What makes a monitor good for migraines?

There are 3 main things I look for when searching for a monitor suitable for migraineurs.

1. Photophobia, or sensitivity to light, is a common symptom of migraine. So a low minimum brightness is key. Depending on the size of the monitor, I usually have a target minimum somewhere between 8 and 20 nits (or cd/m²). I have found screen size to be inversely proportional to the brightness level I can tolerate. So for example, on a 32" monitor, my comfort level is around 8 nits. While on a 15.6" laptop or monitor, my comfort level is 2.5 times greater at around 20 nits. It’s important to keep in mind that tolerance levels can vary greatly from person to person. And this also applies to the following (2 & 3).

2. The monitor must be “flicker-free” and not use any pulse width modulation to power it’s backlight. All of the monitors on The Master List have been confirmed to be not only flicker-free, but also PWM free by at least one source. I won’t go into too much detail regarding PWM flicker here, but if you’d like more info on it, NotebookCheck has written an excellent article on the topic. I highly suggest checking it out.

3. The last thing on the list is actually the first thing I look for, and that’s panel technology. Is the monitor an OLED, IPS, VA, or TN panel? You may have noticed there are zero OLED monitors on The Master List. That’s because from my own personal experience as well as from reports I’ve read from others online, OLED is the biggest offender when it comes to the different panel technologies. I’m not 100% certain why this is the case, but for me personally, it’s a little bit like staring into a miniature sun. So no OLEDs.