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In the world of USB-C-ready monitors, there’s really no such thing as a budget-friendly monitor. Instead, there are those that have exorbitant price tags and those that come with more realistic prices for the typical consumer. LG’s 34UM69G-B fits into the latter category.
LG’s monitor comes with a 34-inch flat screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio. The display has a 2560 x 1080 resolution, which should suffice for most uses. There’s also a 1ms Motion Blur Reduction feature so fast-paced visuals will still look good on the monitor.
The monitor comes with a variety of controls to help you improve your visual experience. AMD FreeSync, for instance, will ensure that your graphics card’s frame rate matches the monitor’s refresh rate. A Dynamic Action Sync means the monitor is ideal for video games, and a Black Stabilizer option will keep your dark scenes looking the way they should.
In addition to the USB-C port, you’ll find a variety of input options, including HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort. You’ll also notice some nice design accents, like the V-Line standard’s pops of red color to add to the broader visual appeal of your screen.
When you want the very best USB-C monitor, there’s no better choice than LG’s 27UK850 27-inch 4K monitor. Compatible with HDR10 high dynamic range, the LG offers a level of color and brightness that is unmatched. The HDR effect also supports upscaling non-HDR content so it looks even better on the display. The color itself hits on 99-percent of the sRGB spectrum. This premium IPS experience makes it ideal for photographers, video editors, graphic designers, or anyone who counts on accurate colors. With HDCP 2.2 built-in, the monitor plays 4K video from streaming services, game consoles, and Blu-ray players.
Just as everything about the screen looks great, so does the monitor itself. The half-circle curved stand is sturdy and prevents tips. The ultra-thin bezels — the frame around the monitor — are just 7mm from the edge of the display. Adjusting settings on the monitor is smartly handled via a joystick button resting underneath the bottom bezel. Tilting forward up to five degrees or backward up to 20 degrees, the monitor also can pivot 90 degrees to operate as a portrait monitor.
The Asus Designo MX27UC is all about entertainment and ensuring that you get your visual and audio entertainment in one package.
The monitor comes with a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and an outstanding viewing angle of 178 degrees, so you and your friends can enjoy content in a room. An Asus Eye Care technology is built in to eliminate screen flickering and reduce eye fatigue with a blue light filter. And since the monitor displays such a high resolution, you can use your USB-C port to pair with devices delivering 4K video.
To complement that visual experience, Asus has bundled two 3W speakers and amplifiers in the Designo. The company has also developed a SonicMaster sound optimization technology with ICEpower to ensure the Bang & Olufsen speakers are sounding good regardless of where you are.
Asus was also quick to tout the Design’s design, which comes with thin bezels all around and a variety of ports to choose from, including DisplayPort, HDMI and USB 3.1.
If budget isn’t a concern but the way a monitor looks in your home is, the HP Envy 34 is the way to go. HP’s Envy 34 has a curved screen that measures, as its name might suggest, 34 inches. The display has a 21:9 aspect ratio and thanks to its wide view and thin bezels, 34 percent more screen real estate than comparably equipped 16:9 options.
The screen has an eye-popping 3440 x 1440 pixel resolution and a 6ms response time to help you enjoy fast-moving content. And in case you’re viewing content with friends in the same room, its 178-degree wide viewing angle should mean its picture will hold up even if you’re not looking at it head-on.
The monitor puts its display center stage and has thin bezels all around the screen. On the bottom, you’ll find an area where the device’s Bang & Olufsen speakers live, delivering rich sound for music and spoken word. And just in case you’re concerned about people spying on you, the HP Envy 34 comes with a Privacy Webcam that only pops up when called upon.
The USB-C port is flanked by DisplayPort, HDMI and two USB 3.0 ports.
True to form, Dell offers one of the best monitor options for office use with its Dell S2718D.
The monitor, which comes with a 27-inch LED display featuring a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio, has a nearly borderless design that leaves no room for any ports. So, Dell bundled all of the ports in the base of the monitor, giving you the ability to plug in devices that rely on USB-C, HDMI and other ports.
Interestingly, the Dell design lends itself to a more portable-conscious customer. Unlike many other monitors that can weigh 10 or even 20 pounds, Dell’s S2718D weighs just 6.5 pounds, making it easy to move from one place to another.
To deliver high-quality visuals, Dell has bundled high dynamic range, or HDR, support in its monitor. The company was also quick to note that its monitor has a high contrast ratio to bolster its visual appeal.
