The 6 Best Monitors For MacBook Pro And MacBook Air - Summer 2024 Reviews

The Apple Studio Display is the best monitor for MacBook Pro that we've tested. It's one of two monitors available from Apple, as it's the lower-end version of the Apple Pro Display XDR, which is meant for professional content creators. While the Studio Display has fewer features than the Pro Display XDR, like the lack of HDR, it's still a great monitor, especially for casual content editing. It has exceptional accuracy before calibration thanks to its outstanding sRGB mode, which you can only access with a macOS device. It also delivers high pixel density thanks to its 5k, 27-inch screen, and text looks incredibly sharp.

The Studio Display has an impressive selection of additional features, including a built-in webcam and microphone. It also includes four USB-C ports, but only one supports Thunderbolt 3 to display a video signal from your laptop. Lastly, you can get it in different variants, as you can get the standard tilt-only stand, a height-adjustable stand, or one without a stand if you want to mount it. You can also choose between a glossy or matte screen finish, and regardless of which screen finish you choose, it doesn't have issues in a well-lit room as it gets very bright.

If you like working with multiple windows opened simultaneously, an ultrawide display like the Dell U4025QW is a good alternative to the Apple Studio Display. It has different features than the Apple monitor, as it doesn't have a webcam or mic, and it has a lower 5120x2160 resolution, which means that it has lower pixel density, but it still delivers very sharp text. It doesn't get as bright as the Apple monitor in SDR either, which means it isn't as good to use in a bright office space, but it's still fine if you have a few lights around.

However, it has a few advantages over the Apple monitor because it supports HDR, and its 40-inch screen has a wide 21:9 aspect ratio, so there's plenty of space to open multiple windows at once. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate, making the screen more responsive when scrolling through data or documents. Its impressive connectivity makes it great to use with MacBooks, as it supports Thunderbolt 4. The primary USB-C port delivers power to keep MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros charged while you're working. It also has a KVM switch and Picture-by-Picture mode, which is great if you want to connect multiple devices simultaneously.

If you don't like ultrawide displays or simply prefer something cheaper than the Apple Studio Display, check out the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx. With a much smaller screen than the Dell U4025QW, it isn't as good for multitasking and doesn't support Thunderbolt either. Instead, it supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, which has less bandwidth than Thunderbolt but still delivers 90W of power to charge most MacBooks. Besides these small differences, it's an excellent overall monitor that delivers great picture quality. It gets extremely bright and has good reflection handling, so content is easy to see even in a very bright room.

Its extremely accurate sRGB mode makes it an excellent choice for content creation and editing. Additionally, HDR is good thanks to its Mini LED local dimming, so content looks bright and vibrant. It also has excellent ergonomics, so you can easily adjust the screen to an ideal position, which is great for sharing your screen with others. However, if you have trouble finding this monitor in your region, you can also check out the Dell U2723QE, another reliable option with a massive USB hub. Unfortunately, it has worse picture quality than the Acer, especially in HDR.

If you want something simpler and don't want to spend a ton of money on the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx, the Dell S2722QC is a great choice to get as a lower mid-range monitor, and it often goes on sale. While it has great brightness, it doesn't get nearly as bright as the Acer, so it isn't as well suited to very bright rooms. It also lacks a local dimming feature like the Acer, so HDR content looks worse, particularly in dark rooms, as blacks look gray. Also, its USB hub delivers only 65W of power, which isn't enough power for most MacBook Pros. However, it can still charge your MacBook Air while you're using it, and it has two USB-A ports if you want to charge or connect other devices.

Besides that, the high 4k resolution helps deliver crisp images, and even though it doesn't have a dedicated sRGB mode like the Acer, it still has decent accuracy before calibration if you want to use it for casual photo editing. Though it works well with macOS, there are some reports online of people experiencing flicker with M1 Macs, which could get distracting if you experience this issue.

If you're looking for a budget monitor for your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, check out the AOC Q27G3XMN. It has excellent HDR image quality and amazing gaming performance, though it has some disadvantages. It has worse viewing angles than the Dell S2722QC, so it's more difficult to share work with a colleague, and it has a lower resolution display, so text and images don't look as sharp. It also has no USB-C ports, so you'll need to charge your laptop and connect to the monitor with separate cables.

However, you may prefer the AOC if you're using the monitor for watching videos, playing games, or creating content. It has far better contrast than the Dell, so you can see deep blacks next to bright highlights in a dark room, and highlights get bright enough to pop when watching HDR videos. It also displays a far wider range of colors in HDR, so images look more vivid and life-like. Additionally, the AOC has a much higher refresh rate and far better motion handling than the Dell, so it's a much better choice if you plan on gaming with your MacBook Pro.

If you don't want to spend too much money, consider an entry-level model like the Dell G2724D, which you can buy directly through Dell's website. It's a great entry-level monitor, but it's not as good as the more expensive AOC Q27G3XMN. It doesn't get bright enough for highlights to pop, and deep blacks appear far more gray in a dark room. It also has far less vivid colors, but that's what you can expect with a cheaper display.

However, the Dell still works very well with the MacBook Pro. It's very accurate before calibration and gets bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room, so it works well if you want to edit photos or videos in SDR. It also has a high refresh rate and fast response time, so fast-moving games look crisp. Additionally, it displays a more consistent image from the sides than the AOC, so it's a better choice if you frequently share work with colleagues.