Best Overall: Acer R240HY IPS

Buy on Acer.Acer’s R240HY IPS 24-inch widescreen monitor is a fantastic choice for buyers who want to see every detail and vivid color at nearly any viewing angle. The 24-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen has a nearly zero frame design while still allowing 178-degree viewing angles, so you can place it virtually anywhere. The easily adjustable stand tilts from -5 to 15 degrees for finding the ideal sightline. Acer’s flicker-less technology makes all day work that much easier and the blue light filter helps your eyes rest easy without straining throughout the day. The IPS panel adds exceptional plane-switching technology that allows maximum color performance at any of the viewing angles. Additionally, the Acer is designed to be environmentally friendly, emphasizing recyclability, waste reduction and energy efficiency.

Runner-Up, Best Overall: HP Z24n G2

The HP Z24n G2 is a sleek, efficient top-of-the-line monitor, ideal for settling down for a productive work session or relaxing with your favorite show. Featuring 1920x1200 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, and over 2.3 million pixels, the monitor delivers crisp, sharp visuals and integrated color calibration. A 3-sided micro-edge bezel helps the screen feel even larger without taking up additional space on your desk. The HP Display Assistant software allows you to partition your screen, lit by a low-halogen display that helps reduce power consumption and costs.

The stand rotates, tilts, lifts, swivels, and can be adjusted up to 150mm in height to meet your needs. The monitor includes HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI connections, and two USB-C Type-C ports. A three-port USB 3.0 hub lets you connect multiple devices. The monitor comes with a three-year warranty.

Best Value: HP VH240a

At first glance, the HP VH240a might be mistaken for a more high-end model. Ideal for an office environment but able to accommodate at-home media consumption or gaming sessions, the budget monitor is an affordable option that still delivers high-quality performance and efficient ergonomics. With a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a 16:9 aspect ratio, your viewing experience will be sharp and precise. The bezel-free device can also accommodate multi-monitor set-ups for the avid multi-tasker. The 60Hz In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen can be tilted 30 degrees and pivoted, and its height can be adjusted to match the design of your workspace. Whether playing games or watching movies, the 5ms response time will eliminate blur and the dual integrated speakers, running at 2 watts per channel, will deliver solid audio. While it does include one HDMI and one VGA port, the slim, and understated monitor is lacking USB ports.  

Best 4K: LG 24UD58-B

Take a step into 4K technology with the LG 24UD58-B 24-Inch 4K UHD IPS Monitor. With great color, grayscale contrast and easy-to-navigate menus, the monitor is an easy pick. It comes with an LG ArcLine stand for increased stability and offers detailed, accurate picture quality with 3840 x 2160-pixel resolution. Whether you're using it for work or play, one of the monitor's handiest features is its split-screen mode. This allows you to divvy up the display in order to complete different tasks by automatically resizing the windows on the screen. A picture-in-picture mode is also available to spice up the workday, allowing you to work or pay bills while watching a video in a separate floating window. For gamers, a dedicated game mode optimizes conditions according to what type of game you are playing (choose from three modes — two FPS and an RTS pre-set mode).

Need some more help finding what you're looking for? Read through our best 4K monitors article.

Best Gaming: BenQ Zowie

Gamers everywhere will appreciate the BenQ Zowie 24-inch Full HD gaming monitor and its 1ms response time. Utilizing HDMI-output for a nearly lag-free gaming experience on simultaneous displays, the rapid response of the BenQ makes it invaluable for gamers who want near console gaming experiences. Before you even jump into gaming, however, the ergonomically friendly stand offers full height and tilt adjustments and has a frame that's specifically designed to reduce glare and reflection. VESA mount-ready, the BenQ can hang from a wall and its built-in speakers to provide a plug-and-play gaming experience. It's optimized for eye care and comfort with the included ZeroFlicker and low blue light flickering, so you won't have eye strain or fatigue. Moreover, the addition of the Black eQualizer makes the BenQ an even more exceptional value by eliminating poor visibility in dark scenes where most monitors fall short.

Take a look at other product reviews and shop for the best gaming monitors​ available online. 

Best Curved: Samsung CF390

While curved monitors struggle to capture more market share, Samsung’s CF390 24-inch FHD monitor adds 1800R curvature for an immersive viewing experience. The overall style and design of the Samsung monitor has a glossy black body and metallic-looking silver finish. Viewing the vibrant and vivid colors of the Samsung is easily done courtesy of the 3000:1 contrast ratio, which delivers deeper blacks and whiter whites with Samsung’s Active Crystal color technology. For lengthy viewing or work sessions, Samsung adds eye-saver mode, which reduces blue light emissions and screen flickering at the touch of a button for reducing eye strain and fatigue. These features are combined with an ultra-thin design that’s less than .5 inches thick. For gamers, the inclusion of AMD’s FreeSync technology provides smoother images even during fast-moving or action scenes. Add in eco-friendly features for reducing screen brightness and reducing energy and the curved Samsung display is a must own.

Still can't decide on what you want? Our round-up of the best curved monitors can help you find what you're looking for.

Best Touchscreen: Planar PCT 2485 Helium

The Planar PCT 2485 Helium is a precise touchscreen monitor with an edge-to-edge glass design for a sleek and slim appearance. The 24-inch display features a 1920 x 1080 resolution with a 10-point simultaneous multitouch capability, making it highly responsive. Though not optimized for gaming — it has a relatively slow response time of about 14 milliseconds — it is well-suited for business environments and is compatible with the newest Windows systems.

The built-in HD webcam and microphone make videoconferences simple, and a USB hub and other video inputs, including analog, HDMI, and DisplayPort, allow other peripherals to be connected to upgrade your workspace. To ease long work sessions, the monitor has blue light reduction presets to adjust the amount of emitted blue light depending on the activity, emphasizing comfort and protecting eye health. The monitor can be purchased with a dual hinge or a helium stand and is also available in 22” and 27” models. 

Best Design: Viotek NB24CB

With its sleek design, the Viotek NB24CB is a monitor as impressive in appearance as it is in performance. Featuring thin bezels and an ultra-slim build, it has a bold, modern design able to integrate into a variety of spaces, and it can be mounted onto walls to meet the needs of your workstation, whether at an office or at home. For further customization, pair it with a second external monitor or take advantage of the accompanying adjustable stand. 

The Viotek NB24CB is just as versatile in its use. Gamers will take advantage of the 1M:1 dynamic contrast, a 75Hz refresh rate, and 5ms response time resulting in dynamic colors and nearly blur-free motion. Business professionals can successfully multitask with flicker-free video conferences and built-in PIP and PBP functions, which allows multiple windows to be open simultaneously. However you’re using it, the anti-glare treated screen reduces eye fatigue during long or late-night sessions, and eye-saver mode can be employed to limit blue light exposure.  

Test Results: Acer R240HY IPS (Best Overall)

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This monitor’s overall value helped win over our testers. “I think it has great color and shows great image quality for the price,” one reviewer reported. Its design was another highlight, with one tester observing that “the frame and stand look very sleek and modern — it doesn't make my desk area feel chunky.” However, our testers did wish that its height was adjustable and that its cable ports were configured differently: “The cable ports make my wires stick out,” one reviewer said. “This could bend my cables and make them not last as long. It could also become an issue if someone decides to push this up against the wall — they’d have to allow for space for the cables.”