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ultrawide computer monitor

The Truth About Curved Monitors for Productivity

Picture of Denis Leskovets
Denis Leskovets

Productivity Optimization Geek

Are you looking at curved monitors for productivity but not sure whether they’re the right choice for you?

These are sophisticated tools that work well for specific industries, but they don’t make sense for everyone.

Photographers who need to edit photos, videographers, film editors, and people in similar design-oriented roles benefit the most from curved monitors. 

People doing work with static material, like spreadsheets, won’t see as much value here. In short, curved monitors work well for anyone with the phrase graphic design in their job description.

Table of Contents

Ultrawide Curved Monitors for Productivity?

One thing that you need to do when considering ultra-wide curved monitors for productivity is to take the time to get used to them.

The monitor’s shape makes you view it in a particular manner, which takes some time to get used to.

Because of the screen’s curvature, straight lines don’t necessarily appear “straight” on a curved monitor until your brain gets used to the curved screen.

A curved monitor is an ergonomic improvement that might lead to greater productivity.

It boils down to this…

  1. How comfortable are you rotating your head?
  2. What type of work do you do?

If you are a creative professional or an avid multi-tasker, an ultrawide monitor might seriously boost your productivity.

Even top-of-the-line professionals like lawyers debate whether ultrawide curved monitors increase productivity. If so, by how much and at what cost?

Curvature Uniformity

Most curved screens are not entirely curved but instead have a curve in the middle, with their sides mainly flat or minimally curved.

The deeper the curve, the more immersive the experience.

Gamers benefit from screens with minimal curves, while people using text editors and similar applications should try a deeper curve.

We measure curves in monitors in R ratings, which are directly proportional to viewing distance.

High ratings indicate screens with low curvature and further optimal viewing distances, while low R ratings indicate greater curves and shorter viewing distances.

Most companies produce screens between 600R at the low end and 4000R at the high end.

Productivity

Curved monitors have several benefits for productivity, including less need to move the neck around and better performance when multitasking. 

This aspect is the focus of recent research, with studies showing that curved monitors maintain their productivity benefits at all sizes. 

In contrast, flat monitors get less effective as they get bigger.

Productivity bonuses are vital with the increasing popularity of technologies like virtual reality headsets, which rely on creating the most immersive environments possible for their users. 

Curved monitors are closer to the experience more people have with technology these days, making them more accurate on top of being more effective.

Field of View

Humans possess a curved field of view, covering about 114 degrees horizontally with the best resolution. 

We also have peripheral vision well outside this range, but for all practical purposes, the narrow cone directly in front of us is where we get the most value.

Curved monitors take advantage of this by adapting to fit our actual range of vision. Flat screens usually have blurry areas around the edges because they’re outside our main field of vision. 

Curved monitors try to stay within our field of view as much as possible, giving several more inches worth of clear and helpful space on the screen.

Eye Strain and Glare

The benefits of using ultra-wide curved monitors for productivity are more than just aesthetic. 

They have been proven to increase productivity because of less eye strain. It means that people who use them can work more comfortably and thus get more work done.

People who work in graphic design, photo retouching, and editing can benefit from using an ultra-wide curved monitor. 

After you get used to it, the curved screen will become more comfortable as long as you sit directly in front of it to avoid distortion from the edges.

The glare reduction is also valuable, especially if you’re working in graphic design and want to see colors as accurately as possible. 

Even a high-resolution monitor with excellent color detail can end up looking washed out or inaccurate if you have too much glare. 

Anything you can do to reduce that is valuable for image-oriented jobs.

Eye Strain and Glare

The benefits of using ultra-wide curved monitors for productivity are more than just aesthetic. 

They have been proven to increase productivity because of less eye strain. It means that people who use them can work more comfortably and thus get more work done.

People who work in graphic design, photo retouching, and editing can benefit from using an ultra-wide curved monitor. 

After you get used to it, the curved screen will become more comfortable as long as you sit directly in front of it to avoid distortion from the edges.

The glare reduction is also valuable, especially if you’re working in graphic design and want to see colors as accurately as possible. 

Even a high-resolution monitor with excellent color detail can end up looking washed out or inaccurate if you have too much glare. 

Anything you can do to reduce that is valuable for image-oriented jobs.

“Immersive”

Immersion is another expression used to describe the way one feels when using an ultra-wide curved monitor.

It’s true in the case of gaming, in which the screen does give you that immersive sensation, like being at the movies.

However, unless you plan to do a lot of gaming and film editing or graphic designing, do you need your PDF files to be immersive? How about Word or Excel files?

