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Vertical monitors have seen a steep rise in popularity in recent times. And that makes perfect sense once you consider the benefits of using a monitor in a vertical alignment. They are not only good for working with documents, scrolling through web pages, or running communication apps such as Discord or Slack, but also for editing Reels or other vertical video formats. Moreover, mobile UX designers can more accurately preview the final layout of what they’re building.
Of course, vertical monitors are also widely popular as a secondary display in gaming PC setups. Gamers often use one on the side to keep a cheat sheet, map, Discord, or livestream chat open while playing. While you can technically use a VESA mount to turn almost any compatible monitor into a vertical monitor, it is far more convenient to opt for a monitor with built-in pivot adjustment up to 90 degrees, ideally in both directions.
That said, given that even the best monitors in the industry do not openly advertise themselves as vertical monitors, it can be difficult to single out the right one for your specific needs. To help you out, we’ve done the hard yards, looked through dozens of options and narrowed it down to the five best choices across a wide range of budgets.
Dell UltraSharp U2725QE 27-inch
The Dell UltraSharp U2725QE is hands down one of the best monitors available right now, and the fact that it comes with a full 90-degree pivot adjustment made it an easy pick for the top spot in this guide. Not only does it enjoy a healthy 4.4 rating on Amazon after over 200 reviews, but several expert outlets, including RTINGS and Windows Central, have also praised it. RTINGS ranked it as the best vertical monitor, while testers at Windows Central called it “the single best display for productivity.” Priced at $643, this 27-inch IPS display comes with a full 4K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and an anti-reflective screen.
However, easily the biggest perk of this monitor is its built-in USB hub, which, excluding the power port, offers a whopping 15 ports. You get two DisplayPort connections, a Thunderbolt 4 upstream port, a Thunderbolt 4 downstream port, five USB Type-A ports, three USB Type-C ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an Ethernet port. Surely you’ll have a few left to plug in some cool USB gadgets. Even better, the Thunderbolt 4 upstream port is capable of delivering up to 140W of power, meaning you can easily charge your laptop from the monitor itself.
Another feature users love is the monitor’s KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch, which allows you to connect your accessories and peripherals to the monitor and use them across multiple systems, such as your desktop PC and a laptop. You can use the monitor’s USB ports to connect additional 4K displays to the Dell UltraSharp U2725QE. However, the monitor is more than just its USB hub. It’s still an excellent display, with the IPS panel being especially well-suited for vertical work setups, thanks to its better brightness.
Dell 27 Plus 4K S2725QS
If you’re not fully convinced about spending $600+ on the Dell U2725QE, but still want a 4K monitor for work that also pivots into a vertical orientation, the Dell S2725QS, currently priced at just $279.99, is a great choice. Sure, it doesn’t come with a built-in USB hub, but you still get two HDMI ports along with a DisplayPort, so you can easily connect multiple devices to the monitor and switch between them with the click of a button. The monitor has a solid 4.5 rating on Amazon after nearly 800 reviews, with several users highlighting the good value for money it offers.
As you would expect from a high-quality Dell 4K IPS display, the S2725QS offers a crisp, bright screen with great viewing angles. RTINGS says the monitor is sharp and large enough that you can comfortably stack two windows side by side on the 27-inch screen without things feeling cramped. Moreover, its sleek and minimal look has earned some praise as well, with one user saying, “the monitor’s appearance is awesome.”
Plus, thanks to its 99% sRGB color coverage and HDR support, it works just as well for viewing content and visual work such as photo or video editing. Better yet, according to expert reviewers at Creative Bloq, the default color accuracy is more than good enough, so you likely will not need to tweak it. The Dell S2725QS also comes with built-in speakers: two 5W ones. Agreed, they’re not the most powerful, but they can prove handy in a pinch, and you can always turn to your trusted headphones.
Samsung 24-inch Odyssey G30D
The Samsung 24-inch Odyssey G30D is the most affordable option on this list and one of the best budget vertical monitors you can buy right now. Priced at $149.99, it enjoys a solid 4.6 rating on Amazon after nearly 1,700 reviews. Right off the bat, you’ll see that many of this monitor’s features are designed to make it gaming-friendly. This includes a 1-millisecond response time, a high refresh rate of up to 180Hz, and AMD FreeSync. However, both actual user reviews on Amazon and industry experts (for example, testers at Root Nation) have concluded that the monitor is just as excellent for work and productivity purposes as well.
