Best Touch Screen Monitors

Updated: Feb 14, 2024 9:35 AM
best touch screen monitor featured image that shows the top three best computer monitor models

What are the features that make for the best touch screen monitor? In this category, it’s all about the performance of the touch screen. The best touch screen monitors offer a high level of touch responsiveness, durability, and user-friendliness.

Like with all the best computer monitors, you should always consider the image quality of touch screen monitors,. While you’d be hard-pressed to find a 4K touch screen monitor, you shouldn’t settle for anything less than full HD resolution. Your touch screen monitor should also offer accurate colors and a good contrast ratio.

Finally, your touch screen monitor should also offer ergonomic adjustability, just as many of the different types of monitors do. While adjustability isn’t an absolute necessity, having the ability to adjust to the display’s tilt and angle freely can create a more comfortable touch screen experience. Plus, you also want to have the right type of monitor, as you can see in our resource content about LCD vs LED monitors for eyes. This is especially true if you’re a creative professional.

Keep reading to learn more about the best touch screen monitors and the features you should consider while researching options to buy.

Top Touch Screen Monitors

 #1  ASUS ZenScreen MB16AMT 15.6” Monitor

Award: TOP PICK

WHY WE LIKE IT: This lightweight display is feature-rich and packed with ports for a variety of connections. With gesture controls and a responsive display, this is an incredible display for business or leisure on the go.

Pros
  • Extremely lightweight
  • Solid battery life
  • Responsive touch screen
Cons
  • Not responsive enough for gaming

The ASUS ZenScreen MB16AMT 15.6” touch screen monitor is a stellar choice for users looking for an ultra-portable HD display for coffee shop meetings or an extended display. The responsive touch screen display is ideal for drawing on images or editing your latest family video. While this monitor isn’t responsive enough for hardcore gaming, the number of connectivity options, like USB-C and micro-HDMI, make this a great choice for watching movies or reading a digital book.

Packed inside of the ASUS MB16AMT is a powerful 7800mAH battery that lets you take your work anywhere for up to four hours on a single charge. In addition, the built-in speakers let you listen to music or share your favorite shows with friends. Lastly, the foldable smart case will keep your monitor safe while you travel and allows you to use a normal pen to display your media in landscape or portrait mode.

 #2  AOC 16T2 15.6” Monitor

Award: HONORABLE MENTION

WHY WE LIKE IT: This versatile touch display has a powerful battery and a bright screen to take your work and entertainment wherever you please. With multiple ports and stellar audio, you can easily share your presentations or favorite videos with an audience.

Pros
  • Fantastic battery life
  • Bright screen
  • Stereo sound
Cons
  • Vulnerable to glare in certain settings

The AOC 16T2 is a compelling option due to its 8000mAh battery and easy plug-and-play interface. The full HD IPS display has good viewing angles and the stereo speakers are loud enough to entertain a crowd. In addition, the multiple ports and connectivity options make this touch screen monitor an excellent second screen or as a way to expand your phone’s display. While the glossy screen may show glare in certain lighting, it is equipped with a bright 250 nit display that can counteract ambient lighting.

Even though this display is completely portable, it is VESA mount compatible. So, if you want a ready-to-go display hanging in your garage or work shed, this is a great pick. In addition, the 16T2 comes with a flexible smart cover to protect your screen while it’s not in use. Additionally, the cover serves as a foldable stand to free your hands while you watch how-to videos on your latest project. For those looking for a simple display with touch capabilities, the AOC 16T2 is it.

 #3  EVICIV 7B02 7” Monitor

Award: BEST FOR GAMING

WHY WE LIKE IT: This touch display is an easy pick for those looking for interactive entertainment or to build a DIY handheld. Additionally, the open-back design allows for extreme customization and a unique look that’s only limited by your project’s scope.

Pros
  • Amazing customization
  • Great responsiveness
  • Rasperry Pi mount preinstalled
Cons
  • Not as sturdy as other options

The EVICIV 7B02 7” touch screen monitor is a DIY retro gamer’s dream. This USB-powered HDMI display has an open-back design that features a built-in Raspberry Pi adapter board so you can easily display your games. With minimal lag and a good resolution, this monitor won’t hold you back from nabbing the top score. While the exposed circuitry leaves this unit a bit unprotected, the mounting holes make it easy to screw into your latest bartop arcade project.

