Turn your phone into a tablet, add additional monitors to your desk, and ace your next presentation with a portable external monitor that is lightweight, slim, affordable, and delivers stunning HD quality.
Portable external monitors are an easy way to improve any viewing experience. We’ve picked our three favorite portable external monitors, which all have the ability to be displayed in landscape or portrait mode, a feature that makes them ideal for presentations and as an addition to your everyday monitor. Portrait mode acts as the perfect complement to a primary monitor for anyone who always likes to have instant messaging systems like Slack on display, while using in landscape mode is preferable for video streaming or during presentations in Excel or displaying new website designs.
These portable external monitors are also designed for easy travel, with each monitor boasting a slim design, a 15.6-inch screen and weighing between 1.75 and 2.4 pounds. Travelers can quickly set up a comfortable temporary office space while they’re on the go, using the portable monitor in addition to their laptop or tablet for a more robust and comprehensive view of their work documents. Photographers can also use portable monitors on the go, quickly displaying their images and editing their photos in real-time. Portable external monitors are also a great way to show off pictures from your phone to a large group, for example when visiting family, or when you want to stream videos from your phone for more than one person.
The monitors are ready to go to work as soon as you are, with USB plug and play capabilities and in some cases additional ports that enable the monitors to work with phones, tablets, TVs and gaming systems.
If you’re ready to up your monitor game and add a portable monitor that can keep up with your streaming and browsing demands, we’ve got three great recommendations below.
1. ASUS 15.6″ 1920×1080 Full HD USB Portable Monitor
The world’s slimmest and lightest USB monitor is the ASUS 15.6″ Full HD USB Portable Monitor, which is as thin as a pencil and delivers full HD resolution.
Pros: The ASUS is a plug and play USB monitor that requires only one USB to both power the monitor and provide full HD resolution. The USB 3.0 monitor is also compatible with USB 2.0, though brightness and image quality may suffer slightly. The ASUS comes with a protective sleeve for dust-free storage, can be viewed in both portrait and landscape mode, and the ultra-slim 8.5mm monitor weighs only 1.76 pounds, making it ideal for travelers. It also has the fastest refresh rate on our list at 75Hz.
Cons: The ASUS is not compatible with MacBook or MacBook Pros without software download. Customers also note the stand that comes with the ASUS is flimsy and recommend buying a second stand.
Image courtesy of Amazon
2. GeChic 1503H 15.6″ IPS 1080p Portable Monitor
Experience your computer, cell phone or gaming consoles like never before with the GeChic 1503H 15.6″ IPS 1080p Portable Monitor, which has full HD resolution and HDMI, VGA, USB inputs.
Pros: Unlike the ASUS, which only accepts USBs, the GeChic has HDMI, VGA, and USB inputs, making it compatible with computers, laptops and gaming systems like PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and more. There’s also a rear dock port expansion to keep wires hidden and an inward magnetic slot with a stand that allows for the monitor to be placed at various angles. The GeChic has a 170-degree viewing vertical and LED backlight for brightness.
Cons: The GeChic has the highest price tag on our list. The GeChic is 1.1 cm thick, making it slightly thicker than the ASUS, which measures 8.5 mm, but the GeChic is lighter at 1.75 pounds.
Image courtesy of Amazon
3. AOC 15.6″ Ultra Slim 1366×768 LED Monitor
Compatible with Macs and PCs and built for multi-monitor use, the AOC 15.6” Ultra Slim 1366×768 LED Monitor is an affordable portable monitor that comes with a carrying case.
Pros: The most affordable monitor on our list, the AOC comes with a foldable flex-stand and can be wall mounted. Like the ASUS and GeChic, the AOC can also be viewed in both portrait and landscape mode. The AOC has an 8ms response time, making it ideal for streaming videos and browsing the web. With a USB connector, the AOC can be part of a multi-monitor system with either a PC or a Mac.
Cons: The AOC has the lowest resolution on the list at 1366 x 768. It’s also the most cumbersome option at 2.4 pounds.
Image courtesy of Amazon