The 6 Best Monitors For MacBook Pro And MacBook Air - Fall 2023 Reviews

The Apple Studio Display is the best monitor for MacBook Pro that we've tested. It's a newer monitor than its main competitor, the LG UltraFine 5k. It's one of two Apple monitors considered cheaper alternatives to the Apple Pro Display XDR, an option targeted at professional editors. While the Studio Display has fewer features than the Pro Display XDR, like the lack of HDR, it's still a great monitor. It has exceptional accuracy before calibration thanks to its outstanding sRGB mode that you can only access with a macOS device. It also delivers high pixel density thanks to its 5k, 27-inch screen, meaning text looks incredibly sharp.

It has an impressive selection of additional features, including a built-in webcam and microphone. It also includes four USB-C ports, but only one of them supports Thunderbolt 3, as the three others charge your smaller devices, like a phone, as they only have 15W of power delivery. Lastly, you can get it in different variants by choosing the stand and screen finish you want. You can get the standard fixed 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 whichever screen finish you choose, you won't have issues using it in a well-lit room as it gets bright.

If you like working with multiple windows opened simultaneously, an ultrawide display like the LG 40WP95C-W can be a good alternative to the Apple Studio Display. It has fewer features than the LG, as it doesn't have a webcam or mic, and it isn't as bright either, but it supports HDR, and it's still a great monitor to use with a MacBook Pro. Its 40-inch screen has a wider 21:9 aspect ratio, so there's plenty of space to open multiple windows next to each other. It has a 5120x2160 resolution, so while its pixel density isn't as high as on the Apple monitor, text still looks very sharp.

Its impressive connectivity makes this great to use with the MacBook Pro, as it has two USB-C ports supporting Thunderbolt 4. They deliver 96W of power, enough to keep MacBook Airs and most MacBook Pros fully charged while you're working. It also has a Picture-by-Picture mode, which is great if you want to connect multiple devices simultaneously, like if you work on a Mac Mini and MacBook simultaneously.

If you don't like ultrawide displays or simply prefer something cheaper, check out the Dell U2723QE. With a much smaller screen than the LG 40WP95C-W, it isn't as good for multitasking, but you still get the same sharp text clarity thanks to its high pixel density. It has many features, like a massive USB hub with three USB-C ports. One of them supports DisplayPort Alt Mode with 90W of power delivery, enough to charge some MacBooks or at least keep the battery going while you're using it. Another USB-C port is used for the KVM switch, allowing you to control two sources with the same keyboard and mouse, which is helpful for productivity.

It has a dedicated sRGB mode that makes it excellent for content creators who don't want to calibrate their monitor. It also displays a wide range of colors in the sRGB and Adobe RGB color spaces, which is important if you work in those color spaces. If you find the 27-inch screen too small and want something bigger, the 32-inch Dell U3223QE is another alternative. Still, colors in HDR look undersaturated with that monitor, and it costs more for a minimal difference in performance.

If you want something more simple and don't want to spend a ton of money on the Dell U2723QE, the Dell S2722QC is a great choice to get as a lower mid-range monitor. It's a lower-end model than the U2723QE, so it has a smaller USB hub and one USB-C port supporting 65W of power delivery. While this isn't enough power for MacBook Pros, it can still charge your MacBook Air while you're using it, and it has two USB-A ports if you want to charge other devices. It works well with macOS, but there are some reports online of people experiencing flicker with M1 Macs that we didn't notice, which could get distracting if you notice this issue.

The high 4k resolution helps deliver crisp images, and the monitor has decent accuracy before calibration if you want to use it for casual photo editing. However, it doesn't have an sRGB mode like the U2723QE, so some colors look oversaturated in that color space. It also gets bright and has even better reflection handling than the U2723QE, so it's a great choice if you want to use it in a well-lit room.

If you're looking for a budget monitor for your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, check out the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV. It's harder to find 4k monitors with USB-C at a budget-friendly price, but there still are USB-C monitors available in this price range, although they have a lower resolution. That's the case with this monitor, as it has a lower 1440p resolution than the Dell S2722QC, and because of its lower pixel density, text isn't as sharp. However, it still features a USB-C port with 65W of power delivery, which is enough for a MacBook Air but not most MacBook Pros.

This monitor has incredible ergonomics, making it very easy to adjust to an ideal position. It's designed with content creators in mind, as it has an extremely accurate sRGB mode, so you won't have to calibrate it if you work in that color space. However, it doesn't support HDR, which is disappointing if you're a video editor and need HDR. If you want that, the Gigabyte M27Q is another 1440p alternative that supports HDR. However, its USB-C port is limited to 15W of power delivery, and some of its picture modes have problems with macOS.

If you want something cheap and don't want to spend much money, consider an entry-level model like the ASUS VG246H. It has fewer features than the ASUS ProArt Display PA278CV as it doesn't have a USB-C port, but that's what to expect for a cheaper display. It means you need to connect to it over HDMI; if your MacBook doesn't have an HDMI port, you'll need to get a USB-C to HDMI adapter. While it has a lower 1080p resolution than the PA278CV, the pixel density isn't that much lower, and the text clarity is decent.

Despite its price, it's still well-built with an incredibly ergonomic stand, making it easy to adjust to an ideal viewing position. It also has wide viewing angles that keep the image consistent from the sides, making it a great choice if you often need to share your screen with someone else. Although it's limited in extra features, it has an sRGB mode that results in great accuracy. Still, it locks most picture settings, so it's only beneficial if you need accurate colors for content creation using the sRGB color space.