Monitors for home and open plan offices
5.5.2023
Co-author: Oliver Schäfer
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
When buying a monitor, there are a few points to consider. Below, we’ve listed some of the factors you should pay special attention to when buying a monitor for your home or open-plan office.
A look at our store and filters shows the many aspects that can be considered when buying a monitor. This article focuses on monitors used in home and open-plan offices. Looking for a gaming monitor? I’d advise you take a look at this page instead. While response time, refresh rate and resolution are essential for a gaming monitor, they aren’t very relevant for most office jobs. The majority of smaller monitors today offer Full HD (1920 × 1080 pixels) as a minimum anyway. QHD resolution (2560 × 1440 pixels) is the standard for monitors over 32 inches. Therefore, factors such as brightness and contrast, energy efficiency, ergonomics as well as screen size and number are of more interest than resolution when purchasing office monitors.
Number and size
The number and size factors are closely linked. A typical modern workstation comes with either one slightly larger or two small monitors. Parallel work using different programs as well as an increase in online meetings justify a setup that goes beyond one lone monitor. An open notebook often rounds out the setup, both as a computer and second or third screen. I personally work in the office with two 24-inch monitors as well as an open notebook. I bought a 34-inch widescreen monitor for home use. The combination of two 24- or 27-inch models or a single 34-inch widescreen monitor are also the most frequently requested solutions among our business customers. In order to avoid unnecessary cable clutter as well as a connection bottleneck on the notebook, daisy chain technology is recommended when using multiple monitors. In a daisy chain, hardware components are connected to each other serially. Only the first component is directly connected to the computer system. Further devices are each connected to the one before, forming a chain. We also recommend using a docking station. Among other benefits, this also helps avoid a connection bottleneck on the notebook. My colleague Zeynep wrote more about using docking stations here.
A selection of 24-inch monitors
Click here for all our 24-inch monitors.
Monitor equipment
Most manufacturers have monitors in their range that come with integrated peripherals. First and foremost, these include speakers, microphones, cameras and a USB hub. While integrated speakers and microphones offer added value in a home office – you can do without possibly uncomfortable headsets for your online meetings – the use of such monitors in an open-plan office is often unpleasant. The integrated camera is also only useful in special cases. Namely, if your notebook doesn’t offer an integrated camera or if you rely on a closed notebook at your workplace for space reasons. Our sales show that monitors with integrated cameras are especially in demand for large screen sizes. When using two small monitors, it makes more sense from an aesthetic point of view to rely on a peripheral webcam. Make sure to check out all our webcams. What about your aesthetic demands? Well, look out for an integrated USB hub as well as the strongest possible power supply via USB Type C. The first feature allows connecting peripheral devices like keyboards and mice directly to the monitor. With enough juice from a USB Type C power supply, a network cable for your notebook is also obsolete. You can easily charge your notebook and other devices such as smartphones via the cable that connects the notebook to the monitor. With this setup, only the monitor is supplied with power from the socket, keeping your workplace tidy.
A selection of 27-inch monitors
Check out our 27-inch monitors.
Ergonomics, energy efficiency and more
Anyone who spends a lot of time at their workplace should think long and hard about ergonomics. While standing desks are only available from many employers with a doctor’s certificate or cost sharing, ergonomic monitors are very common. You’ll find all monitors that are both height adjustable and tiltable here . Brightness and screen surfaces are also relevant from an ergonomic point of view. Brightness can be adjusted manually on almost all monitors today. Rule of thumb: the brighter the ambient light, the brighter the screen should be. In addition, it’s advisable to use an anti-reflective monitor for intensive screen work. This is particularly easy on the eyes in overexposed open-plan offices and promotes concentration. You can find all of our anti-glare monitors here. Energy efficiency also plays a more important role than ever when purchasing a monitor. However, the energy label of a monitor isn’t the only relevant factor for the device’s ecological footprint. It’s also very important to completely disconnect the setup from the mains after your workday.
A selection of 34-inch monitors
Click here to see all our 34-inch monitors.
Customised offers for your company
Need large quantities and would like a quote? Contact us by e-mail at b2b@galaxus.de or by phone at 040 334614 748. Find out more on this page. For product queries, project support enquiries and other requests, please contact us through our Help Centre.
Zeynep Bekar
B2B Sales Engineer
zeynep.bekar@digitecgalaxus.ch