Need a compact, capable projector you can take with you for presentations on the road or for watching movies in your backyard? Here's a look at the top-rated models we've tested.
When it comes to projectors, "portability" is a flexible and evolving concept. Three decades ago, models that weighed about 12 pounds and fit in an airplane overhead bin were considered fully portable—in fact, they were the smallest and lightest available. Today, they're not, except for some that are designed for moving no farther than from one room to another. The vast majority of what we now consider portable projectors are 5 pounds or less. Some are mere ounces—small and light as a cell phone, and also perfect phone companions. No matter where you happen to be, they'll let you show your photos and videos, or stream a movie, at a larger size than you can get on a tablet.
The wide range in size and weight for the best portable projectors today goes hand-in-hand with large ranges for features—from brightness level, to audio volume and quality, to presence or absence of built-in batteries or smart TV features. To help you wade through all the options, we've narrowed the portable projector world down into categories by size, shape, and weight. Below are our lab-tested top picks for each category, followed by detailed explanations of the categories and the key points you should keep in mind when searching for the best portable projector. For dessert, we end with a detailed spec breakout of our top choices.