Best Portable Projector for 2023

The Xgimi Halo Plus is a little large to truly be considered "mini," but it is fairly small. "Easily portable" is probably a more accurate description. It projects a 1080p picture and has a two-and-a-half-hour battery. It has Android TV built-in, so streaming is far easier than with many other portables. It performs far better than most mini projectors, but it's also way bigger and costs a lot more.

Unlike many of the other projectors on this list the AAXA P8 can't run on a battery -- you need to plug in its power adapter -- but it's so small, bright and cheap it makes the list anyway. There are certainly less expensive projectors out there, but nothing we've seen at this price or lower, with the exception of the Vimgo P10, is worth recommending. 

The P8 is absolutely tiny, roughly the same overall volume as the Anker Capsule (which does have a battery), though obviously rectangular instead of cylindrical. It's significantly brighter than the Capsule. 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.

The Anker Nebula Capsule is smaller than a can of soda, but can create a big image. Well, maybe not "big," but "TV-sized" certainly. It's not particularly bright, nor loud, but for something that can fit in your pocket it's great. The other options here offer a far brighter, better image, but if size is your main concern, the Capsule looks better than you'd expect for its price and stature.

The Vimgo P10's price fluctuates between $140 and $270, in the same ballpark as our favorite cheap projector, the AAXA P8. It's a lot larger than the P8, the largest cheap projector we've tested actually, making it far less portable. It's still "small" compared to full-size and more expensive projectors, however. 

Picture quality is better than the P8 in some ways, worse in others. The Vimgo P10 has a great contrast ratio and decent brightness, but the color is remarkably terrible. The center of the image is noticeably sharper and brighter than the rest of the image. It's not great.

But the price is. A perfectly watchable image, and right now you can pick it up for $140. You activate the instant coupon on the product page to save an additional 20% upon checkout. Plus, it even has Netflix built in. The main downside is that, like the P8, it lacks a battery.

The biggest difference is light output. Traditional, full-size projectors can get much brighter than any portable mini projector. Most portable projectors use an LED lamp, while full-size projectors have either UHP lamps (which are basically high-powered light bulbs) or laser light sources. Projector light output is measured in lumens. The brightest portable projectors we've reviewed measure about 350 lumens, while a traditional home theater projector measures 1,500 lumens or more. 

A bright projector can produce a larger image, and looks better when there's some ambient light around. For that reason dimmer portable projectors are best enjoyed with smaller images and in as dark an environment as possible.

Beyond brightness, mini projectors are much smaller (of course), can run on battery power and usually include built-in streaming and decent speakers. Traditional projectors have more lens adjustments, including focus, zoom and lens shift, and can run louder. 

In that you can take them with you places, sure, but some are more- or less portable than others. Mini-projectors range in size from absolutely tiny pico projectors like the AAXA P8 to models like the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K that does have a handle, and is billed as "outdoor," but is expensive, heavy (10.7 pounds) and would require a big backpack to lug around. Many portable projectors have batteries but some, especially cheap models, do not.

It depends. Many portable projectors have built-in batteries that can run for two or three hours before needing to be plugged in. Some can also attach to external USB battery packs that allow them to be run without plug-in power. On the other hand, many smaller portable projectors, especially cheaper ones, don't include a built-in battery or work with battery packs. They will need to be plugged in to work.