The best portable monitors in 2025

Portable monitors have been around for years, but their importance skyrocketed during the pandemic. And with the continuation of remote and hybrid work positions, they’re going to be staples for the foreseeable future. But picking one isn’t as simple as it seems. At this point, almost every major PC maker has its own take on travel-friendly displays, with prices ranging from as little as $100 to nearly $1,000. So to help sort through the confusion, I tested out a bunch of options to put together a short list of the best portable monitors on sale today. Table of contents Best portable monitors for 2025 Things to consider before buying a portable monitor What to look for in a portable monitor Best portable monitors for 2025 Things to consider before buying a portable monitor Before you start looking at specific products, it’s super important to think about how and where you plan on using a second monitor as a portable display. Larger panels are great for home use where you may only need to move it or put it away when you have company over. Meanwhile, smaller screens are great for travel and whipping out at a coffee shop or shared workspace. But if you go too small, you may be adding extra weight to your bag without providing a ton of extra utility, especially if it lacks a good USB-C cable or mini HDMI for connectivity. Screen size and compatibility with your existing devices should be top considerations. It’s also important to consider your typical workload, as artists may get extra value out of monitors with higher maximum brightness, HDR, wider color accuracy and a higher contrast ratio. Those who spend all day looking at spreadsheets won’t get as much value from more vibrant displays or FHD displays with high refresh rates, but they may still benefit from having a basic plug-and-play second monitor for multitasking. What to look for in a portable monitor Aside from price and screen size, some of the most important specs in a portable monitor include panel type, pixels per inch, brightness, refresh rate and connectivity. Most portable monitors use IPS LCD displays, which generally offer good viewing angles, strong brightness and good power efficiency. However, some higher resolution models now feature OLED screens that support wider color gamuts, better color accuracy and contrast ratio, which can be a major benefit for artists and content creators. Some budget models may use TN panels, as that can help cut costs and reduce energy consumption. That said, we generally try to stay away from those as they often have worse image quality compared to IPS screens. For brightness, 300 nits is the lowest we recommend — anything less can make the monitor hard to use even in some indoor environments. Ideally, we look for screens that are closer to 350 or 400 nits and above for better accuracy and visibility. Connectivity is also important because if you can’t easily hook your phone, gaming console, or laptop to a monitor, it becomes an oversized paperweight. Most travel displays include an HDMI port or USB-C port(or both), which cover the large majority of devices. It’s rare to find a portable monitor these days with only USB-A, since the majority of devices have moved over to USB-C. However, we also like models that support passthrough power over USB-C connections, which reduces the complexity of your setup and decreases the number of cords and adapters you have to carry around. Finally, most portable monitors feature 60Hz refresh rates, which is fine for most use cases. However, if you’re looking for a gaming monitor, there are models with 120Hz or even 240Hz refresh rates. These are excellent choices for gamers looking to maintain smooth fps while playing on the go.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-portable-monitor-120050851.html?src=rss

Mar 20, 2025 - 10:07

Portable monitors have been around for years, but their importance skyrocketed during the pandemic. And with the continuation of remote and hybrid work positions, they’re going to be staples for the foreseeable future. But picking one isn’t as simple as it seems. At this point, almost every major PC maker has its own take on travel-friendly displays, with prices ranging from as little as $100 to nearly $1,000. So to help sort through the confusion, I tested out a bunch of options to put together a short list of the best portable monitors on sale today.

Best portable monitors for 2025

Things to consider before buying a portable monitor

Before you start looking at specific products, it’s super important to think about how and where you plan on using a second monitor as a portable display. Larger panels are great for home use where you may only need to move it or put it away when you have company over. Meanwhile, smaller screens are great for travel and whipping out at a coffee shop or shared workspace. But if you go too small, you may be adding extra weight to your bag without providing a ton of extra utility, especially if it lacks a good USB-C cable or mini HDMI for connectivity. Screen size and compatibility with your existing devices should be top considerations.

It’s also important to consider your typical workload, as artists may get extra value out of monitors with higher maximum brightness, HDR, wider color accuracy and a higher contrast ratio. Those who spend all day looking at spreadsheets won’t get as much value from more vibrant displays or FHD displays with high refresh rates, but they may still benefit from having a basic plug-and-play second monitor for multitasking.

What to look for in a portable monitor

Aside from price and screen size, some of the most important specs in a portable monitor include panel type, pixels per inch, brightness, refresh rate and connectivity. Most portable monitors use IPS LCD displays, which generally offer good viewing angles, strong brightness and good power efficiency. However, some higher resolution models now feature OLED screens that support wider color gamuts, better color accuracy and contrast ratio, which can be a major benefit for artists and content creators. Some budget models may use TN panels, as that can help cut costs and reduce energy consumption. That said, we generally try to stay away from those as they often have worse image quality compared to IPS screens.

For brightness, 300 nits is the lowest we recommend — anything less can make the monitor hard to use even in some indoor environments. Ideally, we look for screens that are closer to 350 or 400 nits and above for better accuracy and visibility.

Connectivity is also important because if you can’t easily hook your phone, gaming console, or laptop to a monitor, it becomes an oversized paperweight. Most travel displays include an HDMI port or USB-C port(or both), which cover the large majority of devices. It’s rare to find a portable monitor these days with only USB-A, since the majority of devices have moved over to USB-C. However, we also like models that support passthrough power over USB-C connections, which reduces the complexity of your setup and decreases the number of cords and adapters you have to carry around.

Finally, most portable monitors feature 60Hz refresh rates, which is fine for most use cases. However, if you’re looking for a gaming monitor, there are models with 120Hz or even 240Hz refresh rates. These are excellent choices for gamers looking to maintain smooth fps while playing on the go.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-portable-monitor-120050851.html?src=rss