A portable monitor is one of those gadgets you do not know you need until you have one: a slim, lightweight second screen you can slip into a laptop bag and plug in with a single USB-C cable, doubling your workspace in a coffee shop, a hotel room or on the sofa. They are equally handy as a travel display for a games console or a phone. Prices run from around £50 to a few hundred, and the right one depends on whether you prioritise portability, picture quality or price. These are the best portable monitors to buy in 2026.
The Short Version
- Best overall — ASUS ZenScreen. A well-built, USB-C portable display with a clever built-in stand.
- Best for colour — ViewSonic VP16. An OLED panel for accurate, punchy image quality.
- Best value — Arzopa. Loads of screen and resolution for very little money.
- Best for laptops — Lenovo ThinkVision. A simple, reliable single-cable companion.
- Best budget — UPERFECT. A capable second screen at the lowest price.
Best Overall: ASUS ZenScreen
For most people, the ASUS ZenScreen range hits the sweet spot. These 15.6-inch Full HD panels connect over a single USB-C cable for both power and picture, are slim and light enough to travel with, and come with a smart folding cover or a built-in kickstand that props them up at a usable angle. Build quality is a cut above the no-name crowd, and ASUS includes handy touches like a blue-light filter. As a dependable, portable second screen for work on the move, it is the safe recommendation. Check the price on Amazon
Best for Colour: ViewSonic VP16
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If image quality matters most — for photo editing, design or simply a richer picture — the ViewSonic VP16 stands out with its OLED panel. OLED gives it perfect blacks, vivid colour and excellent viewing angles that ordinary portable LCDs cannot match, and it is factory-calibrated for colour-accurate work. It is pricier than a basic travel screen, but for creatives who want a properly good display on the go, our ViewSonic VP16 review explains why it is worth it. Check the price on Amazon
Best Value: Arzopa
Few brands have made portable monitors as affordable as Arzopa, and its range is the value pick. You get a bright, sharp panel — often a higher-than-Full-HD 2.5K resolution on the 16-inch models — with USB-C and mini-HDMI inputs and a magnetic cover, all for a fraction of the premium options. The build is plastic and the on-screen menus are basic, but for the money the amount of usable screen you get is hard to argue with. Check the price on Amazon
Best for Laptops: Lenovo ThinkVision
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For a fuss-free travel companion to a work laptop, the Lenovo ThinkVision range is a tidy choice. It keeps things simple with a clean, businesslike design, a single USB-C connection and reliable, no-drama performance — exactly what you want when you just need a second screen for spreadsheets and email in a hotel room. It is not the flashiest option, but its build and dependability suit anyone kitting out a mobile office. Our best laptops guide covers the machine to pair it with. Check the price on Amazon
Best Budget: UPERFECT
On the tightest budget, brands like UPERFECT prove you can add a second screen for very little. These 15.6-inch Full HD panels cover the essentials — USB-C and HDMI inputs, a folding case-stand and a perfectly decent picture — at a price that undercuts the big names. You give up the polish, colour accuracy and build of pricier models, but as an affordable way to double your workspace or add a travel display, they deliver far more than their price suggests. Check the price on Amazon
What to Look for in a Portable Monitor
A few things decide the right one. Connectivity is the biggest: a monitor that runs off a single USB-C cable (carrying power and video) is far tidier than one needing a separate power supply, so check your laptop or phone supports USB-C video out. Resolution and panel range from basic Full HD to sharp 2.5K, and from LCD to punchy OLED — match it to whether you want work text or accurate colour. Stand and cover matter for propping the screen up on the move, and weight counts if it lives in your bag. For a full desktop setup instead, see our best gaming monitors guide.
How These Picks Were Chosen
This is an editorial buying guide that curates the strongest portable monitors for work, travel and play across budgets, weighing panel quality, connectivity, portability, stands and value. Recommendations draw on our hands-on review of the ViewSonic VP16 and each model's specification and standing. Prices change often, so check the current listing before buying.
This is an editorial buying guide; the individual product review it links to is based on our hands-on testing rather than a single laboratory benchmark.