For those looking for a second computer display, the EVICIV 7B02 makes a great supplement to a laptop or desktop monitor. Powered by multi-touch technology, this 7” screen is great for checking emails or leafing through a PDF document in portrait mode. In addition, the speakers and bright colors make this a compelling choice for those looking to watch movies or catch their favorite podcast. Lastly, the IPS screen has great viewing angles for showing others what you’re working on, or the game you’re about to beat.

 #4  ASUS PA148CTV 14” Monitor

Award: BEST FOR CREATIVES

WHY WE LIKE IT: With a crisp resolution and fantastic color reproduction, this monitor is a surefire hit with creative professionals looking to impress. Whether you want a brilliant second screen or enhanced productivity tools, this model brings versatility to match your needs.

Pros
  • Incredible colors
  • Customizable touch controls and shortcuts
  • Eye protection features
Cons
  • Sub-par viewing angles

The ASUS PA148CTV 14” monitor is an excellent extended display for creative professionals that need color accuracy and responsive control to maximize their latest project. With Calman Verified factory color calibration, this monitor is ready for photo and video editing right out of the box. In addition, this unit connects with compatible Adobe software to give you customizable controls and shortcuts via the touch screen. While the viewing angles aren’t great, this remains a fantastic tool to make your creative work a bit more efficient.

For users who work on the go, the ASUS PA148CTV 14” monitor is lightweight and easy to hook up to a variety of devices. The dual USB Type-C ports support alternate display mode for compatible computers, phones, and tablets, and a single micro-HDMI port covers additional devices like game consoles and Blu Ray players. Lastly, eye protection features like ASUS Flicker-Free and Ultra-Low Blue Light technology helps mitigate eye fatigue during long stretches in the studio.

 #5  ELECROW 5” B07FDYXPT7 Monitor

Award: BEST FOR MAKERS

WHY WE LIKE IT: This small-but-versatile touch display is great for makers putting the finishing touches on a DIY handheld game console or multimedia streaming box. Lightweight and responsive, this open-back device is designed to easily mount in or on whatever you’re putting together.

Pros
  • Phenomenal customization
  • Responsive touch screen
  • Easily mounted
Cons
  • Not ideal as a main display

The ELECROW 5” touch screen monitor is a time-saving addition to any workstation. This 480p display has an open design with four clear screw holes to make it easy to install on a workbench or into your latest streaming box. Powered by a single USB cord, the 5” screen can serve as a diagnostic display for a PC or as a user interface in DIY electronics. While the resolution makes it undesirable for group viewings, it is responsive enough for detailed personal projects.

With the ability to connect to most displays and devices, the ELECROW 5” touch monitor can keep up with most configurations. Additionally, the onboard controls let you adjust image settings like contrast, brightness, and saturation. The included 3.5mm jack lets you listen to music or use this monitor in a DIY diagnostic tool. Lastly, for users interested in building a mini-PC, this unit is plug-and-play with most recent versions of Windows and as an Ubuntu display.

 #6  Acer T272HLbmjjz 27” Monitor

Award: BEST FOR MULTITASKING

WHY WE LIKE IT: This stunningly designed display is thin and great for maximizing a small workspace. Additionally, the built-in speakers and crisp HD resolution make this a fantastic option for showing off your latest presentation or enjoying some TV during your lunch break.

Pros
  • Impressive image quality
  • Variable tilting kickstand
  • Futuristic look
Cons
  • Not truly portable

The Acer T272HLbmjjz 27” touch screen monitor brings an eye-catching design and a full HD widescreen display for a device that fits in at the office or a modern studio apartment. The adjustable kickstand lets you place the monitor where you’re most comfortable. In addition, it supports HDMI, VGA, and DVI connections, making this monitor great for modern and legacy hardware. While not truly portable, the responsive multi-touch screen can serve as a lightweight control panel for music production or shortcuts for photo and video editing apps

The thin widescreen glass screen displays fantastic colors and has built-in speakers for showing others what you’re been working on. With a 60Hz refresh rate and a 5ms response time, the Acer T272H is a solid choice for casual gaming alone or with your friends. If you’re looking to free up your desk, this monitor easily mounts to the wall and creates a near-flush hanging screen.

Beginner’s Guide to Touch Screen Monitors

What Are Touch Screen Monitors?

