Mirror or Matte Screen: Which Should You Buy?

Your laptop screen may be reflecting too much light in a room filled with many lights. Colors of HD movies might look dull on your desktop monitor. You might have chosen the wrong type of screen for your needs.

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Mirror Screen (left) and Matte Screen (right)

When purchasing a laptop or a desktop monitor, you can choose between a glossy or matte screen. These two types of screens provide very different experiences depending on your usage environment. So, which one should you buy: glossy or matte screen?

Both matte and glossy screens use liquid crystal display (LCD) technology. The only difference between the two is the outer coating. In typical usage scenarios (moderate brightness, not too much ambient light, and not too dark), the display quality of glossy and matte screens will not differ significantly.

For this reason, manufacturers have not been able to determine which type of screen is best. Apple even offers both matte and glossy screen options for its MacBook models. Each user may prefer matte or glossy screens, but the right choice will come from their usage needs.

Glossy screens offer vibrant colors and better contrast. Colors appear richer and blacks look deeper on a glossy screen. However, if exposed to direct light (such as outdoor usage or sitting under bright lights), glossy screens will reflect this light and cause discomfort for users. In fact, using a glossy screen outdoors in sunlight is nearly impossible.

On the contrary, matte screens are coated with an anti-glare layer, making them much better at reducing reflections. In a brightly lit room, matte screens are easier to read and view compared to glossy screens. Unfortunately, the anti-glare coating makes matte screens appear slightly washed out compared to glossy screens.

In the image above, you can easily see the differences in color and shine between the screens. The Dell screen on the left is matte, while the Apple screen on the right is glossy. You'll notice that the Dell screen is darker, less vibrant, but also much better at reducing glare.

When deciding between a glossy or matte screen for a computer used at home, in rooms with moderate lighting, it's advisable to use a glossy screen for more vibrant colors when watching movies.

Conversely, if you need a desktop/laptop for use in office environments with excessive overhead lighting or frequently open windows allowing direct sunlight onto the screen, you should opt for a matte screen.

If you require outdoor laptop usage, matte screens are also preferable. While matte screens won't completely eliminate strong light sources, such as direct sunlight, the screen glare will be significantly reduced compared to glossy screens.

Of course, users may find it difficult to anticipate all the use cases for their laptops. Perhaps, in the coming months, you'll only need to use your laptop in rooms with normal brightness levels, but in the future, you'll need to take your laptop to work at cafes, offices, etc.

Therefore, opting for a matte screen will be the safest choice. However, as mentioned earlier, you'll have to compromise on color quality if you choose a matte screen.

For many, the vibrant colors of glossy screens are too dazzling and cause eye strain, so their choice will undoubtedly be a matte screen. Additionally, you can also purchase anti-glare films for glossy screens, so if you want to enjoy superior cinematic experiences, a glossy screen will still be the better option. The downside of this solution is that not all glossy screens have suitable anti-glare films, and the display quality of glossy screens with anti-glare films will not be as good as matte screens.

Even when users only need to consider two factors: color quality and anti-glare capability, choosing between a matte screen and a glossy screen can still pose difficulties for many. There's no one-size-fits-all option, so you'll have to consider your preferences and usage plans. Whatever your choice, always test the screen quality before making a purchase. This hands-on experience will give you the clearest idea of your intentions.

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