The best portable monitors for laptops, computers, and games consoles are a great way to extend your screen to help you work, present, stream, or play on the go. My team and I have conducted a massive range of comprehensive portable monitor reviews, and based on those, I've selected the best displays around.
Overall, the Arzopa Z1RC stands out as the pick of the bunch - it's a 16in portable screen with an impressive 2.5K resolution that delivered fantastic picture quality and color vibrancy when the team reviewed this model. But what I really like is the price for a display with these specs. For most people, it's a great choice.
If you want one of the cheapest portable monitors that's still worth your money, definitely check out the KYY K3 - it's a good budget pick, while the business-oriented Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 is tailor-made for travel thanks to its 14in 2.2K screen. Meanwhile, the stunning, Apple-styled espressoDisplay is easily the best portable monitor for MacBook Pro laptops and Macs and to my mind there's still no beating the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE if you're into gaming on the go.
You can check out my full thoughts below, alongside our in-depth reviews where we assess screen size, design, portability, picture quality, and color accuracy across 14in to 27in portable laptop displays.
Update: In my latest update, I've trimmed the list to focus on my top recommended portable displays and created an easier-to-read Also Tested section with some of my other favorite screens.
The quick list
Best portable monitor overall
High-resolution and a big, portable screen make this our top pick, with a reasonable price for the specs.
Best cheap portable monitor
A good choice for the home and home office, this KYY portable screen won't break the bank.
Best portable monitor for business
A great choice for professionals on the go, the 14in portable display is light and easy to carry, and boasts a high 2.2K (2240 x 1400) resolution.
Best portable monitor for gaming
If you’re more of a business or productivity power user needing to extend your MacBook’s display, then this is the ideal choice.
Best portable monitor for MacBook Pro & Mac
As beautifully designed as an Apple device, this space-grey portable monitor worked seamlessly on our Mac, and looks great too.
Best large portable monitor
This 27in monitor offers a broad canvas ideal for office use, detail-focused workflows, and collaboration.
Best portable monitor overall
✅ You want a cheap portable monitor for your laptop: For the size and specs, this is an excellently priced device that won’t break the bank.
✅ You want a big screen, high-resolution portable display: There’s plenty of screen real estate here if you’re mirroring or extending your screen here - in 2.5K res, which is more than enough for a screen this size.
❌ You need a small screen for extra portability: At 16in, this device isn’t the lightest and smallest display you can get.
❌ You travel regularly: Without a protective case, we don’t feel the Z1RC could survive a particularly bumpy drive or fierce commute.
The Arzopa Z1RC is the best portable monitor for most people thanks to its clear 16-inch, 2.5K display, and USB-C and mini HDMI connectivity - all at a reasonable price.
Generally well-reviewed, Arzopa’s range tends to be cheap, portable, and powerful enough. A display like the Z1RC might not have every bell and whistle, but like most of the company’s line-up, it’s affordable and suitable for most uses, like working, streaming, presenting, and light gaming.
The IPS panel on the Z1RC features 2560 x 1600 resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, two USB-C ports and a mini HDMI port. Dimensions run to 356 x 240 x 9mm, weighing 763g. Color coverage is fair, and we recorded 100% sRGB, 89% AdobeRGB, 95% P3, and 69% of Rec 2020. We did find the viewing angle to be somewhat narrow at 85 degrees. Nor is it the brightest portable screen we’ve tested. Despite claims of 500nits peak brightness, it’s arguably closer to 400, with our own tests showing the backlight hit around 337nits with a contrast of 1060:1. We also felt a protective case is a necessity if you plan to use this portable monitor for travel.
Overall, there may be better portable monitors out there, but not at this price. Top lternatives we like include the gaming-focused Arzopa Z1FC and the 15.6in Arzopa S1 Table.
Read our full Arzopa Z1RC review
Best cheap portable monitor
✅ You want a cheap portable monitor: The real stand-out feature of this display is the price, which is around $100 / £100 - and we’ve seen it discounted to around $70 on Amazon, too.
✅ You want a lightweight screen: We really like how light and portable this display is, even at 15.6in, weighing in at around 1.70lb / 770g.
❌ You’re a creator: One of the weakest parts here is the color gamut, which is very low compared to other displays we’ve tested. Definitely not one for accurate content creation.
❌ You’ve got a bigger budget: For a few bucks more, there are better options out there that won’t see you compromising on color reproduction and, in some cases, even boost resolutions.
The KYY K3 may not be the best portable monitor in the world, but for the cheap price, it delivers everything we’d expect from a cheap, lightweight display - and a few features we didn’t expect. The handful of flaws we found can be pretty much overlooked considering the cost.
