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Remember when all displays were flat? Curved monitors have gone from showroom rarities to familiar sights in a few short years. Pinpointing the model you need, though, is just as tricky as ever. At PCMag, we have been reviewing computer displays for decades, including curved monitors, since the first ones hit the desktop. Our analysts test all panels with industry-standard equipment using rigorous test methods. They quantify panel characteristics, including brightness, contrast, color gamut, and lag. They also assess monitors on design, menu usability, adjustability, and (of course) value. Our current best overall curved monitor is HP's E45c G5, a massive 45-inch productivity monitor. If a display that big isn't for you, no problem—we've also outlined our favorite curved gaming and budget monitors, some widescreen and some ultrawide, in other sizes. Read on for the best we've tested and all the shopping advice you need.
Our Top Tested Picks
HP E45c G5 DQHD Curved Monitor
Bottom Line
- 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking
- 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors
- 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls
- 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors
- 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack
- 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution
- 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution
- 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product
- 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product
Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies.
The HP E45c G5 45-inch ultrawide monitor is a spectacular substitute for two separate QHD monitors, offering great color coverage, good ergonomics, and a plethora of ports, plus creative ways to virtually partition its screen in two.
Pros
- Bright
- Full sRGB color coverage
- Two USB-C ports provide up to 100W USB power delivery
- USB-A hub
- 165Hz refresh rate
- Unique software, including KVM functionality
- Intuitive mini joystick controller
Cons
- No webcam
Dell UltraSharp 38 USB-C Hub Monitor (U3824DW)
Bottom Line
- 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking
- 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors
- 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls
- 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors
- 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack
- 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution
- 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution
- 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product
- 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product
Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies.
With a 38-inch ultrawide IPS Black screen, a vast range of ports, and superior image quality, the Dell UltraSharp U3824DW is a multitasking powerhouse of a curved monitor and a particularly good fit for home offices.
Pros
- Expansive 38-inch ultrawide panel
- IPS Black provides great contrast
- Massive range of ports
- Rich, well-saturated images
- Dual built-in speakers
Cons
- Height adjustment is a little balky
- Lacks HDR support
Samsung Odyssey OLED G9
Bottom Line
- 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking
- 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors
- 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls
- 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors
- 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack
- 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution
- 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution
- 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product
- 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product
Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies.
It's pricey, but the slim, feature-rich Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is a feast for the eyes and the ultrawide monitor to beat for immersive PC gaming.
Pros
- Dazzling OLED display
- Exceptional color-gamut coverage and color accuracy
- Samsung's gaming and media hub included
- Sleek, thin design
Cons
- A whopper of a price
- Few I/O ports
LG 45 Ultragear OLED (45GX950A-B)
Bottom Line
- 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking
- 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors
- 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls
- 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors
- 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack
- 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution
- 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution
- 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product
- 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product
Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies.
The LG 45 Ultragear OLED (45GX950A-B) is a beast of a monitor, and a must-have for gamers looking for an ultrawide panel to pair with a powerful GPU.
Pros
- Tremendous OLED screen quality
- DisplayPort 2.1 port
- Multiple refresh rate and resolution combinations
- Wide color range
Cons
- Expensive
Alienware 39 5K OLED (AW3926QW)
Bottom Line
- 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking
- 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors
- 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls
- 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors
- 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack
- 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution
- 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution
- 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product
- 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product
Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies.
The Alienware 39 5K OLED (AW3926QW) features a 5K2K OLED panel that delivers exceptional performance at a competitive price, making it the big ultrawide gaming monitor to beat.
Pros
- Competitive pricing
- Wide color range
- High SDR and HDR brightness
- Specialized esports mode can size down the image for competitive players
- Plenty of ports
Cons
- Lacks internal speakers
- Doesn't support AI upscaling
Samsung Odyssey Neo G9
Bottom Line
- 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking
- 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors
- 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls
- 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors
- 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack
- 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution
- 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution
- 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product
- 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product
Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies.
Samsung's Odyssey Neo G9 is a gorgeous 57-inch widescreen mega-monitor sure to dazzle deep-pocketed gamers looking to maximize immersion. Just know: Only a bleeding-edge gaming PC with specific outputs can maximize its high-refresh-rate potential.
