The best 4K curved monitors

4K curved monitors are smart bits of kit, taking advantage of the clarity of Ultra HD and the field of view provided by curved panels. To help you locate the best 4K curved monitor for you, we’ve collected together the best options into the guide below.

If you’re new to the world of 4K curved monitors, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about and whether such a buy is correct for you. To help get you up to speed, we’ve put together a quick guide to the pros of the technology. It’s explained easiest as two separate parts:

What are the benefits of 4K UHD?

4K UHD refers to the resolution of a screen. A 4K screen has 3840x2160 pixels: four times that of standard Full HD (1920 x 1080). Because there are more pixels available, the display is far clearer and carrying vastly improved sharpness.

Such a large amount of pixels requires a large screen, which, in turn, means that there is more space for displaying. It's also at a greater clarity than can be achieved with Full HD - you can have a clearer image of more open windows.

Any negatives? There’s nothing negative about 4K UHD - the main issue is with input devices. To fully appreciate the power of 4K visuals, your hardware needs to be up to scratch.

What are the benefits of a curved monitor?

The general theory behind a curved screen is that the shape mirrors the curvature of human eyes, and thus provides a more natural viewing experience. As opposed to the unnatural flatness of standard monitors, curved monitors are celebrated for their immersive nature, and allowing users to take advantage of their peripheral vision.

As ViewSonic notes on its blog, human vision is based on length, width and height. Curved monitors “take advantage of all three dimensions” and increase peripheral vision. It looks good, and it’s also kinder on the eyes and can help reduce eye strain.

Not all curved monitors have the same curve - some are more acute than others. To find out more, head to the bottom of the page to our FAQ.

Any negatives? Due to the angles of a curved monitor, they need to be viewed front-on, with the image quality quickly dropping off if viewed from an angle. Curved monitors can also be disorienting for some creative and engineering applications, especially those dealing with straight lines - the curve can mislead some and affect accuracy.

A note on availability

There are not many curved 4k monitors on the market currently, though it is sure to grow as technology progresses. Many curved monitors are still sitting at 1080p or 1440p. Below, we’ve selected the best of a limited bunch, so naturally, there isn’t an overwhelming amount of choice. There are sure to be more options on the way.

However, to provide you with a little more choice, after our roundup of the best curved 4K monitors we have listed two alternative monitor options that may fulfil your monitor needs.

Here is our roundup of the best curved 4K monitors:

The best 4K curved monitors

The best alternatives to curved 4K monitors

FAQs

HDMI and DisplayPorts: explained

Port interfaces have a direct effect on the resolution and refresh rate attainable by a monitor. More recent iterations of the HDMI and DisplayPort interfaces can transfer increased volumes of information, allowing them to achieve higher refresh rates and resolutions.

Linking your gaming PC, PS5 or Xbox Series X to the correct port and with the right cable will ensure that your monitor performs at the peak of its powers. Here’s a quick guide breaking down the maximum refresh rates and resolutions for HDMI and DisplayPort connections:

HDMI 1.4 - 120Hz at 1080p, 75Hz at 1440p, 30Hz at 4K

HDMI 2.0 - 240Hz at 1080p, 144Hz at 1440p, 60Hz at 4K

HDMI 2.1 - 120Hz at 4K, 60Hz at 8K UHD

Note: Some manufactures use software to artificially raise the 120Hz at 1080p of HDMI 1.4 to 144Hz.

DP 1.2 - 240Hz at 1080p, 165Hz at 1440p, 75Hz at 4K

DP 1.3 - 240Hz at 1440p, 120Hz at 4K, 60Hz at 5K, 30Hz at 8K

DP 1.4 - 144Hz at 4K, 120Hz at 5K, 60Hz at 8K

Note: Mini DisplayPorts match the performance of their iteration. For example, Mini DP 1.3 and DP 1.3 offer the same capacities.

Curved monitor measurements: explained

The curvature of a monitor is reported as a radius measurement, measured in millimetres. Common examples of this include 1500R (i.e. 1500mm) and 1800R (i.e 1800mm). When using a curved monitor, this number indicates how far away from the monitor the user should sit, because the user becomes the centre point of this radius. Exceeding and undercutting this distance can result in a sub-par experience.

The larger the number, the gentler the curve, the further a user can sit from the screen. Here’s an infographic from ViewSonic that demonstrates further:

Why do I need a USB Type-C on a monitor?

Well, you might not! USB Type-C is just one of many methods for a desktop PC or laptop to connect to a monitor. While most will use HDMI, USB Type-C allows computers without HDMI output ports, like Apple Mac and Apple MacBooks, to connect to a monitor without needing an adapter.

What is colour gamut?

BenQ has a pretty succinct way of putting it: “...the range of colours which a particular device could produce or record.” There are different standards for measuring colour gamut, including sRGB, NTSC and P3.

Unless you have a special interest in colour representation - for example, photography, video, or creative projects - then the nitty-gritty of these standards are mostly irrelevant. Just aim for no less than 99% sRGB, and you’ll be fine.

What is refresh rate?

The refresh rate refers to how many times a screen completely reloads the display every second and is measured in Hertz (Hz). A 60Hz image will refresh 60 times a second, while a 120Hz screen will refresh 120 times. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the image – low refresh rates can make fast-paced content appear to drag, stutter and jolt. Non-specialists and non-gamers will be fine to stay around 60Hz.

What is VESA?

VESA is an industry-standard term referring to the distance in millimetres between four mounting holes on the back of a TV or computer monitor. The distance is measured horizontally and vertically.

Without VESA mounting points, your monitor is not going to be able to be mounted. If your monitor has four holes, positioned as though on the four corners of a square, then it’s likely mountable. If in doubt, check the monitor specification on the manufacturer's website.

For the huge majority of PC monitors, you will only need to know about VESA 75, which measures 75mm between each hole and VESA 100, which measure 100mm.

William Lobley is a Senior Content Writer and reviewer for WhatsTheBest, specialising in technology and outdoors. He also writes for Empire Online.

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