If you need a little more screen real estate but don’t want to compromise mobility, the best portable monitors offer a lightweight solution. This can be especially helpful if you don’t work in one spot or desk space is at a premium. After spending six weeks testing eight portable monitors with various strengths (some for gaming, others for productivity), we chose the SideTrak Solo 4K as our best overall pick. It presents a high-quality 4K display, a thoughtful built-in stand, a protective cover and the flexibility to work and play on your laptop.
We put eight screens to the test to find the best portable monitors of 2024.
Although the SideTrak Solo impressed us most, it certainly isn’t our only favorite. Whether you’re looking for a monitor for work or a vivid 4K monitor, we tracked down a variety of portable options with touchscreen capability, outstanding picture quality, high refresh rates (great for gaming and media viewing) and easy connectivity options (many via a single USB-C cable). Ahead, the best portable monitors according to our hands-on testing. And for a stationary option, we have a guide on the best desktop monitors, too.
Of all the monitors I tested, the SideTrak Solo 4K presented the most complementary experience with my 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro because of its size and overall quality— it also looked and performed well with a Windows laptop. The 4K 15.6-inch LED offers a matte, glare-free view in very bright light. The thin top and side bezels give the impression of a larger viewing area that felt like a natural extension of my MacBook’s display. The 60Hz refresh rate and maximum brightness of 340 nits also kept routine tasks like web browsing and word processing smooth, though the 25-millisecond response time did become obvious with a lot of scrolling. It wasn’t egregious, but I saw a slight dragging on the screen that I don’t see on my MacBook.
Speaking of functionality, the three-button interactions were easy to understand without a user manual (that can’t be said of every portable monitor I spent time with). The three primary buttons sit on the lower right side of the monitor: the middle button controls the power and brings up the menu, while the top and bottom buttons navigate the menu and serve as volume controls for pass-through audio via headphones, which don’t sound great but are nice to have if you prefer wired audio.
Typical of most portable monitors, the SideTrak 4K offers control over brightness, contrast and saturation, as well as various picture modes, including Game, Movie and Photo. Game mode resulted in a fine experience when playing Apple Arcade games and more intensive gaming on a PC. It’s not a gaming monitor, but the SideTrak 4K does offer that flexibility with FreeSync and HDR support—though I can’t say I saw much of a difference when turning on FreeSync mode. I also enjoyed Movie mode when watching 4K Apple TV content like Fingernails and Lessons in Chemistry, which looked infinitely better than on other monitors I tested. I was also satisfied with the default Eco color mode for all of my primary uses: word processing, web browsing and streaming media.
For MacBook users like me, the SideTrak 4K could be a win-win for portability and picture quality, but it’s also a system-agnostic choice that is versatile enough for Windows and ChromeOS too. If you’re interested in everything this model offers with the bonus of touchscreen functionality for Windows, it comes in a touchscreen version, too.
Forbes contributor Jason R. Rich also reviewed the SideTrak 4K and found it to be the best portable monitor you can get right now.
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If you don’t need a 4K display but want top-notch brightness, color quality and a generously sized display, the Asus ZenScreen OLED MQ16AH checks those boxes. The monitor is a slim 0.4 inches (just like my top pick, the SideTrak Solo 4K), but the MQ16AH nixes the smart cover/stand for a folding magnetic case akin to an iPad folio cover that lends to the slim and attractive look of this device. That being said, it’s not the most user-friendly design. I spent a good 5 to 10 minutes working through the five configurations, which was a slightly frustrating setup that I wasn’t expecting. However, the payoff was viewing flexibility. I appreciated the ability to situate the monitor in a near-flat orientation for reading and for getting close to text or photos. Even without a touchscreen interface, it was a great screen for working in Photoshop, helped by the generous 15.6-inch screen space and thin bezels.
