Portable Monitors 2025: Top 3 That Will Change Your Life! 🚀💻
Portable monitors are gaining popularity, and it's not hard to see why. They're a great help for both desktop and laptop users. While portable monitors can't compete with the size of conventional displays, they offer other advantages: they're relatively inexpensive, easy to connect, and, best of all, highly portable—whether you're moving them across town for work or moving rooms at home. 🚀
However, the widespread availability of these devices and the ability to manufacture them at low cost has led to the emergence of some questionable brands on the market. The quality of these monitors can often be a media highlight. That's where we come in. We've tested multiple models and can differentiate the best portable monitors from the rest. 💻👌
Our list of favorites below will help you find the perfect portable monitor for you. You can also learn more about what to look for in a portable monitor at the end of the article.
Arzopa A1 Gamut – Best Budget Portable Monitor
Pros
Good build quality for the price 💪
Bright and attractive display 🌟
Two USB-C inputs, plus mini-HDMI 🔌
All cables included 😉
Cons
The stand only adjusts the angle
Limited image quality settings
Mediocre contrast ratio
The Arzopa A1 Gamut is a solid 15.6-inch 1080p portable monitor that offers good image quality, an attractive design, and useful features at a low price.
Arzopa opts for a simple yet elegant design that combines a thin panel with a small bump at the bottom to house the monitor's ports and internal electronics. It also includes a synthetic leather case that provides protection when stored. It also folds into a stand when the monitor is in use.
The monitor has three input options: two USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and one Mini-HDMI. All required cables and accessories are included. However, the monitor's menu system is difficult to use and offers few settings.
Image quality is excellent for the price. The Azorpa A1 Gamut reaches a maximum brightness of 297 nits, which is brighter than many competitors. The color gamut spans 97 % of sRGB and 74 % of DCI-P3. The A1 Gamut looks bright and vivid during everyday use, and while it's not ideal for professional content creation, it performs well when browsing the web, working in Microsoft Office, or watching YouTube. 📺✨
The Arzopa A1 Gamut is priced at $170, but it frequently sells at a steep discount, often as low as $110. It's a real bargain when it's on sale, and we recommend waiting for a sale if one isn't available right now. 🤑
Innocn 15A1F – Best Mid-Range Portable Monitor
Pros
Excellent image quality 🎨
Durable and attractive design
Versatile clip-on mount
Unbeatable value for money
Cons
Protective case not included
HDR support, but disappointing
The Innocn 15A1F is a portable OLED monitor that offers exceptional image quality and an attractive design at a more affordable price.
It has a 15.6-inch OLED panel with a resolution 1920x1080 and a 60Hz refresh rate. Its design is reminiscent of the Apple iPad Pro, elegantly combining an aluminum back panel with edge-to-edge glass.
It also includes a unique and versatile clip-on stand that adds stability and a wide range of angle adjustments. However, Innocn doesn't include a protective case, so buyers should consider a third-party protective case. 🛡️
Image quality is this portable monitor's strong suit. It offers a maximum brightness of 378 nits and an infinite contrast ratio. This combination delivers a bright, vivid, and immersive image. It also covers the 100 % of the DCI-P3 color gamut and the 94 % of AdobeRGB, which is more than enough for photo and video editing. However, the 60Hz refresh rate could be a limitation for gamers. 🎮
Retailing for $$349.99, which often drops to a tempting $$199.99 on Amazon, the Innocn 15A1F is a great option if you're looking for a portable monitor with top-notch image quality on a budget. 🥳
Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED – Best Portable Monitor for Creators
Pros
Excellent image quality 📸
Useful built-in support
Attractive and robust design
Extensive image quality options
Cons
Keyboard case included fragile
Some on-screen menu options are confusing
The power adapter could be smaller
The Viewsonic VX1655-4K-OLED stands out in the crowded portable monitor market, especially for creators who prioritize image quality without sacrificing portability.
He VX1655-4K-OLED It offers exceptional sharpness, color accuracy, and contrast. Its brightness reaches an impressive peak of 457 nits, which is beneficial for working in brightly lit environments. Its full color gamut is suitable for color-critical work such as photography, design, and video editing. It also features a native resolution of 3840x2160 (4K), making it ideal for working with 4K video, as well as other high-resolution video and image files. 📊
The design is another strong point. It has a built-in stand, slim bezels, and a sturdy chassis, making it easy to set up and stable when in use. The monitor's connectivity options, including two USB-C ports and a mini-HDMI port, offer flexibility. However, a full-size HDMI port would have been preferable.
While the monitor has some minor drawbacks, such as a low-quality display case and confusing on-screen menus, these issues are outweighed by its overall performance and build quality. Its premium price reflects its position as a high-end option for professionals, and its image quality is the best of any portable monitor we've tested to date.
What to look for in a portable monitor
Many of the features we look for in a desktop monitor also apply to a portable monitor. A portable monitor should have a bright, sharp image with a decent contrast ratio, a wide color gamut, and great color accuracy. The differences between portable monitors and their desktop counterparts are most often found in their design, build quality, and connectivity. 🎨🔌
Image quality
Most portable monitors have image quality similar to desktop monitors in the same price range. Portable monitors tend to perform well in brightness and sharpness, but color and contrast are often lacking. OLED portable monitors perform significantly better than lower-priced IPS LCD displays. Unfortunately, they are also much more expensive.
Numerous smaller brands have entered the portable monitor market in recent years, and quality control can be an issue. We recommend sticking to monitors known for achieving high marks in image quality (otherwise, be prepared to use a retailer's return policy). 📊👍
Stands, adjustable stands and cases
Portable monitors come with a stand or legs that are used to keep the monitor elevated and stable on a desk.
