[geenat]

Essential:

* Flicker free monitor (non-PWM backlight).

* Dark Reader browser plugin.

Nice to have:

* Ambient lighting.

* Curved monitors (reduces constant eye re-focusing on large monitors).

* Matte finish on monitors, avoid glass to avoid glare.

Flicker free is the major one. Many LCD that use a PWM backlight are pure torture at lower brightness levels. Ironically very old LCD with an actual lamp backlight are naturally flicker free. Ambient lighting can help mitigate the stress of flicker too.

Samsung didn't get flicker free offerings until 2021-ish. BenQ has had them since about 2014. Most OLED monitors are flicker free.

[Rayhem]

> Curved monitors (reduces constant eye re-focusing on large monitors).

Isn't this a bad thing? I've been lead to believe one of the most useful techniques to alleviate eye-strain is frequent re-focusing at a variety of distances.

[walterbell]

Re-focusing works best with larger deltas in focusing distance, rather than a few millimeters of focus distance change due to monitor curvature.

Compare flexing your arms to stretch, vs. moving your hand by exactly one inch. The former will contract and relax arm muscles from their stable position. The latter requires muscle tension to carry out a precision movement.