Portable Projectors in 2022: Compact and Easy-to-carry
Introduction
Gone are the days of bulky projectors that were too heavy on your pockets. Today, we have some small, portable projectors that are the mightiest of them all.
Here’s our list of the best portable projectors you can buy this year. All the listed projectors are compact and easy-to-carry, ideal for transporting anywhere.
Note that, not all portable projectors in this list will be ideal to watch the latest Christopher Nolan film as you’ll want a 4K or Ultra HD screen for that. But, all of them are ideal for people who travel for work often.
For instance, if you are visiting some clients and need to make quick presentations then these portable projectors will allow easy set up in a matter of minutes. This will allow you to conduct presentations quickly and easily using your equipment.
That said, they can also be used for entertainment as they can give you a large home cinema projector screen. Make a note of maximum screen size and resolution, though. Now, let’s jump directly to the list of best portable projectors:
ViewSonic M1 mini–Pocket LED Ultra-Portable Projector
ViewSonic M1 is the most versatile and possibly the best general portable projector out there. The projector has a decent selection of ports despite its size and makes it easy to hook a range of devices.
Its small and portable design is stunning and makes transporting easy. However, the projectors have a low resolution which means that image quality won’t be as good as some of its competitors.
Also, its brightness at maximum is still a bit too low, which means that images can look washed out in bright environments. Despite its few drawbacks, it’s a great portable projector, especially for work presentations, and value for money.
ViewSonic M1 SPECIFICATIONS
- Projection system: LED
- Resolutions: 854 x 480
- Brightness: 250 lumens
- Contrast ratio: 120000:1
- Video inputs: HDMI, SD Card, USB-C
- REASONS TO BUY: Compact design and a good range of ports⁷
- REASONS TO AVOID: Low resolution and not that bright
Now, if you think that you’ll rather have recently launched projectors, the ViewSonic M2 was just released. That too is a great option for people who are looking for an updated version of ViewSonic M1.
Optoma ML750e HD-ready portable projector
ML750e by Optoma is a great portable palm projector that is a lot more powerful than the pocket-sized PicoPix from Phillips. Despite weighing just 380g, it’s not quite as small. Its small footprint makes this easy to carry.
The differences between the sizes of ML750e and the PicoPix are negligible as you get more power in return. A 700 Lumens lamp that allows you the freedom to present in bright rooms.
Optoma ML750e is a great option due to its impressive port range: a USB 2.0 slot for thumb drives, an MHL-ready HDMI input, a universal I/O slot, and a microSD card slot.
ML750e SPECIFICATIONS
- Projection system: DLP
- Resolutions: 1280 x 800
- Brightness: 700 lumens
- Contrast ratio: 10000:1
- Video inputs: HDMI, VGA, microSD, USB
- REASONS TO BUY: Good brightness and versatile projector
- REASONS TO AVOID: No Wi-Fi and tablet integration requires a dongle
When tested on a 90-inch screen, ML550 gave impressive results and peaked at a 60-inch size. The only drawback of this projector is that you’ll need to buy a dongle for Wi-Fi access.
Epson EB-S41 SVGA Projector
Epson EB-S41 is the best small projector as it does not compromise on features for its size. Usually, when selecting portable projectors for business applications, you have to make sacrifices in terms of features to have a small device. Luckily, this is not the case with the Epson EB-S41.
Unlike many other small portable projectors, its 3,300-lumen brightness is much brighter, meaning you will have more flexibility during setups in environments with ambient light.
Epson EB-S41 SPECIFICATIONS
- Projection system: LCD
- Resolutions: 800 x 600
- Brightness: 3300 lumens
- Contrast ratio: 15000:1
- Video inputs: USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, VGA, HDMI, Composite, S-Video
- REASONS TO BUY: Small and portable and very large projection size
- REASONS TO AVOID: Not high definition and 4:3 aspect ratio
Similar to the previous two, but with more flexibility, EB-S41 is small and light enough to carry around on business trips. The projector also offers a very large projection size which is up to 300 inches. This quality in particular makes it an incredibly versatile portable business projector.
LG CineBeam PH550G Portable Projector
LG Minibeam PH550G is a brilliant, wireless portable projector, ideal for working users. Thanks to its compact size, it allows smooth functioning on the road and justifies its place on our list of the best portable projectors. As the projector is wireless, it allows you to connect smart devices to it, and showcase your presentations easily and quickly.
LG Minibeam PH550G SPECIFICATIONS
- Projection system: RGB LED
- Resolutions: 1280 x 720
- Brightness: 550 lumens
- Contrast ratio: 100000:1
- Video inputs: USB, HDMI, Composite, RBG
- REASONS TO BUY: Easy to carry and Plenty of connectivity options
- REASONS TO AVOID: Not HD and No microSD
Despite its small stature, it is great for impromptu meetings as it offers brilliant image and sound quality in a compact size.
ASUS ZenBeam E1 Portable LED Projector
Asus ZenBeam E1 is a beautifully designed small pocket projector. It is lightweight so you can carry it when you are making presentations on the road or just like to watch a movie while traveling.
Despite its small size, the projectors can project images up to 120 inches in size, with its 6,000mAh built-in battery. Its battery can power the projector for up to 5 hours, making it rather flexible, so you don’t have to worry about recharging it after every session.
One feature that is a rather nice touch is the projector’s ability to double as a power bank for other devices.
Asus ZenBeam E1 SPECIFICATIONS
- Projection system: DLP
- Resolutions: 854 x 480
- Brightness: 150 lumens
- Contrast ratio: 3500:1
- Video inputs: HDMI, MHL
- REASONS TO BUY: 5-hour battery, very small and portable, and it can double as a power bank
- REASONS TO AVOID: Low resolution and low light output
Asus ZenBeam E1 is not just the most powerful portable projector, but it provides ease of setup and versatility with its eye-catching design.
How to choose a portable projector?
If you are confused as to what you should look out for when buying the best portable projector for your needs, here is a quick guide:
For your first step, make a list of features that you want in a projector. This list will entirely depend on the purpose of the projector. For instance, a businesses person will have different requirements than a traveler.
Secondly, make sure that the portable projector you are looking at has all the features you need and the connectivity options that you require. You don’t want to buy a projector that is not compatible with your existing devices. It should have HDMI, to allow you to plug in almost any device, or you can opt for one with a mini HDMI port if you ever need a special cable.
Meanwhile, other portable projectors have a simple USB output, which allows you to connect with laptops and other compatible devices. Some laptops also offer wireless connectivity, making broadcasting from smart devices easier.
Thirdly, you need to look for battery size as you don’t want your project to die in the middle of a presentation or a movie. While most projectors have batteries, some still need to be plugged into a power supply. Here, you should decide according to your needs.
The fourth step is to make sure if your portable projector has built-in speakers. Because if it does, that means that there is one less thing to carry around. But don’t go expecting cinema-like sound quality from those small speakers.
Lastly, we all have our budgets, and it’s always best to compare tool prices on different websites before buying.
Conclusion:
In this blog, we have covered the top 5 best portable projectors to buy in 2021 and how to choose one for yourself. check out more of our Technology related Blog. If you have any more questions, leave them in the comment section below.
Author Bio:
Shreeya Chourasia is an experienced B2B marketing/tech content writer, who is diligently committed for growing your online presence. Her writing doesn’t merely direct the audience to take action, rather it explains how to take action for promising outcomes.