Best Portable Monitors (2026): Add a Second Screen I've Tested
Key takeaways
- The portable monitor category is a very large one, occupied by both name-brand producers of laptops and desktop monitors as well as plenty of companies you’ve never heard of.
- Photograph: Luke LarsenSave to wishlistSave to wishlistArzopa
- If you are simply looking for a single extra screen to have alongside your laptop and don’t need touch features, Arzopa’s Z3FC is the best pick for most users.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Courtesy of Arzopa Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Being away from the office means working on my laptop—and with that comes productivity slipping away into oblivion. The problem, for me at least, is the screen, or rather, the lack of them. A portable monitor solves this dilemma handily, working just like an external monitor setup does in the office, but with mobility also in mind. While larger portable monitors (especially multi-panel ones) may require a dedicated power connection, most can use your laptop’s USB port for all the juice they need.
The portable monitor category is a very large one, occupied by both name-brand producers of laptops and desktop monitors as well as plenty of companies you’ve never heard of. For this buying guide, I evaluated 20 portable monitors from a wide range of manufacturers that represent price points ranging from $70 to nearly $700. I’m splitting my top recommendations across four major categories, with runners-up available for most of them.
Photograph: Luke LarsenSave to wishlistSave to wishlistArzopa