A touch screen monitor offers the same core functionality as any extended display. It connects directly to your laptop or desktop computer so you can see what you’re doing. A touch screen display can connect to your computer using display cables like HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, and VGA.

On top of being a standard computer monitor, a touch screen monitor allows you to use your fingers and hands to control your computer in addition to your mouse and keyboard. This can increase overall user-friendliness.

Touch Screen Monitors vs. Traditional Monitors

The differences between a touch screen monitor and a traditional computer display are mostly easy to identify. For starters, touch screen monitors allow you to use your fingers to control your computer in addition to your keyboard and mouse. This is the biggest difference.

table comparing best touch screen monitor

However, including touchscreen functionality on a monitor results in a few more nuanced differences. When it comes to screen size, you’ll find that a lot of touch monitors reside in the 15- to 24-inch range. A touch monitor larger than this would be less user-friendly.

Most touchscreen monitors also tend to feature an average image quality, especially when compared to non-touch options. These displays tend to stick with a full HD screen resolution of 1920×1080 pixels.

Touch screen displays will also fall shorter than non-touch options when it comes to color accuracy, refresh rate, and response time. As such, we recommend you go with a non-touch option if you’re looking for a gaming monitor.

How Touch Screen Monitors Work

For core display functionality, touch screen monitors work in the same way as non-touch monitors. Using one of the available video inputs, the monitor connects to your computer, which then sends it a video signal. Your monitor will then display information from your computer.

When it comes to display technology, most touch screen monitors use an LCD panel. LCD stands for liquid crystal display. This display technology uses two glass panels to contain a material called liquid crystal, which reacts to light and electric current to create the images in your display.

On top of panel technology, a touch screen monitor uses one of two different touch inputs: capacitative or resistive. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of each of these touch inputs further into the guide, but capacitative touch screens respond to the electric currents from your skin while resistive touch screens respond to the application of physical force.

Do You Really Need a Touch Screen Monitor?

Some might consider touch screen monitors to be a novelty in the world of modern display technology, but they can actually offer a lot of benefits to a wide range of people. If you like the idea of using a touch screen monitor, either for your desktop computer or on your laptop, then this is an excellent choice for you.

Is a Touch Screen Monitor Worth Buying?

  • You Want More Refined Control Over Your Computer: A touch screen monitor may be worth it to you if the best touch screen display offers more accurate controls, especially when you buy a 10-point touch screen monitor. If you want more refined control over your computer and operating system, then a touch screen monitor is the perfect choice for you.
  • You Like Taking Handwritten Notes: Many touch screen monitors offer built-in notetaking functionality. This way, you can use your finger or a stylus to take handwritten notes while you work. This is a handy feature to have for avid note-takers.
  • You Need Portable Responsiveness: If you purchase a laptop with a touch screen monitor, you’ll get that extra responsiveness on the go. There are also plenty of portable monitors with touch screen functionality. If you need to be able to operate your computer without a touchpad or mouse and keyboard, then a portable touch screen can be a huge benefit. Having the best portable monitor with a touch screen will ensure you can enjoy your monitor and move it easily if you are always on the move.

Why a Touch Screen Monitor May Not Be For You

  • You Like a Clean Computer Monitor: Since you’ll be using your fingers to operate your touch screen display, you can expect a dirty surface at some point. Depending on your skin type, you may dirty your screen faster than usual. If you like having a clean monitor at all times, or you hate cleaning it regularly, a touch screen option might not be the best for you.
  • You Need Longer Laptop Battery Life: Laptops with touch screen monitors often run out of battery life quicker than non-touch options. This is because a touch screen monitor requires more power than the alternatives. If you need extended battery life for your laptop, then a touch screen option may not be the right choice for you.

How Long Will a Touch Screen Monitor Last?

According to TechiExpert, standard LCD monitors should last you around 30,000 to 60,000 hours of total usage. This usually equates to around 8-10 years if you use the computer monitor an average of eight hours a day.

However, it’s important to note that the lifespan of a computer monitor may be affected based on the type of touch input on the monitor. Capacitative touch screens aren’t negatively affected by their touch functionalities because there are no moving parts. On the other hand, resistive touch screens will wear out faster with more use because they involve moving parts connecting with physical force.

In general, you can prolong the life of your touch screen monitor by keeping it in a dust-free environment, using power save modes, and by powering it off when not in use.