Design is nice - nothing ground-breaking, but simple and practical, and very easy to use. Power button, menu select wheel, and an audio jack can be found on the left. There’s even a set of built-in speakers, although as you’d expect from a budget device, audio quality is tinny. Port selection is fine. Along the right-hand side, you’ll find two USB-C and a mini HDMI input, making it pretty straightforward to connect a laptop, mobile device, or games console. You’ll also get a range of cable adapters for more connectivity.
What we really liked is the inclusion of a full OSD menu, letting you tweak the likes of color temperature, contrast levels, and Eco modes - not every portable monitor has this, so to see it on a low-cost display is a nice touch. Speaking of color, though, the gamut here is pretty woeful. We measured 64% sRGB and 49% for both AdobeRGB and P3, which rules this out for use by creative professionals. Still, for a sub-$100 portable monitor that comes with power supply, cables, and case that doubles as a stand, and with a 1080p resolution, this little screen ticks a lot of boxes.
Read our full KYY K3 review
Best portable monitor for business
✅ You want excellent resolution: With a resolution of 1440p (or 2.2K), this portable screen offers a bit more than the standard 1080p you’ll find on most displays of this size.
✅ You want real portability: We’ve long been championing 14in as the perfect size for a business laptop, and the M14t Gen 2 fits nicely in that niche, too - big enough to see, small enough to travel.
❌ You need true color coverage: 100% sRGB isn’t bad for a portable display, but it won’t suit professional photographers and designers.
❌ You need a budget portable display: It may be cheaper than the Gen 1 was, but the Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 is still about $400 / £400 new.
Part of Lenovo’s Think series, the M14t Gen 2 is a 14in touchscreen portable business monitor that’s overall optimal for working, watching, and low-level photo and video editing.
We’ve used plenty of ThinkPads in our time, and while the laptops’ keyboard and build quality are outstanding, the screens never stood out against the likes of Apple MacBook Pro. So, how does the ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 measure up?
This iteration boasts 2.2K resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, 100% sRGB color gamut, and 1500:1 contrast ratio. At $400 / £400, it’s around a hundred bucks cheaper than the Gen 1 was on release (as an older model, it’s decidedly cheaper now). So, in every way, it addresses the issues we had with the otherwise perfectly acceptable predecessor.
Image quality is excellent, and we had no issues editing videos and photos, or watching YouTube videos. Text was crisp, colors were accurate, vibrant, blacks were deep. Using the touchscreen and included stylus was simple and snappy - although it’s not going to be your go-to drawing tablet. Nor will it meet serious gaming needs due to high input latency. If that’s not an issue, the Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 is one of the best portable computer monitors you can get.
Read our full Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen 2 review
Best portable monitor for MacBook Pro & Mac
✅ You want an attractive portable display: We love the slick, professional design of the espressoDisplay, which neatly fits Apple’s eye-catching aesthetic.
✅ You want a portable laptop monitor to boost productivity: One of the reasons we love the espressoDisplay is the boost to productivity we found from this slim, minimalist screen.
❌ You need a simple travel monitor for a laptop: This portable display is, like an Apple device, a bit of a statement piece as much as it is a productivity tool.
❌ You need a cheap portable laptop monitor: The premium build and design of this display is reflected in the price.
The espressoDisplay 15 is our pick for best portable for Mac,MacBook Pro, and Mac mini devices. True, most displays here are compatible with Apple devices, but the espressoDisplay’s sleek design fits well with the Mac aesthetic - and it showed outstanding performance when we hooked it up to our MacBook Pro 16in. With two USB-C inputs, though, you’ll find it works well with most Windows laptops, too.
Attached to the magnetic stand, you can smoothly switch from landscape to portrait mode quickly - an essential feature for photographers and designers. There’s also a Creator screen protector, adding a matte finish to the glass screen, which we found made it easier to view in direct sunlight, and write on using the espresso stylus.
Using the screen for everything from work communications to review writing and photo editing, the portable display never missed a beat. It felt a natural fit for a more productive and efficient working environment. We’re not saying we got obsessed with the espressoDisplay, but we did find multiple reasons during the review period to work from home, just to have an excuse to use it. We also like the option of choosing a 13- or 15-in version depending on how portable you need it to be.
The team has also reviewed the espresso 15 Pro and the espresso 17 Pro - both great picks if you want greater color accuracy or a larger 4K portable screen compared to the standard espressoDisplay.
Read our full espressoDisplay 15 review
Best portable monitor for gaming
✅ You want to play games: With a future-proof 240Hz refresh rate, this Asus portable screen is geared towards gamers.
✅ You want a large portable monitor with built-in battery: The Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE boasts a 7,800 mAh battery built in, lasting up to four hours at 240Hz on a single charge.
❌ You want to watch or work: If you’ll mostly be watching YouTube and Netflix, or using office apps, this monitor is probably overkill.
