Best Portable Monitors (2026): Add a Second Screen I've Tested

Being distant from the bureau means moving connected my laptop—and with that comes productivity slipping distant into oblivion. The problem, for maine astatine least, is the screen, oregon rather, the deficiency of them. A portable show solves this dilemma handily, moving conscionable similar an outer show setup does successful the office, but with mobility besides successful mind. While larger portable monitors (especially multi-panel ones) whitethorn necessitate a dedicated powerfulness connection, astir tin usage your laptop’s USB larboard for each the foodstuff they need.

The portable show class is simply a precise ample one, occupied by some name-brand producers of laptops and desktop monitors arsenic good arsenic plentifulness of companies you’ve ne'er heard of. For this buying guide, I evaluated 20 portable monitors from a wide scope of manufacturers that correspond terms points ranging from $70 to astir $700. I’m splitting my apical recommendations crossed 4 large categories, with runners-up disposable for astir of them.

The Best Overall Portable Monitor

If you are simply looking for a azygous other surface to person alongside your laptop and don’t request interaction features, Arzopa’s Z3FC is the champion prime for astir users. This spacious 16.1-inch show costs conscionable $136, but it’s perfectly loaded with features. Resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels offers ample item for immoderate benignant of task whether enactment oregon leisure, and the surface unusually offers a whiplash-fast 180 Hz refresh rate. It’s got 1 of the brighter displays disposable crossed each portable monitors -- and an outstanding colour gamut rating, with a measured 99% of the sRGB abstraction covered successful my tests. Color prime is arsenic solid, with a 1.10 mean accuracy standing measured.

The hardware is elemental but effective, with the show held up by a slim limb that flips retired from the backmost of the show and transportation options that see mini-HDMI and 2 USB-C ports. Because it draws conscionable 13 watts, you don’t request an outer powerfulness adapter if you link via USB to your laptop. (Note that since HDMI connections don’t transportation power, you’ll request to usage 1 of the USB ports to link to a powerfulness root if you take that option.) The 2nd USB larboard tin beryllium utilized to complaint a telephone oregon link different USB peripherals, and the show adjacent includes dual 2-watt speakers which, portion not altogether useful, are astatine slightest amended than nothing.

Best of each is however portable the surface is: At conscionable 1.64 pounds, it’s 1 of the lightest portable monitors connected the market, particularly astatine this show size.

Also consider:

Espresso Lite 15 for $249 - What’s large astir this show isn’t its portability oregon its terms but alternatively its unsocial stand, which attaches magnetically to the backmost of the surface and allows you to presumption the show successful immoderate predisposition connected your table -- oregon rise it up truthful that it hovers supra your laptop’s screen. It’s besides got unthinkable colour gamut and coagulated brightness portion drafting conscionable 5 watts of power.

The Best Portable Monitor With Touch

If you request your 2nd show to bash double-duty arsenic a drafting tablet oregon simply privation to beryllium capable to pat connected icons alternatively of relying connected a mouse, the ViewSonic TD1656-2K offers the champion bang for your buck. The 2K successful the sanction evokes the monitor’s astir awesome feature, 2560 x 1600 pixels of solution crossed its vast, 16-inch, 16:10 widescreen display. Brightness is exceptional, and opposition is precise affluent for a modular LED-backlit screen, but the unit’s colors are adjacent much impressive. The 99% sRGB colour gamut sum is outstanding, and the unit’s mean 0.79 colour accuracy standing is the 2nd champion I’ve measured to date.

The surface itself is mostly escaped of frills, with 2 USB-C ports available: 1 to link to your laptop, the different providing supplemental powerfulness if needed, though since the surface lone pulls 12 watts of juice, you shouldn’t tally into occupation without an further adapter. Note that I was incapable to usage this 2nd USB larboard for charging my telephone oregon different peripherals.

The interaction features enactment great, either with a fingertip oregon with the responsive, included stylus. I was little enamored with the tinny 2-watt speakers -- these could person conscionable arsenic good been jettisoned altogether -- and didn’t emotion the convoluted and origami-like case-stand combo. While reasonably protective erstwhile wrapped astir the screen, it’s hard to fold the close mode and, erstwhile you bash person it configured properly, it offers lone a mates of minimally adjustable viewing angles. It’s not precisely lightweight astatine 2.92 pounds (with the cover), but you are getting a precise spacious presumption for the weight. At $380, it’s really connected the debased extremity of the terms spectrum for portable touchscreens.

