Accessories
Best External Monitors for Your MacBook Pro
These are the best monitors for your MacBook Pro. Whether you just started working from home or simply want to upgrade your productivity, adding an external monitor is something we recommend. You can quickly turn your MacBook Air into an entire work station or just enjoy a larger screen experience.
The displays below will work with all the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models from 2016 and beyond thanks to USB Type-C or Displayport.
The screen on Apple’s MacBook Pro is nice, but if you’re still using something like an older MacBook Pro 13-inch, you’ll want a bigger screen. I use a single 34-inch widescreen monitor instead of two monitors side-by-side, that way there aren’t any bezels in the way of my content. However, others might just want one huge screen so we’ve gathered some great options below.
Best Monitors for the MacBook Pro (2020)
- LG UltraFine 4K Display – $699
- Lenovo L24i IPS Display – $165
- LG 34-inch Ultrawide IPS Monitor – $379
- ViewSonic 27-inch USB-C Monitor – $350
- Dell U3419w Ultrasharp 34-Inch Curved Monitor – $877
- Samsung 850 Series 4K Work Monitor – $399
- LG 34-inch Curved Ultrawide IPS Display – $796
1. LG UltraFine 4K Display (24 or 27-inch)
If you don’t want to just upgrade to a bigger device like the new MacBook Pro 16 your best bet is an external monitor like the LG UltraFine 4K. Which, by the way, is the display that Apple recommends you pair with your Mac. With a 3840 x 2160 4K resolution your photos, videos, or games will come to life.
This monitor comes with a Thunderbolt 3 cable that provides up to 85W of charging power to your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, not to mention three USB-C ports. Additionally, there are two Thunderbolt ports you can use to hook-up a second screen so you have dual external monitors for your MacBook Pro. These screens have beautiful accurate colors, great sound, but they’re not cheap. If you want to go even bigger, Apple and LG offer a 27-inch 5K UltraFine monitor if you’d like.
2. Lenovo L24i IPS Display (24-inch)
The Lenovo L24i is an elegant, affordable, and slim monitor you can easily put almost anywhere to expand the desktop real estate of your MacBook. This is perfect for those that have limited space or a limited budget, yet don’t want to compromise too much. It still gives you a large 23.8-inch IPS monitor, but it’s only 1080p HD at this price point. However, the IPS panel should deliver accurate colors, great viewing angles, and it’ll even be good for gamers with a 4ms response rate.
Or, you could just get a 27-inch iMac and call it a day.
3. LG 34UM69G-B Ultrawide IPS Monitor (34-inch)
These days ultrawide monitors are all the rage and with good reason. They deliver tons of screen real estate that’s perfect for gaming or business users, all without taking a crazy amount of space up on your desk. And while I wish I waited for a fancy curved screen, the LG 34UM is the monitor I’m using to this day.
This is a big, wide, 34-inch Ultrawide IPS screen that looks simply stunning from any angle. I ditched my dual monitors turned upright into portrait mode, and oped for a widescreen and never looked back. You’ll love connecting this to your Mac thanks to HDMI, Displayport, USB-C and more. It’s a full-featured, fully wide monitor that won’t break the bank.
4. ViewSonic VG2755-2K Tilt USB-C Monitor (27-inch)
If you’re looking for an external monitor for your MacBook that’s the perfect middle ground of size, specs, and price this ViewSonic is for you. The ViewSonic VG2755 packs a decently large 27-inch 2k resolution screen and it’s under $400. It’s not too big, not too small, and still has a high resolution. You’re getting USB 3.1, USB-C, HDMI and DisplayPort options, so it’s highly versatile. Plus, it has a 40-degree tilt option that’ll help with ergonomics making it perfect for your office, or working from home.
5. Dell U3419w Ultrasharp Curved Monitor (34-inch)
Dell makes some of the best monitors around, and if you love the idea of the ultrawide screen from LG but want something that’s better quality for work AND play, get this. The Dell U3419 is a fully curved 34-inch Ultrawide screen that’s part of the Dell high-end “Ultrasharp” family of displays. Better yer, the U3419 has a USB-C out that delivers 90w of power, that way you can fully charge your MacBook safely right from the monitor and cut down on unnecessary cables.
It’s still an IPS display, so everything looks great, but the curve helps deliver better viewing angles, sharp crisp colors, less glare, and is just better overall. If you can afford you’ll love everything this display has to offer.
6. Samsung 850 4K Series Work Monitor (28-inch)
We can’t recommend a display for your MacBook without suggesting at least one Samsung. The company has a premium 850-series monitor that’s built for business users and will pair great with any Mac. The Samsung 850 packs a stunning 4k UHD resolution, USB-C, and tons of connectivity options. It even works with VESA mounts, too, if you want to buy more than one.
Not only does the Samsung 850 has a USB hub with HDMI, DisplayPort, and Mini DisplayPort inputs for peripherals and accessories, but we love the rotate function. This monitor works regularly, but can also turn completely up/down in portrait mode, perfect for reading documents. If you scroll a lot and don’t need a widescreen, give this a try. It’s also one of the best TAA compliant monitors for the Mac.
7. LG 34WL85C Curved Ultrawide IPS Display (34-inch)
Last but not least we wanted to recommend one more awesome ultrawide monitor, and this is the one I wish I waited for myself. The LG 34WL85C is a little more than LG’s other ultrawide screens, but that’s because this has a curved screen, tilt, and HDR10 with a beautiful 3440 x 1440 resolution. The edges wrap around your field of view delivering the best colors and picture quality, plus reduces glare all at the same time. It’s truly a wonderful monitor for gaming or doing heavy video editing.
LG added a neat Reading Mode for heavy workdays to go easy on your eyes, not to mention a “Black Stabilizer” option for when you switch from work to play and start watching Netflix movies with dark scenes. Basically, it can do a little bit of everything and it looks great doing it. Get this monitor for your Mac and enjoy all that it has to offer. Or, if money is no object try this 38-inch curved widescreen display.
In closing, find a monitor size, specs, and features that are right for you. If you plan on using your MacBook and the extended monitor for work or video editing, get a good IPS screen with great colors. If you’re a college student that wants to game and enjoy movies, that cheap LG widescreen would be a great choice. Choose what’s right for you and your budget.
