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Best Monitors for Excel

Denis Leskovets
Denis Leskovets

Productivity Optimization Geek

man working in excel spreadsheet with dual monitors

Excel and spreadsheet apps have become a cornerstone for many jobs, whether you’re working in data science, data entry, or simple clerical work. Heck, I spent two years deep in the spreadsheet trenches myself as a data analyst.

We’ll be covering some of the best monitors for Excel work, as well as what features to look out for in the ideal display. Not everyone has the budget for a top-tier monitor with many features. 

Our expert-picked list is targeted at the top features based on specific price points to better your experience with something you’ll use every day, making it an investment in your spreadsheet workflow.

Best 32-Inch Monitors for Excel

These large displays are on the larger side, but they tend to offer the best screen real estate for single display setups and additional features such as higher resolution or ergonomic stands.

Best 32-Inch 4K Monitor for Excel

Best For: Running multiple Excel windows at once

LG 32UP83A-W

If you’re looking for the best Excel monitor, LG’s display is the pinnacle of a productivity monitor, offering fantastic screen real estate as well as sharp visuals.

The large size of this display paired with its 4K resolution allows you to fit sprawling spreadsheets on screen. Multitasking between multiple spreadsheets or data sources is a breeze thanks to the large screen real estate. The 4K resolution makes text sharp and readable, which is good when you’re bombarded with text in a complex spreadsheet.

This display also offers good connectivity for those who have multiple devices. It provides four different display inputs and two USB ports. However, these ports are not a KVM switch.

LG opted to include an ergonomic stand with this panel. Not only does it offer height and tilt adjustment, but the display can also pivot to a portrait mode for easy research and report consumption.

What We Love

Pairing four display inputs with two USB ports lets you declutter your desk and transform your desk into a multimedia centerpiece.

This panel’s 4K resolution makes text sharp to read without any need for font scaling.

Things To Consider

Some users report issues with bad panels, including dead pixels or backlight bleed.

Whites can appear yellowish, and some colors may look oversaturated if you don’t calibrate this display.

Best Budget 32-Inch 2K Monitor for Office Work

Best For: Running multiple Excel windows at once

LG 32QN600-B

If you’re looking for just a big, 32-inch panel for just the Excel workflow essentials and without breaking the bank, we suggest LG’s budget display. Note that you will give up 4K resolution, but this panel will provide a comparable experience to our previous pick.

The 2K resolution still makes spreadsheets clear and readable, thanks to its size. This makes it a considerable improvement over those still working with 1080p displays. It also includes an above-average refresh rate for those who want to play games after work.

LG seemed to keep this panel budget because of a lack of connectivity solutions. It offers two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort, with no additional USB ports and the ergonomics are lacking with the included stand. Plus, owners have reported the stand is shaky and unstable, but these aren’t common complaints.

For those creating reports, such as data scientists or analysts, this panel offers excellent color accuracy to make your data points stand out in Tableau. The display provides a 99% sRGB color gamut making these colors stay true across any device.

What We Love

LG managed to fit a perfect middle point here, with a reasonable refresh rate and 2K resolution without breaking the bank.

This panel offers 99% sRGB color accuracy, making colors pop and consistent across other devices.

Things To Consider

The included stand not only lacks ergonomics, but it feels cheap and can wobble often.

Several users have reported dead pixels or bad panels within a few months of purchase.

Best 27-Inch Monitors for Excel

This size makes a perfect dual-monitor setup or a simple no-frills approach. Displays at this size tend to work well at any resolution, making it work for most budgets.

Best 27-Inch 4K Monitor for Excel

Best For: Excel users who want the sharpest resolution

Dell S2722QC

Dell brings us a sharp display and packs several features in a smaller panel size. Not only does it offer a sharp 4K resolution, but it’s also got a faster-than-average 8ms response time.

