Work from Home Tip: Choose the Right Monitor

Many companies have quickly pivoted to remote work arrangements for their employees, with some industries working from home for the first time ever. But with the rush to enable remote workforces, many employees end up working 8-12 hours a day off their laptop screens. This is not ideal, especially when working on spreadsheets and switching between different applications for prolonged hours.

Monitors are an essential tool for an effective work from home environment—they can improve your employee’s work experience, boost productivity and be a smart health investment.

The perfect screen size

Laptops are supposed to be small, light and convenient. While portability is a great advantage, it also limits the potential screen sizes. Many laptops have 12 to 15-inch displays and 17-inch laptops are already considered to be enormous. However, for most office work on the PC, it is important that screen content is displayed clearly and legibly. Laptop screens are not ideal when working with different programs simultaneously (multi-tasking) in particular.

External monitors with large display sizes have a clear advantage in their size alone because they can easily accommodate several application windows next to each other. With a little practice, programme windows can be quickly and clearly arranged next to each other using shortcuts. Working with these types of desktop monitors makes work more efficient and more comfortable. This saves valuable time and is also healthier and more ergonomic as texts and graphics are displayed in a larger, clearer size, which reduces eye strain. More information is available next to each other and you don’t have to constantly change between different programme windows.

Color

Color coverage, accuracy and calibration are key factors users should consider when purchasing a monitor for creative workflows involving photography and video. For color critical tasks, select a monitor that not only comes with a wider color gamut but also provides true color accuracy.

There are multiple color spaces such as sRGB, Adobe RGB and DCI-P3. With the widest color space, DCI-P3 can show more colors and richer images. For professionals who require optimized color performance, choosing a monitor with DCI-P3 above 95% coverage with factory calibration will help with color critical tasks.

For professionals who require calibrated color performance, pick a monitor with a built-in colorimeter or a monitor that’s compatible with an external colorimeter for quick and easy calibration.

Energy Efficiency

Like other home appliances, energy efficiency is important. Monitors that are certified for reduced energy consumption like Energy Star or EPEAT can save you up to $52 USD in annual utility bills. Advanced monitors may also offer features that reduce power consumption by putting the monitor to sleep after a period of inactivity.