How to Choose the Best Touch Screen Monitor

When it comes time to choose the best touch screen monitor for your needs and individual preferences, it can be intimidating. However, if you go into the process with a clear idea of what you want, then your purchasing decision will be made much easier.

Touch Screen Monitor Key Factors to Consider

The following questions allow you to get more familiar with the features and functionalities in this category. Ask yourself the questions and write down your answers so you get a good sense of exactly what you want and need before you click that buy button or swipe your credit card.

1. What kind of touch input should you buy?

The first order of business is to determine what kind of touch screen technology you should purchase for your monitor. Let’s take a closer look at the two main types of touch inputs and their pros and cons:

  • Resistive: Resistive touch technology was one of the first forms of touch screen technology. These touch displays utilize two layers that create a connection when pressed together. As such, resistive screens are best when used with stylus pens.Resistive technology is much more affordable and typically offers more resistance to dust and water. However, it isn’t as responsive as capacitative technology and does not support multi-touch functionality.
    • Capacitative: Capacitative touch technology is the more modern and widely-used type of touch screen available today. These touch displays utilize your body’s electric current to determine where you are interacting with the screen.Capacitative technology is more expensive, but it allows for features like 10-point multi-touch capacity, which allows you to use multiple fingers simultaneously. Capacitative screens are also more sensitive and accurate than resistive options.

2. What screen size should you purchase for your touch screen monitor?

Unfortunately, touch screen monitors don’t offer a lot of variety when it comes to screen size. As such, you’ll most commonly find 15-inch or 24-inch monitors in this category. These screen sizes tend to offer the most user-friendliness when it comes to arm length and usability.

While you can certainly find larger screen sizes on touch screen displays, they tend to be harder to use since there is more real estate to cover. You don’t want to have to stretch just to close a full-sized window or application. That said, if you want a larger screen size you can check out the best vertical monitors which will offer you a larger viewing field.

3. What level of image quality do you need on your touch screen monitor?

  • Screen resolution: Most touch screen displays will offer full HD resolution. A full HD display provides 1920×1080 pixels. Ultra HD 4K touch screen monitors are few and far between, but if you want to use a touch screen display for gaming or watching movies, then a 4K resolution is a must-have.
  • Color accuracy: Touch screen displays generally aren’t made for work that requires a lot of accurate colors. However, color accuracy is still an important feature to consider. The more accurate the color, the more immersive experience you’ll get out of your display.
  • Refresh rate: Your monitor’s refresh rate refers to the number of new frames it can populate per second. This is also referred to as the frame rate. Most touch screen monitors offer a 60Hz refresh rate, but if you want to eliminate motion blur for gaming or fast-paced movies, consider something with a 120Hz refresh rate.
  • Response time: Your monitor’s response time refers to how fast it can switch between colors. A faster response time is always better, no matter what kind of monitor you purchase.
  • Input lag: Your monitor’s input lag refers to the amount of time it takes for it to register an action you’ve taken on your mouse and keyboard or with your finger. A lower input lag is always better for any kind of computer display.

4. What kind of connectivity ports do you want on your touch screen monitor?

Having flexible connectivity options is an important aspect of any computer monitor you purchase. However, you may find your options more limited with touch screen displays.

At a bare minimum, your touch screen monitor should offer versatile connectivity when it comes to HDMI ports and VGA ports. You may not find advanced connectivity ports like Display Port and Thunderbolt.

You should also consider connection options like USB Type C ports and standard USB Ports. These additional options allow you to connect peripherals directly to your monitor instead of to your computer.

5. What additional features do you need on your touch screen monitor?

Here are some additional features and functionalities to consider for your touch screen display:

  • Eye care technology: To prevent eye strain, many monitors offer eye care and flicker-free technology. Monitors that offer this functionality allow you to use them for longer without worrying about hurting your eyes.
  • Portability: Some touch screen monitors offer complete portability thanks to built-in batteries, micro-HDMI input ports, and a sleek design.
  • Viewing angles: Monitors with a wide viewing angle are generally more versatile than those with a narrow viewing angle. You’ll be able to collaborate better with other people as such.
  • Built-in speakers: If you don’t have external speakers on your computer, then purchasing a monitor with built-in speakers can be really useful. While most monitors don’t offer the best audio quality, they can certainly help overall.

Best Touch Screen Monitors Questions (FAQ)

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