Great ergonomics and an even better price
The BenQ BL business range of monitors is widely accepted as one of the better series for CAD users, designers and those who sit in front of a screen for long stretches of the working day. It offers a good mix of technology, ergonomics and quality, so we’re interested to see how one of the company’s newest model, the BL2205PT, fits into the grand scheme of things.
The BL2205PT is a 21.5" TN LED backlit screen with a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, a dynamic contrast ratio of 20,000,000:1 and decent viewing angles of 170º horizontal and 160º vertical.
Connectivity is adequate, with DisplayPort, DVI and VGA, but there's no HDMI, which seems a little of an odd choice for a businessclass monitor. However, as we said, the connectivity is more than enough for most office settings.
The BL2205PT offers the low blue light levels and other special screen modes, alongside an anti-glare screen coating and flicker free technology. Of course the ergonomics don’t stop with the screen technology. Since this is a business model, the BL2205PT can be moved through a variety of angles – enough at least to keep the local health and safety office happy.
With a forward and back tilt of -5º and 2º respectively, a 45º swivel, portrait and landscapes modes, and an adjustable height from 110mm to the base of the stand, there’s plenty to help you this screen set up. The BL2205PT is also VESA wall mountable.
It’s actually not a bad monitor for the average workstation. Usually you get some pretty dire quality at this sort of price, but with the BL2205PT, not only are there good ergonomics at work, but it’s also clear, and uncluttered.
The screen quality is good too. It’s admittedly not quite up to the same level as the more expensive monitors in the BL-range, but it’s certainly good enough for the average worker. The colours are reasonable, and the display is quite sharp considering it’s not an IPS screen.
The biggest lure, though, is the cost. Whereas a lot of ergonomically designed business-class monitors can hit £200 or even £300 and beyond, the BenQ BL2205PT comes in at very reasonable £105, or slightly lower with free shipping if you shop around.
So while it’s not the latest and most impressive gamingspec monitor available, the BL2205PT is an excellent choice for those who need to comply with H&S while still having a good-quality monitor at a good price. David Hayward
A decent enough business class monitor.