On a long summer evening, few things are more appealing than sitting outside with friends and family, watching a movie projected on the side of the house as the ice in your glass starts to melt. But a projector isn’t limited in use to just a few warm months of the year—you can pull it out during sleepovers for a four-player round of Mario Kart; at family movie night; or when car camping in the spring. A good portable projector can be used indoors and out, with enough battery to last an entire Marvel movie, a bright enough image that you can see it before the sun has totally set and enough built-in streaming and mirroring tools that you can watch just about anything without needing to juggle extra cords and cables.
While there is a legion of projectors that are good at putting up a video, one stands out from the rest in being better at the “outdoor” part of “outdoor projectors.” The BenQ GS50 doesn’t just show movies and TV well; it also has a useful stand to adjust its angle and comes with drop and splash protection to guard it against the vagaries of outdoor entertaining. If you value a brighter, sharper image over that outdoor-proofing, we recommend XGimi’s Halo+. (Both models earned top spots in our colleague Nicole Nguyen’s evaluation as well.) For stunning 4K video at a higher price, you should choose Epson’s Home Cinema 2350. And Anker’s Nebula Solar Portable is our lower-price pick.
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- Best overall outdoor projector
- Runner-up outdoor projector with better video quality
- Best 4K outdoor projector
- Best lower-price outdoor projector
- Others you should know about
- How to set up a good outdoor home theater
- How we picked
Best overall outdoor projector
Pros
- Smart design features like an adjustable built-in stand and water and drop resistance
- Good battery life
- Decent video and audio quality
- Lots of input options
Cons
- Not the brightest, sharpest or best video quality overall
- No battery indicator in the user interface
- Heavy at more than 5 pounds
Specs
- Max resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Input options: Wi-Fi, USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, Bluetooth
- Brightness: 500 ANSI lumens
With the GS50, BenQ has established what most other outdoor projector brands seem to have missed: This thing is designed to go outdoors. While it’s a bit heavier and bigger than other, similarly priced devices including the XGimi Halo+ and the Anker Capsule 3, both of which we address below, the advantage is the GS50 has a layer of protection that no other devices bothers with. It’s splashproof, and drop proof to 70 centimeters (a little over 2 feet). That’s not enough to survive a rainstorm or a tumble out of a moving car, but if a marauding child splashes it with soda or a tipsy guest knocks it off a low table, it’s not an instant write-off. The GS50 also comes with an adjustable built-in stand and a faux-leather carrying handle as well as a handy carrying case for schlepping around that will also keep the projector from getting dusty in winter storage. And the retro design is fun, especially in a category that can skew rather boring.
The GS50 isn’t the brightest or sharpest projector we tried, nor does it have the deepest, darkest blacks—but it’s still plenty good enough, projecting a pleasing video for the hypersaturated colors and fast motion of “Thor: Love and Thunder.” It also had one of the better battery life results in our testing, going for a full three hours and 45 minutes while in eco mode. It has automatic vertical keystoning (that’s adjusting for the low angle you’re projecting it up at, transforming a trapezoid into the proper rectangular shape) and eye-protection mode that will interrupt the projection if it detects you walking in front of it.
Like most modern projectors, the GS50 runs Android TV, which gives it access to most streaming platforms (except Netflix, so we had to use a bizarre workaround), allowing you to stream video easily once connected to your home Wi-Fi network. It also can connect to devices via HDMI, USB-A or USB-C—the last of which can either be for input from a laptop or similar, or for power delivery from a power bank or wall charger. It’s one of the few projectors we tested that can display video through USB-C, something that’s rare even on ones that cost twice as much.
Like most of the projectors we tried, the GS50 can also work as a Bluetooth speaker. We found that the top volume was pretty high, loud enough for a small gathering of maybe a half-dozen people, but if you had many more than that or a lot of background noise (like you’re in a noisy neighborhood), then having some extra oomph from an external speaker is a good idea. You can connect one via the standard 3.5-millimeter audio port, or, if you’re watching from one of the projector’s streaming services (as opposed to over HDMI), stream wirelessly to a Bluetooth speaker.