Unlike desktop monitors, where most stands are more or less identical, the stands used by portable monitors vary. Some have a simple stand that attaches magnetically, while others use a clip-on case. A few rare ones, like the ViewSonic ColorPro VP16-OLED, have a folding stand that provides significant height and angle adjustment.
Connectivity
Connectivity is key. A portable monitor that doesn't have the port you need to connect your tablet or laptop is useless.
Most portable monitors offer the option of connecting via USB, a video input (usually HDMI), or both, but the number of ports available and the standards used vary widely. We look for monitors that offer an adequate selection of ports. We also prefer monitors that can be powered via USB-C by a connected desktop or laptop. 🔌👨💻
Portability, size and weight
Our final consideration is the most obvious: portability. Most portable monitors live up to their name with a case or stand that can be folded down and protect the display while it's stored.
Still, the exact size and weight of a portable monitor are important, and buyers may need to accept compromises between weight and quality. A premium option like the Viewsonic ColorPro VP16-OLED may offer superior durability, but a lightweight, budget-friendly option like the Arzopa A1 Gamut might be preferable if you'll be carrying a portable monitor around daily.
How we test monitors
Monitor reviews are based on the experience of freelancers and staff with decades of collective experience. While our initial impressions depend on our eyes, we rigorously test each monitor using a Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra color calibration tool for a comprehensive analysis.
This device helps us objectively measure a variety of monitor attributes, including brightness, contrast, color gamut, color accuracy, luminance and color uniformity, and gamma, among other features.
We also rely on hands-on testing to judge a portable monitor's quality, size, and weight. Every monitor we recommend is tested firsthand by a contributor. This helps us identify flaws in build quality and portability that separate the best and worst portable monitors. ⚙️🧐
FAQ
1. What size portable monitor is best?
Most portable monitors use a 13.3-inch or 15.6-inch panel, and those that don't usually have a panel size close to one of those two standards (such as 13.1 or 16 inches).
A 13.3-inch monitor is ideal for frequent travelers looking to pack light. A 13.3-inch model will typically weigh between a quarter and half a pound less than a 15.6-inch model. The downside, of course, is that the smaller screen can feel cramped, which can be frustrating. 😕
15.6-inch portable monitors are a better choice in many situations, as looking at the screen for long periods of time is more comfortable. Although larger than a 13.3-inch model, 15.6-inch models are still small and will fit in most backpacks that accommodate a 14-inch (or larger) laptop. Additionally, 15.6-inch portable monitors are preferable for creators, as the larger screen size makes it easier to see small details in videos, photos, and digital art. 🎥📸
2. What resolution is best for a portable monitor?
1080p is the most common resolution and is a great choice for almost all situations. This resolution may seem unimpressive on paper, but the small size of a portable monitor increases the display's pixel density. A 15.6-inch portable monitor with 1080p resolution looks almost as sharp as a 27-inch monitor with 4K resolution. 📏✨
What about 4K portable monitors? We generally don't recommend them. Portable monitors with 4K resolution are less common, more expensive, and the sharpness improvement won't be noticeable to most people.
We also recommend avoiding lower resolutions, such as 720p and 1366x768. Although uncommon, portable monitors sold at very low prices (often below $100) sometimes have a native resolution below 1080p. This is not a good option. Most modern applications, websites, and content assume 1080p as a “standard” resolution and feel squeezed to 720p or 1366x768. 🖥️🚫
3. What ports and connectivity should a portable monitor have?
We recommend purchasing a portable monitor that has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and USB Power Delivery. DisplayPort Alternate Mode turns the USB-C port into a video input, and USB Power Delivery can be used to power it. This allows for a single-cable connection between the portable monitor and a USB-C laptop, desktop, or tablet.
An ideal portable monitor should combine USB-C with a backup video input, such as HDMI or DisplayPort, for connecting devices that don't have USB-C. Most portable monitors offer this feature, but the HDMI or DisplayPort input is typically a smaller version of the connection (such as Micro-HDMI).
4. How much should a portable monitor cost?
Most portable monitors are budget-friendly, but this is often reflected in their quality. We've noticed a wide range in build quality, design, and image quality among portable monitors selling under $150. It's possible to find a great portable monitor on a budget, but we recommend sticking to models tested by a professional reviewer.
A handful of portable monitors, like the Viewsonic ColorPro VP16-OLED, sell for more than £14T300. These rare models back up their price with special features like a premium OLED panel or built-in battery. Paying more for a quality monitor is worth it, but it's not a requirement. Budget-friendly portable monitors like the Arzopa A1 Gamut look great and are suitable for everyday productivity and web browsing.
5. Should I buy a portable monitor with HDR?
We don't recommend portable monitors for HDR. While some manufacturers claim to offer HDR support, the reality is that current portable monitors lack the brightness needed to make HDR look its best. A portable monitor that claims to support HDR will display HDR content, but it won't look superior to SDR. 🚫🌈
6. What battery life should I expect from a portable monitor?
You might be surprised to learn that most portable monitors don't include a battery and must be powered by an external source. In most cases, power is delivered via USB-C (or, on older models, USB-A) from a connected laptop, tablet, or desktop computer. You can also use an external power adapter.
Some portable monitors include a battery, but we recommend avoiding these models. They're considerably more expensive than portable monitors that rely on external power. The battery also adds weight and bulk. It's often less expensive to purchase an external battery pack to connect to your portable monitor.
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