If you are one of those who work from home or travel frequently, you will know how important it is to have a good portable monitor for your mobile. A portable monitor allows you to enlarge the screen of your smartphone, watch videos, play games or make presentations with greater comfort and quality. But how do you choose the best portable monitor for your mobile? In this article, we present the 5 best portable monitors for your mobile that you can find on the market, according to their features, price and user ratings.
Portable monitors: why are they our allies in productivity?
The case where portable monitors are really useful is in those jobs that usually require more than one screen, but that we do with a laptop and in different locations. The latter is an important detail because if we use the laptop from one or two fixed locations we can simply have a couple of secondary monitors ready for it.
For example, in some offices, employees do not have a fixed workstation or a desktop computer, but they have spare monitors already installed to which they can connect their laptops. In this case, we would not be interested in a portable monitor.
However, sometimes the location can be very variable, or we simply don’t have enough space for a traditional monitor. What if you want to use two screens while you’re traveling? What if you want to work comfortably from anywhere? That’s when portable monitors are undoubtedly our greatest allies.
How to choose a portable monitor properly
To choose our portable monitor, we must take into account basically the same things as with a “normal monitor”, although with more focus on aspects such as connectivity. We are going to give you the quick keys:
- Panel type. It is essential that it is at least IPS (or in a more extreme case, OLED, but they are not available at a good price) since this will provide us with the best colors and viewing angles.
- Screen size and resolution. These two concepts go hand in hand because what really interests us about resolution is the pixel density we get. With 15 and even 17 inches, 1080p is more than enough, and we wouldn’t want anything less.
- Connections used. Some portable monitors only support USB-C and receive power and video from it at the same time. To do this, you must have a modern laptop with this capability. If you want more compatibility, look for a monitor with mini HDMI.
- Brightness. Typically, we’ll find external displays with 250 nits of brightness, keep in mind that this is perfect for indoors, but it won’t perform very well outdoors.
- Does it have speakers? You can check this, but if you’re using it with a laptop, it’s not necessarily necessary.
- Is it touch-sensitive? In this case, it all depends on what your workflow is going to be like. If you want it for drawing, then you’re looking for a graphic screen. A few weeks ago, we analyzed the XP-Pen Artist Pro 16 Gen 2, for example.
Could we use portable monitors for gaming?
One feature of screens that we have deliberately overlooked is the refresh rate, which together with response times and of course resolution are the most important factors in a screen intended for gaming. So, can portable monitors be used for gaming?
Yes, but we think they are for a very specific use. If your laptop doesn’t have a good gaming screen, it probably doesn’t have the necessary hardware (good processor and graphics card) either. But you could still play games even if your laptop isn’t designed for it if you use cloud services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW or Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Our selection of the best portable monitors on the market
Now we come to our favorite moment, to show you our selection of the 5 most interesting portable monitors that we have chosen on Amazon. They are very useful options for all uses and needs.
UGame K118 – 18 Inch 2K FreeSync Monitor 144Hz Gaming
The UPERFECT UGame K118 is a portable gaming monitor designed to enhance your gaming and multimedia experience. Here are the key specifications and features:
- Screen Size: 18 inches
- Resolution: 2560 x 1600 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:10
- Panel Type: IPS
- Refresh Rate: Up to 144Hz (120Hz via HDMI)
- Response Time: 3ms
- Brightness: 300cd/m²
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Color Gamut: 100% DCI-P3
- Color Depth: 16.7 million colors (8-bit)
- Viewing Angle: 178°
- Weight: 1.04 kg (2.29 lbs)
- Inputs: Mini HDMI, USB Type-C
- Audio Features: Built-in dual 8Ω 1W speakers, headphone jack
- VESA Mount: Yes, 75x75mm (M4x4mm)
- Power Consumption: 12W
- Battery: USB Type-C style power brick (5V/3A and 12V/2.5A)
Features:
- FreeSync: Supports FreeSync technology to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering.
- HDR: High Dynamic Range (HDR) for enhanced contrast and color accuracy.
- Portable Design: Slim and lightweight, making it easy to carry around.
- Built-in Speakers: Dual speakers for 3D stereo sound without external equipment.
- Touchscreen: Advanced touchscreen functionality for easy navigation.
- Ergonomic Stand: Foldable stand included in the packaging.
- Packaging: Comes with a magnetic smart cover and dedicated compartments for accessories.
User Experience:
The UGame K118 is praised for its high resolution and refresh rate, making it perfect for both gaming and photo editing. The IPS panel ensures wide viewing angles and vibrant colors, while the lightweight design adds to its portability. Users appreciate the FreeSync and HDR capabilities, which provide a smooth and immersive experience.
