WHY YOU NEED A PORTABLE MONITOR
Get more screen space wherever ver you go
Laptops are brilliant, but they’re not as easy to upgrade as desktop PCS, especially where the screen is concerned. Until recently, if you wanted more screen space, you’d either have to connect your laptop to a desktop monitor or find the money to buy a new model with a larger screen. Portable monitors, however, offer a third option. They let you expand your existing device’s screen whenever you need to, without being tied to a desk.
If you use a desktop PC and want to add screen space you could buy a second, static screen to sit next to your current one. But opting for a portable monitor brings added flexibility and convenience. You’d plug it in only when you needed it, then fold it away neatly when you don’t.
We recommend every device featured here, though not all of them will suit your needs – so read our descriptions carefully.
Choose the right size and weight
Portable monitors are available in a variety of sizes, from 10in tiddlers, right up to big 22in beasts. Smaller monitors are aimed at specific areas of the market. Gechic’s 11.6in On-lap 1101P (£238 from www.snipca.com/38764), for instance, can be used with a computer, but it’s primarily designed for photographers, and comes with a mounting kit for attaching it to a tripod or SLR camera rig.
The sweet spot for most PC users will be somewhere between 13 and 17 inches. If you’re going to connect your laptop to a monitor, then match your existing screen’s dimensions as closely as possible. You’ll almost certainly need one that’s light enough to carry around.
A smaller screen doesn’t always make for a lighter device, however. Take Wimaxit’s 14in portable monitor (£220 from www.snipca.com/38801) – it weighs over a kilo, whereas Asus’s sleek Zenscreen MB16AC 15.6in model (£199 from www.snipca.com/38766) clocks in at just 590g, so make sure you check each model’s weight before you buy (they’re both excellent choices – pictured below). Weight may be less of a deciding factor if you’ll be using the screen mostly at home.
Consider power, connections and compatibility
For a monitor to be truly portable, it must be powered independently. Some models require you to plug them into a wall socket, which is fine for using in the house. But if your monitor can’t be untethered from the mains, then – in our mind – it can’t really count as portable.
Most portable monitors are able to draw their power from the computer they’re plugged into, usually via USB. Many models, including the 16in Viewsonic VG1655 (£260 from www. snipca.com/38767), let you connect to a USB-C port for power and HDMI for video. Ideally, your computer will have a USB-C connection that supports video output, as this will provide both power and a video output to your monitor via a single cable. Most portable monitors support both power throughput and video connection via USB-C, but check this before you buy.
The only trouble with this is that not all computers have a USB-C port. And even if yours does, you’ll need to make sure it supports video output – some older USB-C connections don’t, and it can be tricky to work out whether yours does. Check to see if there are any symbols next to the port – if you see an icon that looks like a ‘D’ or a lightning bolt with a downward arrow (pictured above), then your port supports Displayport or
Thunderbolt, both of which output video.
If you just see the standard USB icon or no icon at all, then your PC’S USB-C port may not support a video connection. If in doubt, refer to your PC’S manufacturer for advice before buying – especially if you have your eyes on a Usb-c-only monitor, such as the Asus Zenscreen MB16AC or HP’S 14in E14 G4 display (£262 from www.snipca.com/38768), neither of which have an HDMI socket.
Use battery power instead
Some models come with their own independent power supply. The battery in Asus’s 15.6in Zenscreen Go MB16AHP (£300 from www.snipca.com/38769) gives you four hours of screen time. This is useful for laptop owners because it means your screen won’t be draining your computer’s battery supply when in use. It can connect via USB-C or HDMI for video, too. However, the internal battery adds to the monitor’s weight – the MB16AHP weighs 860g, which is much heavier than the Asus MB16AC batteryless model we mentioned earlier.
Another solution is to use a USB-C power bank. The Anker Powercore+ 26800 (around £80 from www.snipca. com/38770) can power your monitor while you’re on the move (see Issue 607, page 60 for more on power banks).
Don’t be confused by resolution and other specs
As with many tech devices, portablemonitor manufacturers like to make a song and dance about various specs, but these can confuse the issue rather than help you make your choice. Resolution is a good example. Don’t feel obliged to buy a device with a high resolution, such as the EVICIV 15.6in 4K model (£300 from www.snipca.com/38771) because you probably won’t need its 3840x2160 pixel count. A Full HD (1920x1080 pixels) model – such as those we’ve already mentioned – will do just fine.
If you’re going to be using your portable monitor as a second screen, you should try to match the resolution of your current display – that way the scaling will be the same on both screens, so icons and text will appear the same size. You can check your current screen’s resolution by right-clicking the desktop and selecting ‘Display settings’, then scrolling down and looking under ‘Display resolution’.
It’s worth looking for a monitor that uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology, as these tend to provide a wider viewing angle than standard TN LCD panels. Most decent portable monitors should use IPS, and it should say so somewhere in the device’s specifications. You should also look for a refresh rate of 60Hz. This will provide a flicker-free display. Again, most devices will offer this but it’s worth checking before you buy. Don’t worry too much about luminance and contrast-ratio figures, if quoted. In theory, the higher these figures, the brighter and punchier the picture, but we’ve found these often don’t provide a terribly useful guide.
Speakers, touchscreens, ports and stands
Some portable monitors, such as the aforementioned Viewsonic VG1655, include built-in speakers. But assuming you’re going to be partnering your new display with an existing computer, this is unlikely to provide much benefit because you’ll be able to rely on its own speakers and/or headphone socket.
Potentially more useful are touchscreen monitors like the 15.6in Asus Zenscreen Touch MB16AMT, which lets you tap, swipe and pinch your way around your computer, just like on a tablet. This is a good way to add touchscreen abilities to a computer that lacks them. However, it does push up the price: the Zenscreen Touch, for example, is one of the most expensive monitors we’ve looked at (£340 from www.snipca.com/38772).
If you’re connecting to your PC via USB-C, it’s worth looking for a model (such as the HP E14 G4 , £305 from www.snipca.com/38823), which has a second USB-C port that provides throughput for connecting accessories to your PC via the monitor – useful for laptops with limited connectivity.
Finally, consider what type of stand you want. Some, such as Asus Zenscreen models, have a foldable smart case that can be turned into a stand to prop the monitor up in either portrait or landscape mode. Others, such as the HP E14 G4, have a tiltable kickstand that folds out from the back (pictured below left).
You’ll also find models, such as the 12.5in Sidetrak Slide (£240 from www. snipca.com/38773, pictured above), which attach to the side of your existing screen on a hinge, like a wing mirror.
Are cheap portable monitors any good?
Most of the devices we’ve recommended cost between £200 and £300. At the lower end of the market, you’ll find a lot of even cheaper products from lesserknown brands. However, be careful: washed-out colours and poor contrast are typical of cheaper LCD panels.
That said, you can pick up a bargain, such as the AOC i1601fwux 16in monitor. It ticks a lot of the boxes – Full HD resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, IPS panel – performs well and currently costs £159 (from www.snipca.com/38774). It’s a little heavier than some, at 820g, however, and doesn’t have an HDMI connection, so you’ll need to use a USB-C connection for power and video.