Pros
- Native resolution equivalent to twin 4K panels
- Impressively huge screen
- 240Hz peak refresh rate
- Excellent color gamut and accuracy
- Attractive design
Cons
- Pricey
- Requires DisplayPort 2.1 to make full use of 240Hz refresh rate
- Most modern graphics cards can't push enough frames at native resolution to max out the G9's frame rates
- Small control stick makes OSD navigation difficult
Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U4025QW)
Bottom Line
- 5.0 - Exemplary: Near perfection, ground-breaking
- 4.5 - Outstanding: Best in class, acts as a benchmark for measuring competitors
- 4.0 - Excellent: A performance, feature, or value leader in its class, with few shortfalls
- 3.5 - Good: Does what the product should do, and does so better than many competitors
- 3.0 - Average: Does what the product should do, and sits in the middle of the pack
- 2.5 - Fair: We have some reservations, buy with caution
- 2.0 - Subpar: We do not recommend, buy with extreme caution
- 1.5 - Poor: Do not buy this product
- 1.0 - Dismal: Don't even think about buying this product
Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies.
The Dell UltraSharp 40 combines a massive port selection with a magnificent, high-contrast screen to make a nearly perfect monitor for photographers, videographers, and other creative pros who can afford it.
Pros
- Magnificent image quality
- High contrast, thanks to IPS Black panel tech
- Higher-than-4K resolution and pixel density
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Hub of six USB downstream ports
Cons
- Low-impact audio from built-in speakers
- Pricey
The Best Monitor Deals This Week*
- Alienware AW3426DWM 34" WQHD Ultrawide 240Hz Monitor — $329 ($399) Save $70.00
- LG UltraGear 27G610A-B 27" 1440p 200Hz IPS Gaming Monitor — $169 ($249) Save $80.00
- LG ‎UltraGear 27GS93QE 27" 1440p 240Hz OLED Monitor — $499 ($899) Save $400.00
- Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 27" 1440p 240Hz QD-OLED Monitor — $384 ($599) Save $215.00
- Asus ROG Strix XG27ACDNG 27" 1440p 360Hz QD-OLED Monitor — $549 ($759) Save $210.00
- Get the Best Prices On Monitors — Download Our Free Price Comparison Tool $0
EDITORS' NOTE
September 4, 2026: With this update, we added the Alienware 39 5K OLED (AW3926QW) as Best Ultrawide 21:9 Curved Gaming Monitor (30 to 40 Inches). Our remaining picks have been vetted for currency and availability. Since our last update, we have tested and evaluated two new monitors for inclusion in this story and our other monitor roundups. We're currently testing close to a dozen monitors in PC Labs from makers including AOC, Asus, Dell, MSI, Samsung, and ViewSonic.
- Bright
- Full sRGB color coverage
- Two USB-C ports provide up to 100W USB power delivery
- USB-A hub
- 165Hz refresh rate
- Unique software, including KVM functionality
- Intuitive mini joystick controller
- No webcam
The HP E45c G5 DQHD Curved Monitor's excellent color coverage, dual-display features, and ergonomics make it our top choice for the Best Curved Monitor. This 45-inch business-centric ultrawide monitor makes a stellar substitute for two QHD monitors and boasts a range of connection options that you'd expect from a separate laptop docking station. With KVM features, bright, well-saturated colors, and an intuitive mini joystick controller, this HP curved monitor will keep you productive and on-task, making it an easy choice for our Editors' Choice award for large-screen ultrawide business monitors.
Multitaskers: With a 45-inch screen that can split into two displays, this HP curved monitor is ideal for multitaskers who need to maintain their productivity. The E45C G5's 45-inch screen is as wide as two 24-inch QHD (2,560-by-1,440-pixel)16:9 screens placed side by side, making it ideal for displaying different documents or types of content next to each other. You'll also like the downloadable HP Display Center app, which lets you tile the windows to your liking.
Home-office workers: If you work from home and want an ultrawide curved monitor, the HP E45C G5 is a top option since it's large enough to get the job done but easier to fit into tight spaces than clunkier 49-inch monitors. You'll also save space by opting for this HP curved display instead of dual monitors, plus it has all of the connectivity you'd expect from a docking station monitor.
