Suppose you are primarily buying an ultrawide monitor for gaming. In that case, you will want features like a high refresh rate, support for variable refresh rate (VRR), low input lag, quick response time, and a curved screen for an immersive experience.
But content creators will prioritize color accuracy, wide color gamut, and excellent coverage of the Adobe RGB color space. In addition, some creative professionals will prefer a flat monitor over a curved one because of their precision work. It’s important to buy an ultrawide monitor that’ll best fit your needs.
Size and screen resolution are also important. While the most common size among ultrawide monitors is 34-inch, you can go as low as 29-inch and as high as 49-inch. Depending on the space available to you and your budget, you can pick a suitable screen size.
In terms of resolution, you will mainly find Ultrawide QHD (3440×1440 pixels) and Ultrawide FHD (2560×1080 pixels) monitors on the market. While the Ultrawide FHD monitors are cheap, they are not worth investing in unless you have a limited budget. On the other hand, the Ultrawide QHD resolution is sufficiently future-proof and offers a crisp image on any screen size.
If you are curious about 4K or UHD ultrawide monitors, you can find some WUHD (5,120×2,160 pixels) monitors on the market. They are relatively rare, and you need powerful hardware to run them. So if you’re considering a WUHD monitor, make sure your computer can sufficiently power it.
Lastly, you can also look for features like HDR support, Thunderbolt or USB-C input for single cable operation, and USB hub functionality, depending on what you want or need.
Now, it’s time to delve into our recommendations.
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Best Ultrawide Monitor Overall: LG 38GN950-B
Our top pick for the best ultrawide monitor is the LG 38GN950-B. It’s a 38-inch monitor with a QHD+ (3840×1600 pixels) resolution. While LG is known for making fantastic monitors, the 38GN950-B is in a class of its own. It packs everything that you would want from an excellent ultrawide monitor.
✓ High refresh rate✓ Excellent color accuracy✓ IPS panel ensures great viewing angles✓ VRR support
✗ Expensive✗ Poor local dimming✗ No USB-C port
The large panel offers plenty of space for multitasking, and the 2300R curve radius ensures you can easily view all parts of the screen. In addition, you get 98% coverage of DCI-P3 color space and superb color accuracy out of the box, making it great for creative professionals.
Gaming features are also a highlight of the LG 38GN950-B, and it supports a native 144Hz refresh rate and compatibility with variable refresh rates technologies such as DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. Although the monitor doesn’t have the G-Sync module, it’s officially certified to be Nvidia G-Sync compatible.
The monitor also excels on the HDR front and easily exceeds the brightness requirements of the DisplayHDR 600 certification. However, its local dimming performance is disappointing.
The 38GN950-B has a decent selection of ports with two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, one USB Type-B port, and two USB 3.0 Type-A ports. Unfortunately, there is no USB-C port for single cable operation, but it’s hardly a dealbreaker with everything else this monitor has going for it.
Best Budget Ultrawide Monitor: AOC CU34G2X
You don’t have to spend a lot to get a quality ultrawide monitor, and the AOC CU34G2X is a prime example of this. It’s a 34-inch Ultrawide QHD (3440×1440 pixels) monitor that provides an excellent value for money.
✓ 144Hz refresh rate ✓ Works with FreeSync and G-Sync✓ Good contrast ratio✓ Decent ergonomics
✗ No local dimming✗ Narrow viewing angles✗ No USB-C port
This AOC monitor is packed with features like a fast refresh rate of 144Hz, a curve radius of 1500R for an immersive experience, HDR support, and DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync. Although AOC doesn’t mention Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync compatibility on its website, Rtings.com found it works with both.
Gamers will also be happy to know that the CU34G2X has a fast response time and very low input lag for a responsive gaming experience.
Being a budget monitor, it has a fairly plain plastic design, but you get decent ergonomics and thin bezels. Unfortunately, it lacks a USB Type-C port for single cable operation. Instead, you get two DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports. There are also four USB 3.0 ports for connecting peripherals.
In short, the AOC CU34G2X is an excellent budget monitor that shines where it counts. But if you are looking for an affordable ultrawide monitor with higher peak brightness and better HDR performance, you should consider the Dell S3422DWG. It has a slightly less aggressive curve radius of 1800R, and it’s certified DisplayHDR 400.
Best Curved Ultrawide Monitor: Samsung Odyssey Neo G9
It won’t be a stretch to call the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 the king of curved ultrawide monitors. From its massive 49-inch panel to its incredibly high 240Hz refresh rate, the Neo G9 has some of the best monitor technologies Samsung has to offer.
✓ Incredibly fast refresh rate✓ High peak brightness✓ HDR10+ support✓ Mini-LED backlighting✓ Wide color gamut
✗ Narrow viewing angles✗ Expensive✗ Not ideal for sharing screen
This super ultrawide monitor has a 5120x1440p VA panel with Mini-LED backlighting and full-array local dimming. So, you not only get deep blacks, but also a high peak brightness. This is very helpful in the monitor’s HDR performance, which is excellent. Moreover, there is support for the HDR10+ format.
