Best Portable Mini Projectors 2024
I’ve had a fascination with projectors since I was a little kid. I loved the idea of a “huge TV” on the wall. You can adjust the viewing area to fit the space you have. But, something’s changed in recent years. Like all technology, projectors have evolved. You can now get a mini projector that’s portable and fits in the palm of your hand, yet can cast a high definition video image across a room. The best part is, they cost only a fraction of the price you might expect projectors to be. This is a game changer for businesses, educators, gamers, and more!
Apeman NM4 Mini Projector
✔ 50-100 ANSI Lumen
✔ Pocket Sized – 3.86″ x 3.86″ x 0.85″ (0.44-lbs)
✔ 1000:1 Contrast Ratio
✔ Built-in 3400 mAh Battery (1.5-2.5 hrs playback)
✔ 854 x 480 Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ 45,000-hr DLP Lamp Life
✔ Projects up to 100″ Display Screen
✔ Tripod Included
10/10
AKASO WT05 DLP Pico Projector
✔ 50 ANSI Lumen
✔ Ultra Small – 5.71″ x 3.15″ x 0.79″ (0.64-lbs)
✔ 1000:1 Contrast Ratio
✔ Built-in 5000 mAh Battery (2-3 hrs playback)
✔ Android 7.1 Built-in, Wi-fi, & Bluetooth
✔ 854 x 480 Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ 30,000-hr Lamp Life
✔ Projects up to 120″ Display Screen
✔ Tri-pod Included
9.8/10
Vankyo GO300 Smart Projector
✔ 150 ANSI Lumen
✔ Very Portable – roughly 5.5″ x 2.5″ x 2.75″
✔ 1000:1 Contrast Ratio
✔ Large Built-in 7000 mAh Battery (2-4 hrs playback)
✔ Android 7.1 Built-in, Wi-fi, & Bluetooth
✔ 854 x 480 Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ Auto 45-degree Keystone Correction
✔ Projects up to 110″ Display Screen
9.8/10
Crosstour S100 Pocket Projector
✔ 100 ANSI Lumen
✔ Fits in Your Pocket – 3.19″ x 2.17″ x 3.62″ (0.46-lbs)
✔ 2000:1 Contrast Ratio
✔ Built-in 000 mAh Battery (1.5-3 hrs playback)
✔ Advanced DLP Technology
✔ 854 x 480 Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ 20,000-hr Lamp Life
✔ Ultra-Low Noise
9.6/10
VANKYO Burger 101 Pico
✔ 2600 LUX
✔ Pico sized – 4.1″ x 3.8″
✔ 1000:1 Contrast Ratio
✔ Built-in 5200 mAh Battery (2-3 hrs playback)
✔ Supports 3-D Viewing & Wi-Fi Connectivity
✔ 854 x 480 Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ Carry Bag Included
✔ Projects up to 110″ Display Screen
✔ 2-yr Warranty
9.4/10
VANKYO Leisure 430
✔ 2600 LUX
✔ On the Larger Size – 6.9″ x 8.9″ 3.5″
✔ 2000:1 Contrast Ratio
✔ No On-Board Battery
✔ Carry Bag Included – Great Bang-For-Your-Buck!
✔ 800 x 480 Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ 50,000-hr Lamp Life
✔ Projects up to 236″ Display Screen
✔ 3-yr Warranty
9.4/10
Anker Nebula Capsule Mini
✔ 100 ANSI Lumen
✔ Mini @ 2.67″ Diameter x 4.72″ Tall (0.925-lbs)
✔ Android 7.1 OS, Wifi, & Bluetooth Technology
✔ Built-in 5200 mAh Battery (up to 4 hrs playback)
✔ 360-degree Speaker & 40deg. Keystone Correction
✔ 854 x 480 Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ 30,000-hr Lamp Life
✔ Projects up to 100″ Display Screen
9.3/10
GooDee G500 Mini Projector
✔ 3800 LUX
✔ On the Larger Size – 9.6″ x 6.5″ x 3.2″ (2.76-lb)
✔ 2000:1 Contrast Ratio
✔ No On-Board Battery
✔ 720p Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ 50,000-hr Lamp Life (TFT LCD)
✔ Projects up to 200″ Display Screen
✔ 5-yr Service Guarantee
9.3/10
VIVIMAGE Explore 2 Mini Wifi
✔ 4200 LUX
✔ On the Larger Size – 7.9″ x 6.1″ x 3.5″ (2.09-lbs)
✔ 3000:1 Contrast Ratio
✔ No On-Board Battery
✔ Tripod Included
✔ 720p Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ 40,000-hr Lamp Life
✔ Projects up to 200″ Display Screen
✔ 3-yr Warranty
9.0/10
DBPOWER Miniature Projector
✔ 3000 LUX
✔ On the Larger Size – 5.9″ x 7.5″ x 3″ (1.0-lbs)
✔ 2000:1 Contrast Ratio
✔ No On-Board Battery
✔ Tons of Great Customer Reviews!