This monitor comes with excellent connectivity, a powered USB-C port for MacBooks or charging devices, and two USB 3.0 ports. Yet Dell opted for two HDMI ports over any DisplayPort options.

The ergonomic stand also includes pivot support, for those who prefer their display in portrait mode. Data scientists who need to write SQL queries or analysts who need to read reports can make the text clearer and visually appealing.

There seem to be issues with this display and Mac products. Several users have mentioned the screen has flickering issues thanks to Mac’s Variable Refresh Rate option, which attempts to raise the refresh rate beyond what this panel can support.

They also opted to include a pair of 3w speakers in this panel, yet they aren’t stellar, and should only be used if you need a backup speaker for Zoom calls or brief videos.

What We Love

Dell’s included stand offers all essential ergonomic options, including 90° pivot.

The size and ergonomic stand make this great for a dual-monitor setup, with one portrait mode for text consumption and the other landscape for spreadsheets and Tableau.

Things To Consider

Users have reported issues with this panel having flicker issues on newer Mac devices, most likely due to Apple’s variable refresh rate setting, which can be adjusted in MacOS.

There are a surprising amount of concerns around this monitor having some strange buzzing noises, either from the USB-C port or the speakers.

Best Mid-Grade 27-Inch 2K Monitor for Excel

Best For: Excel users who want the best value

Acer Nitro XV272U

Anyone looking to make vibrant reports will be pleased with Acer’s budget option. Educators, data journalists, and data analysts can create stellar color-accurate reports with this display’s 130% sRGB color gamut, making these colors pop on any device your reader has. Whether you’re using Microsoft Power BI, PowerPoint, or Cognos, colors will pop and help your charts reach their audience.

While this panel is only 2K over 4K, it does sport the highest refresh rate in any of our options so far. This makes it excellent for those who might want to blow off some steam after work with some gaming or for a home office multimedia center.

However, it seems that Acer has dropped the ball with quality control on these monitors. Several users have reported dead pixels, light bleed, and brightness issues.

What We Love

2K resolution plus a 144Hz refresh rate makes this panel excellent for just about anything you throw at it.

This panel offers 1 DisplayPort, 2 HDMI Ports, and 4 USB 3.0 ports for the ultimate connectivity package.

Things To Consider

Users report many issues with their panels suffering from dim brightness or dead pixels within a few months of purchase.

Best Budget 27-Inch 1080p Monitor for Excel

Best For: Excel users who need a budget workhorse

HP M27ha

If you need a straightforward monitor without any frills, this is it. It’s got some pretty basic connectivity options with an HDMI and DisplayPort input, but it at least includes a VGA import for those who may be working with older machines.

One of the downsides of 27-inch displays is that the 1080p resolution can sometimes be too low for detailed work. If you position yourself too close to this panel, you might experience some blurriness when reading emails in Outlook or working with more extensive spreadsheets in Excel.

This panel even includes an ergonomic stand, even going so far as to include pivot functionality. This makes it a good side panel to a primary monitor for text consumption.

There aren’t a lot of positives for a panel like this, as this is a budget display. At this price point, it’s not a bad display option for the bare essentials. Just don’t expect to push this beyond web surfing and Microsoft Office applications.

What We Love

HP managed to include a stellar ergonomic stand that includes 90° pivoting.

This is an excellent price for a panel this large, offering a lot of screen space for this price point.

Things To Consider

Text might be blurry and pixelated at this resolution if you’re too close to your display.

Because this is a budget option, there aren’t any extra features that you might be looking for, such as USB hubs or multiple HDMI inputs.

Best Ultrawide Monitor for Excel

Ultrawide monitors have been on the market for a few years now and have only recently become more affordable. While you might not be able to fit a dual monitor display with these, the size on its own far outweighs the need for two screens.

Best 38-Inch Ultrawide Monitor for Excel

Best For: Power Excel users who need 3+ windows open side-by-side on one monitor

LG 38WN75C-B

For those who want the pinnacle of monitor sizes, this huge 38-inch ultrawide rocks a 2K resolution and an above-average 75Hz refresh rate.

