Apple M1 chip housing new Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air aim to take your productivity to the next level by promising a seamless performance. However, the small screen may limit your productivity to some extent, especially if you often have to shuffle between multiple windows and documents. While the swipe gestures make things flawless, but that’s not enough. Thankfully, you can always connect an external monitor and add more screen space. And when we talk about more screen real estate, an ultrawide monitor is the best solution and a worthy investment.
These monitors give you ample screen space to open 3-4 windows side by side, thereby letting you cross-reference your research material without any issues. And given the prowess of the recent MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, they should have no duplication issues or extend the display to these monitors.
More importantly, most of these monitors have VESA mounts meaning that you needn’t waste precious desk space. Instead, you can just mount them on a monitor arm and save on space and at the same time, keep your desk free from wires and cables.
So, on that note, here are some of our recommendations for the best ultrawide monitors for the Apple MacBook Air M1 and the MacBook Pro. But first,
1. ViewSonic VP3881 UltraWide Curved Monitor
- Resolution: 3840×1600 | Panel Size: 38-inches | Panel Type: AH-IPS
- Curved: Yes | VESA Mount: Yes
- Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, 1 x USB-C
The first highlight of the Viewsonic VP3881 is that it uses the same IPS panel also found in the LG 38UC99. Secondly, it boasts of a wide 28-inch screen, thereby giving you enough space to place your open windows side-by-side and get working. In short, it is a straightforward productivity monitor for office use. And the curved screen helps to see the content without any distortion.
You will find the standard refresh rate of 60Hz in this one. The USB-C port in this monitor is capable of 60W charging. It should sustain the MacBook Pro for some time. It enough for the new MacBook Air M1.
This Viewsonic monitor also boasts of HDR10. However, the brightness limitation (300cd/m2) means you won’t be able to reap the full advantage of HDR content. On the upside, there are quite a few ports in this one. Apart from the USB-C port, there’s the option for HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4 connectors. Cool, right? So, even if you want to use it on a non-USB-C laptop, it’s doable.
But at the end of the day, the Viewsonic VP3881 is not meant for color-sensitive jobs, for it covers around 76% of the Adobe sRGB color space. This one has attracted a fair number of reviews, with users liking it for its picture quality and brightness.
People love it for the fact that it plays beautifully with the MacBook Pro. Its solid design adds to its list of plus points.
2. Samsung Business CH890 Ultrawide Curved Desktop Monitor
- Resolution: 3440×1440 | Panel Size: 34-inches | Panel Type: IPS
- Curved: Yes | VESA Mount: Yes
- Ports: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB-C
Samsung C34H890 is an elegant monitor that easily doubles as an entertainment unit just as easily it works as a business monitor. The WQHD resolution gives you one of the best pictures and the 100Hz refresh rate adds to it. What makes this premium monitor worth every cent is that it packs a sleek look, thanks to the thin bezels and the stylish mount. Moreover, this monitor has special perks for gaming enthusiasts and brings in support for both AMD’s FreeSync technology and 10ms input lag.
One of the primary advantages is that the Samsung C34H890 is very flexible. You can swivel and rotate it at your convenience.
Though it has a VA panel, the picture quality is decent and displays pretty accurate pictures. If we talk numbers, this monitor can display around 95% of the sRGB color space. And the feature that helps it stand apart from the rest is its built-in PIP and PBP mode, using which you can further boost your productivity, especially if you use a two-computer setup.
Like the one above, the Samsung C34H890 is also capable of Power Delivery. In this case, the power output is only limited to 45W and might not be enough to power your MacBook Pro fully. On the upside, it will be enough for the MacBook Air M1.
Other than that, you will find an HDMI 2.0 port followed by a single DisplayPort, USB 3.0 ports, and a pair of USB 2.0 ports.
3. LG 34WN80C-B Curved UltraWide Monitor
- Resolution: 3440×1440 | Panel Size: 34-inches | Panel Type: IPS
- Curved: Yes | VESA Mount: Yes
- Ports: 2 x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1 x USB-C
If you do not want to empty your pockets on an ultrawide monitor, the LG 34WN80C-B is worth considering. This one proves to be a bang-for-the-buck deal considering its rich feature-set. This one is a great monitor for creatives and can display 99% of the sRGB color gamut, with the colors bring rich and accurate. More importantly, the USB-C port is capable of Power Delivery and can deliver up to 60W of power.
Simultaneously, the WQHD resolution does a pretty great job rendering clear and crisp text, thereby making it apt for reading and viewing both text and pictures. Unlike the one above, the looks are pretty much simple.
But it’s very ergonomic and lets you tilt and swivel the monitor. On the downside, the LG 34WN80C-B is not truly built for gamers, for it has a standard refresh rate of 60Hz and lacks support for the AdaptiveSync tech like FreeSync or G-Sync.
Nonetheless, it’s a great productivity-focused monitor, and the ultrawide form factor is the cherry on top.
The LG 34WN80C sports an ample number of ports. You will find a duo of HDMI 2.0 ports, a single DisplayPort 1.2 connector, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, and the aforementioned USB-C port. So, you can connect your MacBook Pro (or a laptop with similar configurations) via a USB-C cable, and that’s about it.
So far, it has attracted a fair number of user reviews with it amassing an average rating of 4.5-stars out of 5 on Amazon. People like it for its rich and immersive display, as well as for the value-for-money proposition.
4. Sceptre C355W-3440UN Curved UltraWide Monitor
- Resolution: 3440×1440 | Panel Size: 35-inches | Panel Type: VA
- Curved: Yes | VESA Mount: Yes
- Ports: 2 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort
Do you want a monitor that you can use as a work monitor and a gaming monitor? If yes, you might want to say Hi to the Sceptre C355W-3440UN. Though it doesn’t have a USB-C port, you can bridge the gap using a USB-C to DisplayPort cable to reap the full benefits. It’s a mid-range gaming monitor with a WQHD display. One of this monitor’s striking features is the pronounced curvature of 1500R, which gives an immersive wraparound effect. For the record, this Sceptre monitor bundles a VA panel partly responsible for the good viewing angle.
The picture quality is decent, resulting in vivid and rich colors though they are not as punchy as IPS displays. You also get your hands on a 100Hz refresh rate, meaning smoother graphics and the likes.
This one doubles as an excellent office monitor. People love how it pairs easily with the MacBook Pro. However, some people have reported some issues with the wake-up feature. Nevertheless, you can have multiple windows open side-by-side.
On the ergonomic front, things look a tad disappointing though. You can’t adjust the height, or swivel the head. Picture-wise, it covers 92% of the sRGB color gamut.
The connections are also pretty decent. You get the DisplayPort advantage and the apart from the dual HDMI connections. Aforementioned, this one lacks USB ports.
Productivity All the Way
Apart from the above, there are a couple of other monitors which are worth checking out. For example, the LG 29WN600-W is also a worthy pick if you do not want to spend too much on a mere monitor. The resolution is a step-down. However, it plays well with MacBooks Pros and the MacBook Air.
The 29-inch panel size proves to an apt replacement for the small screen of your laptop on the upside.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
This post was written by Namrata Gogoi and was first posted to Guiding Tech
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