The downsides are generally fiddly and minor. While there’s that automatic vertical keystoning, you need to adjust the horizontal, side-to-side angle manually (making the horizontal edges an even height, so that the top and bottom edges are parallel to one another)—so it definitely works best placed as centrally as possible. And all that extra protection comes at the cost of weight and size. The GS50 weighs more than 5 pounds, where the XGimi Halo+ is 3.5 pounds and the Anker Capsule 3 is just a smidgen over 2 pounds. Through a decision that’s more confusing than anything else, there’s no way to see the battery level on screen; you have to rely on a blinking light on the exterior of the projector. An on-screen battery display is a pretty basic feature that every other projector we tested seems to have figured out.
Runner-up outdoor projector with better video quality
Pros
- Higher-quality video
- Automatic horizontal and vertical keystoning
- Can project around objects like outlets
Cons
- No USB-C for power/video input
- No weather resistance
- Single-height stand
- Slightly worse battery life
Specs
- Max resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Input options: Wi-Fi, USB-A, HDMI, Bluetooth
- Brightness: 900 ANSI lumens
If you want a projector that gives you more bang for your buck when it comes to pure audiovisual quality, and care less about other features like weatherproofing, the XGimi Halo+ is absurdly good. It has the same 1080p resolution as the GS50, but its videos are super bright thanks to its 900 ANSI lumen rating, compared with the BenQ’s 500, with punchy, sharp visuals and great audio. It’ll automatically correct for both horizontal and vertical keystoning, so you can stick it at a weird angle to your screen and it’ll figure out how to square the image. Plus it can spot surface intrusions like light switches and shrink the size of the projection to dodge the interruption. For around the same price as the BenQ GS50 it’s just much better at pure projecting. It clocked in at a respectable three-hour battery life in our testing, which was above average.
However, it doesn’t have any sort of weather resistance, the built-in stand is locked at one height and while it’s a nice-looking device, there are no handles or easy ways to carry it. It packs fewer input options than the GS50, notably lacking a USB-C port. As USB-C becomes the de facto connector for a huge number of devices, this is a glaring shortcoming. You can generally mirror your content from a laptop via Google’s Chromecast or Apple’s AirPlay from your phone or tablet, but being able to plug in a USB-C cable you already have around is so much easier and more foolproof than casting and figuring out why a video isn’t playing from one device to another.
Best 4K outdoor projector
Pros
- 4K video looks fantastic
- Bright enough to use before the sun sets
- Great manual controls to precisely dial in focus
Cons
- No battery; needs to stay plugged in
- Slow to start up
- Clunky, old-school design
- No USB-C
Specs
- Max resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Input options: Wi-Fi, HDMI, Bluetooth
- Brightness: 2800 ISO lumens
If you want to invest in a 4K-resolution projector, you’re going to be facing some notable barriers beyond just the higher cost. We’re a long way off from 4K projectors on a battery—so it’ll still need to be plugged in constantly—plus they’re bulky, heavy and have a tendency to run hot. However, the Epson Home Cinema 2350 is reasonably priced compared with similarly specced models, and for that investment you get an image that is blisteringly bright and sharp, even compared with those of other 4K projectors, all while not being oversaturated or losing details in bright or dark areas.
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The Home Cinema 2350 lacks the cool-looking design of something from Anker or BenQ; it looks like a device you’re more likely to find in a classroom than a living room. But for a fairly boring-looking machine, it’s incredibly well-featured. Notably, you can control the zoom, focus and keystoning using physical dials on the projector itself. While this might seem like an inferior option to the automatic and digital controls of other projectors, we actually found it was more intuitive, and let us dial in the focus better in particular. While the user interface for the hardware is clunky, there are a huge number of controls and settings you can tweak.
This is one of the few 4K projectors from Epson that has built-in streaming platforms. Others require you to connect your source device directly. But oddly for a new, high-end device, it doesn’t have USB-C, so you’re stuck with HDMI as the only wired input option. It does have audio output, though, which is useful for hooking in to a home sound system. We found the Home Cinema 2350 is slow to start up, and the bulb takes a bit of time to get going before you get to full brightness. Once it’s there, though, the image is beautiful.
