Is a Curved Monitor Worth It? Pros and Cons

It is one of your first decisions during the customization of your workspace about which monitor you should select: a curved monitor or a flat one. Curved monitors were launched in the year of 2014 and are now trending these days and replacing Flat screen monitors.

These monitors are highly expensive as compared to other screens and cost more than 40% to 65% with those that have similar specifications. It has multiple benefits, but these do not suit best for every user. It is a good practice to do your homework before buying it and evaluate whether this monitor best fits your requirements or not.

A curved monitor, also known as a concave display, comes with a slightly curved screen that is designed to mimic the natural contours of the human eye. Gamers and other professional content creators are at great benefits, as they can improve their visual experience by adopting curved monitors.

These monitors offer a slight curve in their screen, which completely focuses on the natural curvature of the human field of view as the edges of the screen fill in our marginal vision. It allows our eyes to focus more on the center of the screen. These monitors offer a comfortable viewing experience to users. Users can use these Curved screens for a long period of time without causing any eye strain by providing a realistic and three-dimensional viewing experience. This suits best for those who spend long hours in front of a screen, such as content creators or gamers.

Note: We have also written about the Top 240Hz Monitors for Gamers; check out here!

Curved monitors suit best for those who want improved and realistic gaming experience and those who spend long hours at their computer like graphic designers, photographers, or content creators. Therefore, these are the pros and cons of using these monitors:

Pros of a Curved Monitor

1.  Improved 3D Experience

These monitors provide an exceptional three-dimensional visual experience as the screen is around the user’s field of view. These screens are designed in accordance to match the natural curvature of the spherical human eye which makes the visuals more comfortable for them. The light emitted from the screen is more concentrated towards the viewer.

This helps in reducing the need for moving your head and neck to get better views. These screens provide in-depth and improved perception by converting the images and other objects on the screen to more three-dimensional.

2.  Minimized Distortions

The corners of the screen are far away from the viewer’s eyes and then center in the Flat monitors, which results in slight distortion in the visuals. The Curved monitors minimize the image distortions by leading the corners of the screen to the user’s field of view.

This facilitates viewers to obtain consistent viewing angles when seated at the center and at the right distance from the screen. The straight lines present on these screens look Curved when you see them at a close distance. This may be an issue for architectural and other graphic designers who are required to draw lines accurately for their designs.

3.  Gives Comfort to Eyes

Curved screens are highly effective in delivering a comfortable viewing experience as compared to Flat monitors. This minimizes eye strain by maintaining consistent viewing distance from the entire screen. The Flat monitors can cause some strains when viewing images as its corners are far away which make it difficult for users to view images or scenes from corners.

4.  Improved productivity

These screens help users to stay focused for longer periods as the visuals reduce distractions from the user’s marginal view which makes it easy for them to work on their tasks effectively. However, the ratio of productivity may vary between users as it depends upon their individual preferences. Some users do not consider Curved monitors a good product when switching from a Flat monitor to one.

Cons of a Curved Monitor

1.  Expensive

Although there are many benefits of using these monitors, they come up with high prices in comparison with Flat monitors. These screens are more difficult to manufacture as compared to other screens which is one of the factors that makes their prices high. It is a complex procedure to maintain the curvature of the screen when producing large screens.

2.  Small Viewing Angles

It is another issue of these screens as these contain narrow viewing angles in comparison with Flat screens. Its curvature provides color distortions if you are not viewing it from the center of the screen. This makes it difficult for those who want to watch movies with their friends and family on it and in this case a Flat monitor performs quite well.

3.  Screen Glare

These screens also provide a huge number of light glares from which users feel discomfort as these reflect lights from multiple angles. Users may experience light glare shifts which occur due to the direction of the light source in the room. Your screen must be far away from all the light sources in order to avoid these glares.

Curved Monitors

Curved monitors offer more three-dimensional viewing experience than Flat monitors as these are specifically designed according to your field of vision and gives a broader view that reduces the movement of eyes. This improves the color and vision of the images to look more natural, appealing and engaging.

These monitors are wider in size than Flat ones, which increases the screen space for a better display. You can get cinematic visuals from these screens which is best for gaming, video editing, and movie streaming.

Flat Monitors

Flat monitors provide a straight and traditional viewing experience which is ideal for professionals who want detailed color accuracy in their graphic designs, photography, and videos. These monitors are cheaper in price which can be easily affordable.

Flat monitors have minimized distortions and reflections as compared to Curved ones and are best for bright environments. These monitors are available in multiple sizes and resolutions which is essential for professional graphic designers to obtain accurate viewing experience to fulfill their needs.

A curved monitor is worthy for most users as it delivers an immersive visual experience that covers the entire field of view which encourages them to focus on their tasks. These monitors are specifically beneficial for gamers, graphic designers, and video editors who want a broader field of view.

Such monitors allow users to minimize eye strain and enhance multitasking capabilities. It is highly valuable for those who want enhanced visuals to maintain productivity effectively and it may not suit best for those casual and flat monitor users.

Curved monitors help users in improving their productivity and multitasking due to their wider field of view from which you can easily open multiple windows or applications on the screen. Its curvature allows you to maintain your focus toward the centre of the screen and concentrate on your tasks effectively. Some users feel discomfort during content consumption at a fast pace due to its curvature; hence, it is always recommended to test these monitors to evaluate whether they are comfortable for you to use for longer periods of time or not before buying.