Your guide to home office monitors for better productivity
Many people work from home, and having the right monitor can dramatically impact productivity and the overall work experience for people with home offices. But there is a lot to consider when buying home office equipment – especially the monitor, which you look at for most of your work day.
Here, we’ll help you understand all the considerations when choosing a monitor to transform your home office into a powerhouse of efficiency and comfort.
What size monitor fits my desk and work style?
Choosing the right monitor size depends on two key factors: your available desk space and the nature of your work. The bigger the monitor -- measured diagonally across the screen – will let you see more, but will also take up more space.
Screen image simulated for illustrative purposes.
If you work in visual fields like video editing or graphic design, or you need to see a lot of information at once, a bigger monitor may be more important to you.
Here are some of the most common monitor sizes, and when they might be right for you.
24-27 inches
A tight, focused size
Good for compact spaces and focused work. If your desk space is limited, these sizes can keep your space minimal but still give you more space than a typical laptop screen. These sizes are perfect for everyday tasks like email, web browsing, and document editing.
32-34 inches
A balanced size
Great for multitasking and creative work. For those who frequently work with multiple windows or do creative work like graphic design or video editing, a 32" to 34" monitor offers a more expansive workspace. This size range allows you to have multiple applications open side-by-side, boosting productivity.
37 inches & Beyond
Create the ultimate workspace
A maximizing choice for productivity. If you have ample desk space and crave maximum screen real estate, a 37" or larger monitor, even an ultrawide monitor, is ideal. Panoramic views can put everything into one view, and all but eliminate the need to switch between windows. Ultrawide monitors, such as 49”, are particularly beneficial for tasks involving spreadsheets, coding, or video editing.
Which resolution will bring my work to life?
Monitor resolution refers to the number of pixels displayed on the screen, and it directly affects the image clarity and level of detail you can see on your screen. You’ll often see resolution written out as the number of pixels across the screen, which can increase as the monitor gets larger – for example, 1920 x 1080.
A higher resolution means more pixels, allowing you to see more, and resulting in a larger workspace that also has sharper and more detailed images.
More visually intensive and data-driven work would greatly benefit from higher resolution. If you’re a video editor or graphic designer, you need high resolutions to be able to see the nuance in the images you’re working on. The same goes for analysts and those in data intensive fields, as the greater resolution lets you see more data on the screen, while also making it more clear an easy to read.
Here are some recommendations for resolution needs, based on what kind of work you have.
Full HD, FHD or 1080P (1920x1080)
For everyday work
Suitable for everyday tasks, that include web browsing, email, and office applications. It won’t provide the most detail, but this resolution is often used with multi-monitor setups to create a bigger workspace when it’s needed. This resolution can also be good for casual entertainment, if you don’t need incredible detail in the picture.. If you don’t need to see a lot of detail in your work, or don’t have a big budget, this is a good option.
Quad HD, QHD or 1440P (2560x1440)
Sharper visuals, great for creatives
QHD offers sharper text and images than lower resolution options, making it ideal for graphic design, photo editing, and video conferencing. It provides more screen space for multitasking and enhances detail for graphic design and photo editing. A great balance between clarity and performance. It’s called Quad HD because it has 4 times the pixels of standard HD resolution.. Quad HD It is the sweet spot between Full HD and 4K UHD.
4K (3840x2160) and 5K (5120x2880)
Where detail-focused work shines
An extremely high level of detail 4K and 5K are the ultimate resolutions for work. They enhance the clarity of text, provides more workspace, and enhanced pictures for all types of work, making it perfect for video editing, 3D modeling, and other visually demanding tasks. If you have the budget and space for 4K or 5K, it can be a revolutionary tool for productivity and attention to detail.
When you combine a larger size monitor with high resolution, it can make work and entertainment much more engaging. More screen real estate and clearer picture quality combine to give you an easier, more convenient view of your work, and unlock your true work potential.
When does a curved or ultrawide monitor make sense for work?
Curved and ultrawide monitors have gotten incredibly popular for gaming lately, offering a more immersive viewing experience. But they’re not just good for gaming. They can help increase productivity by creating a powerful work station, and reduce clutter by putting the size of multiple monitor into one screen.
Curved Monitors
The curve of a monitor can actually reduce eye strain, because they curve mimics the shape of the human eye, making it more comfortable to look across the entire screen during extended use.
Ultrawide Monitors
Enhance productivity by allowing you to have multiple windows open side-by-side, eliminating the need for constant window switching. They're also excellent for immersive gaming and entertainment.
How can I make my office more comfortable and ergonomic?
When you spend long hours on a work project, comfort is key. Ergonomics play a big role in your extended comfort and health. It’s not just chairs and keyboards that can support ergonomic working styles – your monitor can too. Here are some of the features than can help your posture and comfort to make long working sessions less physically demanding.
Ease your physical strain
Keeping your monitor at the right height is key to reducing stress on your neck and back. A height adjustable stand can help keep you comfortable and productive by keeping your work at the optimal eye level. A screen that tilts up and down can also give you the right viewing angle for your height. Some screens also pivot to be taller instead of wider, which makes it easy to find your right height and scroll through long documents with less work.
Save your eyes from discomfort
Eye comfort features: It’s not just body posture that contributes to comfort. Eye fatigue can ruin a working experience, even if the body is comfortable. Blue light reduction, and screens that reduce flicker can help minimise eye straight during long work hours at the screen. If you spend long hours working on your monitor, you’ll want to check if your new monitor supports eye comfort features.
What separate collaboration tools and accessories do I need?
Collaboration is a critical part of working from home for everybody. Whether that’s communicating with coworker Sometimes, a separate web camera is needed to video conference, but some monitors come with all the tools you need to collaborate virtually.
Web cam
For important video calls, high quality cameras can make all the difference. Instead of buying and setting up a separate webcam, it’s probably easier to choose a monitor that either comes with a webcam already, or even has one built into the screen. That will help give you a direct out-of-the-box experience and get you collaborating over video quickly and easily.
Speakers
Speakers can take up a lot of room on a desk, and if you have limited space, you’ll want a monitor with built-in speakers. They’re not just good for collaboration, but for other work-related audio, music or entertainment.
Remote access
Some work-from-home setups even allow you to connect to computers and servers left in the office. This makes it easy to seamlessly connect between the office and home, without hauling bringing equipment back and forth. If you’re looking for high security and easy access to work documents that are on other devices, this is a key feature.
What can I do with my monitor when I’m done with work?
Your monitor should do more than just work. All of the features above can also add to your experience watching your favourite movies and shows, or even gaming.
Smart entertainment apps can help you get more out of your monitor, and switch seamlessly between work and play with just a few clicks.
Choosing the right monitor is an investment in your productivity, comfort, and overall well-being.
Whatever you need for your home office, there’s a monitor that can do it all.
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