The best portable monitor picks for laptops

Laptops are a great way to splice the practicality of everyday computing with portability. But if you’re anything like me, the prospect of shifting away from the extra monitor or two of your home setup is a frustrating anti-productivity affair. Enter portable monitors to offer the best of both worlds.

In terms of costs, expect to pay anywhere from around $200 for a cheap entry-level portable monitor to $1,000 or more for a fully featured alternative. Screen sizes tend to hang around the 15-inch mark but can be smaller or larger, and resolutions are typically 1080p but there are some 4K options. Connectivity is one of the more critical considerations to pair with your laptop or other devices, with USB-C being common but certain models also offering mini-HDMI or mini-DisplayPort ports.

Scroll on for our selection for the best portable monitor picks to pair with a laptop.

The Espresso Display 15 Touch is our pick of the best portable monitor, at least in terms of a great starting point for comparisons. It’s pricier than some of its peers, but the 15 Touch has the features to support that RRP, including inbuilt speakers, straightforward USB-C connectivity and a very slim design that translates to a portable 865-gram weight. In my time using the 15 Touch, I was impressed with how easy it was to set up, and I appreciated the touch-screen functionality that may be of particular interest to those who like to digitally draw. Impressively, it didn’t have too much of a dent on the battery life of my Microsoft Surface Laptop 4.

Alternatively, consider any of the portable monitor options below alongside the LG 16MR70, the Dell P1424H or the HP E14 G4.

For a cheap portable monitor, you’re looking at paying between $200 to $400. And the MSI Pro MP161 E2 is a great place to start with a $279 RRP whose value is made even better if you can nab it on sale for around $200. What you get is a 15.6-inch 1080p portable monitor with an impressive 170-degree viewing angle. The 4ms response time is great for everyday computing and good enough for second-screen gaming, too. It’s the lightest portable monitor category winner on this page at 750 grams, plus the MP161 E2 has inbuilt speakers. In terms of connectivity, there are two USB-C ports and mini-HDMI to cover most modern laptops.

For cheap portable monitor alternatives, consider the Lenovo ThinkVision M15, the Arzopa S1 Table or the AOC 16T3E.

As with laptops and regular monitors, portable monitors that include touch-screen functionality tend to cost a bit more than their touch-less counterparts. Case in point, the Mobile Pixels Glance Pro, which is $200 pricier than the non-touch Mobile Pixels Glance Plus. Despite the high asking price, there’s a lot to like about the Glance Pro, starting with a 15.6-inch 1080p OLED screen and a low 1ms response time for responsive digital doodling, gaming and everyday computing. Connectivity options are solid, too, with two USB-C ports (use one for backwards charging) and one mini-HDMI port to choose from.

For touch-screen alternatives, consider the Espresso Display 13 Touch, the Uperfect M185E06 or the Prechen Portable Monitor Touchscreen.

Most portable monitors tap out at 1080p. In fairness, given their size, that’s a perfectly acceptable resolution for a portable monitor. For those who want a higher resolution, though, there are some 4K portable monitors, including the Cocopar Portable Monitor 4K. This 17.3-inch portable monitor boasts a 100% RGB colour gamut, HDR and a practical 178-degree viewing angle. It’s also loaded with port options: Thunderbolt 3 for power and display, USB-C with power delivery, plus mini-DisplayPort, mini-HDMI and a 3.5mm audio jack. There are also two full-sized USB 3.1 ports for other devices, making this portable monitor effectively compatible with laptops, desktops, mobile devices, handheld games consoles and more.

For other 4K portable monitors, consider the Espresso Display 17 Pro, the ViewSonic VX1655-4K-OLED or the Intehill U16NA.

If you have a gaming laptop with plenty of power but without a high-refresh-rate monitor (I’m looking at you, Acer Predator Helios 3D 15), it’s worth considering a portable monitor that’s built for gaming. Case in point, the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE, which is loaded with features. In terms of the display, you get a 17.3-inch 1080p screen with 240Hz adaptive sync and a respectable 3ms response time. On the ports front, you’re choosing between mini-HDMI and mini-DisplayPort, plus USB-C and a 3.5mm audio jack. Impressively, the XG17AHPE also has an inbuilt 7800mAh battery for a few hours of disconnected play, plus quick charging and power delivery.

For other portable gaming monitors, consider the cheaper Uperfect 1602K, Arzopa Z1FC or the MagicRaven MGPM-160-1200-165-AU.

The first thing to determine is whether you want a regular portable monitor or one with extended functionality (like touch-screens). After that, choose from around 15-inches in screen real estate or something smaller (13 inches) or larger (17 inches and beyond). Connectivity is also an important consideration, with USB-C being common but mini-HDMI and mini-DisplayPort offering greater versatility.

While most portable monitors offer 1080p resolution, there are some options up to 4K. If you go for a higher resolution, ensure that your laptop supports it. There’s a good selection of portable monitors on Amazon that compete around the $200 to $500 mark but expect to get more features if you pay $500+.

Not all portable monitors have inbuilt speakers or 3.5mm audio jacks, so keep an eye out for those features if they’re important to you. Similarly, 60Hz is the common refresh rate, which is good for everyday computing, but you may want something faster for games. Also keep an eye out for response times under 5ms. Finally, some of the pricier portable monitors may include other features like rechargeable batteries or reverse power delivery.