How To Choose Monitor For Your Home Office ?
In a changing job market, the home office is already common practice in some companies and is an effective medium to a long-term problem in almost all others.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has once again pushed this development to the top of the agenda and quickly made the home office a priority.
Practically every business had no choice but to drive home office arrangements speedily and unexpectedly to an extent and at speed no one ever anticipated.
Still, experts expect there to be lasting effects on the spread and acceptance of the home office even after the pandemic has ended.
However, while you may do without a proper desk, it’s hard to be efficient and productive at home when trying to navigate through many programs, tabs, and documents on one screen.
Luckily, there’s an easy way to upgrade your new home office – with a quality computer monitor. You can even go double down and get two for a correct setup of two monitors.
Features To Consider Before Choosing Monitors for the Home Office
Do you want to be able to work from home more often? Make sure your monitor setup is as comfortable at home as it is in the office.
This will allow you to work efficiently and productively from home. You probably haven’t selected your monitor yourself at work, so what are you looking for in a monitor for your home office?
Setting up a home office often requires creative use of space, and when it comes to an office, a makeshift solution can work to some extent.
The number of surfaces that can become an “office” is quite impressive and even potentially effective.
The same can’t be said to grab an old screen and turn it into a computer screen. Many factors need to be considered for compatibility issues with ports on a computer to the dynamic range of the displayed source material.
As a home office essential, an adequately calibrated PC monitor is critical to success.
The ability to free up windows from overlap, space to immediately access resources without having to navigate tabs is perhaps the most significant boost you can give to your productivity.
So when it comes to picking out your new display, here are some basic specs for you to know about monitors:
- Get a minimum resolution of 1080p.
- Consider a starting size of 27 inches.
- For better image accuracy, go for an IPS panel if possible.
Ultimately, however, the tool must be suitable for the job. Whether it’s a creative pro concerned about color gamut or an after-work gamer obsessed with response rate, someone looking for something ultra-wide or ultra-portable, there is a monitor for each use case.
By listing five crucial things, I’ll tell you what to look for before choosing a monitor for your home office:
- Screen size and size
- Adjustable, swivel, and tilt
- Appearance and design
- Brightness and blue light filter
- Accessories
Screen size and size
Ask yourself two questions when starting to search for a monitor for your home office:
How big should your monitor be?
What kind of software are you using?
You choose a size based on your choice and how you use your computer at work. Do you often work with data programs and spreadsheets?
Do you work with audiovisual material? Then a 27-inch screen is a convenient option. This will give you a good overview of all your data and images.
Opt for two monitors or an UltraWide monitor if you often work with several programs simultaneously. An UltraWide monitor is a large screen that fits multiple windows.
Adjustable, swivel, and tilt
Like in the office, you will need to adjust your monitor to your sitting position if you want to work from home. Put in mind your usage situation and your posture while working.
Do you work continuously for long periods?
While working, do you need to tilt your monitor?
Good working posture is essential, especially if you are working continuously for long periods. Choosing an adjustable monitor is very important if you have an administrative job that you do from home.
Choose a monitor that you can adjust in different ways so that you have the proper posture. Consider tilting your monitor, changing its height, rotating it on its stand, and turning it a quarter of a turn.
This makes it easier to read long blocks of text on your vertical screen. Is your working day over, or is it time to take a break? Readjust your monitor and watch a relaxing YouTube video.
Looks and design
Have you selected several monitors that match your measurement and fit needs? Next, take a look at the screen design:
- Screen edges (glasses)
- Color
- Equipment
Of course, you want your monitor to fit perfectly into your home office or living room. Monitors with thinner edges are less noticeable and can be placed next to each other.
A thin edge in the middle of the duo configuration will not be annoying. The other part of your screen is the stand. These are ready in different colors and designs, ranging from angular to round shape.
You can directly see the profile of your monitor through the assortment. Are you looking for an exclusive design? Get a curved monitor.
Brightness and blue light filter
Depending on where you will place your monitor, you choose one with higher or lower brightness. It is easier to read from a screen with high luminance in well-lit spaces.
- A screen of 250 candelas / m² is sufficient for less bright spaces.
- A screen of 300 to 250 candelas / m² is recommended for well-lit spaces.
The luminance of a 250 candela per square meter-monitor is bright enough for less lighted spaces. Is direct sunlight shining in your home office? Choose a screen with a brightness of 300-350 candelas for easy reading.
Monitors’ having blue light filters has two main advantages.
- Less fatigue for your eyes
- Reduces the risk of sleep problems from blue light
A blue filter is a valuable addition. If you’re working late at night to meet your deadlines, you don’t want your monitor light to give you trouble sleeping.
A built-in blue light filter moderates the blue tones of your monitor. This prevents tired eyes and sleep problems.
Accessories
Have you chosen the perfect monitor for your home office? It means you are almost done. Now you only need a keyboard and mouse to control your computer.
Other accessories like a footrest can improve your working posture. A docking station is a valuable accessory if you are using a laptop computer.
It allows you to connect your laptop to your monitor with just one cable. Make sure you choose a suitable video cable for your laptop or desktop.
Monitor Size for Home Office Work: What Other Computer Monitor Features and Specifications Should I Give Thought To?
Other features of a computer’s display that contribute to producing excellent images and visual output should also be considered when purchasing monitors for the home office.
Remember that some of these features are not as important as screen size, resolution, and type. It is therefore preferable not to base your decision on these elements.
- Aspect ratio
For home office monitors, we highly recommend choosing a 21: 9 aspect ratio model as it offers a lot of content and is perfect for office-related tasks.
Another great alternative is 16:10, which provides a somewhat larger vertical that is excellent for viewing multiple documents simultaneously.
- Brightness level
Standard monitor brightness is about 300 cd / m2. You may need to sort a monitor with extra luminance if your office is in a well-lit room or set up next to large windows.
As a general rule of thumb, as long as the luminance level reaches 250 cd / m2, your monitor will be ideal for extended viewing without risking eye fatigue.
- Contrast ratio
Choose a monitor with a more higher contrast ratio because the colors will be more differentiated.
- High dynamic range
HDR is a recent feature added to newer models of computer monitors, but not as crucial.
If your monitor doesn’t have the level of brightness needed to optimize HDR functionality, there won’t be much improvement in the overall visuals.
- Refresh rate
Do you want smoother movement on your desktop? Consider buying a monitor with excellent refresh rates – that is, how often a monitor updates images on the screen.
Unless you’re using your home office PC for gaming, this shouldn’t be as important in your buying decision.
- Viewing angle
Viewing angle is another feature you should consider when purchasing a brand new PC monitor. If you want a monitor that allows you to see images from different angles, choose a model with a 170 degree viewing angle.
These tips will surely help you go for the perfect size and model for your home desktop computer. Again, the size is just one.
Conclusion
A monitor can make a huge difference in your new work-from-home setup. It offers more screen space than your laptop and could make a massive difference to your comfort and posture.
Instead of hunching over a laptop, whether at the kitchen table or, worse yet, on the couch, a computer screen brings whatever you’re working on (or watching or playing).
But, like buying a TV, there are a lot of options to give thought to. What you eventually buy will depend on your budget and space limitations, but also what you intend to use the screen for and what features you prioritize over others.