Best Portable Monitors to Boost Your Productivity and Creativity

As someone who travels regularly and often ends up working in all sorts of places (hotel rooms, airline lounges, restaurants, and random conference rooms), a portable monitor boosts my productivity. It allows me the freedom to work the way I like (i.e., with entirely too many windows open and a dizzying array of projects going on at once) no matter where I am.

Portable monitors are also widely utilized for one-on-one presentations or for watching entertainment on a screen other than your phone while outside the home. With the ability to connect to multiple devices, they’re extremely versatile, and now that USB-C connections (which have the ability to transfer data and power over a single cable) have become the norm, there are an overwhelming number of options available. Keep reading for our picks for the best portable monitors, as well as advice on what to consider when choosing one for yourself.

Our top picks for the best portable monitor

How to choose the best portable monitor for you

Size and weight

Many portable monitors are bigger than standard laptop screens, but when deciding which size is best for you, consider how you plan to utilize it. If you want to expand your workspace while on the go, a bigger one makes more sense. If you’re going to use it primarily as an auxiliary viewing device for your child in the back seat of the car, a smaller screen will probably suffice. As far as weight goes, think about how you plan to transport it, and where—if you’re planning to schlep it deep into the wilderness in your pack, every ounce matters.

Display and screen quality

If your main objective is to edit media or spend hours with multiple spreadsheets and documents, you’ll probably want one with high resolution. If you just intend to use it for meetings and Netflix watching, you can likely get away with a lower screen resolution.

Orientation control

The ability to keep what you’re working on right side up while switching from landscape to portrait mode is especially useful when photo editing or coding. Most desktop monitors don’t possess this capability, which makes a portable one a useful addition to your workspace.

Connectivity

Obviously, the most important thing to consider is connectivity. If your new portable monitor won’t connect to your host computer and other devices, it’s really nothing more than an expensive rectangle.

How we selected the best portable monitors

I’ve been writing about and reviewing tech gear for close to 15 years for multiple outlets. I’ve also been tinkering with, building, and testing computers and monitors since the 1990s. Along with my own personal experience, I spent a considerable amount of time consulting online reviews to compile this list of the best portable monitors. I considered price, value, features, weight, size, and suitability for specific tasks.

How are portable monitors powered and connected?

Most portable monitors connect via a USB-C port or a video HDMI input (most often a micro-HDMI), or both. When selecting a portable monitor, ensure it has the kind of port needed to accommodate whatever you plan to connect it to.

Some high-end monitors, like the Ricoh 150BW, have wireless connective capabilities, but again, make sure whatever standard wireless connection the monitor uses is compatible with your device or devices. For instance, the Ricoh utilizes Miracast, which works with Windows and Android devices, but not so much with Apple. Other similar wireless technologies include Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay.

Portable monitors either have their own onboard battery or they utilize the power from whatever device they’re connected to. The onboard batteries usually have the capacity to run for two to three hours on one charge.

Display, audio, and software

The majority of portable monitors are plug and play, meaning they do not require software to run. Additional downloadable utilities will likely be for a very specific task, such as keeping an image upright when you switch between portrait and landscape mode. Some may offer a utility that lets you tinker with monitor settings from a computer screen, rather than using the on screen display controls (OSDs).

OSDs allow you to adjust things like brightness, color levels, picture mode, and aspect ratio. Think of it like the display settings you access on pretty much every television manufactured today (TVs are, after all, really just monitors). For most portable monitors, you navigate the OSD controls via a single button or switch.

Not all portable monitors possess built-in speakers or headphone jacks. Those that do are usually designed for gaming.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are portable laptop monitors good?

With their high pixel density, portable monitors provide a sharp, clear display that can be just as good as your laptop. Most won’t have as good of a picture quality as a desktop monitor (the kind you’d need for professional photo and video editing), but there are models available with high refresh and response rates suitable for gaming.

Can a portable monitor be used as a second monitor?

Many people purchase a portable monitor for just this reason, so using it as an additional or second screen for your laptop, or even desktop if you’re so inclined, is a great option.

What is the maximum size of a portable monitor?

This, of course, depends on what you consider portable. If your criteria is simply the biggest monitor you can fit in a backpack, the answer will likely be 17.3 inches. If it’s just the biggest monitor you can pick up and carry somewhere, you could say 27 inches. Most portable monitors range from 13.3 inches to 17.3 inches.

Should I get a portable monitor or an iPad?

While an iPad can be used as such, a portable monitor offers a much more budget-friendly solution to having a second screen (when you compare models with similar screen size). The largest iPad Pro features a 12.9-inch display, which is the smallest screen found in the majority of portable monitors. If you’re looking for something to add a second screen to your workspace or a convenient way to mirror the screen on your smartphone, a portable monitor is the way to go. Plus, with the advent of wireless, touch screen portable monitors, you can use them just as you would a tablet, as long as it remains connected to the host device.

What are the advantages of portable monitors?

My favorite use for a portable monitor is converting my smartphone to a computer when traveling–a portable monitor allows me to easily work most anywhere. It’s also handy for streaming movies and television shows while on an airplane (if you’ve ever sat in economy watching inflight entertainment on your phone, think of how much more pleasant that experience would have been with a portable monitor). They’re also exceptionally useful at providing additional screen real estate when using my 13-inch Macbook (which is the computer that goes on the road with me).