One reviewer on Amazon said that the monitor is “exceptional for general use.” It boasts a full HD 1080p resolution and comes with a dedicated Eye Saver Mode, which reduces the amount of blue light from the monitor’s VA panel, helping to lower eye strain and fatigue. The effectiveness of this built-in eye protection was confirmed by a user who said that the monitor is “easy on the eyes for spreadsheets.”
Also, even though VA panels generally have slower pixel response times, which often cause motion smearing, Root Nation found that the Odyssey G30D has minimal smearing with the Extreme setting turned on. This makes it excellent for text-based tasks such as viewing dark-colored text on a white background. We also like the customizability this monitor offers. It comes with a single control button (at the bottom of the screen), which lets you access just about everything, from the source input (one HDMI input and one DisplayPort), brightness, contrast, refresh rate, sharpness, and more.
Asus ProArt Display PA278QV
The Asus ProArt Display PA278QV, like the entire ProArt lineup, has been built with a clear focus on creative professionals and accurate color output. This WQHD 2560×1440 IPS pivot-friendly monitor boasts an impressive 4.6 rating on Amazon after over 3,000 reviews. It’s currently priced at $199, around $80 less than the PA278CV, which you may prefer if you want USB-C with 65W power delivery. Speaking of ports, this model does not feel lacking. It comes with a full USB hub, including an HDMI port, a DisplayPort, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and a Mini DisplayPort.
While it also has a DVI port, several experts, including those at Photography Life, have pointed out that it misses the Thunderbolt port that would make the monitor more future-proof and ideal for Mac users. Where the monitor really shines, though, is its color accuracy. It comes with 100% sRGB and 100% Rec.709 color gamut coverage right out of the box. Additionally, you get several pre-calibrated presets, as well as advanced image customization tools, which you can access using the five buttons at the bottom of the monitor.
Even general users have praised the screen, with one reviewer highlighting that they experienced “no dead pixels” after more than a year of use, while another remarked that “the screen is very consistent, with no visible glow or bleeding from the edges.” Although the monitor does not compete with the higher refresh rate models mentioned above, the 75Hz refresh rate should be enough for webpages and documents, and even photo/video editing tasks.
Lg 27GL83A-B Ultragear
Agreed, the Lg 27GL83A-B Ultragear is an out-and-out gaming monitor, but its pivot-friendly design, combined with the QHD 2560 x 1440 IPS display, a good bang-for-buck price tag of $266, and near-borderless bezels on three sides, makes it a great option to use as a vertical monitor in your setup. It has been reviewed over 12,500 times on Amazon, where it holds a 4.6-star rating, with heaps of praise for its smooth and lag-free display – courtesy of the 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time.
Although connectivity is not its strongest suit, it’s still decent. You get two HDMI ports as well as a DisplayPort, so you can connect multiple devices. Moreover, hands-on testing at RTINGS found that the monitor’s sRGB mode delivers excellent color accuracy, covering up to 99% of the sRGB color space.
However, if you want to get the best from the panel, you will have to manually calibrate it. Another area where the monitor scores highly is image consistency. A user who has been using the monitor since November 2024 said that it still produces a “solid picture” with little to no color fading. Another reviewer on Amazon highlighted that they have not seen “any backlight bleed or dead pixels.”
How we selected these monitors
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Given that there are no monitors that offer a dedicated vertical-only alignment, we first looked for the best monitors in the industry that offer a full 90-degree pivot adjustment. We only looked at monitors from reputable brands such as Dell, Samsung, Asus, and Lg. We also only considered models that have been highly rated not only by experts such as RTINGS, but also by everyday users on Amazon.
Next, we made sure to include vertical monitors across a wide range of budgets so that there’s something for everyone. That said, you can rest assured that even the more affordable options on this list offer good value in their price bracket. Not only do these monitors offer native vertical alignment, but they also provide crisp, bright images, high refresh rates, plenty of screen real estate, solid connectivity, and useful extra features.