Best Ultrawide Curved Productivity Monitor
Dell UltraSharp 38 USB-C Hub Monitor (U3824DW)
- Expansive 38-inch ultrawide panel
- IPS Black provides great contrast
- Massive range of ports
- Rich, well-saturated images
- Dual built-in speakers
- Height adjustment is a little balky
- Lacks HDR support
The Dell UltraSharp U3824DW, a 38-inch ultrawide productivity monitor, is the perfect display for a home office. Its modestly curved screen is more compact than the more common 45-to-49-inch productivity panels, yet it's capable of multitasking wizardry. Its IPS Black panel provides superior contrast, and it covers the full sRGB color space with plenty of room to spare. Add in a terrific range of ports, and you have a near-perfect monitor for home offices and small businesses.
Remote workers and home offices: With a smaller 37.5-inch screen, the Dell U3824DW is an excellent fit for a small home office or other tight space than the more common 49-inch behemoths. Don't let its small size fool you; its panel is large enough to offer great leeway in tiling multiple windows.
Web designers and artists: The U3824DW's contrast and color coverage make it a top choice for web designers, artists, video editors, and other creatives. This Dell display's IPS Black panel provides superb contrast for a productivity monitor, and the monitor provides full coverage of sRGB, the standard color space for the web and web-based art. It also covers nearly the whole DCI-P3 space, making it useful for video editing as well.
- Dazzling OLED display
- Exceptional color-gamut coverage and color accuracy
- Samsung's gaming and media hub included
- Sleek, thin design
- A whopper of a price
- Few I/O ports
The slim, feature-rich Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is a feast for the eyes, and it's the 32:9 aspect-ratio curved monitor to beat for immersive PC gaming. Its slim, sleek frame, paired with a gorgeous OLED panel, means that this 49-inch curved monitor is sure to impress even the staunchest of ultrawide naysayers. The OLED G9 boasts exceptional color accuracy and color-gamut coverage for a gaming monitor, not to mention the magnificent contrast that we’ve come to expect from an OLED screen. It is also a smart monitor, which means it has access to Samsung’s online gaming hub, as well as other media features you'd find on Samsung TVs, including plenty of streaming apps. If money’s not an object and you need to go big and broad, the Odyssey OLED G9 is the one.
Simulation and racing gamers: Samsung's OLED G9 has a magnificent 49-inch super ultrawide display that is ideal for fans of racing games, flight sims, and other games that take advantage of such a screen's full width. The screen's gentle (1800R) curvature provides for an immersive experience for the viewer.
Well-heeled hosts: The OLED G9's steep price puts it out of reach for many, but if you can afford an audacious showpiece, this one will dazzle your friends with its beautiful OLED screen and incredible wingspan. It is a smart monitor which gives you access to Samsung’s online gaming hub, as well as other Samsung TV media features. The gaming hub features include access to popular streaming apps, such as Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now, while the media hub is packed with video streaming apps.
Best Ultrawide 21:9 Curved Gaming Monitor (40 to 50 Inches)
LG 45 Ultragear OLED (45GX950A-B)
- Tremendous OLED screen quality
- DisplayPort 2.1 port
- Multiple refresh rate and resolution combinations
- Wide color range
- Expensive
The UltraGear 45GX950A-B earns our accolades for its exceptional blend of size, resolution, and display quality. It delivers a class-leading 5,120-by-2,160 resolution on a deeply curved 45-inch OLED panel, creating a uniquely immersive gaming experience. With top-tier color gamut coverage, lightning-fast response times, and DisplayPort 2.1 support, it pushes the boundaries of ultrawide gaming. Its versatile refresh-rate modes, crisp text clarity, and even surprisingly powerful onboard audio further sweeten the deal. Yes, this UltraGear model is pricey, but it sets the standard for premium ultrawide panels and justifies every penny for gamers who demand the best.
Immersive gamers: This LG panel is tailor-made for high-end gamers who crave immersion, particularly fans of racing sims, flight sims, and real-time strategy titles. You'll want to have a powerful PC with a GPU that can fully leverage this panel's lofty native ultrawide resolution. However, if you're after the most premium ultrawide OLED experience—and can afford the approximately $2,000 price—this monitor will be a commanding presence on your desk.