✔ 800 x 480 Native Resolution – Supports 1080p
✔ 50,000-hr Lamp Life
✔ Projects up to 176″ Display Screen
8.6/10
Our Proprietary Ranking System Takes The Following Factors Into Consideration
Projector Size
Image Brightness
Special Features
Customer Value
Feedback/ Reviews
Advanced Technology
Portable / Mini Projector Buying Guide
A vast majority of those looking to buy a mini projector are researching them for the first time. It wasn’t until recently that we could pack so much advanced technology into such a small package size. For that reason, most are novices at best. They’re looking for some help in knowing what to look for and how to determine what makes a good one and what doesn’t.
The good news is we’ve done all the research so you don’t have to. In this guide, we’ll walk you through step-by-step, eventually making you a min-expert on mini projectors!
What to Look For in Small Projectors
Since most haven’t researched this small devices in the past, everything’s new. These are not your teacher’s overhead projector screens from the 80’s and 90’s. You’ll quickly find out that despite their tiny size, some of these projectors pack a real punch! It’s like carrying a big screen tv around in your pocket that weights less than a pound or two.
The main things to keep front of mind when looking to purchase a mini projector are its size, the brightness of the image it projects, any special features or extras that might come with it, and of course its price and customer reviews. Let’s go through and discuss each of these in detail until you feel confident that you know how to choose your own portable projector.
Projector Size (Mini/Portable/Pico/Pocket)
You may have seen some of these adjectives thrown around when it comes to small-sized projectors. Perhaps even noticed a bit of it above in our list of best mini projectors. You might be asking yourself what’s the difference between all of them, and it’s a fair question.
In general, nothing is different. They’re all just ways to describe small projectors, some that might fit in your pocket. If you wanted to get more granular, PICO projectors are technically what people call the really small ones. And, I’d probably only call a projector a “pocket projector” if it could fit in a pocket.
So what size projector should you buy? Well, that’s up to how you’re going to use it and what kind of allowable storage and/or travel space you have to utilize.
Projector Brightness
This is the MOST CONFUSING part of buying a projector of any kind. You’ll brightness measured in ANSI Lumens, Lumens, LUX, Nits and probably a few other unites of measure. Here are the basics. Lumens measure the total amount of light produced and both LUX and Nits are how bright that image is over a given area.
Is there a silver bullet as to how much brightness you need? Not really. The brighter the projector, the better you’ll be able to see the image with some ambient light. Most of these projectors that you could buy for $100-$300 are not super bright. They are mainly meant to watch tv and movies or play games on them in the dark. If you want a projector that is bright enough to work with some light and fit in your pocket, plan on spending quite a bit more money. Here’s a start: Anker Nebula Mars II Pro (500 ANSI Lumen)
Special Features & Other Extras
What do we mean by special features? Some projectors have operating systems on them, usually some version of Android, and others don’t. Some have wifi and/or bluetooth connectivity and others don’t. If you need these features, they’re important to seek out now, rather than have regrets later. However, if you don’t need them, don’t pay extra for them!
Other features are more hardware than software. Some small projectors comes with nice extras like tripods or custom-made carry bags. These are things that might be handy if you’ll be traveling with this portable project for work.
Technology, Lamp Lifetime, and Warranties
These are things that should go without saying, but sometimes you need a quick reminder. Technology changes quickly. In order to not be behind as soon as you’ve bought something, make sure you’re getting the latest technology. Checking out the models on our list above with ensure you do just that.
Also to ensure you get a good value for your investment, you want to make sure the expensive lamp won’t burn out quickly and the company selling you the projector is going to stand behind their product. Think about how much you’ll use the project and calculate how long the lamp’s going to last. Standard warranties are usually one year. Note some of the projectors above that have 3-yr or longer warranties. This should tell you that the brand behind those models believe they’ll withstand the test of time.
Portable Projector Conclusion
Hopefully you feel much better about making a decision on a new miniature projector now. There will always be the trade off between size, technology, and price. On the list above, we weighted our choices more on size and technology with the lower priced units towards the bottom of the list. That doesn’t necessarily make them bad projectors, it just makes them slightly bigger. If you’re not going to be traveling somewhere when you need to carry it around in a pocket, then who cares? Save a few bucks.
The only thing you need now is a portable projector screen. Oftentimes a blank white wall will do, but having a screen is always best. A nice bright white screen will also help brighten up the image on a slightly dimmer projector. Here are a couple of our favorites…
