Best Monitors for Working From Home: What to Look For

Buying a monitor for work is different from buying one for gaming. The priorities are different, the specs that matter are different, and the price sweet spots are different. If you've been staring at monitor specs trying to figure out what actually matters, this guide is for you.

Resolution: Start at 1440p, Aim for 4K

1080p monitors were the standard for years, but they're showing their age. At 27 inches, 1080p looks noticeably soft — you'll see individual pixels on text, which causes eye strain over long sessions.

1440p (2560x1440) is the sweet spot if you're on a budget. You get sharp text, excellent productivity real estate, and GPUs handle it easily.

4K (3840x2160) is the premium choice. Text is razor-sharp, images are stunning, and you can comfortably scale to the point where two document windows side by side is totally readable. If you're doing any creative work — design, photo editing, video — 4K is worth every penny.

Avoid 1080p at 27 inches or larger for work. It's simply too soft for 8-hour sessions.

Panel Type: IPS Is King for Work

There are three main panel types:

• IPS (In-Plane Switching): Wide color gamut, excellent color accuracy, good viewing angles. The best choice for WFH.
• VA (Vertical Alignment): Better contrast than IPS, but slower response and narrower viewing angles. Good for media consumption, less ideal for work.
• TN (Twisted Nematic): Fast response, poor colors, narrow viewing angles. Skip this for work.

For a work monitor, IPS is almost always the right call. Dell's IPS Black technology takes this further — delivering near-VA contrast ratios with IPS color accuracy.

OLED is increasingly appearing in monitors and delivers incredible picture quality, but comes with burn-in risk that may concern heavy users with static UI elements on screen all day.

Size: 27 Inches is the Sweet Spot

27 inches at 4K hits the ideal balance of screen real estate and pixel density. You can fit two documents side by side comfortably, the display doesn't overwhelm your desk, and at arms-length viewing distance, everything looks crisp.

If you want to go larger, consider ultrawide (34-inch, 21:9). Ultrawides are exceptional for productivity — you can have three windows comfortably tiled, making them beloved by developers, traders, and writers alike.

USB-C: The Feature That Changes Everything

This spec deserves its own section. A monitor with USB-C (with Power Delivery) lets you:

1. Connect your laptop with a single cable
2. Get video, data, and charging all through that one cable
3. Charge your laptop at 60W–90W while working

For laptop users, this is a game changer. One cable in = powered, connected, and displaying. It's the closest you'll get to a docking station without buying one.

Refresh Rate: 60Hz is Fine for Work

Unlike gaming, WFH doesn't require high refresh rates. 60Hz is perfectly smooth for documents, spreadsheets, video calls, and even video playback. Don't pay a premium for 144Hz just for work.

That said, if you do any light gaming or want silky-smooth window dragging, 120Hz panels are increasingly affordable and worth considering.

Our Recommendations

Based on these criteria, our top picks are the LG 27UK850-W for 4K value, the Dell UltraSharp U2723QE for premium build quality, and the Samsung Odyssey G85SB if you want the ultrawide OLED experience. See our monitors category for full reviews.