Besides the cover, a lot of the appeal of this FHD model’s performance is how great colors look, and that’s due to the certified Delta E < 2 color-calibrated OLED technology. In theory, that rating means the ZenScreen can render super accurate colors (beyond what the human eye picks up) and dramatic contrasts with nearly delay-free performance. I couldn’t fault this monitor’s image quality or responsiveness—minimal adjustment was necessary. When comparing it to my MacBook Pro, it outperformed it on the grayscale spectrum, especially for very dark scenes. Streaming Apple TV+ shows like Ted Lasso or enjoying Apple Arcade games presented a viewing experience very similar to my Mac. Game mode allowed me to enjoy smooth action and punchy colors, and gave games like Sayonara Wild Hearts and Gris an even more arcade-like and immersive look on both a MacBook and PC.
Another unique feature of this model is the proximity sensor that conserves energy by turning on a power-saving setting when idle. Like most portable monitors, the ZenScreen draws power from a laptop, so I liked this feature for conserving my laptop’s battery. I also used the box the device came in as a hood, a sort of neat sustainability effort that repurposes this monitor’s packaging. It’s easy to set up and offers something in the way of focus by blocking out ambient light, but it’s less practical as far as portability is concerned.
While the smart cover and price aren’t for everyone, the overall feature set and slim build could be great for those who want a portable OLED. I found the display to be bright and high quality, the menu was intuitive and easy to use and the added rotation flexibility on Windows is a boon. I’d hesitate to recommend it for heavy-duty gaming, but it passed with flying colors for light gaming and all-around creative and general tasks. You can read more in my review of the Asus ZenScreen monitor.
The Arzopa G1 Game is a gaming accessory, but in my testing—which involved some light gaming and a lot of general tasks—like web browsing, media streaming and working in Google Workspace and Apple Pages—I found this model to be a capable, budget-friendly multitasker. The G1 comes with a solid aluminum build with a built-in magnetic smart cover that doubles as a kickstand, but you certainly get what you pay for as it’s limited in its positions and doesn’t feel as sturdy as other smart covers.
The on-screen display itself also isn’t as extensive as those of other models. The G1 offers the typical customization of brightness and picture mode, including contrast and brightness levels from 0 to 100. The default Standard mode puts the brightness at 15, which I found to be too low in a room without much ambient light. At night, I found myself increasing its brightness considerably. The picture quality is solid, though I wasn’t as much of a fan of its Standard mode as I was of other models’ like the SideTrak and Asus ZenScreen because of the brightness issue.
That said, everything I played on a laptop (Sayonara Wild Hearts, Gorogoa, Gris and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order) delivered impressive visuals. Viewing these games on the G1 was more appealing than on the built-in 17-inch screen of my Windows laptop, thanks to a wider display and slim bezels. I also tried plugging it into a Nintendo Switch. The Switch is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate so I didn’t get the full effect of the 144Hz performance with that device, but USB-C hookup was seamless, and more screen space without the bulk of a full laptop was a huge plus. Outside of gaming, I also enjoyed streaming Apple TV+ content (Lessons in Chemistry and Ted Lasso) on my Mac, which looked great, although darker and less vibrant (without some adjustments) compared to other models I tested.
Because I’m an iPhone user, I couldn’t test its mobile compatibility, the Arzopa G1 does work with Android smartphone brands like Samsung and OnePlus. If you have a compatible phone, this monitor can offer the right amount of flexibility on a mobile device. I can’t speak to heavy-duty gaming, but for lighter gaming and productivity, the G1 is a nice bargain for gamers on the move and for general use, too.
The Asus ProArt Display PA148CTV is by far the most portable option I tested. This 14-inch monitor is light at 1.6 pounds and still feels substantial despite being less than 13 inches long. I could very comfortably fit my 14-inch MacBook Pro and this ProArt monitor in the internal laptop sleeve of a backpack while leaving plenty of room in the main compartment.
Aside from the ultra-portable design, the PA148CTV’s main draws are its outstanding color accuracy (performed by Calman, a definitive name in the game when it comes to color calibration software), a touchscreen and integration with Adobe products. It’s a creative powerhouse in a small build, which was limited to an extent on a Mac but less so on a PC—the kind of machine you need to enjoy the touchscreen and software integration.
