buy to have at least a 60Hz refresh rate. Some push that figure as high as 144Hz, 240Hz or even 360Hz: these are chiefly aimed at gamers, and you’ll need a powerful graphics card for your gaming PC to cope.

What extras should I look for?

Stand: A good stand will provide height adjustment, left and right swivel, forwards and backwards tilt and possibly rotation into portrait orientation. It’s worth shelling out on a good stand if you can – your back, neck and eyes will thank you.

Ports: Monitors offer more than just HDMI or DP ports. Some come with USB-A hubs for your keyboard/mouse, while others support USB-C for charging a connected laptop. Obviously, the more the merrier, but your budget will dictate how many extras you can afford.

KVM: This is the ability of a monitor to let you use your mouse and keyboard with two input sources (for example your PC and your laptop or MacBook) on the monitor side-by-side without having to swap any cables around. The best KVM systems will recognise when you move your cursor from one area of the screen to another and automatically swap sources.

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