Content creators: The UltraGear 45GX950A-B is also a suitable choice for creative professionals seeking expansive screen space with excellent color accuracy. The panel's ultra-high contrast, typical of OLED panels, helps in rendering fine detail in dark areas.
Best Ultrawide 21:9 Curved Gaming Monitor (30 to 40 Inches)
Alienware 39 5K OLED (AW3926QW)
- Competitive pricing
- Wide color range
- High SDR and HDR brightness
- Specialized esports mode can size down the image for competitive players
- Plenty of ports
- Lacks internal speakers
- Doesn't support AI upscaling
The Alienware 39 5K OLED (AW3926QW) features a 5K2K QD-OLED (RGB Stripe Tandem OLED, to be exact) panel with a modest 1500R curvature radius that delivers exceptional performance at a competitive price, making it the ultrawide gaming monitor to beat. It earns top marks for its impressive color range, high brightness, extensive port hub, and rock-solid gaming performance. And the monitor does all of this while undercutting its main competition by hundreds of dollars.
Gamers who dabble in multiple genres: Thanks to a choice of resolution/refresh rate combos, the AW3926QW is good for different types of games. When you use the AW3926QW's full 5K2K screen at its native resolution, the panel's refresh rate is 165Hz, suitable for richly detailed but slow-paced games. If you scale the screen area down to 24.5 or 27 inches, the refresh rate increases to 330Hz, better for FPS and multiplayer shooters.
Budget-conscious gamers: The Alienware AW3926QW sacrifices built-in speakers and AI upscaling, but comes in at hundreds of dollars less than the otherwise very similar LG UltraGear evo GX9. The AW3926QW still isn’t cheap, but it's quite reasonably priced for a 5K gaming monitor with its features and performance.
- Native resolution equivalent to twin 4K panels
- Impressively huge screen
- 240Hz peak refresh rate
- Excellent color gamut and accuracy
- Attractive design
- Pricey
- Requires DisplayPort 2.1 to make full use of 240Hz refresh rate
- Most modern graphics cards can't push enough frames at native resolution to max out the G9's frame rates
- Small control stick makes OSD navigation difficult
A massive, magnificent gaming display, the 57-inch Samsung Odyssey Neo G9's 7,680-by-2,160-pixel resolution gets you halfway to a true 8K picture and boasts a variety of features designed to maximize your gaming experience. A litany of ports, including a cutting-edge DisplayPort 2.1 jack, makes the monitor a productivity powerhouse, and its vast, immersive curved screen is a sight to behold—it's remarkably bright, with exceptional color coverage out of the box. The only downside to this bleeding-edge monitor is that it requires bleeding-edge tech to go along with it. You must ensure your GPU utilizes the new DisplayPort 2.1 version to experience the full breadth of what this mega-monitor can do.
Gamers with deep pockets: The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9's whopping price tag restricts it to the realm of well-heeled gaming enthusiasts who have the proper gear to take full control of this monitor's power.
Fans of immersion and simulation games: The Odyssey Neo G9 is designed for gamers looking to maximize immersion. Multitaskers, flight-sim fanatics, and other big-screen aficionados will covet the Odyssey Neo G9.
Best Curved Monitor for Creative Pros
Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U4025QW)
- Magnificent image quality
- High contrast, thanks to IPS Black panel tech
- Higher-than-4K resolution and pixel density
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Hub of six USB downstream ports
- Low-impact audio from built-in speakers
- Pricey
Between high resolution and pixel density, the high contrast afforded by IPS Black, and impressive image quality in both our quantitative and experiential testing, the Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved Thunderbolt Hub Monitor U4025QW gets high marks for a monitor for videographers and other creative pros. Add to that a hub with two Thunderbolt 4 connectors and six downstream USB ports, plus Ethernet, HDMI, and DisplayPort, and it has all connectivity bases covered. It is an exceptional candidate for professionals seeking a killer large-screen ultrawide curved display.
Creative pros: The Dell U4025QW is a great choice for video editors, photographers, and other creative professionals who aren't limited by a small budget. It sports high ultrawide resolution (at 5,120 by 2,160 pixels), excellent contrast and pixel density, and earned top marks in our testing. Plus, it provides the immersive experience of a curved monitor.
