Are you looking for a new portable monitor but don’t know which one to choose because of the different options that are available? In this video, we break down the top 5 portable monitors on the market this year based on their performance and the situations they’ll be used in. So whether you’re looking for a simple, budget-priced model or a portable monitor with 4K resolution that can also connect to your gaming console, we’ll have an option for you. So if you’re interested in finding out which portable monitor will be best for you, stay tuned. The products mentioned in this article are in no exact order, so be sure to stay tuned till the end so you don’t miss anything.
First up is the Lenovo ThinkVision M14 14-inch, our pick for the best portable monitor for most people. With good portability, a high-quality panel, and USB-C connectivity, Lenovo’s ThinkVision M14 is a winning choice as a portable monitor for most people and is good for either business or personal use. The 14-inch IPS panel has a native 1080p resolution and a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. and its 157 pixel per inch density promises a sharp image. The screen can be adjusted from negative 5 to 90 degrees, and a riser on the base lets you set the screen at the same height as your laptop screen. Overall, performance is quite good, with brightness coming in at 300 nits and color accuracy covering 100% of the sRGB color space, so it will make a good companion for your laptop. This portable display comes with a 1-meter USB Type-C cable that connects to your laptop. You could connect using either the right or left USB-C port on the panel, depending on which side of the laptop you want the display to be placed on. The USB-C ports support DisplayPort over USB-C, as well as USB power delivery. This gives you two methods of use. You could display video and other content over the USB connection from a laptop with a compatible USB-C port and simultaneously power the M14 from the laptop through the same USB-C connection. Alternatively, you can plug an optional 65W AC power adapter into one of the M14’s USB-C ports to power the monitor. This will also let you charge the laptop when it is connected to the M14’s other USB-C port. As a portable monitor for business or personal use, the Lenovo ThinkVision M14 is a great choice. It will provide you with a second screen while traveling and is bright and glare-free enough for passable viewing in a variety of challenging lighting environments, while its power pass-through design lets you run it and charge your laptop with a single AC adapter.
Next up is the Sidetrack Slide Portable Monitor for Laptop 12.5-inch, our pick for the best lightweight portable monitor. The cleverly designed sidetracked portable monitor can stay attached to your laptop even while traveling, but its brightness and color range are a bit muted. The panel is housed in a hard plastic case. The case in turn sits in a carriage within a metal frame that attaches to the back of your laptop, using four magnets embedded in the frame. The idea here is that you could slide the monitor out of the carriage when needed and stow it away when not in use. It’s a novel approach to carrying around a second portable display, but it couldn’t match the color range or brightness of the Lenovo ThinkVision M14. The panel is housed in a hard plastic case. The case, in turn, sits in a carriage within a metal frame that magnetically attaches to the back of your laptop. While the 12.5-inch IPS panel is on the small side, some may view this as a boost to its overall portability. The Sidetrack’s 1080p native resolution is typical of today’s laptop-friendly portable monitors, but when it comes to color accuracy, the Sidetrack didn’t perform as well as the ThinkVision M14, covering just 69.4% of the sRGB color space, which is similar to the 69.1% of the Asus ZenScreen MB16AMT that we’ll see later in the video. When set in its frame and fully extended, the frame and the panel together span 28 inches, and while the frame is a workable support for the Sidetrack’s panel, it isn’t perfect and doesn’t always slide in and out smoothly within the frame. The design of the Sidetrack portable monitor will keep it attached to your laptop while traveling and is a decent choice for productivity tasks, but for brightness and color accuracy, there are better choices out there.
