Best touch screen monitor in 2024 – our top picks

Take a look at the best choices for a touch screen monitor for your PC setup

Table of Contents Table of Contents

If you are looking for the best touch screen monitor, then you have landed on the right page. 

Touch screen monitors have come a long way from the earliest displays that would have you repeatedly jabbing away in frustration, trying to get the screen to recognize what you want it to do. Nowadays, the best touchscreen monitors are responsive and efficient and can make it even easier to interact with your PC.

If you look at the touch screen options available on the market, you will find average-sized monitors, a few 27-inch options, and portable options. Some monitors, like the Asus ProArt monitor, are geared towards very specific use cases like content creation and might have more features than other options. 

Having said that, choosing a touch screen monitor does mean making some sacrifices. Touch screen monitors aren’t the best displays – they’re still somewhat of a gimmick, and so you have to balance the additional functionality against a loss in some other key areas of a typical computer display. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best touchscreen monitors available so that you can decide whether your next display should be a touchscreen or whether you’re best sticking to a more traditional screen.

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Best touch screen monitor 2023: our top picks

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Best touch screen monitor 2023: in-depth review

If you want to learn more about our top picks and even more, check out the in-depth reviews just below. We’ll talk you through the pros and cons of each product and help you understand why they may be a perfect match for you.

Best portable touch screen monitor: ViewSonic TD1655

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How We Review

Pros

• 15.6-inch FHD display
• Built-in stand
• Lightweight

Cons

• Only 60Hz refresh rate

If you want a portable touch screen monitor within a reasonable budget, then you should check out this ViewSonic TD1655 model. 

As this is a portable monitor, it sports a 15.6-inch screen, which is the size of a standard laptop screen. The monitor offers a full HD resolution, so you can expect decent picture quality. 

In addition to this, the monitor offers a 10-point touch screen, so it can process up to ten simultaneous touches, which should make controls more intuitive for you. 

As you can expect, the portable monitor is lightweight – it weighs only two pounds and has a slim profile – so you should be able to slip it in your bag and carry it around easily. 

The monitor comes with a built-in stand, so you can prop it up anywhere in landscape or portrait mode. Along with this, you also get a screen protector that keeps your monitor away from scratches. 

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How to pick the best touch screen monitor

Here’s a quick rundown of the main spec you should be looking out for when choosing a touch screen monitor:

Resistive vs capacitive

Touch screen monitors feature one of two different technologies, though it’s rare to find a screen using the older tech:

Resistive – these are the original touch screen monitors and work using a double-layered display. When the top layer is pushed against the underlayer, a connection is made, and this is how the screen knows where you’re pressing.

They work with anything applying pressure, so you could use a typical non-electrical stylus, and they’re very affordable. However, they’re also not very reliable and because they rely on a part of the screen being pushed inwards, you can only press one area at a time – there’s no multi-touch functionality.

Capacitive – these are the more modern touch screen monitors and the ones that are widely available now. Instead of a double-layer screen, they instead rely on the natural electric current of your finger as it connects to the screen. It’s the same type as used on your smartphone, which is why you can’t control your phone while wearing gloves.

It’s more expensive tech, especially when you’re dealing with a screen the size of a computer monitor, but it works more reliably and allows you to use multiple fingers at once for multi-touch controls. The only downside is that, if you want to use a stylus, you’ll need a powered one which creates a charge. But the screens are much more sensitive and accurate too.

Touch points

Most capacitive touch screen monitors have 10-point multi-touch technology now – it’s fairly standard across the range. This means you can use all 10 digits at once in different ways to trigger different shortcuts. This is the peak, there’s no need for any better than 10-point touch tech unless you want to start getting your toes involved as well and that’s a little weird.  But it will make sure any tap to the resistive touch screen is registered.

Screen size

Whereas non-touch monitors can go up to 32” for a typical display or even larger for ultra-wide, most touch screen monitors tend to be either 21.5” or 23-24”. There are a couple of larger screens at 27” but you won’t really find any larger. That’s because using a touch screen on a huge scale isn’t really ergonomic, and also the display won’t look great on a massive screen, because…

Resolution

Touch screens are generally limited to Full HD. There are very few 4K touch screen monitors available. Full HD is plenty for most tasks but don’t buy a touch screen monitor if you intend to watch a lot of movies or boxsets in high quality. And if you do buy a 27” touch screen that’s Full HD expect the screen resolution to be stretched to its limits, with not too great of an image quality.

