Dangbei~$549
Dangbei Atom
Portable · DLP · 1080p
- Brightness
- 1,200lumensISO 21118
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 1,200 ISO lumens
- 2.8 lb laser
- Google TV
Best for: The brightest picture that still fits in a laptop bag
Portable projectors
Small enough to carry, usually battery-powered, always dark-room devices. The trade is brightness, and every one of them is honest about it if you read the standard.
13 models · 8 brands · $250–$1,299
- Brightest on the ISO/ANSI scale
- Dangbei Atom1,200 lumens
- Cheapest of the type
- Anker Nebula Capsule Air~$250
Optoma~$899
Optoma ML1080
Portable · DLP · 1080p
- Brightness
- 550lumensANSI
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 550 ANSI lumens
- 2.2 lb tri-laser
- 100% DCI-P3
Best for: Carrying a genuinely wide-gamut picture in a laptop bag
BenQ~$799
BenQ GV50
Portable · DLP · 1080p
- Brightness
- 500lumensANSI
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 500 ANSI lumens
- 4.6 lb
- Tilting cradle
Best for: Moving between a bedroom wall and a back-yard sheet without a mount
LG~$1,299
LG CineBeam Q
Portable · DLP · 4K pixel-shift
- Brightness
- 500lumensANSI
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 500 ANSI lumens
- 4K tri-laser at 3.3 lb
- webOS built in
Best for: A genuinely 4K, genuinely wide-gamut picture from a bag
XGIMI~$319
XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro
Portable · DLP · 1080p
- Brightness
- 450lumensISO 21118
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 450 ISO lumens
- 2.4 lb
- Google TV at $319
Best for: The cheapest projector here with a licensed streaming platform built in
Dangbei~$319
Dangbei Freedo
Portable · DLP · 1080p
- Brightness
- 450lumensISO 21118
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 450 ISO lumens
- 2-hour battery
- 24 dB
Best for: A quiet battery projector for a bedroom ceiling or a tent
XGIMI~$399
XGIMI Elfin Flip
Portable · DLP · 1080p
- Brightness
- 400lumensISO 21118
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 400 ISO lumens
- Folds flat
- 2.6 lb
Best for: Packing flat in a suitcase and aiming at a hotel ceiling
Anker Nebula~$420
Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air
Portable · DLP · 1080p
- Brightness
- 400lumensANSI
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 400 ANSI lumens
- 2-hour battery
- 16 W stereo
Best for: A back-yard movie night with no extension cord
Anker Nebula~$570
Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser
Portable · DLP · 1080p
- Brightness
- 300lumensANSI
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 300 ANSI lumens
- 1080p laser
- 2-hour battery
Best for: A battery projector that still runs Netflix natively
BenQ~$599
BenQ GV31
Portable · DLP · 1080p
Safety recall- Brightness
- 300lumensANSI
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 300 ANSI lumens
- 3-hour battery
- 2.1 audio
Best for: Camping, a patio, or any screen with no power outlet nearby
Yaber~$300
Yaber T2 Plus
Portable · LCD · 1080p
- Brightness
- 290lumensISO 21118
- Screen at 10 ft
- 110 in
- 290 ISO lumens
- 20 W JBL audio
- Auto setup
Best for: A cheap second projector for a spare room, with expectations set accordingly
Samsung~$498
Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen
Portable · DLP · 1080p
- Brightness
- 230lumensANSI
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 230 ANSI lumens
- 1.8 lb
- Tizen + Gaming Hub
Best for: Throwing a picture onto a ceiling or a hotel wall from a bag
Anker Nebula~$250
Anker Nebula Capsule Air
Portable · DLP · 720p
- Brightness
- 150lumensANSI
- Screen at 10 ft
- 115 in
- 150 ANSI lumens
- 1.4 lb
- 2-hour battery
Best for: A pocket-sized picture on a tent wall