Matte vs. Glossy Screens: Which Is Better for You?

Screens of all persuasions, from large TVs through monitors to smartphones, employ either matter or glossy materials. Pros and cons exist for each variety as with everything in life, but in the case of monitors, we have to tell you right off the bat that we wholeheartedly recommend matte screens. You’ll be hard pressed to find glossy monitors, and there’s a good reason for that. Glossy coating materials often cause eye strain due to glare and reflections, while matte materials maintain a more pleasant experience. But still, let’s delve into the topic. 

Monitors with bright and shiny glossy screens use reflective glass or polymers. Their high degree of transparency allows almost all of the display’s light output to show through, resulting in a very vivid image. Glossy screens showcase deeper darks, brighter whites, and richer colors than their matte counterparts. However, they do so at a cost. Even with modern anti-glare treatment using magnesium fluoride and similar materials, the downside of glossy screen beauty stems from reflectivity. That means your glossy monitor or TV shines every light source in your environment right into your eyes. Room lights and windows reflect very clearly on glossy materials. Instead of enjoying game graphics or focusing on work content, with glossy screens you’ll often end up staring at your own reflection while scrambling to move desk lamps around so they don’t glare up the screen.

Not only does that result in much fuss, it’s also bad for your eyes. Glare has been repeatedly shown to cause fatigue and eye strain. There’s a reason offices around the world almost universally opt for matte monitors. Additionally, glossy surfaces have the extra issue of smudges and finger magnetism. Touch a glossy screen and oil from your fingers shows quite obviously. Dust similarly has a tendency to stick to glossy screens, so they need considerable maintenance to keep clean.

Having said that, if you can REALLY control lighting in your environment and make sure no light sources reflect onto a screen, then glossy offers the better image rendition. Television sets from older CRTs to the latest OLEDs/QLEDs all use glossy screen surfaces treated with anti-glare chemicals. That’s because big screen TVs usually sit in living rooms where light sources don’t shine directly onto the display from nearby. In those scenarios a glossy screen can work. In a desktop environment, where most monitors live, a glossy display would be ill advised as light sources usually reside nearby and glare can’t be avoided. 

Whether working, gaming, or watching a movie, if doing it on a monitor you’re best off with a matte display. Keep the gloss in the living room where it belongs. With regards to monitors, matte materials free you from worrying about glare and eye strain. Why would you choose otherwise?