When you’re looking for the best 4k monitor, you need to make sure you’re buying the right one. Many 4k monitors are made for gaming, which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be great for casual and business you too.
And evem though many people choose a Macbook for its portability, when you’re at home, it’s best to use your laptop with a good monitor. It’s much better for your posture, and having the ability to use 2 or more screens is something you should take advantage of.
Finding a 4K monitor that works well with your Macbook Pro or Air isn’t particularly difficult either – there are a wide array of different options out there for you to choose from. So, let’s look at some of the best 4K monitors for Macbooks.
Best 4K Monitor for Macbook Pro & Air
| Product | Image | Screen Size | Resolution | Get More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LG UHD 24UD58 |  | 24 inch | 3840 x 2160@144Hz | Check Price |
| Philips 328E1CA |  | 31.5 inches | 3840 x 2160@75Hz | Check Price |
| Lenovo L28u-30 |  | 28 inches | 3840x2160@75Hz | Check Price |
| HP v28 |  | 28 inch | 3840x2160@60Hz | Check Price |
LG UHD 24UD58
Resolution: 3840x2160p | Refresh Rate: 144 Hz | Response Time: 5 milliseconds | Screen Size: 24 inch | Brightness: Ansi Lumens | Connectivity: 2xHDMI, Displayport
The truth is that not every 4k monitor is going to be good for gaming, and not every monitor that’s suited to gaming will be the best option to use with a Macbook Pro either. There are different things about each monitor which make them good or bad for each circumstance.
But for the Macbook Pro, it’s going to be difficult to find a monitor better than the LG 24UD58. Although it has a fast refresh rate when connected to a computer, you’ll be able to get a 30Hz refresh rate when you connect it to your Macbook. This is going to be fine for working on your Mac throughout the day, and even watching videos or films in the evening too.
The most important thing that we’re really looking for from a monitor is that quality of its overall display. This monitor provides total clarity and you’ll easily be able to see fine text and anything else you need to on this monitor. It’s a big jump up in quality in comparison to using a 1080p monitor.
We all know the screen of a Macbook is pretty impressive itself, and it is also capable of producing some beautiful colours. This monitor manages to match that of the Macbook, and manages to produce vibrant and deep colours of it’s own. And, it’s just as good for gaming as it is for working too, so you can use it for multiple things if necessary.
You can connect your Macbook to this device with either a HDMI cable (it has 2 HDMI ports) or via displayport connection too. For it’s price which is pretty reasonable when you consider all it has to offer, it’s the best 4k monitor that you can currently buy.
Pros
Cons
Verdict: In terms of the best monitors for Macbook, this LG UHD 24UD58 is definitely a good investment. It is a high end monitor for a reasonable price.
Philips 328E1CA
Resolution: 2160p | Refresh Rate: 75 Hz | Response Time: 4 milliseconds | Screen Size: 31.5 inch | Brightness: Ansi Lumens | Connectivity: HDMI, Displayport
Whilst the first LG monitor that I mentioned is pretty great, it’s quite a small monitor. This might not be suitable for some people, and you might be looking to completely transform your workspace with a large widescreen monitor.
If this is what you’re looking to do, then checking out the Philips 328E1CA is a good idea. It’s a widescreen 31.5 inch monitor, perfect for anyone who wants a large monitor to use with their Macbook. It has a slightly curved display, which actually helps to make it feel even larger than it already is.
One of the main reasons why people are looking for a monitor is that their current one isn’t great for your eyes. If you have problems with smaller screens or looking at them for long hours, this could be a good resolution. The curvature of the screen allows you to move your eyes less around the screen, as it’s designed to reduce eye strain.
Another reason why this monitor is good for those that suffer from eye strain is that it uses flicker free technology. This effectively eliminates all flickering from your monitor, which is just one thing that tends to cause problems for some folk.
Other positive thing about this monitor includes its speakers, which are of a good quality for inbuilt speakers, and its stylish design. If you need a large monitor to get all of your work done on your Macbook, then this would be the perfect addition to your work setup.
Pros
Cons
Verdict: If you like a lot of screen real estate, this is one of the best ultrawide monitors on the market.
Lenovo L28u-30
Resolution: 2160p | Refresh Rate: 75 Hz | Response Time: 4 milliseconds | Screen Size: 28 inch | Brightness: Ansi Lumens | Connectivity: HDMI, VGA
So, what if you want something in-between an ultrawide monitor and a small monitor? Well, you’ll probably want to check out something like this Lenovo L28u-30, which is a competent 28 inch monitor, ideal for spending long hours of the day at your Macbook. Although designed to be suitable for gaming too, its refresh rate makes it more suitable for working.