Managers and art directors: The U4025QW is a top curved monitor for creative professionals and managers who need access to a variety of ports. It has one of the most thorough assortments of ports of any monitor we have reviewed, living up to the "Hub" part of its name, and provides all the connectivity for a laptop that you would expect from a standalone docking station. It's a solid match for the demanding workloads of art directors and graphic arts professionals alike.
The Best Curved Monitors for 2026 Compare Specs
What Are the Pros and Cons of Curved Monitors?
The biggest pro? The experience of using a curved display is often described as "immersive." It draws you into the scene, lending a feeling of dimensionality that you don't get with a flat panel. Many recent ultrawide monitors, including all the 49-inch gaming and business monitors we've reviewed, are curved, which gives the user a wider field of view with minimal distortion at the edges.
Not all curved monitors have the same amount of curve. General-purpose displays typically have a gentle curvature, while gaming and ultrawide productivity monitors tend to be more tightly curved.
As it turns out, the degree of curvature is a measurable stat. Many curved monitors have what's dubbed 1800R curvature, while more sharply curved ones have curvatures as tight as 800R. An 1800R curvature means that if you were to place enough of these monitors side by side to form a circle, its radius would be 1,800mm (1.8 meters or 5.9 feet). If you were positioned that far from the screen, the center, the right edge, and the left edge all would be equidistant from your eyes.
Few viewers would normally be that far from the screen, except perhaps when watching movies in a group. When you do move closer, especially with a large ultrawide monitor, the curve makes for a panoramic experience as the screen's edges almost seem to wrap partway around you. This creates a three-dimensional, immersive effect and is often said to reduce eyestrain.
The biggest con around curved monitors has to do with multi-display use. It can be less convenient than with flat displays to arrange more than one curved monitor side by side, bezel edge to edge, due to the curvature and the amount of desk space required to accommodate the arc they would create. Curved panels also generally require a bit more space front-to-back on a desk because of their shape, but depending on the design and the degree of curve, that may not be much more than the depth of their stand.
What Is a Good Curved Monitor Size?
Curved monitors tend to be big. The smallest we've seen is 24 inches (measured diagonally); most are 27 inches or larger, with clusters at 30, 34, 35, and 49 inches.
There is a good reason for this. With a smaller monitor, you view the whole screen straight-on and can take it in at a glance, while with wider flat monitors, the ends extend outward, and you are viewing them at a bit of an angle. With a curved monitor, the ends are bowed toward you—to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the display's degree of curvature—making for a more comfortable viewing experience.
For most users, an optimal size for a curved monitor is around 35 inches, providing enough room for tiling multiple windows and providing an immersive gaming or video experience while being small enough to fit easily on most desks.
What Is the Best Resolution for a Curved Monitor?
You'll see several popular resolutions for curved monitors, and which is best for you depends on your own computing needs.
Most curved monitors are ultrawide panels, defined by having 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratios instead of the 16:9 horizontal-to-vertical ratio of most ordinary widescreen monitors. Ultrawides are great for multitaskers as well as some gamers—they're particularly good for racing games and flight sims; you will want to avoid ultrawides if you're into esports. Most recent AAA games have native support at least for 21:9 panels. Curved 21:9 displays tend to offer HD (3,440-by-1,440-pixel) native resolution, while 32:9 monitors—which include all the 49-inchers we've reviewed—have native resolutions of either 5,120 by 1,440 pixels or 3,840 by 1,080 pixels. (The 32:9 displays, especially the larger ones, are sometimes referred to as "super ultrawide" panels.) You can watch movies on ultrawide monitors; they won't fill the full screen width, but you can run some other program in a window in the unused part of the screen.
Other curved monitors have a standard 16:9 aspect ratio, and generally come in either 1440p (2,160-by-1,440-pixel) or UHD, aka 4K (usually 3,840-by-2,160-pixel) resolutions. These are particularly good for photographers, artists, and videographers, as well as movie connoisseurs. (Movies and most video content are made to fit a 16:9 widescreen format.)
