Best Portable Monitor for 2026

Uperfect A17 DS15607: The A17 may be far from an exceptional monitor, but for the money, it has relatively strong brightness and clarity in a package that’s solid for on-the-go productivity. On one hand, the 4K 15.6-inch panel delivers almost 285 pixels per inch, so the screen can be exceptionally sharp. Uperfect backs that up with a solid brightness level of about 427 nits (a touch shy of its 450-nit rating) and surprisingly high 1610:1 contrast ratio. That pairs well with a strong matte finish for easy visibility. Regardless of how the monitor fails to meet the bars that Uperfect set for the A17, it manages good performance for a budget portable monitor (priced at $250 and discounted to $190 at the time of writing).

The design isn't elegant, but it’s simple and effective. For the most part it’s just a big plastic slab nearly half an inch thick with no integrated kickstand, just a magnetic cover that protects the display when it's packed and tilts it at a few different angles when in use. There are two USB-C ports and an HDMI port, and though it can run off a single-cable connection, like other monitors we’ve seen, that's not always reliable. At maximum brightness and using the monitor’s (bad) built-in speakers, it requires too much power for a single-cable connection and will begin to power cycle. Simply foregoing the use of the speakers was enough to get over that hurdle in our testing. Just how much you can use will also depend on your system’s port, as we had a better experience using Thunderbolt 4 and more power cycling on USB4.

Minisforum MDSA156: Like the dual-screen Acer PD163Q I've reviewed, the MDSA156 is one of few portable monitors to offer two displays that fold up like a laptop, but when opened, it turns into two 1080p screens connected by a hinge to offer more screen real estate. But they have some clear differences in quality, including disappointing displays with limited color gamuts (far short of full sRGB), and the color and brightness shift dramatically when viewed off angle. The contrast is fine, and they hover around 300 nits of max brightness, though the upper display is notably dimmer, while the lower display has weaker contrast. On the plus side, the monitor let me use both displays simply with a single USB-C cable connection.

Running the displays at max brightness uses too much power for many devices (30 watts) and can require a second cable. At least the antiglare finish of the screens proves fairly forgiving while running the displays at lower brightness. It's also decently built with a beefy kickstand, plus the hinge between screens holds the monitors at a variety of angles for considerable flexibility. The chassis and kickstand of the monitor is also all metal. It all adds up though, with the MDSA156 weighing 3.3 pounds (1.5 kilograms), the same as a lot of full laptops. It even includes speakers that can be useful in a pinch, though they don’t sound good. Minisforum also includes two USB cables, an HDMI cable, and a small power brick to pretty much cover all the bases of what you might need for connectivity. You do get a lot for the money; at $231, it’s a nice price next to the Acer PD163Q. 

Measurements are taken using a Spyder X2 Ultra colorimeter using DataColor's Spyder X2 software for SDR. Color accuracy measurement results are reported in Delta E 1976 using Datacolor's 48-color patch test.

In addition, HDR results are gathered using the VESA DisplayHDR Test app's patterns to display 100% and 10% windows for brightness measurements as well as RGBW values, again measured using the Spyder X2 Ultra, to get CIE xyY color values and compared against the DCI-P3 color space's xyY color values to calculate HDR gamut coverage using this gamut calculator.

On the most basic monitors, we may stick with just brightness, contrast and color gamut, while on more capable displays, we may run tests of most user-selectable modes for gaming or color-critical usage, uniformity and so on. For the color work, we may also run tests to verify how white point accuracy varies with brightness. We also use Blur Busters' motion tests to judge motion artifacts (such as ghosting) or refresh rate-related problems that can affect gaming. 

Keep in mind that individual results can vary from a manufacturer's reported results for a variety of reasons. For instance, you can be using a different set of color patches for the accuracy tests (as I do), a different colorimeter (as most individuals do), a different way of calculating (such as determining gamut using RGB and CMY primaries rather than the more common RGB only), monitor settings (manufacturers rarely provide the OSD settings used for its tests) and so on. 

Connections

There’s no universal rule about what connections portable monitors have to offer. From one to the next, you can find any combination of ports. Some portable monitors rely on just a single USB-C connection for power and video, and others may need auxiliary power. Many of the best options include a USB-C port to handle all your needs, so you only need one cable. Most also include an HDMI or mini HDMI port, which provides broader compatibility. Newer laptops can handle display output over USB, while game consoles, older laptops and desktops might not, so having any kind of HDMI port is useful. 

Power

Some portable monitors can draw all their power from the same USB-C cable they get their video signal. Bigger, brighter and higher-resolution monitors typically need more power, and this can be too much for USB ports. In these cases, the monitor may have a second port for auxiliary power. Unfortunately, the matter of powering portable monitors is incredibly variable. Some laptop USB ports can supply enough power for a portable monitor, but another port on the laptop might not. Some monitors I’ve tested will work fine with a single USB connection to a laptop but then turn off if the brightness is set too high. Given the variability, it’s important to check each monitor's specific power requirements and try to ascertain whether your computer has a port to meet the requirement. If you’re particularly concerned about power on the go and using fewer cable connections, some portable monitors include built-in batteries. 

Size

Size is an important consideration for a portable monitor. You want to maximize the additional screen real estate you’re getting on the go, but you also want to avoid ending up with a monitor that’s so big that it limits mobility or uses too much desk space. You’ll generally find a listed size with each monitor that indicates the diagonal size of the display area only. So, to make sure the monitor you’re looking at will actually work for you, be sure to also check the physical dimensions of the monitor. 

Color

Just like size and resolution, color gamut is an important consideration. Put simply, it’s a measure of the range of colors a monitor can display, and it’s presented as a percentage of a specific color space. Lower ratings will mean a less vibrant, more drab monitor. Higher ratings mean more lifelike colors. If you’re just doing office work and want extra space for spreadsheets, just about any monitor will do, regardless of color gamut. A 95% or more rating for the sRGB color space is good for entertainment and general web work. Monitors that cover 95% or more of the DCI-P3 color space can display a wider range of colors, making photos, videos and games more enjoyable, but these will generally be more expensive options. For professional use, you'll want to check for a measurement of color accuracy, too; a value of Delta E≦2 is optimal. Most portable displays are not color-calibrated out of the box and can look significantly better after calibration with a colorimeter. Short of that, you can use tools in MacOS and Windows to improve image quality manually.