As projectors become more portable, they are growing in popularity. You can bring them with you and use them to project your files, charts, movies, or photos on the big screen or on a wall. The best portable projector is small and lightweight, and it projects a quality image for you. It allows you to watch Netflix outdoors with friends or family, and you can share charts and graphs in meetings at work. You can use a mini projector to create a theater experience at home. Getting a small projector is affordable, possible, and can enhance your life.
Table of Contents
- What to Look for
- 8 Best Portable Projectors
- 1) Dr. J Professional HI-04 Mini Projector
- 2) Anker Nebula Capsule Smart Wi-Fi Mini Projector
- 3) Vankyo Performance V600 Native 1080P LED Projector
- 4) Apeman M4 Mini Portable Projector
- 5) Vamvo L4200 Portable Video Projector
- 6) Kodak Ultra Mini Portable Projector
- 7) Tontion Upgrade 3400Lux Video Projector
- 8) ViewSonic M1 Portable Projector
- Conclusion
What to Look for
People are enjoying the fact that you can buy a mini projector and create your own theater experience. You can use them outdoors, indoors, or at the office. You can use many of them to stream movies and television shows. There are certain features that you should consider so that you get the best portable projector for your needs.
Technology LCD or DLP?
The majority of small projectors will either have a DLP chip or use single-panel LCD technology. Single-panel LCD projectors are less expensive and use components that weren’t designed exclusively for projection. They use an LCD screen with a light shining through and project the image on the screen with a series of lenses. You lose some of the quality with this type of small projector.
The DLP chip mini projector uses the same technology that is used in movie theaters. It works by shifting tiny mirrors that can reflect light. The mirrors form pixels and pass it through a color wheel before being projected onto a screen by a series of lenses. They are brighter with better contrast, and they create a high-quality picture.
Portability, Resolution, Noise Level
The things to look for when you buy a portable projector include brightness, portability, and image quality. All three of these characteristics make a big difference in terms of the quality of the image that is produced. If you are looking for high-quality pictures, you can choose the DLP technology for the best possible result.
8 Best Portable Projectors
1) Dr. J Professional HI-04 Mini Projector
This small projector comes with a 100-inch projector screen. It is a portable LED video projector with good brightness and contrast, and it supports 1080p video. The watching size ranges from 32” to 176” and works at a distance between 1.5 meters and 5 meters. It is compatible with a number of devices, including a TV box, ChromeBook, PCs, laptops, tablets, Blu-ray DVD players, SC cards, USB drives, video game consoles, and media players.
This portable projector is ideal for home theater options, indoor and outdoor movies, video games, and more. You can connect your home stereo system to enjoy surround sound, and it is best used in the dark. It does have its own built-in stereo speakers, and it has a five-layer LCD lens display. It is affordable and produces high-quality images for you and your family to enjoy.
Dimensions:
- 7.8” x 2.7” x 6.02”
- It weighs three pounds
- Projects high-quality images
- Native Resolution: 1280 x 720 (Supported 1920 x 1080)
- Comes with a 100-inch screen
- Compatible with a number of different devices
- Produces quality images on screens that are 32 inches to 176 inches
- Ideal for home theater and gaming
- Not as great for word processing documents, spreadsheets, and other work documents
- No bluetooth
Our rating: 4.6 / 5
2) Anker Nebula Capsule Smart Wi-Fi Mini Projector
This small projector has excellent clarity and contrast. It is a DLP that has advanced IntelliBright algorithms, and it is very bright. The Anker Nebule Capsule also has a 360-degree speaker that has a powerful omnidirectional speaker to direct the sound all over the room when you are enjoying your movies. It allows you to stream and use other media apps, and you can display Netflix, YouTube, and more.
You can project movies on a screen up to 100 inches, and it is compatible with a number of different devices. You can control it from an app that you download from Google Play or the App store. If you are on the road, you can display your movies on the wall in your home, and watch it in your tent when you are camping. The projector is wireless, and it can connect through Bluetooth, USB, infrared, and more. Fun fact: It’s the size of a soda can. It has four hours of play time on a charge, so you can easily watch your favorite movie.
Dimensions:
- 2.68” x 2.68” x 4.72”
- It weighs 1.04 pounds
- High-quality DLP technology that offers clarity, brightness, and contrast
- Compatible with a number of different devices
- Offers four hours of play time on a charge
- Displays on screens up to 100 inches
- It’s the size of a soda can and very lightweight
- You cannot mirror copyrighted content from Netflix or Hulu
- Native Resolution only: 854×480
Our rating: 4.6 / 5
3) Vankyo Performance V600 Native 1080P LED Projector
Many consider this model by Vankyo to be the best portable projector because it offers a native resolution of 1920*1080 and a contrast ratio of 5000:1. It produces high-quality images with as much as three times the detail of other models. It has 80% greater brightness, and it can project images up to 300 inches. You can easily use it for home theatre or for business presentations.
The Vankyo V600 has long-lasting lamps that will last more than 10 years with daily use, and it can connect to a range of devices. It has two HDMI ports, one premium audio port, and it is compatible with laptops, smartphones, tablets, and streaming devices. It also offers a three-month money-back guarantee, as well as a three-year warranty. This portable projector allows you to do anything you need to do from gaming, to home theater to business presentations.
Dimensions:
- 15.35” x 15.35” x 5.9”
- It weighs 8.3 pounds
- Projects from 50 inches to 300 inches
- True (native) HD 1080p resolution for clear images
- Connects to laptops, smartphones, tablets, and more
- Easy to use
- Larger and heavier than other portable projectors
- The fan can be quite noisy
Our rating: 4.5 / 5
4) Apeman M4 Mini Portable Projector
This is considered the best portable projector because it uses upgraded DLP technology to project your movies on the big screen. It is as much as 70% brighter than other projectors, and it is more vivid with 50% sharper images. It supports full HD 1080p video, and it allows you to view a screen between 30” and 100” within one to four meters.