Ergonomics, Connectivity, and Controls: What to Look for in a Curved Monitor
As for ergonomics, height and tilt adjustment are common, swivel control is less so (it's seldom seen on the really wide monitors), and pivot control—allowing you to rotate the monitor from landscape to portrait orientation and back—is basically nonexistent. For obvious reasons, a curved screen doesn't make sense in a vertical orientation.
The ports or connectors on these displays tend to face downward in the back, which is less than ideal considering that most of these monitors are large, heavy, and unwieldy. It's a good idea to connect any cables you might ever want to use during the initial setup process.
Whether they're gaming, productivity, or professional monitors, curved displays commonly have at least one DisplayPort and at least one HDMI connector; an upstream USB port for connection to your computer (commonly USB-C in newer monitors); and several downstream USB ports for flash drives and other peripherals. Most add an audio-out jack for plugging in a headset or external speakers. Some have their own built-in speakers, but these vary widely in quality.
For making brightness, contrast, and other adjustments, the controls to navigate the on-screen display (OSD) are either four-way mini-joystick controllers or small buttons. The button control system is most often found on general-purpose curved monitors, while gaming and professional displays usually provide the mini joysticks. The latter are easier to use.
Curved Monitors for Artists, Gamers, and Multitaskers: Factors to Consider
If you look beyond general-purpose use, you can lump curved monitors into three categories: for multitasking (productivity work with several application windows at once), for professional use (usually, with a high-quality panel geared toward content creators), and for gaming.
With a large, curved productivity monitor, you can have several documents (or one gigantic spreadsheet) open at a time, viewing them with a minimum of eyestrain. A few monitor makers provide software to let you easily size, tile, and configure windows. You could even take this multitasking to another level by adding a second identical monitor for a dual-monitor setup.
That said, you'll want to look with care at the size of the bezels and the degree of curvature if you are considering pairing up more than one curved panel. Obviously, you'll need a big, wide desk with adequate depth or front-to-back clearance to allow for the curve to align across two displays. Also, monitors with thick side bezels could put a big black bar in the center of your sightline.
As for graphic designers, photographers, and other creative professionals, they could have several illustrations or photos open side-by-side on a curved monitor. This would provide more natural viewing angles than on a flat screen, so the artist could examine, say, three images at once without the outside ones appearing stretched.
Gamers get a more three-dimensional, immersive view with a curved monitor than a flat panel provides. Curved gaming displays are particularly good for racing games, flight simulators, and other games (particularly non-shooters) that provide panoramic views. One thing to note, however, is that some older games don't support the ultrawide aspect ratios typical of curved gaming panels.
Are Curved Monitors Good for Your Eyes?
It has often been claimed that the immersive experience provided by a curved monitor makes for more comfortable viewing and reduces eye strain. There is some evidence to back this up. For instance, in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study from 2016 pitting a flat panel against monitors of varying curvature, users viewing the flat panel reported more eye pain than those using curved monitors, with the least amount of pain reported by subjects using the most highly curved (1000R) display. Other ergonomic factors, such as placing the monitor at a proper height and distance from the user, also play a role in eye comfort.
Is It Worth Getting a Curved Monitor?
Curved monitors are generally more expensive than flat panels of similar size and feature set, but for many users, the premium is money well spent.
For monitors less than 27 inches, you will see less benefit to a curved display, but you will probably want to consider a curved panel if you go wider than 32 inches, and even more so a 40-inch or larger panel. Curved monitors are good for most gamers, artists, and multitaskers, and for anyone who likes their aesthetics and potential to increase eye comfort. As mentioned earlier, though, think twice if you plan to set up a multi-display array.
Ready to Buy the Right Curved Monitor for You?
Curved monitors aren't for everyone. They're a mixed bag for gamers, and they don't provide practical advantages at small to medium sizes. Apart from their aesthetic appeal, what sets curved displays apart from other computer monitors is that the edges of the screen face you, which isn't the case with a flat panel. This provides a more panoramic view with less distortion, which can be a boon to gamers, graphic artists, and multitaskers alike, and may help to reduce eye strain.
Now that you know the basics of curved displays, you're ready to dig into the details of some of our best-reviewed models. You can also find more information in our roundups of the best ultrawide monitors, gaming monitors, and 4K monitors we've tested. Also, check out the spec comparison of our curved favorites.