The Dell S2718D comes with a USB-C cable to power the monitor. The device’s USB-C port can be used for double duty, allowing you to plug in a notebook to not only charge the notebook through your monitor but also deliver dual-display visuals.
Acer’s H277HU was designed for those who want to place two monitors next to each other for a truly wide and visually stunning experience.
The H277HU measures 27 inches and has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The screen’s 100-million-to-one contrast ratio means your picture quality should be quite good. The monitor comes with a 4ms response time to handle fast-moving content and gives you your choice of HDMI or DisplayPort alongside the USB-C port.
Speaking of that USB-C port, Acer said that it can be used to perform a variety of functions, including powering mobile devices such as laptops or smartphones, transferring data off an external hard drive or delivering high-resolution video.
Arguably its most important feature, however, is its design. The monitor comes with what Acer calls a ZeroFrame design, so you can place it next to another 277HU and the visual experience will feel seamless. It achieves that by delivering an exceedingly thin bezel on either side that, even when matched with another 277HU, isn’t thick enough to detract from whatever it is you’re looking at on the screen.
Acer’s 277HU also has a tilting function that lets you adjust its viewing angle from -5 degrees to 15 degrees, which should mean for a more comfortable viewing experience.
Sometimes, having a monitor that’s tethered to the wall just doesn’t make sense. And it’s in those cases where the AOC i1601fwux could prove to be the very best option you consider.
Unlike many other monitors, the AOC option is portable and comes with a kickstand of sorts, so you can prop it up whether you’re in the office, at home or on an airplane. The screen measures 16 inches and comes with a full-HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Its contrast ratio isn’t necessarily the best at 700:1, but for that loss in visual fidelity, you get the opportunity to carry the screen with you wherever you go.
Best of all, the AOC doesn’t actually require a power cable. Instead, you simply plug in a USB-C cable from whichever device you want and the screen will power up and display your visuals. And you can even pivot the screen to view content in either landscape or portrait mode.
Since the AOC monitor is designed for portability, it’s perhaps no surprise that at .33 inches, it’s exceedingly thin. And since it only weighs 1.8 pounds, you can throw it into a bag and get going without it placing too much of a burden on your back.
We bought two top-rated USB-C monitors and our reviewers tested them for 90 hours. We asked our testers to consider the most important features when using these USB-C monitors, from number of ports to size and price. We’ve outlined the key takeaways here so that you, too, know what to look for when shopping.
USB-C hub - If your laptop has a limited number of USB ports, look for a monitor that includes a built-in USB-C hub. This is a great feature, since it allows you to use a single USB-C connection on your laptop to send video to your monitor, power your laptop, and even plug in as many extra USB devices as the monitor supports.
Thunderbolt - USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 connectors look the same and are mostly compatible, but you need a Thunderbolt-equipped computer to take advantage of a Thunderbolt-equipped monitor. If your laptop has a regular USB-C connection but not Thunderbolt, don’t spend extra money on a monitor that has Thunderbolt-dependent features.
Additional connections - The great thing about USB-C monitors is that you can accomplish the work of multiple cables with a single USB-C connection, but that doesn’t mean you’ll never need additional connections. Look for a monitor that includes multiple HDMI inputs if you want to connect game consoles and other video sources, or one that includes a headphone jack if you want to plug in headphones.
Simple setup
Easy to use
Great for gamers
Slightly low resolution
Only single HDMI, Display Port, and USB-C inputs
“This product's 34-inch diagonal screen provides for a generous viewing area," reported our tester. "There's native Freesync support, as well as unofficial support for G-Sync, so it's great for gamers." On the other hand, he wished that its resolution were slightly higher to take advantage of its the available screen real estate: "The lower resolution limits how much information can be displayed at any one time," he noted. Also, because of the monitor’s substantial width, he suggested measuring your desired space to make sure it’ll fit, and possibly enlisting a friend to help with setup.
Streamlined design
Sharp image quality
Glare-free screen
AMD Radeon FreeSync support
Speakers could be better
60Hz maximum refresh rate
This monitor won over our tester because it was well-designed and versatile: “The look of this monitor is unique and aesthetically pleasing,” he said. “It features 4K resolution, a high SRGB color gamut of over 99 percent, and HDR10 support—plus, there are professional color calibration options.” On the other hand, he felt that its built-in speakers could have been better: “They're a relatively low wattage and feature poor stereo separation,” he said.