Best lower-price outdoor projector
Pros
- Bright, sharp video for the price
- Built-in stand
Cons
- Mediocre battery life
- Outdated design
- Overeager fan
- No audio-out port
Specs
- Max resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Input options: Wi-Fi, USB-A, HDMI, Bluetooth
- Brightness: 400 ANSI lumens
Getting a good sub-$600 projector is an exercise in compromises, and you have to decide for yourself where you want to make the most concessions. In our testing, the device that gives the most while giving up the least is the Anker Nebula Solar Portable. While it’s physically a lackluster-looking white square, when it comes to projecting, it did better than anything else in this price bracket. Its images were bright, vivid and sharp. It didn’t have the deepest, darkest black levels, but the flip side of that is that it retained better detail in the shadows than some other devices such as the XGimi MoGo Pro+, so you could see more of what was going on. The Solar Portable does have automatic vertical keystoning, which not every lower-price model does, but still needs manual adjustment for horizontal.
The speaker system on Anker’s projector is decent, though it’s masked by the fan that has a tendency to kick up loudly at annoying times, and its two hour and 40 minute battery time is comparatively poor. The Solar Portable weighs a reasonable 3 pounds, and has a decent suite of connection options: USB-A, HDMI and the usual set of wireless options. There’s a USB-C port, but it’s only for charging. This is also the only one of our recommended projectors without a physical audio output.
Others you should know about
Great for portability
The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 is a really good size and shape, and would do well as an ultra-portable option. You could easily throw it into the water-bottle sleeve of a backpack when going on a hike or heading to a friend’s place. But compared with similarly priced alternatives, it had terrible battery life (just two hours), no built-in stand and a laggy interface.
Great for indoor use
The XGimi MoGo Pro+ is a solid alternative to the Anker Solar Portable, with a better battery life and brighter, more saturated colors. But it lost a lot of detail in the shadows, and had an extremely quiet speaker that we struggled to hear outdoors. It would do an excellent job for sleepovers or living room gatherings, where you’re indoors and can control light levels and background noise a bit more easily.
XGimi claims the newer MoGo Pro 2 has improved color accuracy, brighter video and better speakers—all of which would address many of our complaints. But it lacks a built-in battery, so you have to either be tethered by a power cable or carrying a USB-C powerbank with you, which is a significant extra cost and kind of defeats the purpose of a mobile projector.
Great for impressive video at a lower price
The Anker Nebula Capsule Max costs less than $500 (and is often on sale for less than $400), and had an incredible battery life (more than four hours!) but its user interface was aggressively bad, bordering on nonfunctional with many streaming apps. If I was the sort of person who wanted to get the best possible video at the lowest cost, and had infinite time for futzing with settings and interfaces, I would get the Capsule Max.
The Samsung Freestyle uses Samsung’s own Tizen operating system, which is a less-desirable alternative to the more standard Android TV. Tizen is Samsung’s platform for smartwatches, TVs and a smattering of other devices. While the company generally does a good job of maintaining Tizen, the fact that it’s a notably less-used platform than Android TV means that you can’t be sure a streaming service will keep its app up-to-date.
All of Aaxa’s devices seem intriguing for their low price and well-regarded video quality, but many of them don’t have apps or run Android TV (meaning you’re required to plug a device in to play your show or movie), or are saddled by low maximum resolution (or both), which rules them all out.
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The BenQ GV30 is a cute little device, but only runs at 720p resolution, compared with the 1080p resolution of most of our picks.
The Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K is a fascinating device that looks like the hybrid of an old-school Power Mac and a projector. However, we found its image quality to be not as good as that of the Epson 2350, showing slightly less detail and with less fine variation in color, and the interface was extremely laggy. Lighting designer and production manager Mike Faba pointed out that laser projectors seem to be the next big development in projectors, as they allow for much longer bulb life and, potentially, notably brighter video, so we’re looking forward to how this technology develops.
Most of the rest of Epson’s offerings lacked Android TV and so couldn’t be used for streaming content, or weren’t 4K.