The projector is lightweight and as light as your mobile phone. It is easy to take it with you and use and also has a tripod with a firm stand and a full 360-degree rotation. It has super-low noise, and it is perfect for home theater, parties, and camping. The Apeman M4 has a built-in battery and a long lamp life. It connects to many different devices, including your smartphone, your laptop, TV box, DVD, tablet, camera, video game console, and more.
Dimensions:
- 3.86” x 3.86” x 0.85”
- It weighs 0.44 pounds
- Bright, sharp, and high-quality images
- Very lightweight and portable
- Connects to many different devices
- Easy to turn your home into a theater
- Not the best choice for work presentations
- Included tri-pod is quite flimsy
- Only 800 x 480 native resolution
Our rating: 4.5 / 5
5) Vamvo L4200 Portable Video Projector
The Vamvo projector is a professional quality HD home theater projector. It has LED lighting and delivers 80% more brightness, while it offers 1080p resolution, as well as accurate colors and excellent contrast. It is affordable, and it offers great image quality at an affordable price. Vamvo L4200 is portable and comes with a convenient carrying case. It has enhanced LED lighting that provides 3800 Lux brightness.
This portable projector has multiple ports, including HDMI, USB, audio, and AV interfaces. L4200 can also connect to multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and more. It can project images that are between 49 and 200 inches, and it has a projection distance of 4.9 to 15 feet. Also, it has built-in stereo speakers with surround sound, and it comes with a two-year warranty.
Dimensions:
- 9.64” x 6.53” x 3.2”
- It weighs 2.75 pounds
- Comes with a carrying case
- Projects images that are true to color
- 720p native and 1080p supported resolutions
- Connects to a number of different devices
- Comes with a two-year warranty
- Projects up to 200 inches
- Need dimly lit room
- Not ideal image detail for small texts
- The built-in speakers are not that good
Our rating: 4.4 / 5
6) Kodak Ultra Mini Portable Projector
The Kodak mini projector is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and it offers advanced DLP opticals with LED brightness, exceptional color, accuracy, and 1080p HD picture quality. It is small and lightweight, and it works well at home, at work, and more. You can share movies, presentations, and more. It has an onboard media player and built in speakers, as well as a 3.5 mm input and integrated HDMI.
You can connect it to your IOS phone, iPad, Android devices, and more. It is easy to simply plug it in, connect, and play. It also connects to your computer, Mac, laptop, gaming console, video player, and many other devices. Kodak Ultra mini projector offers gaming grade color, and you will enjoy watching any movies and games on this projector.
Dimensions:
- 3.1” x 3.1” x 0.8”
- It weighs 5.29 ounces
- Very small and lightweight projector
- Displays quality 1080p HD picture on large screens
- Excellent quality picture
- Compatible with a range of devices
- You need to keep the surrounding area dark to get the best results
- Sometimes you need to reconnect to the smartphone a few times before it recognizes the device
Our rating: 4.3 / 5
7) Tontion Upgrade 3400Lux Video Projector
The Tontion is an affordable portable mini projector. However, it is still a high-quality device, and it can project your movies or graphs on a screen that is as much as 12 feet away. It is small and light and it works well on screens that range from 37 to 50 inches. This projector is portable, but you do need to have an outlet so that it has power.
It produces images in 1080p. The ideal projection distance is between 5.9 and 7 feet for a screen between 32 and 176 inches, and the image is very clear and bright. It is compatible with laptops, PCs, Android TV boxes, SD cards, USB flash drives, smartphones, video game consoles, and media players. It has a dual stereo surround speaker system, with two high-magnetic speakers built in. You can also connect it to an external speaker to enhance your sound.
Dimensions:
- 7.5” x 5” x 3”
- It weighs 2.3 pounds
- High-quality image
- Compatible with a number of devices
- Built-in dual stereo speakers
- Works on a wide range of screen sizes
- Small and lightweight
- You need an outlet to plug it in
- The tripod doesn’t have proper adjustment options
- Only 800×480 pixels resolution (native)
Our rating: 4.2 / 5
8) ViewSonic M1 Portable Projector
This ultra-portable projector offers big screen projection up to 100 inches. It has built-in dual Harman Kardon speakers, and it creates a great home theatre experience. It is very easy to set up, as you simply plug it in and start projecting your movies, presentations, or games. The battery provides up to six hours of power, and you can charge with the USB Type C adapter.
It is easy to connect a range of devices, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, and Macs, and you can connect with HDMI or USB devices. You can use it at home indoors and outdoors, take it camping, or use it at the office. It is versatile and portable for a variety of uses. It comes with a smart stand and 360-degree radius so that you can direct it at any angle. This is a popular item because it provides a great image and is so easy to set up and use.
Dimensions:
- 5.7” x 1.6” x 5”
- It weighs 1.65 pounds
- Easy to set up and use anywhere
- Connects to a variety of media players
- Comes with smart stand that offers 360-degree radius
- Projects up to 100 inches
- More expensive than others
- The native resolution is WVGA (854 x 480) only
- 32 GB Micro SD limitation
Our rating: 4.1 / 5
Conclusion
If you are looking for a portable projector, there are a lot of affordable, high-quality options on the market. You can use them to watch movies at home or give presentations at work. Some can go camping as well, and they offer built-in speakers and connectivity to a range of media players.