Best MacBook Pro monitor 2023


A black monitor with artwork of four women standing on a blue grass hillside on the display next to a MacBook.
Credit: BenQ

The best MacBook Pro monitor can offer a bit of flexibility to your setup, while providing a high quality visual experience to match the power of the MacBook Pro.

Just like the best MacBook Air monitors, devices for MacBook Pro have a slightly different checklist to 'regular monitors' - it comes down to connectivity, functionality, and display quality above all else.

On the connectivity side, many of the best monitors for the MacBook Pro have USB-C ports, so you can connect easily via one cable to the monitor for your data needs, but you can still charge your MacBook Pro at the same time.

Unlike the best gaming monitors, we'd say to prioritise colour accuracy and brightness over super high refresh rates and low response times on your search, given that MacBook Pros are often used for video editing and graphics work.

We've selected a few monitors based on these specific specs as well as general reviews, prices, and features they offer. We've also answered some of your most frequently asked questions too, so you can make an informed decision on your next upgrade. These are the best monitors for MacBook Pro.

Best MacBook Pro monitor

  1. Dell U2720Q UltraSharp
  2. BENQ PD2705Q
  3. Apple Pro Display XDR
  4. Asus ProArt PA279CV
  5. HP Z43
  6. MSI Prestige PS341WU
  7. LG 34BK95U-W UltraFine 34
Dell U2720Q UltraSharp product image of a black monitor with a lake and mountain side scene on the display.
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Credit: Dell

1. Dell U2720Q UltraSharp

Best MacBook Pro monitor from Dell

Screen Size: 27" - Resolution: 4K - Panel Type: IPS - Brightness: 350 cd/m² - Colour: 99% sRGB - Response Time: 8ms/ 5ms - Refresh Rate: 60hz - Other Features: USB Type A Hub, Anti-Glare Coating

The Dell U270Q UltraSharp may not look quite as flashy as you'd expect for a MacBook monitor, but, rest assured, it is almost universally considered to be one of the best monitors for MacBook Pro.

Aside from its impressive 99% sRGB colour gamut, 3500:1 contrast ratio (that rivals even the best HDR monitors), and solid 350 nit brightness, this monitor actually outputs charge at 90W via its USB-C port.

That means that you can keep your MacBook charged while it's connected to the display with no problem at all, even if you're pushing it with some of the more heavy-duty tasks. Given the MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops for illustrators out there, it should definitely be able to handle them.

It's also sized to 26 inches, which makes the most out of the resolution and allows for it to fit nicely in most setups without it dominating all your desk real estate, so you'll have more space to put your laptop, or some peripherals too, such as one of the best wireless keyboards or one of the best wireless mice.

A worthy contender if we ever saw one for the best MacBook Pro monitor, and typically quite reasonably priced also.

Read More: Best budget 4K monitors

BenQ PD2705Q product image of a dark grey monitor with someone with their hands painted in glittery purple, pink, and blue on the display.
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Credit: BenQ

2. BenQ PD2705Q

Best MacBook Pro monitor from BenQ

Screen Size: 27" - Resolution: QHD - Colour: 100% sRGB/ 95% P3 Coverage - Response Time: 4ms - Refresh Rate: 60hz - Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 - Panel Type: IPS

BenQ seems to have a knack for creating quality products even at lower price points, and the PD2705Q is another prime example of how well they do it.

Highlights for this monitor include its 100% sRGB colour, its brilliant IPS display for wider viewing angles, and a whole host of eye-care technology to help reduce strain for those long working days, which would work especially well in conjunction with any of the best monitor light bars, too.

With an sRGB rating of 100%, this monitor would even be suitable for a place on our best graphic design monitor list.

It's even got an M-Book mode which makes the monitor's display reflect your MacBook Pro's display as much as possible, and is especially handy if you're running dual monitors alongside your MacBook Pro.

Add that to 60W USB-C charging and you've got a real winner, especially as this is also one of our top picks for the best monitor for working from home, too.

Read more: Best 75hz monitors

Apple Pro Display XDR product image of a near-frameless monitor with an oil spill-like pattern on the display.
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Credit: Apple

3. Apple Pro Display XDR

Best official MacBook Pro monitor

Screen Size: 32" - Resolution: 6K - Panel Type: TFT - Brightness: 500 cd/m² (SDR), up to 1600 (HDR) - Colour: 'wide P3 colour gamut' - Response Time: 5ms - Refresh Rate: 60hz - Other Features: Nano-coated textured glass

Apple's own Pro Display XDR looks to be an excellent and rather premium choice for those wanting a monitor to use with their MacBook Pro.

Perhaps one of the best 32-inch monitors out there, it brings with it an immensely powerful 6K resolution, which should look incredible over the large screen size.

