The Best Portable Monitor Brands (And The Ones You Should Avoid)

Although their market isn't as vast as normal-sized monitors, portable monitors can offer some fantastic benefits. They offer the utility of a multi-screen setup without worrying about staying tethered to one place, so devices like laptops can use them at any time or place. Additionally, some of the best portable monitors can be used for consoles like the Xbox or PS5, allowing for these high-power products to be used as mobile gaming systems. They might not be as necessary or universal as full-sized alternatives, but portable monitors certainly have a niche that only they are able to fulfill.

The problem that comes with the niche nature of portable monitors is the fact that there isn't a lot to choose from. Many major tech companies simply don't offer as many options for these products, so finding the absolute best choices doesn't leave you with a very wide range of picks. Luckily, some brands out there absolutely knock it out of the park when it comes to portable monitors, constantly receiving top reviews and copious amounts of praise from buyers.

You should consider the best brands to get a portable monitor from, as well as the brands that should probably be left alone entirely.

Asus is quite possibly the best portable monitor brand out there. It has one of the most varied selections of these monitors out there, featuring benefits like OLED screens and touch interfaces. The price ranges are able to satisfy just about any budget, as well, with the most expensive option being around $450 and budget choices being available for just around $140 to $200. The range of options alone makes Asus monitors worth considering, but where they're truly able to shine is their overall reception.

Some user reviews on the company's official website are less than glowing, but official reviews showcasing the best portable monitors almost always feature at least one Asus product. We've also pointed out their ZenScreen, Strix, and ProArt options as some of the best portable monitors for increasing productivity when traveling. The ProArt, in particular, is a relatively new monitor made for creators, offering something for those who need a specialized monitor that they can still count on. Unless you simply aren't a fan of the brand, be sure to check out an Asus portable monitor.

Asus might be the top contender for portable monitors, but ViewSonic is a very close second. On top of having its own set of glowing reviews, the company's selection is similarly massive, with a budget option just over $100 that makes it stand out as one of the cheapest portable monitors out there. The company also has more expensive offerings for those with a bigger budget, including features like higher refresh rates and 4K resolution. The budget monitor is actually one of the less well-received choices, simply because it is unimpressive compared to the other ViewSonic models you can choose from.

ViewSonic's more expensive portable monitors offer a much more comprehensive set of features. On top of being extremely lightweight, the company's aforementioned 4K monitor includes multiple ports, including mini-HDMI and a two-way USB-C charging port. You'll be hard-pressed to find similar benefits on other portable monitors, especially with how few alternatives there are.

If you want to go above and beyond with your personal portable monitor purchase, ViewSonic might be the best choice for you.

While it might seem like Lenovo doesn't have a very large selection of portable monitors, the company's offerings are actually bolstered thanks to the addition of its ThinkVision brand. While this doesn't increase your number of choices, it allows you to pick between a larger display or a less power-hungry monitor. Both brands also have especially glowing reviews both on the official website and among community discussions, making Lenovo into yet another reliable option for high-quality portable monitors.

When looking at the monitors themselves, Lenovo's L15 and ThinkVision's M14 offer similar benefits. They each connect to computers and laptops using USB-C rather than a dedicated video port, so that's something to be aware of if your devices don't support such a connection out of the box. Neither monitor offers very impressive specs outside of being lightweight, with only 1080p resolution and 60hz refresh rates being provided for both. However, with positive reception and relatively low prices (especially thanks to sales and clearances), buying a Lenovo portable monitor is far from the riskiest decision you could make.

There's not a whole lot of variety when looking at a list of Acer's portable monitors, but there are some especially unique options to choose from. The first two are simple, budget-friendly options under $200 with decent reviews and good word-of-mouth from the community. They also have multiple connection types for great compatibility with other devices, as well as the basics like 1080p resolution. However, Acer's third portable monitor offering is far more expensive at around $1,500, but is far more impressive overall.

Originally, Acer's SpatialLabs displays were glasses-free 3D in prototype laptops. Eventually, the company decided to put such a display in a portable monitor, offering eye-tracking glasses-free 3D. According to reviews, the monitor manages to make incredible use of this feature, with the screen's small size preventing many issues with the effect. Even outside of its 3D capabilities, the monitor itself has some top-notch specifications with 4K resolution and a wide range of USB ports. With an unlimited budget, the SpatialLabs portable monitor is possibly the best of the bunch.

Arzopa lacks the massively popular brand name shared by Acer, Lenovo, and Asus by virtue of being a company specifically focused on portable monitors. Although it falls short in recognizability, it manages to have one of the best selections of portable monitors out there, providing impressive specs at shockingly low prices. These monitors consistently get high ratings and are often lumped together with Asus and ViewSonic as some of the best ones you can find. Plus, SlashGear's review of this viral TikTok tech determined that it was absolutely worth the hype.

Sale prices make Arzopa's monitors the cheapest you can get without making any compromises, with the most simplistic options being set under $100, and 1600p displays priced at around $120. Even without these sales, though, there isn't a single portable monitor in the company's repertoire that will set you behind more than $200 at most. The more expensive monitors also offer benefits like extra ports and higher refresh rates on top of having varied viewing angles and optional portrait-style orientations. Arzopa is an overall safe choice for your first portable monitor, especially if you're on a tight budget.