I found colors to look vibrant and realistic, and grayscale performance surpassed my MacBook. Media streaming looked nearly as good as it did on my Mac, with a slightly fuzzier look. While word processing, I saw no issues with darkness or blurry/blocky text, regardless of scale. And it was great for light gaming on my PC, especially when using the display’s touchscreen. Replacing clicks with taps made things more enjoyable and immersive.
I also did some light photo editing on my MacBook Pro, and I thoroughly enjoyed the process. The highlight was the tilting kickstand that allowed me to lay the monitor down in “drafting” mode and get a closer look at my work. Overall, my testing showed this monitor to be a really enjoyable accessory, regardless of OS. While Windows offers more creative power, it was helpful as a general-use second display on a Mac. I also reviewed the Asus ProArt Display PA148CTV.
Other Portable Monitors I Tested And Liked
When selecting my top choices, my testing favored more general-use models with strong all-around performance. These three portable monitors fell a bit short but presented some appealing niche solutions:
NexPad Portable Monitor ($199): I appreciate the NexPad’s potential as an ergonomic companion to a MacBook, but I wasn’t a fan of the execution. The display wasn’t very bright (nits aren’t disclosed on the manufacturer’s site), colors looked a bit oversaturated and I noticed some text blockiness.
Asus ROG Strix XG16AHPE ($412): The Asus Strix XG16AHPE is the only model I tested with an onboard battery, and it delivered the performance Asus said it would. The battery lasted through about 3.5 hours on both a MacBook Pro and on a Windows gaming laptop. However, it’s pricier than other gaming options like the Arzopa G1, which has a more solid, metal feel compared to the Strix’s plastic construction.
Xebec Tri-Screen 2 ($499): The Xebec Tri-Screen 2 offers a worthy multi-screen option for workers on the go if your machine is compatible and you don’t care about having large displays. However, with all the ports on the bottom, accessing everything via adapters is a little clunky. Plus, the bezels on the slim display are a bit distracting, and the reflective screens tend to catch a glare and easily get smudged.
How I Tested The Best Portable Monitors
I used each portable monitor as a dedicated external screen for daily word processing, browsing, streaming a variety of media (Spiderman Into the Spiderverse, Fingernails, Lessons in Chemistry and The Great British Baking Show, to name a few) and light Apple Arcade gaming on a MacBook Pro (Gris, Sayonara Wild Hearts) and gaming on a PC (Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Gorogoa). I used Photo Friday, Online Screen Test and W4zt Screen Color Test to compare the monitors’ brightness, contrast, clarity and gamma value to my primary testing machine, an M3 14-inch MacBook Pro. I also tested on a 12-inch MacBook running VenturaOS, a 13-inch HP laptop running Linux as well as a Nintendo Switch and an Acer Gaming Laptop running Windows 11.
I primarily used a USB-C setup, but I also tested HDMI and USB-A to USB-C connections, where applicable. I tested all the configurations available per model: on-screen display options, contrast, brightness, onboard and passthrough audio, touchscreen interactions (when available) and special features like FreeSync and dynamic contrast ratio. I spent more time testing the gaming quality of monitors aimed at gamers, the creative tasks (Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Express) of creative-focused monitors like the ProArt Display, and spent a roughly equal amount of time online browsing, media streaming and word processing on every model, using each as a supporting character in my daily work and leisure computing routine.
I tested the portability of each model by gauging how well it fit in the laptop sleeve of a 20-liter backpack, my most petite and portable travel pack. I used the provided carrying cases and covers and played with various configurations of built-in kickstands and smart covers.
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What To Consider When Buying A Portable Monitor
Since portable monitors offer the flexibility of portability, weight and size are chief buying considerations. Some other top factors include resolution and connectivity specs that match the device(s) you’ll be using.
Size
Mobility should be a main priority when selecting a portable monitor, especially if you’re regularly using it on the go. “Weight is a top consideration—remember that you may be carrying this in addition to your laptop,” says Avi Greengart, consumer tech analyst and founder of Techsponential. That said, look for an option that can comfortably pair with your laptop and fit in your travel bag. In most cases, a screen that measures between 12 and 16 inches is a safe bet.
