The best portable projectors of 2025, thoroughly tested by a home cinema expert

Telegraph

15-04-2025

While the average size of the UK living room has shrunk from 24.9m 2 back in the 1970s to just 17.1m 2, the best portable projectors offer a brilliant way of getting big-screen thrills for those who can't or don't want to accommodate a large television.
'Portable projectors are relatively lightweight and mobile, which makes them great for moving around to different rooms in a house, or even while travelling or camping,' says Matt Horton, TV and projector buyer at Richer Sounds.
'The main difference between compact projectors and full-size examples is that the latter offers better image quality and brightness,' explains Horton, 'But while full-size projectors create a more immersive viewing experience, they can't be moved around with the freedom a portable projector can provide. That's a major bonus if, say, you want to watch a movie or do a bit of big-screen gaming at a friend's house, where there isn't a large-screen TV.'
'As far as choice goes, there are no end of options,' continues Horton. 'Entry-level models from brands such as Philips start at under £100, ranging up to £1,000 for premium offerings from projection specialists such as Epson, with a host of others in-between.'
The best portable projectors: At a glance
How we test portable projectors
Having obtained a sample of each projector, I tested them all out over a number of weeks, both at home, at friend's houses and out on the patio at night. Portability is, of course, a given for these projectors but there were still huge differences between them, both in terms of design and weight.
Naturally, the top priorities were to assess the projectors for picture quality, brightness and ease of use. As well as using them for movie playback from my resident Sony 4K Blu-ray player, I also hooked them up to an Amazon Fire Stick. The reason for that was that while it's true that most of the models (allegedly) had onboard access to primary subscription services like Netflix and YouTube, it's fair to say there were varying levels of support for other TV services.
I also connected the models up to my PS5 games console and Nintendo Switch, to see how they fared with casual gaming, before linking them to Sonos and Sony soundbars (check out our best soundbars for more options) in order to test their Bluetooth transmission capabilities.
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Best portable projectors
1. Best Buy: BenQ GV50
Score: 9/10
We like: Shines in all the key areas that matter
We don't like: Sound lacks clarity at very low volumes
BenQ's GV50 isn't the lightest portable projector, or even the most svelte looking unless you favour the 'perforated cake-tin' aesthetics. But the inclusion of an internal battery, giving 150 minutes of playback time, does at least mean it has genuine indoor/outdoor portability credentials.
Those are reinforced by the extensive range of positioning possibilities. Sat in its cradle, you can swivel it every which way, safe in the knowledge that the onboard autofocus and image correction systems will do their jobs. The presence of a couple of fold-out legs hidden in the base means that tilting it to project onto a ceiling when situated on a bedside table and then watching while you're lying down, is feasible.
Happily, it also comes with a great selection of inputs onboard plus two-way Bluetooth. For late-night watching, you'll want to use headphones. While the onboard speaker system is fairly intelligible at mid to high volumes, it's vague and ill-defined at lower levels.
Powered up, it's a relief to discover the GV50's fans sound far more benign than the official 28dBA rating suggests, particularly important if you're going to have it placed on the aforementioned bedside table.
Five hundred lumens aren't enough to generate very bright, contrast-filled images in daylight, but in darker conditions, the GV50 still puts in an excellent showing, with a well-balanced, natural-looking but still punchy colour palette.
It's bettered in some individual respects by other projectors but overall the GV50 is a great-value, easy-to-use portable projector that ranks as the best proposition of this group.
Key specifications
2. Best Value: XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro
Comprised of two, split cylindrical halves, linked by a support strut, the smaller, lower section of the XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro looks as if it should contain a battery, but it doesn't. It's actually where the projector's loudspeaker system lives, which is tuned by US audio brand Harman/Kardon and capable of being used as a Bluetooth speaker.
Once pulled up, the upper section can be rotated through 130 degrees, giving a high degree of flexibility when it comes to placement. As usual, there's also a suite of auto setup features that kick in when you power up, as well as a digital image zoom. The functional yet flawed remote control uses near-flush, unilluminated buttons, making for late-night use almost impossible.
As mentioned, there's no onboard battery here but you do have the option of purchasing the projector with a matching, slightly rickety Powerbase stand. This incorporates an internal battery which allows you to watch a full movie (around 120 minutes).
Technologically speaking, this is a bang-up-to-date model, so the Google TV interface is as competent as you would hope for. All the functionality works without fuss, though XGIMI's choice to provide a Micro HDMI input, instead of a full-size version, is slightly annoying, especially given it doesn't supply an adapter.