UPerfect is another company that focuses specifically on portable monitors. It's even less well-known than Arzopa, but UPerfect's selection of monitors is second to none in terms of variety and price range. It's possible to go as high as $1,000 for a 4K OLED monitor with touchscreen compatibility or as low as around $160 for a simple seven-inch display. No matter the price, these products are able to boast consistently good reviews from satisfied customers, and community discussions around them are generally positive as well.

In terms of the monitors themselves, UPerfect provides a decent amount of features at lower and higher budgets. Their cheapest product, a 1024x600 monitor, is designed to be used without drivers for maximum compatibility. This is especially helpful if you want something simple to connect to while building a few Raspberry Pi 5 projects for your home office. More expensive offerings continue to include a decent set of features like fast response times and high color ranges, so you're unlikely to be too dissatisfied even if you spend quite a few bucks on UPerfect's selection.

Elecrow is very similar to Arzopa and UPerfect, though the company focuses more on PCBs than portable monitors. Even so, it deserves a spot on this list for the fantastic quality of its CrowView displays, offering a greater level of versatility than most options thanks to an additional clipping mechanism. This makes it more of a screen extender for laptops than a portable monitor, though it can still be used as a solo display just fine. We noted how impressive it was in our Elecrow CrowView review, making it a clear choice for those who want to improve their laptop setup.

Outside of the CrowView, you can choose from more traditional portable monitors in Elecrow's selection. They also have very welcoming price points, with a 4K display at just around $230 and an eight-inch 800p display at less than $70. The company is one more great choice for budget-minded buyers, competing well with Arzopa's low-cost choices even if its glowing reputation isn't as obvious.

Dell and LG share a spot on this list underneath all of the other "best brands" for portable monitors due to some unique quirks they share. Each company only has one portable monitor on offer, falling short of even Lenovo's range due to its ThinkVision branding. The prices and features aren't all that impressive, either, with Dell only having a 14-inch 1080p screen priced at nearly $300. LG's gram +view is a more welcoming option with 1600p resolution and portrait capabilities, but its price at around $350 is even more steep. Both of these monitors also only offer a USB-C connection without HDMI options, creating some limits for compatibility.

Despite these downsides, each company's portable monitor still manages to have some good benefits. Reviewers have praised Dell's choice for having fantastic software integration, and the company's out-of-production portable monitors were positively discussed for their sturdiness and color range. Meanwhile, LG's portable monitor is primarily meant as an extra display for the LG Gram laptops, but community members still praise it for its unique aspect ratio and fantastic brightness. There might be better options out there, but Dell and LG are far from the worst portable monitor providers you could choose from.

SideTrak is another brand that focuses primarily on portable monitors, and its options are quite robust as a result. Between unique triple-screen displays and decently-priced solo monitors, the company is actually not that bad of a choice if you're looking to get one of their screens for yourself. The reason it ends up on the "avoid" section of this list is less because of the company itself and more because of one specific product it makes. Despite being one of the few of its kind, the SideTrak Swivel portable monitors fall flat against their competitors.

The biggest downside of the SideTrak Swivel is, ironically, the swivel capability itself. Numerous reviews have pointed out the shoddy construction of its hinges and thinness, making the monitor feel weak and cheap despite being a 1080p display priced at around $300. User reviews on the website also mentioned its lack of reliability, with some buyers being left high and dry by customer support due to a lack of extended warranty. You might not have as bad of an experience if you go for more traditional portable monitors, but unless you really want that swivel functionality, you're better off steering clear of SideTrak's unique offerings.

Chances are, if you search for a portable monitor on Amazon, you'll come across many unknown brands without their own website and devices that don't even have a brand name attached to them. In truth, these monitors are far from the lowest common denominator, as many of them boast a very great number of high reviews. They're also remarkably inexpensive, even with clip-on designs and high-res displays. The reason to avoid these monitors is more related to the fact that they only exist on Amazon, meaning you get a staggering lack of overall support compared to well-known brands.

With how Amazon is set up, many of these no-name portable monitors rely on questionable sellers that might vanish from the store entirely. If you happen to get a monitor you like with a certain small defect or error, you could be left completely unable to contact its creators; forcing you to either make do with a refund or accept their loss. Amazon's return policy only covers 30 days in the first place, so you're taking a big risk even if you go with a more reliable brand. Even if you find a fantastic deal on a nameless portable monitor, it might be more costly than buying from a well-known brand for just a few bucks more.

Portable monitor brands on this list were selected based on multiple factors. Good reviews from trusted outlets and positive community discussions were the primary considerations, as well as the number of portable monitors available and how popular each brand is. There are some other brands that couldn't make it onto this list either due to a lack of discussion or overall reviews, such as Mobile Pixels, Intehill, and AOC, but that doesn't mean they should be ignored completely. Portable monitors simply have a very niche market, so it can be difficult to gauge the best ones from a glance.

Due to how niche portable monitors are, there also aren't many huge indicators for which brands to avoid. While Amazon-only brands should be given careful consideration regardless of what they're selling, SideTrak's poor reviews are mostly focused on just one part of its selection, and average ratings for its other monitors are still fairly impressive. If the portable monitor market grows in the next few years, it might be far more obvious which brands are well-suited to making such devices. For now, the best way to determine good and bad brands will be through your own personal experience.