How to set up a good outdoor home theater
Theatrical lighting designer and production manager Mike Faba gave us some excellent advice on things to keep in mind when setting up your home theater outdoors. Key among them is that it’s far more effective to try to mitigate light wherever possible, and it’ll serve you better to invest your money in that rather than a brighter projector. For instance, having outdoor path lights that point downward rather than radiating globes will help limit how much light spills onto your screen. Though he also points out “fighting the sun in any way is very difficult,” so it’s best to wait until it’s as dark as possible before starting your show.
Faba also mentioned that you may want to avoid running an extremely long HDMI cable all the way from your indoor home media system. At lengths of more than 15 or 20 feet, he told us, cables can start acting like an antenna and picking up signals that can interfere with the media. If you want to watch outdoors frequently, he recommends using HDMI over Ethernet or HDMI over SDI to extend the signal, broadcasting wirelessly depending on the quality of the streaming media and your signal strength, or even plugging your laptop directly into the projector. And he advises making sure that any screen you’re using is well-anchored as “screens are giant wind sails,” so if you’re not fully prepared, they can go flying in a strong gust.
How we picked
Trust us
I’ve been a product reviewer and service journalist for more than 15 years—and in that time I’ve reported on almost every beat you can imagine. I’ve covered cameras, video and printing for outlets like Wirecutter, DPReview, Imaging Resource and Reviewed.com and have written about audio and other topics for The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Consumer Reports, among other publications. I focus on human-first design and—especially for gadget-heavy topics—try and understand the level of technical fiddling people actually want to deal with when they set things up. Outdoor projectors, in particular, might be put up when the assembler is three sheets to the wind at the end of an afternoon barbecue, and so benefit from running well straight out of the box.
I also interviewed theatrical lighting designer and production manager Mike Faba to learn more about the ins and outs of audiovisual from someone who spends his time running projection rigs in theaters across the country, including for the Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show.
We tested
Projectors fundamentally need to be good at the job they’re designed to do—playing video and audio. But for an outdoor projector, there’s an extra set of requirements. Because they’re probably going to be set up and taken down often and moved around frequently, they need to be easy to boot up and use. And they need to be well-suited to outdoor use. To that end, we tested them on:
- Video and audio quality: This includes not only the projector’s resolution, but also how bright the projected image is and how loud and clear it plays audio.
- Ease of setup, control and use: A projector isn’t any good if you can’t play the content you want on it. Most offer built-in access to popular streaming services, while others rely on your phone, tablet or computer to be the source. Regardless, it should be easy to choose and play your videos.
- Hardware quality: We favored projectors designed to be used outside, with features including weatherproofing and drop protection scoring higher in our evaluation.
- Battery life: The longer the battery life, the better. You should be able to get through an average-length movie without having to worry about the charge running out.
- Connectivity options: The more ways to connect, the better. This includes physical connectors such as USB and HDMI, as well as wireless streaming options like Chromecast and AirPlay.
We set up each projector indoors to see how difficult they were to use on first unboxing—thankfully most of them run on the Android TV operating system, so the software is relatively straightforward. We tested adjusting basic settings, such as brightness, focus, keystoning and different video modes. We looked at how well they worked when moved from location to location, as some refocus and adjust each time you move them, and others don’t. We tested their projecting chops on a variety of surfaces with varying light levels—from midafternoon on a white wall to a proper screen at night. For a more intensive audio and video test, we projected them at night onto a portable movie screen, watching specific segments of “Thor: Love and Thunder” streaming on Disney+. This movie is a good source of bright color, detailed darkness, fast action and loud audio.
For battery tests, we put the projectors into “eco mode” or whatever their equivalent low-draw setting was, and played a YouTube count-up timer video, recording the time at which the machine shut down. While you may get a different battery use time for other sources, this at least allowed us a good apples-to-apples comparison. Other criteria, such as hardware quality, ease of moving and connectivity options were assessed through use.
Our expert
- Mike Faba, Brooklyn-based theatrical lighting designer and production manager who regularly runs professional projectors for national shows
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Categories: Outdoor