Immersion is a word often used when describing the features of these curved monitors, and it is true, but it depends on the needs you may have. In other words, too much of a good thing might not necessarily be bad for you, but a little excessive perhaps.

The immersive factor is crucial to gamers, and the creators of video games in the future will take this into account, designing even better experiences for gamers.

Things to Consider

The 21:9 aspect ratio is a term that describes the ultra-wide screens that lack black bars at the bottom and the top of the screen, and this means better panoramic viewing.

Ultra-wide curved monitors are an advancement from flat screens allowing people to multitask more effectively with all content on the same screen.

With flat monitors, people may need to put two monitors next to each other at different angles. 

Doing this reduces comfort and forces the brain to work harder at interpreting content coming in from unusual angles.

However, if you are planning on working on something using a curved monitor, it will take between ten days and two weeks for you to get used to it, and going back to the flat screen takes about that same amount of time. 

Be patient because your brain needs the time to adapt.

Our Top Pick for a Curved Ultrawide Monitor

LG 38WN95C-W

If after assessing all your needs and the benefits of an ultrawide curved monitor you decide to get one, the LG 38BN95C-W is worth its price. 

It has a 38″ screen, a refresh rate of 144 Hz, and it comes with a Thunderbolt 3 connectivity with a PD of 94W. This monitor is compatible with NVIDIA G-SYNC.

This screen has more space available for carrying out several tasks at the same time. 

You can divide the screen space in the same way people use several flat screens simultaneously, without all the hassle of the separation bezels and the cables. 

This model is convenient for this purpose because it has a Thunderbolt 3 that enables you to hook up all your devices in one single socket.

This ultra-wide screen offers a new level of color experience. 

Colors look real in all areas of the monitor with a broader color spectrum than others, making it very good for color retouching in expressing digital color contents more precisely.

The colors on the screen are clearer and brighter, which makes it ideal for the latest HDR games, images, and games.

One of the things that this curved ultra-wide monitor has to offer is Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C compatibility, which will give you excellent efficiency and productivity. 

You can charge up your laptop while the display is connected, although the charging is 94W.

This screen is NVIDIA-tested and enables the elimination of screen tearing, providing a smooth movie-like visual experience.

Gamers can benefit from this product because AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology permits a fluid viewing experience that eliminates tearing and stuttering of the image in your game.

Rendering is almost perfect with an IPS 1ms and a 144Hz refresh rate, making for precise and smooth video gaming. 

The quality of this is professional level for working with images and graphics and gaming, which requires very high levels.

Aside from the visual aspects, this ultra-wide curved monitor has two built-in speakers that are 5W and are enough for a small video studio, and you don’t need external speakers with these that offer a great bass sound.

The display can be divided into sections enabling an ergonomic workspace on the screen, and these spaces can be of any size allowing customization of the screen that you can do with a few clicks of your mouse.

The Flicker Safe mode inhibits the invisible flickering of the image, making texts look like they have been written on paper. 

This feature is relaxing for the reader and causes less eye strain. The 38BN95C-W has a light sensor that dims or brightens up depending on the light, making bright areas brighter and dark areas darker to create a better working experience.

The screen has an ergonomic design that allows the user to tilt it, swivel it or make it higher or lower to view it in ideal conditions. 

All of these features make this ultra-wide curved monitor a well-studied product that is a state-of-the-art element for work or leisure.

FAQs

Here are some common questions people have about curved monitors.

Is an ultrawide curved monitor better than dual monitors for productivity?

Ultrawide displays are an excellent tool for increasing productivity, but you don’t necessarily need these monitors for all computer activity.

Writing a text document, for example, doesn’t require an ultrawide monitor and can be enhanced by just using a dual monitor setup.

However, editing videos will be much more productive on an ultrawide monitor.

What are ultrawide curved monitors?

Ultrawide, curved monitors are those that provide a 21:9 aspect ratio. 

Conventional monitors only have a ratio of 16:9, which isn’t enough for many advanced operations, such as video gaming and video editing. 

The ultrawide monitor aspect ratio is comparable to that found in movie theaters. The curved feature makes these more ergonomic and easier to work with.

What is a dual monitor setup?

A dual monitor setup uses two traditional monitors connected to one computer to expand the screen’s real estate. 

Typically, the monitors have a standard 16:9 aspect ratio and resolutions up to 4K but can be somewhat limited in their graphics displays. 

They can also be more taxing on a computer’s graphics card.

Is it possible to use two ultrawide curved monitors?

Video editing software often requires a secondary display to work more efficiently. 

You can also enhance the video gaming experience with two ultrawide monitors.

Just like installing two conventional monitors is possible, most computers will accept two ultrawide monitors, but they might have an impact on the computer’s performance.