If you find yourself suddenly working from home for an extended period of time like so many of us right now, odds are your workspace could be improved by some extra screen space. So if you don’t already have a second screen in addition to your laptop, it’s a good time to consider the upgrade.
When it comes to second monitors, we recommend one that connects over USB-C. They connect easily with the newest Apple and Windows laptops, while also providing some key benefits such as passthrough charging — no need to connect your laptop into a separate power source.
USB-C monitors are a tad on the expensive side and you’ll be hard-pressed to find one under $400. If that’s out of your price range, don’t worry. You can still get a good monitor that’s more affordable, but you’ll likely just need to invest in an HDMI adapter or dock.
Dell UltraSharp 25 USB-C Monitor (U2520D)
Size: 25 inch
Resolution: 2560 x 1440
Charging: 90-watt passthrough charging
Ports: USB-C (2x), USB-A (3x), HDMI port, DisplayPort (2x), 3.5mm
The Dell UltraSharp 25 USB-C Monitor is an excellent external monitor for anybody with a MacBook or USB-C laptop. It's a little more expensive than other 25-inch "business" monitors, but it also produces a very good HD picture, a wide variety of ports and a very adjustable stand. Also, you can easily daisy-chain a second monitor.
Dell UltraSharp 27 4K USB-C Monitor (U2720Q)
Size: 27 inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Charging: 90-watt passthrough charging
Ports: USB-C (2x), USB-A (3x), HDMI port, DisplayPort, 3.5mm
The Dell UltraSharp 27 USB-C monitor is similar to the previous Dell UltraSharp 25 USB-C monitor in a lot of ways. It has the same general design, great port selection and adjustable stand. The differences are that this 27-inch monitor is obviously a little bit bigger, but also produces a 4K picture.
LG 32UP550-W
Size: 32 inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160
Charging: 96-watt passthrough charging
Ports: USB-C, USB-A (2x), HDMI, DisplayPort (2x), 3.5mm
Released in June 2021, the LG 32UP550-W is a great option for people looking for a big and affordable 4K monitor with easy USB-C connectivity. It packs a wide variety of ports and a display with an anti-glare finish, so it'll look good in brighter rooms. The big downside is that it lacks the high refresh rate display (maxing out at 60Hz) that gamers may require.
BenQ PD3220U
Size: 31.5 inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Charging: 85-watt passthrough charging
Ports: USB-C (2x), USB-A (4x), HDMI (2x), DisplayPort, microUSB, 3.5mm
This is one of BenQ's newest and nicest external monitors. Designed with graphic designers and photographers in mind, it has a beautiful 4K display with excellent color and brightness. It also has a better-than-average suite of settings for controlling the nuances of the display. And its port variety and premium build are both top notch, as well.
Dell UltraSharp U4021QW
Size: 37.7 inch
Resolution: 5120 x 2160 (4K)
Charging: 90-watt passthrough charging
Ports: USB-C (2x), USB-A (4x), HDMI (2x), DisplayPort, 3.5mm
If you’re looking for a curved ultra-wide monitor, the Dell UltraSharp U4021QW is a great combination of size, looks and 4K resolution. It has a giant 37.7-inch display, making it one of the widest ultra monitors on the market, but it’s still a great multitasking machine, easily allowing you to have five-to-six windows open at the same time. It's a monster (in the best way) for Excel sheet enthusiasts.
BenQ SW270C
Size: 27 inch
Resolution: 2560 x 1440
Charging: 60-watt passthrough charging
Ports: HDMI 2.0 (2x), DisplayPort, USB Type-C, USB-A (2x), USB-B, USB Mini-B and headphone jack
This is the best option for work-from-home creative professionals who don’t want to spend over $1,000. The SW270 is the QHD alternative to BenQ’s more expensive SW271. Even though it’s not a true 4K monitor, it’s great for photographers and photo editors because of its superb color reproduction. It’s able to deliver 99-percent of the Adobe RGB color space and 100-percent of the sRGB color space.
BenQ SW271
Size: 27 inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Charging: 60-watt passthrough charging
Ports: HDMI 2.0 (2x), DisplayPort, USB Type-C, USB-A (2x), USB-B, USB Mini-B and headphone jack
You can think of the BenQ SW271 as the 4K upgrade to the previous BenQ SW270. It delivers exceptional color accuracy — 99-percent of the Adobe RGB color space — and it’s simply of of the best professional-grade monitors for photo and video editors. These are the monitors Gear Patrol‘s creative team uses.
LG UltraFine 4K
Size: 23.7 inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Charging: 85-watts passthrough charging
Ports: 5 USB-C (2x Thunderbolt 3)
Apple has been selling the LG UltraFine 4K for years and for good reason. It works seamlessly with any MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, and you can adjust the monitor’s settings within the Settings menu in macOS, but it will also work great with any PC you have as well. The display has five USB-C ports in total, two are Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, which allow you to easily connect another LG UltraFine 4K monitor to your setup, and three charging USC-C ports.