In picture terms, the MoGo Pro 3 does well for a model with just 450 lumens. Colours are true to life, with natural-looking skin tones out of the box, even if the gamma levels need some slight adjustment.
While the image quality washes out in bright ambient daylight, it fares much better when used in daylight in a room with a north-facing window. Indisputably a good-looking design and equipped with a speaker that fortunately works far better with movies than it does with music, I rate the MoGo 3 Pro as a great value option.
Key specifications
3. Best Portable Projector for Movies: Epson EF22N Mini Laser Projector
While the EF22N is a portable projector in the sense that it can be moved around from room to room, its hefty 3kg weight and substantial dimensions make it unlikely you'll be throwing this into your backpack for your next camping trip. Yet its large size facilitates other rewards as it comes closer to matching the AV performance of 'full size' domestic projectors than any of the other models I tested.
While the triple LCD engine employed means that images don't have the hyper-real visual 'pop' of DLP-based competitors, with a somewhat grey-looking black level, the colours are still beautifully saturated. It's a balance that works fantastically well with movies, even if marginally less so for gaming.
Sonically, the onboard speakers deliver the goods, with clear dialogue issuing forth and a genuine feeling of substance when listening to soundtracks. It's nice to see an unusually well-featured remote control supplied, too, with dedicated volume and brightness controls.
The main issue I have with the Epson is its cost. Even allowing for the usual discounts, it competes in price terms with full-blown domestic projectors, including those from the brand itself. The trump card here is that you don't have to find a permanent mooring for the EF22N, so if that's a deciding factor, then it's a terrific option.
Key specifications
4. Best Ultra-portable Projector: Nebula Capsule Air
Cramming a fully-featured, battery-equipped projector into an enclosure smaller than a beer can is a jaw-dropping engineering achievement. And that's before you consider that the Nebula Capsule Air weighs just 650g, easily making it the lightest projector I've tested so far.
In terms of features, there's little in the way of apparent compromise. You get the full suite of Google TV-powered app goodness, plus autofocus and real-time keystone correction when you plonk the Air Ultra down. Remarkably, this battery-powered projector is good for two hours of playback, while purchasing the optional Power Bank Tripod doubles that; easily long enough for a full evening's viewing.
It's only when you fire the Capsule Air up to watch a movie or get down to some gaming that you finally discover this miniature marvel's real-world limitations. The key downside is that the light source is LED, which is why the maximum output is limited to a mere 150 lumens, the lowest of all the projectors I tested. At close range, you're less aware of how little light is being produced but move further away for a larger image and the 720p DLP image becomes less well-resolved and impactful.
On the plus side, the speaker is surprisingly clear and easy to hear, even if bass is largely absent. It may not be able to compete for top image quality honours, but the Capsule Air is far better featured than you might expect. Consider it a 'go to' option if you're looking for a mini projector for travel.
Key specifications
5. Best Portable Projector for Outdoor Use: Dangbei Freedo
Looking like a cross between a Thermos and a spotlight, the Freedo is Chinese brand Dangbei's first stab at a portable Google TV-based projector, offering 1080p resolution plus a reasonable 450 ISO lumens brightness.
It's a smartly finished, compact device with a tilting stand that affords a generous 165 degrees of rotation. As well as an onboard battery that's good for 2.5 hours in Eco mode, the Freedo can be connected to an external power bank when out and about.
The remote control, which feels great in the hand, has a couple of unusual touches, in the shape of a pair of buttons on the side. These are designed to allow manual activation of the focus adjustment feature, as well as access to the projector adjustment menu in the Google TV operating system.
While the sound was a little muffled at times, connecting the Freedo to an external soundbar proved painless. From an operational perspective, there was only one major issue I encountered, as I couldn't easily insert an Amazon Fire Stick. The recess where it needs to be inserted is too small, so you'll need to purchase an additional right-angle HDMI connector to get it connected.
Operationally, it was Freedo's uniformly low operating noise levels that truly set it apart. I wasn't expecting much from the Freedo in video performance terms, but it proved a bit of a dark horse. Its nicely balanced image quality slightly trailed that of the Yaber below, but it was definitely on par with the MoGo Pro 2, which is no mean feat.
Key specifications
6. Best Sounding Portable Projector: Yaber T2 Plus
The sturdy carrying handle on top of the chunky Yaber T2 is friction-loaded, allowing you to incline the projector upwards by simply rotating the handle underneath, with up to 15 degrees of tilt.
