The LG 26WQ500-B is a cheap ultrawide monitor from LG and it was launched in 2022. It is an entry level monitor in the range of LG’s ultrawide monitor list and it costs reasonable around $150, making it approachable for cheap buyers.
I think the monitor is not very impressive, but if you need the taste of ultrawide on a small form-factor, then the LG 26WQ500-B is a great choice.
Not many professionals will like it due to its small screen, but for starters who need the 21:9 aspect ratio, this monitor is a great way to flag off your coding or media creation journey.
I personally would not buy this monitor, because the display feels too small, but that is my opinion and that should not be a potential deal-breaker for your needs.
Overview
Best Features
- 26″ IPS Panel
- 21:9 Aspect Ratio
- 75Hz Refresh Rate
- 99% sRGB
- HDR 10
- AMD FreeSync
- VESA Mount
Mediocre
LG 26WQ500-B
The LG 26WQ500-B is not that perfect since it is a cheap ultrawide monitor, there has to be some shortcomings.
It lacks adjustable stand which is one of the most demanded features among professionals. It also lacks built-in speakers, good connectivity, and sleek design.
However, the cheap pricing does not hurt your eyes because the panel is IPS, and it provides good combination of colors and clarity for your professional requirements.
The LG 26WQ500-B has IPS panel which we highly recommend for professional requirements because of its colors and viewing angles.
It has AMD FreeSync technology which should please casual gamers, but enthusiasts should find something else.
There are no built-in speakers, hence it is not the best choice for entertainment, but the 21:9 aspect ratio is good for media creation.
Office
Gaming
Entertainment
Media Creation
Design & Ergonomics
Front
- Monitor Type – Flat
- Width – 63.5 cm
- Height – 38.6 cm
The first thing you will notice immediately after viewing the front is that the bezels are fat. It feels very outdated to be honest for a monitor of this modern era.
It is quite small for an ultrawide, and it seems only a little bit bigger than a 24-inch monitor. It should fit most places without any problem.
The front is clean with no bagdes or stickers as such, but you do get LG branding on the bottom bezel.
Back
- Depth – 21.02 cm
- VESA Mount – 100x100mm
- Ports Position – Back-Facing
The back of this monitor is basic and it comes finished in black color. There is a big LG branding on the top and it support 100x100mm VESA interface for mounting.
The connectivity ports are back-facing and that increases the depth of the monitor, so make sure you have enough space on the back from the wall.
Bezels
- Thinness – N/A
The bezels are the biggest bizarre of this monitor, because they are too fat and gives it an outdated appearance.
However, that should not cause any problem unless you are building a dual setup with this monitor.
Build Quality
- Weight – 6.83 lbs
The weight is not that much since it is a small monitor, but the build quality is not that bad either.
The parts seem very well put together and the monitor feels well constructed.
Stand
- Removable Stand – Yes
- Cable Management – N/A
The stand is quite basic on the LG 26WQ500-B. It is the ArcLine design stand that LG uses in all of their monitors.
It is a removable stand, and it needs to be removed while mounting it on the wall or custom monitor arm.
However there is no cable management hole or clip on the stand, so building a cable-free setup is tough with this monitor.
Ergonomics
- Tilt – 15° Backward, 5° Forward
- Swivel – N/A
- Height – N/A
- Pivot – N/A
The stand seems quite lazy since it only offers tilt function, which should not impress professionals.
It offers only 15-degrees backward tilt and 5-degrees forward tilt.
If you sit for prolonged hours, I highly recommend that you check other monitors from LG or mount this monitor on a custom monitor arm.
Display & Performance
Panel
- Panel Type – IPS
- Panel Size – 25.7-inch
- Aspect Ratio – 21:9
- Panel Depth – 8 bits (6 bits+FRC)
The LG 26WQ500-B features an IPS panel with 25.7-inch screen size and that is not the most preferable size for professional needs.
But the good this is that it comes with 21:9 aspect ratio which increases the screen space, making it beneficial for tasks like coding and media creation.
Screen Clarity
- Resolution – FHD | 2560x1080p
- PPI – 108 PPI
The LG 26WQ500-B monitor has FHD screen resolution with 2560×1080 pixels resolution and that results in average 108 PPI on the 25.7-inch screen size.
The screen clarity is acceptable, but the major problem I think here is the visibility because of its small screen.
I would recommend placing this monitor at a far distance.
Brightness
- Peak Brightness – 250-nits
The 250-nits peak brightness is acceptable for a monitor that is near 25-inch.
Nothing extra-ordinary here, but it gets the job done unless placed directly in front of a light source.
