Best Projectors 2023

While the projector brightness ratings are key, room brightness can also impact the  results you get. No matter the brightness of your projector, the darker the room is, the better the results are. If there is a lot of natural light entering your room and you have no way of blocking it out, we suggest you invest in a brighter projector. In such cases, the PIQO Projector, given its resolution and brightness ratings, would be a great option.
The Halo has two 5-watt Harman Kardon built-in speakers, located on the sides of the unit. The speakers provide good sound for a portable projector and Portable Projector are loud enough for an average-sized room. When you use the included remote to change the volume, the level is conveniently displayed on-screen.

When you shop through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This educational content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Strips of film and slides can be placed side by side or in rows on the device to be viewed or ‘scanned’ simultaneously. Although there is an option for mains power, portability is offered by the fact that six optional AAAs can also be inserted, though this of course adds to the weight.

The perception of brightness is nonlinear, which means a 10% difference is hardly noticeable, and you need far more than twice as many lumens for a projector's image to appear twice as bright. You can use it for movies and video as well, and  it even comes with an Android TV 10.0 streaming stick to make that easy. But according to BenQ, the video is tuned to optimize the look of HDR when using game consoles as opposed to, say, Blu-ray players. And note that its convenience features include a dedicated button on the remote to rotate through the three game modes easily. Getting the X3000i without serious gaming in mind would be like getting your own private plane without planning to fly. Need a projector for business presentations, fast-paced gaming, or family movie night?

You can also use Chromecast or Apple TV wireless devices to stream content as well. The best models of mini projectors also have phone apps to enable you to control your streams right from your phone or device to make it easy to use. These projectors are tiny; a pico projector can fit easily in a pocket and backpack. In my opinion, pico projectors should not be qualified as projectors as they don’t offer good brightness, contrast, resolution, and display technology.

Since the Anker Nebula Capsule is a portable projector, it also runs on battery power. It’s around 4 hours of battery backup; though, you get 2.5 hours in standard mode. Yes, battery-powered star projectors are a great option for those who want to use their projector in both large and small areas. The Aimeizi Star Projector is a unique and attractive choice for those looking to decorate and bring light into a room.

When it comes to reviews, there are many great options available on the market. Each of these brands offer a variety of models with different features, so it’s important to do some research to determine which one is best for you. Keep in mind that not all projectors are created equal and some may use more power than others. If you cannot find out what is the watt of your projector, contact customer support.

Any one of them could be your favorite travel companion or favorite stay-at-home portable projector for moving no farther than the backyard. For more options, check out our guides to the best home projectors, the best outdoor projectors, and the best projectors overall. Most, but not all, oversize palmtops include built-in batteries so you don't always have to connect to a power outlet. When using battery power, however, they typically drop brightness significantly to get a longer battery life.

You can also stream to the Android TV stick from your phone using Chromecast. The internal battery is rated by LG for 2 hours, though this is in its dimmest mode. Increase the brightness and connect a streaming stick running off the USB and you're unlikely to get a full movie out of it. The power supply is nearly half the size of the projector itself, and comes with a thick cable, so together they end up being surprisingly bulky for something that's supposed to be portable.

The vast majority of palmtop and pico projectors are of the DLP type. LED (Light-Emitting Diode) is known for its long lifespan compared to their halogen counterparts. You can get high-brightness, pocket-sized projectors, but they’re the laser-based variety usually. A pico projector can only be so bright so it has limits to where you can view it. You can use it darkened rooms with the curtains closed or the lights turned off, like in a home theater or cinema setting.

Many mini projectors have built-in streaming that allow them to show Netflix and other streaming services when connected via Wi-Fi. For projectors that don't have built-in streaming, you'll need to connect another streaming device, like a Roku or Fire TV Stick, to the projector's HDMI input to  stream Netflix and other services. The P8 is absolutely tiny, roughly the same overall volume as the Anker Capsule , though obviously rectangular instead of cylindrical. It even has a few streaming apps built in, plus an HDMI port for connecting an external source. The image quality is OK but for the size, price and relatively high light output, it's hard to knock it. If you're never going to be far from an outlet, a standard projector will get you a much bigger, brighter and better image for similar money.

For those with a higher budget to work with, the POCOCO Home Planetarium Star Projector is the best high-end version on the market. It boasts 5K resolution because of its multi-level glass lenses that provide ultra-clear projection. The attention to detail ensures maximum illumination with minimal distortion. The BlissLights Sky Lite Evolve perfectly combines rich colors, powerful light and seamless transitions.

That is a big thumbs-up in a home entertainment projector at this price. The sound from the internal 5-watt chamber speaker is quite usable and pumps out high enough volume to fill a large family room. Resolution is a fairly low 854 x 480 so images aren’t as crisp as on native 720p devices. Its LED lamp is limited when it comes to brightness, too, kicking out only 100 lumens, which means it’s only usable with the curtains or blinds drawn. Either way, the best native resolution you’re going to get currently from a sub-£500 projector is 1080p.