LG DualUp Monitor Review

I remember the first moment I saw the LG DualUp announced. I was fascinated with the aspect ratio and what it could do for productivity. Beyond productivity, I was fascinated by what this monitor could do professionally. After using this monitor for a month now, I consider this one of the best business monitors ever made. 

I've been a big fan of vertical monitors for years and have had a vertical display in at least one of my desk setups for just as long. I have been toying with stacked monitors recently, and I love the smaller footprint while getting more screen real estate.

The LG DualUp is the best of both of those worlds. I get the vertical screen real estate I love from a classic 16:9 monitor turned vertically while also getting the width I am used to from a standard 16:9 monitor. Better yet, I get all of this while only needing one input, one power supply, and I get it all with a fantastic ergonomic monitor arm. 

Unboxing and First Impressions

When I unboxed this monitor, my first thought was that I was almost giddy. This display is exactly what I wanted for all these years. It felt huge yet completely manageable at the same time. It looked practically square with its 16:18 aspect ratio, something I was not surprised by. But it was wild to see it in person. Unlike old-school 3:2 aspect ratios, this one was off-square by being taller, increasing vertical productivity.

The second thing that stood out right away was the port options. There are two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, a USB-C Upstream, two USB-A ports, a USB-B port (for KVM Switching the USB-A ports to one of the HDMI ports or the DisplayPort), a headphone jack, and a power port.

The impressive Ergo Arm was the third element I was thrilled to see. Yes, I could use any number of Vesa arms with this monitor as well, but the fact that this doesn't come with a basic stand but comes with a fantastic Ergonomic stand with two arms, a main upright that can adjust height and swivel, and then a connector to the monitor that can swivel too means that this monitor can be dialed into the perfect position without any problems.

Design and Build Quality

The build quality overall is excellent for this monitor for home working or the office. The product is made from high-end materials. The ports are sturdy and well-placed, and the ergo arm is highly adjustable but still sturdy and secure.

The best part about this monitor, even better than the outstanding ergonomic arm, is the screen's usability. LG has made it so that the screen can be used as a single display, displaying content from one input, or it can run picture in picture, which is super helpful if you need to reference a screen but nothing more, or you can run picture by picture. Both are familiar features, but picture by picture on a monitor like this gives two 16:9 monitors on top of each other. 

So, you can run your referencing screen on the top and your work laptop on the bottom. Or, your camera preview is direct to the top half, and your laptop screen is on the bottom. The combinations are endless. I've even used this to test computers by having a desktop PC run to the top half of the screen while running my typical setup on the bottom half. When used this way, as picture by picture, the LG DualUp takes two 22" monitors and stacks them on top of one another without any bezel.

In Use

Using this monitor for the last two months has been truly fantastic. Every other monitor I use now feels short after using this screen for so long. I can throw reference materials up top while writing on the bottom portion, split the screen up to 6ths, thirds, or just floating windows, and because of the orientation, I can fit so much more content than even a standard ultrawide.

I also have loved using this at my home office setup because I can easily route my work laptop and personal laptop to this display and switch between them quickly or have them both on the screen simultaneously.

This monitor's other absolutely knockout feature must be the ergo arm. I am used to relying on monitor arms to get the display to where I want it, but with the built-in ergo arm on the DualUp, I can position this monitor exactly where I want it every time and easily adjust for a closer look or a change of setup.

Final Verdict

This monitor is unique. If you are a simple computer user, you may not enjoy the change in aspect ratio. However, if you are a power user and want to get the best out of your computer by giving access to more usable screen real estate, this monitor might just become your new favorite accessory.