Contrast
- Contrast Ratio – 1000:1
The contrast ratio is average, which is common with IPS monitors.
Hence, the blacks might appear gray in the dark and it is not the best with black uniformity.
I would not recommend this monitor for doing color-critical tasks in the dark.
Viewing Angles
- Viewing Angles – 178°
LG claims 178-degrees vertical viewing angles which is excellent because the colors do not fade.
Hence it is a perfect monitor to mount at a height or on the wall.
The horizontal viewing angles are also wide, making it perfect for sharing the work with clients or colleague sitting on the side.
Color Coverage
- sRGB – 99%
The color coverage is good with the 99% sRGB on this monitor, which is perfect for viewing SDR content.
It produces vibrant colors bringing the viewing experience true-to-life.
Response Time
- Response Time – 5ms
The LG 26WQ500-B has 5ms minimum response time which should handle everyday motion-intensive tasks.
However, it is not the best with extreme motion handling and FPS gaming.
Refresh Rate
- Refresh Rate – 75Hz
The max refresh rate of this monitor is 75Hz which is quite more than the 60Hz monitors.
Overall display feels smooth, no complaints while doing office stuff.
However, if you need a high refresh rate ultrawide display for gaming, the Sceptre C305B-200UN is a great choice because it can reach 200Hz.
BFI
- Black Frame Insertion – Yes
The LG 26WQ500-B uses black-frame insertion technology to reduce the motion blur while gaming.
LG calls it MBR (Motion Blur Reduction) and it can help the monitor reach 1ms response times.
HDR
- HDR – HDR 10
The LG 26WQ500-B is HDR 10 certified, but we do not think is a great performer when it comes to HDR.
Also there is no wide color gamut coverage and the peak brightness is too low for HDR to shine.
Features
AMD FreeSync
This gaming monitor supports variable refresh rate. It supports AMD FreeSync at it max refresh rate for consistent and tear-free high refresh rate gaming.
Black Stabilizer
Black Stabilizer boosts contrast ratio of dark scenes so that you can see the visuals with utmost clarity.
Screen Split
This monitor has LG’s screen split feature for tiling up all your applications side-by-side so that you can multitask upon them efficiently.
Crosshair
Crosshair feature displays a crosshair in the middle of the screen so that you can get ultimate accuracy while playing first person shooter gamers.
Dynamic Action Sync
Dynamic Action Sync decreases the input lag to the lowest so that you can have a responsive gaming experience.
HDR Effect
It has various HDR effects for games and entertainment purposes.
Connectivity
Video Inputs
- 2x HDMI 2.0
The LG 26WQ500-B has dual HDMI 2.0 ports for video connectivity and it supports [email protected]
It is ample considering the minimal potential of this monitor.
USB, Other Ports
- 1x 3.5mm Audio Output
It offers dedicated audio out port for connecting speakers or headphones, but there are no USB ports.
That’s a Wrap!
| LG 26WQ500-B | 2022 | 26″ | IPS | ❌ | ❌ |
 | LG 29WN600-W | 2020 | 29″ | IPS | ❌ | ❌ |
 | LG 29WQ500-B | 2022 | 29″ | IPS | ❌ | ❌ |
 | LG 29WQ600-W | 2022 | 29″ | IPS | Height | Type-C |
 | LG 34WQ500-B | 2022 | 34″ | IPS | ❌ | ❌ |
 | LG 34WQ650-W | 2022 | 34″ | IPS | Height | Type-C |
 | LG 34WQ60C-B | 2022 | 34″ | IPS | ❌ | ❌ |
 | LG 34WQ75C-B | 2022 | 34″ | IPS | Height | Type-C |
 | LG 49WQ95C-W | 2022 | 49″ | IPS | Height | Type-C |
I think the LG 26WQ500-B is a decent small ultrawide monitor for cheap price. It is a decent monitor and I recommend this to coding students and media creation purpose because of the screen real estate it offers.
It also has a decent set of features for casual gaming so that you can have chill gaming sessions in your free time, but it is not a good choice for entertainment because most media does not support 21:9 aspect ratio.
You can consider the LG 27MK600M-B for entertainment because it is a 16:9 IPS monitor with speakers.
LG 26WQ500-W: Ratings
All Factors Considered
Display
The display is IPS, has ample screen real estate.
Design
The build feels robust, but the bezels are thick
Features
It has ample features, but the connectivity is not that rich.
The Good
- Excellent screen real estate
- Wide viewing angles
- Has ample on-screen controls
The Bad
- Mediocre contrast ratio
- No swivel function
- No USB ports
