[grincho]

Width-based media queries are simply a corrupt idea altogether. In addition to the problem complained noted in the post, they give rise to other pathological behaviors I encounter daily. I increase the zoom of a page to better see an image, only to have the image shrink due to a layout change. I shrink a window to remove a huge empty margin, only to have the text recede even further.

They way they're implemented in browsers, width media queries are a UI antipattern. They violate the principle of least astonishment because their boundaries are invisible, causing the user to be surprised every time.