In addition, the Pro Display XDR brings with it a quoted 1600 nits of peak brightness thanks to being Mini LED backlit which should offer some immense vibrancy.

Mini LED is so effective because it provides an increased number of pixel-sized lights that can independently produce super precise colours and brightness.

Apple says this monitor can handle HDR content, so if you are going to be video editing, this monitor will be a very useful choice. That's also backed up by its wide P3 colour gamut.

You also get a decent port selection of 3x USB-C and a Thunderbolt 3 port too, so connecting your MacBook up should be a doddle.

Read More: Best budget portable monitors

ASUS ProArt Display PA279CV product image of a silver and black monitor with an orange, pink, purple, and blue pattern on the display.
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Credit: ASUS

4. ASUS ProArt Display PA279CV

Best MacBook Pro monitor from ASUS

Screen Size: 27" - Resolution: 4K - Colour: 100% sRGB - Panel Type: IPS - Refresh Rate: 75hz - Brightness: 350 cd/m2

Another winner when it comes to resolution, colour, and ergonomics is the ASUS ProArt PA279CV.

As the name suggests, this is designed with creative professionals in mind and offers up 100% sRGB colour, plus it's Calman Verified, which means the colours will be true to life - vital if you're working in print design for instance.

Calman verification is quite a big deal for the Asus ProArt PA279CV as it refers to the fact the panel has been verified as being colour-accurate out of the box and tested against a wide range of industry-standard gamuts.

Its USB-C connection has 65W power delivery, making it a solid pairing with your MacBook Pro, and it packs four USB 3.1 type-A downstream ports so you can use this monitor as a hub for numerous devices.

It's certainly one of the more professional-looking monitors we've come across and it even boasts a seriously adjustable stand with tilt, pivot and swivel options.

Read More: Best vertical monitors

HP Z43 product image of a wide black monitor with three graphs and the news on the display.
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Credit: HP

5. HP Z43

Best MacBook Pro monitor from HP

Screen Size: 42.5" - Resolution: 4K - Colour: 96% sRGB - Panel Type: IPS - Refresh Rate: 60hz - Brightness: 350 cd/m2

If it's a particularly large monitor you're after to use with your MacBook Pro, the HP Z43 should definitely suffice.

What you'll be getting here is a 42.5-inch 4K panel that should provide you with some finely detailed images with support for 10-bit colour, which should also give you some accurate colours too. This means you could use this monitor for colour-sensitive tasks such as graphic design if you so wished.

The HP Z43's 350 nits of brightness should also allow those colours and overall images to be punchy, and you'll also find an excellent set of ports here, including not only 3 USB-As, but also HDMI, DisplayPort, and Mini DisplayPort, too.

There is also USB-C connectivity here too, which delivers between 60 and 65W of charge, enough to power a 13-inch MacBook Pro while you're working, which is especially handy.

Read More: Best budget 240Hz monitors

MSI Prestige PS341WU product image of an ultrawide white and black monitor with Prestige branding infront of pink and blue smoke on the display.
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Credit: MSI

6. MSI Prestige PS341WU

Best MacBook Pro monitor from MSI

Screen Size: 34" - Resolution: 5K2K - Refresh Rate: 48 - 60hz - Colour: 100% sRGB - HDR: DisplayHDR 600 - Panel Type: IPS - Response Time: 8ms

If you want to explore something a little larger and go for one of the best ultrawide monitors around, the MSI Prestige PS341WU could be a good way to go.

Again, the key highlights here focus on the impressive DCI-P3 98% colour gamut and high-level Display HDR, making it a brilliant choice to match your current MacBook display.

The inclusion of 98% DCI-P3 colour accuracy is also significant given that it's a more professional and specialist colour gamut than the more standard sRGB.

As MacBook Pros are devices used traditionally for colour-sensitive work such as video production where the DCI-P3 gamut is used, having an equally excellent monitor will be key in getting the most accurate work.

In terms of ports, you're getting pretty much everything you need apart from Thunderbolt connectivity, but that's a tiny concession to make considering it has a USB-C port.

Perhaps one of the more unique points about this monitor is its resolution, which is 5,120 x 2,160. This is labelled as '5K2K' or the even more confusing WUHD, but it essentially means that you can watch or edit 4K content without needing to modify the image.

That's a big plus for those editing videos in 4K, and also helps to make it one of the best video editing monitors out there in our humble opinion.

A more premium option, but one worth considering if you're looking to take your creative work to the next level.