One of the good things about the design of this monitor is that it uses a tilted stand, which you can easily adjust to suit your own preference. This is ideal for those who might spend time working at a sit/stand desk, as you’ll easily be able to adjust the screen to whatever your position is.
Another important thing that this monitor provides is an IPS display. IPS stands for in plane switching, and essentially this will ensure that the monitor will deliver a high quality image with vivid colours, whilst enabling you to see it from different angles easier too.
Oh, it’s also worth mentioning that this monitor has blue light filtering as well. If you ever stay up late working on your laptop then struggle to get to sleep straight away when you’ve finished working, blue light could be the reason. Eliminating blue light can definitely help you to get a better nights sleep.
So for a mid-priced and mid-sized 4k monitor perfect for using with an Apple laptop, then this Lenovo L28u-30 is a good investment.
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Another excellent 4k display that has a very well finished design and is ideal for daily use.
HP v28
Resolution: 2160p | Refresh Rate: 60 Hz | Response Time: 1 milliseconds | Screen Size: 28 inch | Brightness: Ansi Lumens | Connectivity: HDMI, VGA
Another 28 inch 4K monitor which is one of the better models out there is the HP v28. This brand have made some good monitors for those looking to save some cash, and this model is a fairly reasonable price too. This monitor has a very fast 1ms response time, which you would think makes it suited to gaming. But, that’s not all that it’s good for.
The AMD FreeSync Technology that this monitor uses is ideal for anyone who works in video editing or something similar – it is able to produce some great visuals without any jumping or skipping. Combining this with the low response time gets rid of any kind of motion blur from any videos you may be editing.
This is quite a slimline monitor, and it’s definitely one of the better looking options you can choose. It doesn’t use a great deal of power, and it’ll be the perfect choice as a second monitor for your Macbook Pro. It also works to emit as little blue light as possible.
The downside is that you don’t get any sort of adjustability with this monitor, so you might need to pick up a stand to go with it. But in terms of performance, it’s definitely a pretty good choice.
Pros
Cons
Verdict: For those looking for a reliable monitor for your home office, you’ll struggle to find anything better than this HP v28.
Common Questions about 4K Monitors
How many Pixels is a 4k monitor?
The difference between a standard 1080p monitor and a 4k monitor is that a 4k monitor has 4x the amount of pixels. A typical 1080p monitor has 1920×1080 pixels, which amounts to 2,073,600 pixels altogether across your display.
However with a 4k resolution, you have 3840×2160 pixels on your screen. This means that in total, a 4k monitor has 8,294400 pixels across its entire display. This will make the image on your monitor look a lot more detailed in comparison.
Do you really need a 4k monitor?
Whilst you might not technically “need” a 4k monitor, they’re definitely not a bad investment. They do have a much higher quality than your standard 1080p monitor. Plus, in 5 years it’s likely that 4k will be the norm then. So by getting a 4k monitor now, you’re future-proofing your monitor, and it’ll be good for a long time.
What is considered a 4k monitor?
What we consider to be a 4k monitor is generally when it has the pixels 3,840 x 2,160 – this is 3840 pixels in terms of width, and 2160 in terms of height. It’s named 4k because 3840 is almost 4k. You will also find some displays with 4,096 x 2,160, which is also referred to as 4k.
How do I choose a 4k monitor?
When you’re going to buy a 4k monitor, there are also some other things that you’re going to want to consider. Other things to consider are the size of your monitor, its refresh rate, the brightness of your monitor, its aspect ratio and a few other things too. You can also look at whether the monitor is curved for your benefit, and what type of panel it uses (IPS, VA etc).
Is 4k better for reading?
All you’re going to get with a 4k monitor is a higher resolution, giving you a more detailed picture. If you sit quite close to the screen you’re using, then yes, it’s probably going to be a bit better for reading than using a lower resolution monitor. But you’re unlikely to see a dramatic difference when it comes to reading text.
Is a 4k monitor bad for your eyes?
For some reason, people seem to think that a 4k monitor might be worse for your eyes than a standard monitor. I’m not sure if this theory has come around because of their brightness or what, but it’s definitely not the case. A 4k monitor is not going to be worse for your eyes than a lower resolution monitor – if anything, it’s going to be an advantage!
Conclusion
Overall, there is a good variety of different sized 4k monitors here for you to choose from. Try not to look at the refresh rate too much, because this is unlikely to be a major factor if you’re going to be connecting the monitor to your Macbook Pro. The most important thing is a high quality screen, which all of these monitors offer.