Next up is the La Pau Z1 Gamut AeroLite Black 15.6-inch, our pick for the best budget portable monitor. The La Pau Z1 Gamut Portable Monitor adds 15.6 inches of extra space to your laptop, and because it’s portable, it can be folded away when not needed. The cover flips over and forms a kickstand that has a few different stops that let you set the position at different angles to find the best one that works for you. If you’re on a device that has a USB-C port or a Thunderbolt port that provides video, all you need is a USB-C cable plugged in between your device and the Z1 Gamut. If you’re using the HDMI cable, you’ll need to supply power to the display, and that’s where the power brick comes in. Once you’re connected, the OS of your device should recognize the display with no issues. Performance-wise, the Z1 Gamut does what it’s supposed to do. The 15.6-inch display has 1080p resolution, 60Hz refresh, and connects to devices using USB-C and HDMI. It covers 99.3% of the sRGB color gamut but has a slight green cast in its default state, but that can be overcome by fine-tuning the settings. It also has a lower contrast ratio of 1000 to 1, so displaying dark colors is a bit problematic. For $50 more, you could get better color and performance with the slightly smaller Lenovo ThinkVision M14. A switch on the right side of the display gets you into the settings, where you can modify things like brightness and contrast, color temperature, whether HDR is on or off, and more. This display looks decent on almost any device, with passable color that is good for productivity and producing clear, readable text. If you’ve been looking for a decent portable monitor, the La Pau Z1 Gamut would be a good choice for you. It travels well and can handle both productivity and gaming, giving you good value for the money.
Next up is the Asus ZenScreen MB16-AMT, our pick for the best overall portable monitor. The Asus ZenScreen MB16-AMT brings touchscreen capability to the portable monitor, along with flexible stand options and an on-the-go internal battery that make it the best overall portable monitor you can get right now. The MB16AMT measures 9 x 14.2 x 0.4 inches and is housed in a silver-gray case. At its core is a 15.6-inch touch-sensitive 1080p IPS panel, which is the same size as the Lapao Z1 Gamut AeroLite Black we just took a look at. The screen supports 10-point capacitive multi-touch input, meaning that you could control it using standard finger-based touch gestures like pinching, stretching, or scrolling, enabling you to edit documents, draw on slides, or play games with your fingertips. Generally, mobile monitors draw their power from the computer or device that they’re connected to. It’s not always a practical choice, especially when connected to a smartphone that has limited battery capacity. The MB16AMT solves this with a built-in battery that it can run off, eliminating the need to draw power from the phone or other device. The monitor can run for up to 4 hours at full brightness on a full charge. Looking at performance, the MB16AMT comes in at 240 nits of brightness with a contrast ratio of 1260 to 1, improving on the 1000 to 1 of the LaPau Z1 Gamut AeroLite Black. Color accuracy is decent, covering 69.1% of the sRGB color gamut, coming in second to the sidetracked portable monitor we saw earlier. This limited color coverage reveals itself in videos and photos, making reds and purples look a bit on the dull side. If you’re looking for a portable monitor that will give you the added benefits of an internal battery and touchscreen control, the Asus ZenScreen MB16 AMT is a good choice, as long as you’re not dependent on highly accurate color.
Last but not least, the U-Perfect True 4K Portable Monitor is our pick for the best portable monitor for image quality. If you’re a creative who spends a lot of time on the road, the U-Perfect True 4K Portable Monitor is the ideal portable monitor for you. It delivers the ultimate in image detail and clarity in stunning 4K resolution. While several trusted name brands have released portable monitors, if you’re looking for a monitor with 4K resolution, the options are pretty sparse, with one of the options out there being the U-Perfect True 4K Portable Monitor. While the manufacturer may not be as widely known, the monitor is getting accolades for its build quality, ease of use, and picture quality. The screen is a 15.6-inch IPS panel that covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut, making it a good choice for photo editing or any creative work that is color-dependent. In addition to its accurate color, this monitor is very bright and has a contrast ratio of 1000 to 1, mirroring both the Asus ZenScreen MB16 AMT and the LaPau Z1 gamut Aerolite Black. However, to get the maximum brightness out of it, you’ll have to have it plugged into an outlet, or otherwise it will enter a power-saving mode and limit its output to just 20%. There are two input ports available: one mini HDMI and one USB Type-C. An additional Type-C is also in place for power only, so whether you have a Type-C port with DisplayPort Alt mode or an HDMI port on your laptop, you will be able to connect easily. Bundled with the monitor is a folio cover that doubles as a stand. It’s not the best cover, but it does a passable job. The monitor is also decent for occasional gaming, and thanks to the USB Type-C and mini-HDMI cable, it can connect to the Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch consoles and has dual stereo speakers for high-quality sound. If you’re looking for a portable monitor that will deliver 4K image quality, good color accuracy, and can even connect to gaming consoles, the U-Perfect True 4K Portable Monitor is an excellent choice. Alright, guys, that’s all for now. If you enjoyed this video, please go ahead and leave a like.
