Battery-Powered Projectors

A battery projector is a compromise you accept knowingly: two hours of runtime, a few hundred lumens, and a picture that needs real darkness. Within that envelope the differences that matter are weight, whether the streaming platform is licensed, and whether the audio is good enough to skip a separate speaker.

How this list is ordered: Every projector in the catalog with an internal battery, ordered by brightness. 7 of the catalog’s projectors qualify. 1 of them is under a manufacturer safety recall — BenQ GV31 — and is marked in the list rather than removed from it, because the specification that put it here is still true. 2 of them are no longer sold by their makers — BenQ GV31, Anker Nebula Capsule Air — and are listed after the models still on sale, kept for comparison.

  1. BenQ GV50 projector

    1BenQ

    ~$799

    BenQ GV50

    A 4.6 lb laser portable on a tilting cradle that swings through 135 degrees, with Google TV and a 2.1 speaker system with its own bass driver.

    Brightness
    500lumensANSI
    Screen at 10 ft
    115 in
    Light source
    Laser-phosphor
    Check price on Amazon
  2. Dangbei Freedo projector

    2Dangbei

    ~$439

    Dangbei Freedo

    Dangbei's first battery projector with licensed Google TV: 3.1 lb, two hours of runtime, a rotating handle stand, and 24 dB operation that makes it the quietest battery projector in this catalog..

    Brightness
    450lumensISO 21118
    Screen at 10 ft
    115 in
    Light source
    LED
    Check price on Amazon
  3. Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air projector

    3Anker Nebula

    ~$420

    Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air

    A battery projector with a proper carry handle and 16 W of stereo audio, aimed squarely at back yards and camping.

    Brightness
    400lumensANSI
    Screen at 10 ft
    115 in
    Light source
    LED
    Check price on Amazon
  4. Yaber T2 Plus projector

    4Yaber

    ~$349

    Yaber T2 Plus

    A budget LCD projector with a carry handle, JBL-tuned speakers, a 2.5-hour battery and Wi-Fi 6, sold largely on its automatic setup features.

    Brightness
    350lumensISO 21118
    Screen at 10 ft
    110 in
    Light source
    LED
    Check price on Amazon
  5. Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser projector

    5Anker Nebula

    ~$570

    Anker Nebula Capsule 3 Laser

    The laser version of Anker's can-shaped projector: 1080p, 300 ANSI lumens, two hours of battery and licensed Google TV.

    Brightness
    300lumensANSI
    Screen at 10 ft
    115 in
    Light source
    Laser-phosphor
    Check price on Amazon
  6. BenQ GV31 projector

    6BenQ

    ~$599

    BenQ GV31Safety recallNo longer sold by BenQ

    A battery projector built around its speaker: a 2.1 system with an 8 W woofer in a 3.7 lb cylinder that runs three hours off the internal cell.

    Brightness
    300lumensANSI
    Screen at 10 ft
    115 in
    Light source
    LED
  7. Anker Nebula Capsule Air projector

    7Anker Nebula

    ~$250

    Anker Nebula Capsule AirNo longer sold by Anker Nebula

    A soda-can projector that runs two hours off its own battery and weighs 1.4 lb.

    Brightness
    150lumensANSI
    Screen at 10 ft
    115 in
    Light source
    LED

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