Yaber has installed its slick user interface on the T2 that's both responsive and easy to fathom. The big downside is that there are no pre-loaded apps onboard and you have to use the included Yaber TV stick to watch content. It's worth noting that casting content to the T2 using the brand's iOS app via NFC also worked brilliantly.
Stuffed into the upper half of the case, you'll find a JBL-tuned sound system, with a pair of drive units powered by 5W amplifiers. It's also possible to pair a soundbar or smartphone via Bluetooth. Used solely as a standalone speaker, the Yaber was one of the most sonically convincing of all the models on test, which makes it all the more odd that there isn't an audio-only operating mode.
The reason I say that is because I found the T2's overall fan noise a tad intrusive, more so than the BenQ and Dongbei models. Worse, it varied over an evening's viewing, modulating in a way that proved noticeable. If you're using mains power, there's a selectable Quiet mode that claims to gradually reduce operating noise levels, but I didn't notice much improvement.
Despite lacking HDR compatibility, the T2's image quality does it proud, with one of the most natural-looking colour palettes generated by any of the budget models on test. Because it's LCD-based, rainbow flashes are absent and black levels are decent after some gentle tweaking of settings in the User mode. Yaber isn't a million miles from totally nailing it at this price point, but it's not quite there yet. As it is, if you're okay with the operational noise, there's much to admire about the T2.
Key specifications
7. Best Short-throw Portable Projector: Philips Screeneo UL5 Smart
Pleasingly compact, the Screeneo UL5 Smart, which was originally crowdfunded via Indiegogo, is designed to sit on a sideboard and deliver a 120-inch image on a wall from just 61cm away.
The Android-based Lumin OS used here is depressingly clunky compared to the Google TV platform. For example, when you fire up the pre-loaded Netflix app, you're given a series of on-screen caveats advising that the 'AirMote' needs to be switched to 'mouse' mode as the remote's arrow keys might not work. They don't and the mysterious 'AirMote' doesn't even appear to be the actual remote bundled with the projector. After half an hour of trying to find a way of making Netflix work, I gave up and turned to external video sources, instead.
Compared to some of the other projectors tested, I found that noise levels were higher than average, exacerbated by the fact that when the projector was sitting on a sideboard, that, too, was resonating in harmony (top tip: placing it on a bit of cork board helps). Switching to eco mode in such situations also usually helps, but that didn't make any significant difference here.
Fed from my Blu-ray player, the UL5 Smart's picture quality proves reasonably rich and vibrant, accompanied by decent brightness, but the colour balance frequently needs tweaking. More annoyingly, going beyond 80in further highlights an omnipresent gauze-like overlay that afflicts the image. In itself, it's not a deal-breaker as you can soften the focus and reduce the image size to mitigate the effect, but once seen, it's hard to ignore.
Key specifications
Best portable projector FAQs
What's the minimum resolution and brightness I should be looking for?
'For basic use, 720p is sufficient,' says Matt Horton, Richer Sounds TV and projector buyer, 'but 1080p otherwise known as Full HD, or FHD, is the minimum I'd recommend for general use.'
'Brightness depends on your viewing environment,' says Horton. 'Generally, the brighter the room, the brighter you'll also need the projector to be. For a dark room, 500 to 1,000 lumens is enough. For a normal room, 1,000 to 2,000 lumens is fine. For brighter environments, 2,500+ lumens are recommended.'
What's the difference between lamp, LED and laser light engines?
Horton says, 'Lamps offer great overall picture quality, with higher detail in darker scenes but can struggle in bright environments. Additionally, the lamp will need replacing every three to five years depending on use.
LED-based engines are extremely energy-efficient and cost-effective, with a long lifespan – 20,000 hours is pretty typical – but offer lower brightness and detail than laser. Laser delivers high brightness, good overall picture quality and long lifespan, as well as better energy efficiency than lamps.'
What's a 'throw ratio'?
'Some people want their projector to be positioned far from the screen at the back of the room, others want it positioned in the middle of the room, possibly on a coffee table and others want it right up against the wall. Each of those scenarios requires projectors with different throw ratios.'
What level of fan noise is too loud in a portable projector?
'It depends on how far away you will be from the projector. In general, fan noise above 30 dB can be distracting, but these days most projectors come with an Eco Mode that reduces noise.'
Are projection screen surfaces important?
If you're outdoors, quite frankly, pretty much any flat, light-coloured surface will suffice. Indoors, a white-painted wall will be fine, but a dedicated screen will better reflect light, making the most of the limited output that most portable projectors generally offer.