Additionally, SmugMug offers an exclusive discount: Use the code gearrice40 for $40 off on orders above $200. This makes it an even more attractive option for those looking for a high-quality portable monitor.
Overall, the UGame K118 is a versatile and high-performing portable monitor that caters to gamers, photographers, and multimedia enthusiasts alike.
Does this cover what you were looking for, or is there something specific you’d like to know more about?
ASUS ZenScreen MB166C, the most complete option
The ASUS ZenScreen MB166C is a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) portable monitor that offers excellent picture quality and great portability. The monitor is equipped with an IPS panel that offers wide viewing angles and accurate color reproduction. It also features an anti-flicker function and a blue light filter that help reduce eye strain. The monitor connects to your mobile or laptop via a USB-C port, making it easy to set up.
You can get it in two versions: touch or non-touch. The touch version will allow you to turn your phone into a huge tablet, as it has speakers and allows you to control the phone by touching the screen. It is also compatible with consoles and has a refresh rate of 75 Hz, making it excellent for gaming. By the way, it has a 3-year warranty and certification by the German Technical Association, making it one of the most reliable portable monitors you can buy.
- Non-touch: $212.56
ARZOPA S1 Table, an economical option
In case you are not interested in having a touch monitor because you want to turn your mobile into a laptop with a mouse and keyboard using functions like Samsung DeX, then take a look at the ARZOPA S1 Table monitor.
It is one of the most affordable in its category and has excellent quality: 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution (Full HD), 100% coverage of the SRGB color gamut, 320 nits of brightness, HDR, 60 Hz refresh rate and fast and accurate IPS panel. It should also be said that it is compatible with any mobile phone that supports video output via a mini HDMI or USB-C cable.
It is also worth highlighting its ultra-slim design and dual speakers. It is made of a sturdy aluminum alloy, has a convenient thickness so you can take it with you on your business trip or anywhere, and has 2 speakers that offer incredible sound. By the way, it comes with a 3.5 mm audio headphone jack. Apart from that, it comes with a case that is made of PU leather to protect the monitor and keep it standing firmly. Its price is $129.99 on Amazon.
Kenowa Monitor, the cheapest of the touch screens
If you are looking for a cheap touch monitor, the Kenowa brand model may interest you. This monitor has a 15.6-inch Full HD screen with an IPS panel, a 1000:1 contrast ratio and a 99% SRGB HDR color space. This gives you a vivid and detailed image, even in dark images and videos. It is very easy to use since you only have to connect it with the USB-C cable to your device and the monitor will turn on automatically.
It is compatible with mobiles, consoles, and laptops. It weighs only 690 grams, making it very light and easy to carry around. It is ideal for business trips, travel, and gaming. It has a 10-point capacitive touchscreen that is very accurate and responsive. No additional driver is needed to use the touchscreen. Overall, the Kenowa portable monitor is a great choice for people looking for a high-quality monitor that is portable, easy to use, and has a large touchscreen, especially for its price. It costs $99.99.
ASUS ZenScreen MB16ACV
The ASUS ZenScreen MB16ACV is an interesting alternative to this MSI MP161 if you can’t find it cheap, as there are always fluctuations in availability and price on Amazon. This screen has quite equivalent features, including those related to eye protection. It is also TÜV certified and for that reason, it is great for working.
The only drawback we see is that it does not have a Mini HDMI to take advantage of it with older laptops.
MSI PRO MP161, quality and ergonomics with Eyes Ergo technology
Among the major laptop and display manufacturers, we think MSI has hit the nail on the head with the most interesting design. This MSI PRO MP161 features a TÜV-certified IPS panel to ensure the care of our eyes, with low blue light, anti-glare and flicker-free. All this under the umbrella of MSI Eyes Ergo.
Its 15.6-inch panel is Full HD IPS and provides a brightness of 200-250 nits which, while not stellar, is sufficient for indoor use and will help not drain the laptop’s battery too much. We like its ability to connect via both USB-C and regular HDMI+USB, and its ergonomic stand that allows us to adjust it quite freely.
ARZOPA A1 MAX Monitor Portatil,17.3
Another Chinese brand that could be very interesting is ARZOPA, as it has a fairly good catalogue and is almost constantly subject to offers, so it is especially cheap. All this despite having key features such as the IPS panel, Full HD resolution and extensive connectivity (HDMI or USB-C).
They offer their 17.3-inch models for around 190 euros, then the 15.6-inch models for around 120 euros, and the big surprise is the 14-inch models for less than 100 euros. These are prices on special offers, so depending on the moment they may or may not be at these good prices.
We recommend that you read about the best monitors on the market.
This concludes our guide on portable monitors, we hope you liked the options. If you have any questions or need any specific recommendations, we invite you to leave us a comment below 😉
