LG 32UN880 UltraFine Display Ergo review

Now that we're all spending more time working from home, monitors like the LG 32UN880 are probably going to get even more popular. There is a lot to be said about having a big, color-accurate display that you can easily maneuver around to view the most comfortable angle you can get – double points if they're reasonably priced. 

The LG 32UN880 UltraFine Display Ergo is an ultra-color-accurate 32-inch 4K monitor, with HDR 10, that covers 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. That all sounds like an incredibly high-end monitor, but it comes in at just $699 (£599, AU$1,203), which makes it one of the most approachable 4K monitors for creative professionals working from home. 

At $699 (£599, AU$1,203), the monitor falls in line with other prosumer models like the BenQ PD3200U, which comes in at the same price point at $699 (£649, AU$1,299) but the LG 32UN880 brings much narrower bezels, HDR compatibility and an ergonomic clamp stand that really puts the product on a whole other level.

That's right, the default stand for the LG 32UN880 is the type of ergonomic stand that clamps to your desk, not only saving a ton of space, but allowing for a freedom of movement of the monitor that is really second to none. 

You can move this monitor up and down, rotate it 90 degrees to have a vertical display, rotate the actual stand to change where on your desk it appears, and tilt it in any direction. This is the type of monitor stand that you typically have to shell out extra cash for and have to install yourself – but this model just included right out of the box. It's a nice touch, and easily makes this monitor worth the cash. 

Not that the rest of the package lags behind or anything. This is a 32-inh 4K monitor with a beautiful IPS display. It covers 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which when combined with the 350 nits of brightness makes for an extremely comfortable experience when editing photos. Over the course of a couple weeks and editing dozens of photos for reviews and features, we're still amazed by just how accurate and bright colors appear on this monitor. 

However, that 350 nits of brightness presents a problem for the HDR here. 350 nits of brightness just isn't enough for true HDR, so while the LG 32UN880 does support the HDR10 standard, and it does make a slight difference in games like Horizon Zero Dawn, it's nothing like what you would get on an average 4K HDR TV. 

Speaking of gaming, PC games look amazing on this display, as color accuracy is more than just for the creatives out there. Whether we're getting through the main story quest in Final Fantasy XIV or bracing through the low framerates in Horizon Zero Dawn with the HDR enabled, the color accuracy here just makes everything pop. And, when you combine that with the sharpness that a 4K display naturally brings to the table, it's kind of the definitive gaming experience – depending on what you're into. 

The refresh rate is locked at 60Hz, not that many graphics cards are really capable of driving 4K above 60 fps right now. However, it does have FreeSync support, which is good news for the legions of creatives with an AMD GPU that want to get some gaming done on the side. 

There's also a wealth of different input options available at the back of the display. You get two HDMI, a DisplayPort and one USB-C, along with two USB-A ports – though the latter will only work if you've connected your PC to the monitor via USB-C. 

While laptop displays have been adopting narrower and narrower bezels, mirroring what we've seen in smart phones, monitors are a bit behind. Luckily, that's not quite true here. The LG 32UN880 has incredibly thin bezels at the top and the sides, with a bit of a thicker one at the bottom, where you'll find the LG logo. Combined with the ergonomic stand, this makes the 32UN880 have an incredibly modern aesthetic. 

Finally, to interact with the settings, there's a solitary button on the bottom of the display that is luckily totally out of sight. Just push it in and a sleek circular menu will pop up, with which you can tilt the button in any direction to change inputs or go deeper into the settings. 

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