❌ You need a cheap portable monitor: As you’d expect with specs like this, the portable monitor isn’t as cheap as the sub-$100 displays you’ll find on Amazon.
A 17.3in full HD display with a 240Hz refresh rate gives the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE the edge. The best portable gaming monitor we’ve tried, this device is focused, offers no compromises, suitable for the most dedicated players.
Even with its broad screen, the device is just 0.4in thin, weighing around 1kg, with a USB-C and miniHDMI ports along the side. In our hands, the well-built ROG Strix XG17AHPE showed no signs of bend or flex. It comes packages with a case and compact tripod, which is a thoughtful touch.
In use, the large portable display is vivid, crisp. When we tried games like Overwatch, Valorant, and Call of Duty, colors were popping off the screen without oversaturation, remaining distinct even in darker areas of the game. And we loved the smoothness that came with a higher refresh rate, with no ghosting and blur. Audio is loud and clear, too.
Yes, it’s a bit overkill if you’re presenting or Netflix-ing the night away (although it’s perfectly capable of doing it). Also, while current-gen consoles are only capable of 120Hz, the refresh rate here offers in-built future-proofing, and the Switch and PlayStation still felt smooth during our gameplay tests.
Read our full Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE review
Best large portable monitor
✅ You want a big screen: At 27in, this is one of the largest portable monitors we’ve reviewed, offering plenty of screen real estate for work, collaboration, or presenting.
✅ You want high resolutions: Most traditional portable displays hover around the 1080p mark, which is fine for smaller screens, but this one boasts 2.5K QHD resolution.
❌ You want actual portability: Yes, it’s slim and fairly lightweight, but this isn’t a monitor you’ll want to cart around with you regularly.
❌ You just want a standard portable monitor: With these specs, the screen is likely overpowered if all you want to do is hook up a second screen to your laptop.
Despite its 27in QHD IPS panel, the Asus ZenScreen MB27ACF is surprisingly slim and relatively lightweight. For me, this is ideal for a single-station set-up or use across an office where you need to key into the details or collaborate with others. I wouldn’t like to be carrying this on the commute everyday, especially since it doesn’t come with a case or sleeve for protection.
The screen is clear, with a matte anti-glare covering but no touchscreen capabilities. Specs-wise, you’re looking at 2.5K resolution, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 300 nits brightness (so about average), and 99% sRGB. That feels about right, but I would've loved to see a wider color gamut so creators could benefit from the large-screen portability, too. It does have built-in speakers along the bottom. They sound nice enough, although I’d still recommend external speakers or headphones for almost any portable monitor.
Around the back is a fold-out kick-stand, which I initially found a little stiff but otherwise works well (for security, I’d advise using both hands on either side of the stand to pull it into position). You can effectively set this up anywhere. Better still, Asus also supplies a monitor arm and hooks for hanging the monitor in the box. There’s no battery built in, so you’ll need to run it off the mains. Port selection is standard - HDMI, USB-C with DP Alt Mode, and an audio jack. It also features a 70W USB-C power delivery, too. Right now, this is a solid pick for anyone who needs a large-sized portable monitor, particularly for business-use.
Read our full Asus ZenScreen MB27ACF review
Best portable monitors compared
Model | Our rating | Screen size | Resolution | Brightness (nits) | Weight (lbs) | Best for... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
★★★★☆ | 16in | 2560 x 1600 | 400 | 1.68 | Home, business | |
★★★★☆ | 15.6in | 1920 x 1080 | 300 | 1.70 | Home, business, travel | |
★★★★☆ | 14in | 2240 x 1400 | 300 | 1.54 | Home, business, travel | |
★★★★☆ | 13.3 in / 15.6in | 1920 x 1080 | 300 | 1.43 / 1.90 | Home, business, travel, studio | |
★★★★⯪ | 17.3in | 1920 x 1080 | 350 | 2.3 | Gaming | |
★★★★⯪ | 27in | 2560 x 1440 | 300 | 10.6 | Business |
Best portable monitor: Also tested
Not every portable monitor we test can be considered the best - sometimes, even a 5-star portable screen has issues, such as limited global availability. But based on our reviews, the following all deserve an honorable mention.
Model | Our rating | Screen size | Best for... |
|---|---|---|---|
★★★★☆ | 14in | Business | |
★★★★⯪ | 15.6in | Business, studio | |
★★★★⯪ | 16in | Studio | |
★★★★☆ | 17in | Home, business | |
★★★★☆ | 2x 15.6in | Business | |
★★★★⯪ | 2x 16in | Studio | |
★★★★⯪ | 16in | Home, business | |
★★★★★ | 16in | Business | |
★★★★⯪ | 24in | Business | |
★★★★⯪ | 15.6in | Home, business |
Best portable monitor: FAQs
Do I need a portable gaming monitor to play games?
