How to choose a monitor filter

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Alyssa Ochs

Want to keep your onscreen data private? Looking to reduce the eyestrain associated with working at a computer all day? Monitor filters enhance privacy and ergonomics in the workplace. However, not all filters provide the same type of protection. This guide will help you find the monitor filter that best suits your needs.

There are two factors to consider when choosing a monitor filter:

	Screen Size: what size monitor filter do you need?
	Monitor Filter Style: what type of protection do you need?

What size monitor filter do you need?

Computer monitor filters are sized according to the diagonal distance of the screen (the amount of space between two opposite corners). To select the proper monitor filter, take a tape measure and measure from one corner to the other. You don't have to get the size right down to the millimeter. Monitor filter sizes are standard. Once you determine the approximate size of your screen, you should be able to choose from a list of filters that match it best.

How to measure your computer screen for a monitor filter

In addition to the diagonal measure, note whether or not the screen is standard or widescreen. Standard monitors are more like a square (though not perfectly square, the technical measurement is a 4:3 ratio), while widescreen monitors are much longer than they are tall (usually a 16:9 ratio).

Finally, monitor filters are available framed and unframed. Unframed monitor filters are the choice for laptops.