MUI Masonry is useful for dashboard screens where cards have different heights, like KPI blocks, activity feeds, alerts, and charts. It helps reduce empty vertical gaps compared to fixed-row grid layouts.

Best Setup for Most Dashboards

For a dashboard, the best baseline is:

• responsive columns
• responsive spacing
• sequential={true} for predictable scan order
• SSR defaults when using Next.js (defaultColumns, defaultSpacing, defaultHeight)

Why this setup works:

• Dashboards are read left-to-right and top-to-bottom, so sequential order is easier to follow.
• Responsive columns keep density comfortable across mobile, tablet, and desktop.
• SSR defaults reduce layout shift during hydration in server-rendered apps.

Recommended Example

import Masonry from "@mui/lab/Masonry";
import { Card } from "@mui/material";

export default function DashboardMasonry({ widgets }) {
  return (
    <Masonry
      columns={{ xs: 1, sm: 2, md: 3, lg: 4 }}
      spacing={{ xs: 1, sm: 1.5, md: 2 }}
      defaultColumns={3}
      defaultSpacing={2}
      defaultHeight={900}
      sequential
    >
      {widgets.map((widget) => (
        <Card key={widget.id}>{widget.content}</Card>
      ))}
    </Masonry>
  );
}

Property Choices (Dashboard Context)

• columns: Set by breakpoint so cards do not become too narrow on small screens.
• spacing: Use theme spacing values; keep it moderate for dense dashboards.
• sequential: Prefer true for dashboard readability and stable visual flow.
• defaultHeight: Set high enough to render all expected rows for SSR.

When Not to Use sequential

If your priority is pure packing efficiency (for example, image-heavy galleries), keep default behavior so items are placed in the shortest column. For operational dashboards, readability usually matters more than tight packing.

Import and Package Note

From the MUI API, Masonry is imported from @mui/lab:

import Masonry from "@mui/lab/Masonry";

Final Recommendation

For dashboard setup, use Masonry with responsive columns and spacing, plus sequential enabled. In Next.js or any SSR environment, also include defaultColumns, defaultSpacing, and defaultHeight to keep first render stable.

Source:

• https://mui.com/material-ui/react-masonry/
• https://mui.com/material-ui/api/masonry/