Color Accuracy

Generally, touch screen monitors won’t have the same color accuracy as a high-end monitor without touch functionality. For most users who are just using the monitor for internet browsing or standard work, this won’t be an issue. But for movie and gaming content, or for professional design work, you may notice the difference.

You should try to make sure you choose an IPS monitor, which will give the best color and contrast for a touchscreen. Non-IPS options may be a little cheaper but won’t look as good.

Connectivity

Touch screen monitors usually don’t have the same range of connectivity options as a non-touch model. HDMI is pretty standard but DisplayPort connections are rarer, though there are some great touch screen monitors that do have this option.

Touch screens need more power than a standard monitor, so you can forget about powered USB-C options – you’ll need a separate plug for the monitor, definitely. And for the same reason, don’t expect extra USB-C or USB ports that provide power passthrough either. They’re possible but extremely rare.

Angle

One last key consideration when choosing a touch screen monitor is the angle that you can use it. Some will be a standard monitor with tilt options, but others have a more adjustable stand that allows you to manipulate the monitor in more ways than normal, including laying it at a much lower angle.

Check out the stand options to see how you can position the monitor, as you may end up working on it in different ways, depending on what tasks you’re doing and your desk setup. And you may consider the unlikely wide viewing angles of the devices.

Connectivity

Another feature is what type of connections you can get in the display. Either for the frame itself or peripherals, you might want to add it without dragging the cables to your desktop.

The connections to your graphics cards is an important one. If you’ve got an older type like DVI or VGA it might be important for you to find a display with those in there. But then there are also USB hubs to allow you to connect other things to it as a passthrough.

Another connection you might be interested in is a mini HDMI port if you are planning on using a smaller device for the monitor. With a USB type c, you can also get another good thing in if you have a portable display or device. You can use a USB type-c port that can power and run a laptop display through the monitor.

How we test and choose touch screen monitors

When we’re recommending a monitor (or any product), we always try to physically test it before we publish our guide. That way, we can really get to grips with how it works and make sure we understand every nuance. Sometimes though, that just isn’t possible. And when that happens we’ll base our recommendations on our expertise in monitor spec, as well as relying on our knowledge of the wider range and any prior models from the same manufacturer.

We will get to testing every monitor we recommend, and when we do we’ll update this guide immediately, if necessary.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best touch screen monitor?

The best touch screen monitor depends on what you’re using it for. In most cases, Dell’s P2418HT monitor is a solid overall choice, but if you want a bigger screen then consider a 27” option. For price graphical work, you’ll need a smaller screen like the ASUS ProArt Display.

Can you use a touch screen monitor with any computer?

You can use a touch screen monitor with any computer, yes. They work with Windows, iOS and Linux operating systems and usually with any other niche OS you may have decided to use. The monitor essentially registers presses in the same way that a mouse works, while it uses software to convert multi-touch presses into different shortcuts. It’s essentially the functionality of a mouse with some of the tricks of keyboard hotkeys thrown in.

How to clean a touch screen monitor?

You need to be careful when cleaning a touch screen monitor, to prevent any damage to the display. Use a soft cloth, and if an extra agent is needed stick to a small amount of water, eyeglass cleaner or isopropyl alcohol. Never use window cleaner or other glass cleaners, as the chemicals will damage the screen.

What does a touch screen monitor do?

A touch screen monitor allows you to control your PC using your finger(s) or a stylus. Most modern touch screens use capacitive tech, relying on your natural electrical current to register contact. You can use it to swipe, zoom, or annotate your work.

Does touch screen work through HDMI?

Touch screen functionality will work through an HDMI port, and most touch screen monitors use HDMI as their main connection. DisplayPort and USB-C tends to be rarer, though some touch screens will still offer VGA for older PC compatibility too.

Final Word

If you want the best touch screen monitor for your setup for general use, then we think the Dell monitor is a good choice. The monitor sports a 24-inch screen with full HD resolution, so you get decent picture quality. The display is backed by an IPS panel, so you can expect wide viewing angles. Further, it comes with VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort, so connectivity won’t be an issue.