Apart from the very fast refresh rate, gamers get a great response time and support for FreeSync Premium Pro and Adaptive-Sync. The monitor is also certified Nvidia G-Sync compatible. As a result, you can expect a smooth and tear-free gaming experience.
There is, of course, also plenty of screen real estate for multitasking when you aren’t playing games. So you can open multiple windows side by side and become your productive best in between gaming sessions.
In terms of the ports, there is a decent selection in the form of two HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort 1.4, and a USB Type-A port.
While the Odyssey Neo G9 does many things right, it’s not perfect. The sheer size of the monitor requires you to have sufficient tabletop space to keep it. In addition, it’s also not the most ergonomic because of the superwide format. And lastly, the VA-type panel means the monitor’s viewing angles aren’t great.
But if you can deal with these downsides and the high price, you won’t regret picking this monitor up.
Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor: LG 34GP950G-B
The LG 34GP950G-B has it all when it comes to gaming. This impressive monitor packs a 34-inch Ultrawide QHD display with a fast refresh rate of 144Hz. And if you want, you can even overclock it to 180Hz for a smoother gaming experience.
✓ A maximum refresh rate of 180Hz✓ Native Nvidia G-Sync support✓ DisplayHDR 600 certification✓ Great coverage of Adobe RGB and DCI-P3
✗ Poor contrast ratio✗ Bad local dimming✗ Limited ergonomics
LG has included a Nano IPS panel that utilizes nanoparticles to absorb unnecessary light wavelengths to provide accurate colors, similar to the company’s NanoCell TVs. In addition, the panel has excellent viewing angles thanks to IPS technology. Moreover, the monitor boasts of DisplayHDR 600 certification.
Among other gaming features, the LG monitor supports both Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate and DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync variable refresh rate technologies to reduce screen tearing. AMD FreeSync also seemingly works but only with DisplayPort. In addition, you get a fantastic response time and very low input lag for competitive gaming.
The 34GP950G-B is a great choice for non-gaming tasks as well. Its large screen offers a lot of space for multitasking, and the high peak brightness counters glare pretty well. The 21:9 aspect ratio is also suitable for watching movies, but its poor native contrast ratio is a bit of a downer.
Lastly, the monitor has fantastic coverage of both Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color spaces. There’s no doubt that your games will look terrific on the 34GP950G-B.
Best Ultrawide Monitor For Productivity: Dell UltraSharp U4021QW
If you are looking for a monitor that can take your productivity to the next level, there is no better option than the Dell UltraSharp U4021QW. This is a 40-inch WUHD (5,120×2,160 pixels) monitor with 21:9 aspect ratio.
✓ WUHD resolution offers crisp and clear images✓ Wide viewing angles✓ Thunderbolt port for single cable operation
✗ Quite expensive✗ No VRR or HDR support✗ Could have been brighter
As a result, you get tons of screen space to open several windows side by side for multitasking. In addition, the monitor has a wide color gamut with full coverage of sRGB and excellent coverage of DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color spaces. The IPS panel of the monitor ensures wide viewing angles, but it also means its native contrast ratio is low.
Content creators will appreciate that the monitor comes factory-calibrated, meaning it has superb color accuracy right out of the box.
Additionally, the Dell monitor supports picture-in-picture and picture-by-picture modes and has built-in keyboard, video, and mouse capability to switch between multiple computers.
There is also a fantastic selection of ports, including a Thunderbolt 3 port that can deliver up to 90W of power to your USB PD laptop for a single cable operation.
Unfortunately, the UltraSharp U4021QW is best suited for business consumers and content creators, not gamers, as it has a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks VRR support. There is also no HDR support, so you’ll want to get a monitor that’s more suitable for gaming if that’s what you’re going ultrawide for.
Best 4K Ultrawide Monitor: LG 34WK95U-W
The LG 34WK95U-W is our pick for the best 4K ultrawide monitor. It offers excellent picture quality, wide viewing angles, and super crisp text and images, thanks to its WUHD Nano IPS panel. The monitor also looks premium and has a great build quality.
✓ Wide viewing angles✓ Images and text look great at WUHD resolution✓ Premium build quality
✗ Only 60Hz refresh rate✗ No VRR✗ Low contrast ratio
The out-of-the-box color accuracy is superb, and it has a wide color gamut with nearly complete coverage of the sRGB and excellent coverage of Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color spaces.
Its HDR performance is also decent, and it’s rated DisplayHDR 600. However, the monitor doesn’t get bright enough to shine while watching HDR movies.
The port selection is good, and you get one DisplayPort 1.4 port, two HDMI 2.0, and one Thunderbolt 3 port. You can use the Thunderbolt port to power your laptop as it can output up to 85W.
The LG monitor’s Super Resolution+ technology ensures you get upscaling while viewing content that isn’t in 4K. Additionally, it supports a picture-by-picture mode to display two different inputs simultaneously.
While the lack of VRR on the 34WK95U-W may detract hardcore gamers, the monitor has a low input lag and fast response time for casual gaming. Plus, you will need a seriously powerful gaming PC to drive the WUHD resolution.
