The 9 Best Ultra-Wide Monitors of 2021

Best Overall: Samsung CHG90 49-inch QLED Monitor

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If you don’t mind spending some extra cash and would like a giant screen to adorn your desk, the Samsung CHG90 is the best option on the market.

The monitor measures 49 inches and has a downright massive 32:9 aspect ratio—one of the largest on the market. It uses QLED technology, which matches Samsung’s high-end televisions and features high dynamic range to create bright visuals. If you want to play games on the device, you’ll be happy to hear the monitor comes with a 144Hz refresh rate, so fast-moving action won't get distorted. Multiple game modes are available as well.

The monitor itself has ultra-thin bezels around the screen and a small stand that’s designed to limit the amount of space it takes up on your desk. It’s also worth noting that this is a curved display, so although it’s wide and big, it’ll make for a more immersive experience that won’t take up too much room. Another cool feature is the Arena Lighting on the back, which adjusts brightness based on audio in games. So, if there are important scenes and the audio is getting louder, the lights will also adjust in response.

The CHG90 might seem big, but it’s about the equivalent of having two 16:9 monitors next to each other. And, you can evenly split the screen to create two virtual monitors in one.

Best Budget: LG 25UM58-P Ultrawide Monitor

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LG’s 25UM58-P might not come with the best-looking picture quality or have the finest design, but it’s able to combine a solid display and nice look and feel into a package that won’t break the bank. 

The monitor is 25 inches and has a 21:9 aspect ratio. It also comes with a split-screen feature, so you can create a dual-monitor experience on a single screen. On the color side, it can produce up to 99 percent of all visible colors. And since it comes with full-HD 1080p resolution, you should be able to enjoy all kinds of content in high resolution.

If you’re a gamer, the LG 25UM58-P has three game modes, including two first-person-shooter modes and one real-time strategy mode. Based on what you’re playing, you can choose the mode and the monitor will automatically adjust its settings to optimize your gameplay. If you’re a more advanced gamer, you can also make optimization tweaks to everything from colors to screen synchronization.

Best for Gaming: Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ

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The Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ is hands down the best gaming monitor, especially in the ultra-wide variety. The first thing you may notice when turning this monster on is the brightness and clarity, which can almost make you want sunglasses in games with realistic sunlight. With FALD (Full Array Local Dimming) backlighting providing over 512 independent LED zones and 1000nits brightness, you are spoiled when it comes to a bright picture. 

This monitor is certified with G-SYNC Ultimate, which is a difficult certification to get from NVIDIA, but promises to deliver a smooth gameplay experience in full HDR. This monitor can also be revved up to an impressive 200Hz refresh rate, and boasts a 2ms response time. This kind of impressive performance begs to show off all the hard work you put into building your gaming rig, and it’ll remain relevant for a long time into the future as well. Many modern games and computers will have trouble pushing this thing to its limits.

As far as looks, the ASUS ROG Swift PG35VQ will fit in perfectly with most gaming setups, and maintains the futuristic, RGB lit aesthetic that most gamers go for. The 35-inch 3440x1440 widescreen is gorgeous, but comes with a heavy price tag. But, if you want the ferrari of gaming monitors, you must be willing to pay for it.

Best 144Hz: MSI Optix MPG341CQR

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The MSI Optix MPG341CQR monitor is an excellent value considering all the features and creature comforts that come packed in it. With most monitors shooting at 120Hz performance, it makes sense to go a bit higher for a similar price with a model that can perform well at 144Hz. The 34-inch 3440x1440 monitor provides a 1ms response time, and is truly competitive with other gaming monitors. While MSI has the VESA HDR 400 certification, it is good to understand that HDR 400 is not full HDR, and is only certified at 400nits brightness for HDR. You will, however, see some noticeable improvement by using it, so it is difficult to be too hard on this model. 

This monitor definitely comes with bells and whistles. There is a smart RGB panel on the front, which has excellent utilities with both games and weather apps, working as a health bar or other neat functions. There is included software which lets you create settings for profiles and quickly shift between them. A built-in camera can provide facial recognition to load different gaming profiles per user, or a lower quality webcam, but you also have a webcam cradle on top of the monitor for better cameras and streaming. Little touches like the mouse bungee make you feel like the designers thought a lot about you in the design of this monitor.

With all of the extras, and solid performance at a fair price, the MSI Optix MPG341CQR is a monitor you can feel confident in.

Best for Multitasking: LG 49WL95C-W

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If you do a lot of work on your computer, then you know the pain of having to flip through windows over and over to get work done, which slows down productivity. The answer is usually to buy multiple monitors, but that often leads to a ton more devices on your desk and a messy workspace. The LG 49WL95C-W solves this problem better than anything we have seen. The massive 49-inch 5120 x 1440 dual QHD display provides more than enough space for all the windows you can throw at it. It also has the ability to handle multiple devices through it’s Dual Controller 2.0 technology, which provides PBP (Picture-By-Picture) control over multiple devices. This means you can have your work desktop plugged in, then plug in your laptop (or an associate's laptop), and control both from one screen. With the USB Type-C plug, you can charge your laptop as well. 

A lot of thought went into making this your ultimate productivity machine, like on-screen controls for changing display settings and automatic brightness control, both of which allow for time saving adjustments on the fly. The screen looks great and is HDR 10, but don’t expect this to also be a gaming powerhouse, as the refresh rate is only 60Hz and the response time is only 5ms.

The design of this monitor is clean and professional looking, making it fit in perfectly in the office. A sleek white backing and well designed input placement make for a great looking monitor that you will be happy to work on each day.

Best for Graphic Design: Philips 499P9H 49" SuperWide Curved Monitor

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Graphic design requires an eye for detail and an understanding of color in order to communicate ideas or instructions in a clear way. If a designer is not using a monitor that can convey that color in a true to life way on screen, then the design may suffer. The Philips Brilliance sports a 400nits bright screen and a color gamut of NTSC 103%, sRGB 121%, and Adobe RGB 91%, so there will be an excellent picture to accurately represent the designer’s message. The HDR 400 display will provide a significant bump versus an SDR screen in terms of clarity and contrast. Since the refresh rate and response time are on the lower end, this may not be your best choice for a gaming computer if that is what you are looking for.

This monitor can run two devices at once and present both devices side by side, which will increase productivity and essentially replace the classic dual monitor setup, but with more flexibility. A pop-up webcam with Windows Hello technology allows for facial recognition sign-ins to your workstation, which increases security in the workplace, protects your designs, and reduces the amount of wires and devices on your desk by working as a camera as well. 

Graphic designers are looking at screens for much of the day, and thankfully this monitor includes LowBlue mode and FlickerFree technology, which should provide some much needed ocular relief. With all of the features focused on a productive workspace that also provides true color, this is our easy choice for best monitor for Graphic Design.

Best Sound: Acer Predator Z35

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Acer’s Predator Z35 monitor comes with a great design and even better-sounding speakers.

The Predator Z35’s screen measures 35 inches diagonally and has a 2560 x 1080 resolution. The curved display has a 144Hz refresh rate to handle fast action and comes with Nvidia G-Sync Display technology to ensure all of your games look good.

The curved monitor has thin bezels around its screen and a simple stand that won’t take up too much room on your desk. Perhaps most importantly, it features dual 9-watt speakers that deliver impressive sound, whether you’re watching a movie or playing a video game. And, just in case you’re worried about eye strain, the monitor has EyeProtect features that will reduce flicker and blue-light exposure.