Screens this large are great for multitasking, allowing you to keep multiple applications open without sacrificing screen space. Without feeling cluttered, you can easily have three or four windows open across Excel, Chrome, thinkorswim, and Visual Studio.

Multitaskers and those who need to keep those multiple applications open will want to use LG’s Screen Split software to utilize this large screen best. It allows you to resize each window and save them as a preset size for easy drag-and-drop while working.

However, it seems the included stand is not the greatest. While it may be ergonomic, it appears that several users have reported issues with it cracking or being too wobbly in everyday use.

What We Love

Ultrawide monitors are excellent for multitasking, and this display does not disappoint when paired with LG’s Screen Split.

This display makes everything look great thanks to its 2K resolution, above-average refresh rate, and 99% sRGB color gamut.

Things To Consider

Some users have reported issues with the included stand cracking under light use or being unstable.

A dual monitor setup is not ideal at this size unless you have a lot of desk space.

No 24-Inch Monitor Picks?

We don’t recommend monitors smaller than 27 inches for working in spreadsheets because of their size. They often are too small to get a good picture of things at a glance, and it’s much more difficult to multitask.

If you absolutely must have a 24-inch display for excel, we recommend the HP 24mh due to its price and great visuals. Also, consider that you’re better off with a dual-monitor display at this size.

Dual Monitors For Spreadsheet Productivity

Working with dual monitors is proven to increase productivity, which rings especially true while working with spreadsheets. Being able to swap between your data set and your spreadsheet quickly or to create reports while viewing your sources can save time in the long run. It may be a steeper cost upfront, but this is an investment that more than makes up for it in multitasking.

Points to Consider Before Buying an Excel Monitor

There are always some considerations you’ll need to weigh before biting the bullet on a new display, especially one used most often for spreadsheet work.

What type of activity will the monitor be used for apart from Excel?

If you’re sticking to Microsoft Office apps or other office software, you don’t need high refresh rates or color accuracy. High resolution is usually a must, as it makes text sharper and easier to read.

What ergonomic features do you need?

Most professionals spend an average of six and a half hours a day behind a computer screen. This rings true for data scientists and analysts, who may be spending long hours working on reports. Having ergonomic features like height adjustment can reduce neck and eye strain, promoting better health overall.

What are your dealbreaker, must-have features?

Depending on your specific job’s needs, you may need specific features to create your best work.

If you create detailed, colorful reports, you should look for a high resolution and high sRGB color gamut. With those, details will look sharp, and colors will pop on your viewer’s screens.

Those who multitask often will want a larger screen with 4K resolution, which can then lead to deciding between traditional screens or ultrawides.

FAQ

Questions about monitors for Excel and spreadsheets? We have the answers.

In our opinion no unless you are a heavy multitasker. Ultrawides and other large curved displays aid users in being immersed in content consumption and gaming; they don’t offer much for the typical Excel user. Power users may want to think twice however.

In most cases, settling on a 2K or 4K display is going to be your best bet most of the time if you’re on a modern Windows or Mac machine. However, those who may be running on older corporate hardware may want to stick to 1080p, as Windows 8 and below often have issues with window scaling at high resolutions.

If you’re stuck in the office for long hours, eye strain can be a real problem. We recommend looking at our recommendations for the best monitors to reduce eye strain.

As a good rule of thumb, try the 20-20-20- rule:

Every 20 minutes, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

It depends on your desk space and your job duties outside of Excel. If you strictly work in Excel, you can more than likely get by with a 32-inch monitor. If you do a lot of multitasking, you may want a larger ultrawide or a set of dual monitors.

According to Ergotron, you should position yourself at least 20 inches away from your eyes, about your arm’s length. They also recommend having your monitor’s top bezel being no higher than your eye level.