No - you don't need a dedicated portable monitor for gaming.
Most standard portable displays will hook up to your console via HDMI (or mini HDMI) and let you play games.
However, if you play competitively you'll want fast refresh rates and higher resolutions. For this, I'd recommend a true portable gaming monitor for a better experience.
How do I connect a portable monitor to my device?
In general, portable monitors connect to devices via USB-C - a single cable carrying output and power, making it better-suited for portability.
Plug one end into your device, the other end into the display, and head into your operating system's display settings for further configurations like mirroring.
Some portable monitors also connect to devices via USB-A, mini-HDMI, micro-HDMI, and VGA. Check your manual for full details.
Are portable monitors compatible with all devices?
You'll find the best portable monitors are compatible with laptops, tablets and gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch. If the display sports a USB-C and HDMI or mini HDMI port, you should have no issues connecting it to your device.
Do portable monitors have built-in speakers?
Some of the best portable monitor models do feature built-in speakers. However, when it comes to internal speakers, we find audio quality varies greatly. Lower-priced portable monitors often having a shallow, tinny sound to them, lacking in bass. These speakers will be fine for presentations or in a pinch, but in my experience, these pale in comparison to displays with dedicated audio systems or external speakers.
Do all portable monitors have a built-in battery?
No - not every portable monitor comes with a battery.
This keeps the price and the weight lower, with the portable display drawing power from the connected device, like your laptop.
You can find portable monitors with a battery, which is great for working away from a mains outlet, but these devices will be heavier and more expensive.
Tips for choosing the best portable monitor for you
This is the key specs I always look for in a portable monitor and what I recommend checking when choosing the model that’s right for your needs.
Screen size
For most people, one sized between 14in and 16in (like most laptops) offer the best balance for portability. But portable displays come in a range of sizes, so there's no right or wrong here. Raspberry Pi screens tend to be around 7in, while I've tested a 27in display designed to be lightweight and easy to carry despite being as big as a standard computer monitor.
Ports
The most common ports I see on portable monitors are USB-C and HDMI (or mini HDMI). These are standard, letting you connect the display to a wide range of laptops, computers, or consoles - but check your device to ensure compatibility. On most monitors, you'll find two types of USB-C - one for extending your screen via DisplayPort and one for power delivery (PD) if there's no mains adapter or built-in battery. If you're lucky, there may also be an audio jack.
Resolution
Resolution isn't as important on smaller screen sizes as it is with full-sized monitors or TVs. I expect a minimum of 1920x1080 (Full HD), however, some of my top picks here boast 2.2K and 2.5K resolutions (and there are a number of 4K OLED portable displays now). Unless you're playing modern games, it's not necessary, but it can be nice to have.
Power
Most cheap portable monitors won't have a built-in battery, but draws power from the connected device. This makes them lighter and lower-priced, but will drain the connected device faster via the USB-C PD.
Price
Everyone's budget is different, and you can spend pennies or hundreds for a portable monitor. For me, the sweet spot is somewhere between $100 to $300. Displays at this price usually have all the core features most people need. But I have seen some basic screens selling for as low as $50 - I'd recommend choosing one of these only from a known budget brand like KYY, MNN, or Arzopa.
Gaming
If you plan to use your portable monitor for gaming, a standard 1080p/60Hz screen will be fine for general play. However, you may want a display with higher resolution and refresh rates - I'd opt for at least 1440p and 120Hz respectively. In my experience, none of this is necessary for business or streaming use.
How we test the best portable monitors
We've tested a range of professional displays, including the best monitors for video editing, the best monitors for MacBook Pro, and the best monitors for photo editing. We've also reviewed the best monitors and best business monitors. So, we know what to look out for when you need a second screen to take with you.
All devices featured in this round-up have been tested by us. We evaluate these displays across many aspects, starting with the design and dimensions, exploring weight and overall portability. Build quality is essential for the best portable monitors, and we're looking for robust devices that are designed for travel, the commute, and multi-location set-ups.
For screens, we look at size, avoiding - and noting - any signs of glossiness and reflectiveness when used in bright rooms or outdoors in sunlight. We also compare each display's resolution, and whether it's capable for the use. For example, we'd expect higher resolutions for photo editing than for streaming movies or presentations at work.
We also check brightness and viewing angles - and we always test the manufacturer's claims of brightness. In many cases, peak luminance in a real-world setting is lower than the stated specs, and we'll note this in our review. Where available or relevant, we'll evaluate color accuracy and color coverage to identify the screens with the best image quality.
For more, see our guide How we test, review and rate professional and business monitors on TechRadar Pro.
We also tested the best monitors for graphic design - and these are the ones we recommend
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