Read more: Best photo editing monitors

LG 34BK95U-W UltraFine 34 product image of a ultrawide silver and black monitor with editing software on the display.
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Credit: LG

7. LG 34BK95U-W UltraFine 34

Best MacBook Pro monitor from LG

Screen Size: 34" - Resolution: 5K2K - Refresh Rate: 60hz - Response Time: 5ms - Colour: DCI-P3 98% Color Gamut - Panel Type: IPS - Brightness: 600 cd/m² - HDR: DisplayHDR 600

Another premium option for MacBook Pro is the LG 34BK95U-W UltraFine 34, which boasts a similar resume to the MSI Prestige monitor.

Again, you're getting 5K2K here, which gives you enough room to watch 4K content, but also some extra space for any other tabs you need, as pictured.

Colour, again, is equally as impressive as most of the monitors on this list, boasting 98% DCI-P3 and 100% sRGB.

For designers, it's another powerhouse monitor that'll produce accurate colour so you can produce and edit work with confidence.

As for connectivity, this actually has a Thunderbolt 3 port, meaning that some of the older MacBooks can be connected easily via one cable to the display. It also offers a USB-C connection too.

Read more: Best 43-inch monitors

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

So when it comes to finding the best MacBook Pro monitor there are a few questions that can pop up time and time again, so we're here to answer them so you can make an informed decision on your next monitor.

Is a monitor for MacBook Pro worth it?

In our humble opinion, we'd say that a monitor for MacBook Pro is worth it if you're looking to put your work onto a bigger screen.

Getting a display that can match the Retina display on a MacBook will be vital for ensuring excellent vibrancy and colour accuracy for instance, but having the convenience of an extra screen is certainly worth it regardless.

Can MacBook Pro support a 4K monitor?

Yes, it can! You can use either an HDMI, Thunderbolt, or USB-C connection for 4K.

The good news is also if you've got a MacBook Pro from 2016 onwards, it will support 4K output. In addition, the most recent ones are even more powerful thanks to the fact they can run two of Apple's powerful ProDisplayXDR displays at once.

Is retina the same as 4K?

4K is typically defined by a 3840 x 2160 resolution, but interestingly retina displays work on a slightly different ratio.

The 2021 MacBook Pro line comes in at 3456 x 2234, for example, and while it will be visually as crisp as a 4K display, it's not 'technically' 4K in the traditional sense.

What is a gamut?

In this context, the gamut is a term that refers to the range of colours which can accurately be reproduced by a computer. This means that the higher the percentage of the gamut, the more colours it can reproduce, leading to a higher-quality image.

The gamut we most frequently refer to is sRGB, which is incredibly popular because of its low amounts of lag.

How much should I spend on a MacBook Pro monitor?

To get the best viewing experience possible with an immensely colour-accurate monitor and great resolution and brightness, you'll need to spend between $750 and $1500.

Spending more is likely to get you wider coverage of colour spaces, alongside potentially higher contrast ratios and brightness, and may also get you a wider array of ports, for instance.

Can I close my MacBook and use an external monitor?

In short, yes. When you've got a MacBook connected to an external monitor, you can enable Clamshell mode which allows you to close the lid of your MacBook without it going to sleep so you can continue using it as if the lid were up.

Can I use any monitor with a MacBook Pro?

You can use a number of different monitors for MacBook Pro via an HDMI port. However, many prefer to opt for a USB-C monitor as it can charge their laptop by simply connecting it to their monitor.

For the MacBook Pro models that don't have HDMI cables, adapters can be used, but it's worth scoping out the internet for information because the occasional monitor has software issues.

This makes for a very clean-looking setup as it reduces wires, but it also allows for easy removal if you need to take your MacBook Pro on the go.

How many monitors can a MacBook Pro support?

This usually depends on what type of MacBook Pro you've got and also what ports it has.

If you've got a Mac with a base M1 chip, you'll be able to connect to a single display, whilst if you've got one with Thunderbolt 3 USB-C connectivity, it's one display per port.

For the newer M1 Pro and M1 Max ones with both HDMI and Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, it'll be up to four displays depending on the model you've got.

Does MacBook Pro support ultrawide monitors?

In short, yes. A MacBook Pro should have no issues outputting to a smaller ultrawide monitor (e.g. 34 or 38 inches), although you may run into issues connecting to a 49-inch panel if you do want to go for something that large. The supposed workaround is to connect up using 2 cables as opposed to one.

What cable do I need to connect my MacBook Pro to a monitor?

This depends on the monitor itself, as well as the outputs that your MacBook Pro supports.

For more modern MacBooks, it's likely you'll need a USB-C/Thunderbolt capable in order to output to a display, although you could also use HDMI if you've got an older MacBook.

With the 2021 revisions, these come with both ports, so you've actually got the choice of HDMI out or USB-C, as well as the reintroduction of MagSafe charging (the similar kind of tech that's in any of best wireless chargers, from Apple, although in a different form), and a microSD card slot.

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