Resolution
4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) displays aren’t as common in portable monitors but tend to come in larger options like 16-inch displays and cost more. Most portable monitors worth considering have at least a FHD (full high definition) resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Both these resolutions deliver high-definition images, but 4K options are generally sharper and more detailed and might be better for video or photo editing. More importantly, you should select an option that mirrors your laptop’s resolution. “Portable monitors are used alongside laptops, so you will want to match the resolution of your laptop's display so that there aren't wild differences in text sizes,” says Greengart.
Brightness
Portable monitors express brightness in nits, which means one candela per square meter. The higher the nits rating, the brighter the display is. The typical nits range of the monitors I tested is around 300, and that seems to be within the general 200 to 300 range you’ll find in most monitors from big names like ViewSonic, Lenovo and Asus. “You also need to ensure that brightness and color saturation doesn't drop off-axis, since by definition you will almost always have your secondary display off to the side,” says Greengart.
Connectivity
A portable monitor won’t do you much good if it can’t connect to your laptop, so it’s important to check that it offers the right number of USB-C, USB-A and HDMI ports to fit your needs. USB-C connectivity makes connecting most portable monitors simple by using one cord to power the monitor and connect to it. If you don’t have USB-C ports on your laptop, HDMI inputs and USB-C to USB-A converters supplied by the manufacturer can bridge the gap. It’s also worth double-checking whether a USB-C port on a portable monitor is used only for charging or can be used for both display and charging.
Orientation
Some portable monitors can switch between a landscape (horizontal) and portrait (vertical) orientations. This feature boosts the overall versatility of the screen and is especially useful when photo editing. Keep in mind, though, that seamless transitions between orientations can sometimes be limited to either Mac or Windows laptops. According to Greengart, another option to consider, especially if you plan to use your portable monitor in one spot, is multi-screen configurability. “For example, Xebec's latest SNAP system is wildly flexible and allows different screen rotations so you can have, say, a script on your right, your presentation on the left, and the conference software in the middle,” says Greengart.
Price
A portable monitor shouldn’t cost more than a desktop monitor, but they can still run you a few hundred dollars. Most quality options are priced between $150 and $450, and the higher price tag is typically associated with more premium features, such as higher resolutions and multiple screens, and a sturdier construction.
What Is The Best Portable Monitor?
The best portable monitor is one that works well with your existing laptop, is lightweight and offers excellent resolution. That’s why we recommend the SideTrak Solo for most people. It features a high resolution 4K display, built-in speakers and multiple viewing modes that allow you to switch between working and streaming.
Are Portable Monitors Worth It?
It all comes down to what you use your computer for, whether being able to multitask is important to you and how much physical space you have to set up your equipment on a desk or flat surface. Most people discover that having two or even three screens can be beneficial for increasing their productivity and making workflow easier. “It is also worth noting that many people buying portable monitors don't take them on the road,” says Greengart. “They use them at home in semi-permanent setups where space and flexibility are prized.”
However, a portable monitor is a must-have accessory if you’re a remote worker who needs to be highly productive from airports, hotels, at home or even from a coffee shop. “Portable monitors require space in your bag and an extra minute or two to set up, but if you're going to be in one spot for any significant amount of time—in a hotel room, or shared office space—the added productivity can easily justify it,” says Greengart. But not everyone needs a 4K portable monitor; the most reasonably priced models are typically 15.6-inch 1080p monitors.
Can You Connect A Desktop PC To A Portable Monitor?
Yes. Portable monitors usually come with several cables, such as a USB-C to USB-C cable, a Mini-HDMI to HDMI cable and a USB-C to USB-A cable. However, if you choose to use an HDMI cable for the display, you will have to use another cable to provide power, typically a USB connection. Regardless of the connection options based on your device, Greengart emphasizes that “the fewer cables, the better.” Luckily, many monitors connect and charge via a USB-C cable, which means if your computer has at least one of these ports you can easily plug in with one cord.
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