Also consider:

Espresso Pro 15 for $748 - The pro mentation of Espresso’s Lite, highlighted above, features an astonishing 15.6-inch surface with 3840 x 2160 pixels of solution and breathtaking 10-bit color. It’s adjacent brighter than the ViewSonic, offers wonderfully heavy and close hues, and weighs astir the aforesaid contempt the added heft of Espresso’s bulky but versatile magnetic stand. The terms is the lone existent dealbreaker.

The Best Multi-Screen Portable Monitor

If you didn’t cognize immoderate amended astatine archetypal glance, you’d conjecture it was a laptop, but flip the instrumentality unfastened and you’ll spot that Asus’s ZenScreen Duo offers 2 1920 x 1200-pixel 14-inch monitors, connected via a hinge. To deploy, conscionable unfold, widen the slim kickstand, and plug successful a azygous USB-C cablegram to your laptop. Yeah, that’s it: Unlike astir multi-panel monitors, the ZenScreen doesn’t necessitate further power, and its combined 13-watt powerfulness gully is easy managed by the USB-C larboard connected astir laptops. (An other powerfulness larboard is disposable if your machine doesn’t person the juice.)

The panels tin beryllium deployed vertically -- 1 atop the different -- oregon horizontally -- lasting upright successful representation mode, and an other USB-C larboard and mini-HDMI larboard mean you tin really link the 2 panels independently to antithetic sources, truthful each sheet mirrors a abstracted instrumentality (useful, say, for connecting some a machine and a astute phone).

Beyond its versatility, what truly makes this show radiance is its surface quality. The OLED-powered show offers dazzling 10-bit colour with insane brightness (the brightest of immoderate show I tested for this story) and off-the-charts contrast. I measured 100% sRGB colour coverage, with a coagulated mean colour accuracy standing of 1.35. The lone downsides I’ve experienced were immoderate aboriginal hiccups with Windows drivers (eventually resolved) and a somewhat anemic hinge that, erstwhile deployed upright, sees the apical show getting a small wobbly. The $599 terms tag is acold from cheap, but there’s worse connected the market.

Best of all, the show weighs a svelte 2.28 pounds, truthful astir users should person nary occupation packing it into a laptop container alongside their PC.

Also consider:

KYY X90G Quad Portable Monitor for $479 - This is simply a uncommon three-panel show (with 17.3-inch screens) that turns your laptop into a veritable four-screen bid center. The KYY X90G is perchance overkill for immoderate users, and astatine a whopping 6.4 pounds, it’s astir apt not destined to question acold from your desk.

Xebec Tri-Screen 3 for $699 - This unsocial two-panel setup clips close connected to the backmost of your laptop with a spring-loaded design, featuring an integrated cablegram that slips into a azygous USB-C port. Like the Asus, it doesn’t request outer powerfulness to run, making it incredibly convenient -- but the $699 terms tag is simply a doozy.

The Best Portable Monitor for Headless PCs

Don’t beryllium confused by the clamshell design, implicit with keyboard and trackpad, connected the Elecrow CrowView Note. This isn’t a laptop but alternatively a portable monitor, keyboard, and rodent strategy each successful one. Why would you request specified a thing? Because it’s chiefly designed for usage with headless compact PCs similar the Raspberry Pi oregon the Mac Mini -- oregon you tin link it to your compartment telephone to crook your handheld into a keyboard-equipped erstwhile computer.

The specs are admittedly not each that exciting. The 15.6-inch surface supports modular 1920 x 1080 pixels of resolution, and portion Elecrow claims 100% sRGB colour gamut, I lone achieved 83% sum successful my testing. Color accuracy is good, however, and the 2-watt speakers were considerably amended than I encountered connected competing devices. While the keyboard is besides acceptable, the touchpad is precise jumpy. Clicks invariably caused the pointer to jerk distant from immoderate it was I was trying to click on, a occupation I yet had to hole by keeping a digit connected 1 manus firmly connected the touchpad portion a digit connected the different manus clicked the pad.

The instrumentality includes each mode of connectivity options, including 3 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, and a mini-HDMI connector, not to notation an interior 6000 mAh artillery that allows you to enactment wholly disconnected from a powerfulness root for up to 3 hours, depending connected usage and brightness settings. (The included 45-watt charger is different required to support it running.)

At 3.4 pounds its value is connected par with galore 15- and 16-inch laptops. But astatine conscionable $160 (plus a fewer other bucks if you request to span the connections to a Pi oregon Jetson Nano), its terms is surely acold much approachable.