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The best outdoor projectors can create the ultimate backyard movie night. You can watch movies on Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video or videos on YouTube while camping in the wild or behind your house. All you need is one of these projectors and a flat -- or flat-ish -- surface for an instant movie theater. Portable, battery-powered ones often charge via a USB-C connector -- no power outlet necessary. Most of my picks can even double as Bluetooth speakers. I've tested hundreds of projectors (and I've even taken one of the following picks on a road trip for some outdoor entertainment); these are the best I've tested.
What's the best outdoor projector overall?
The best outdoor projector overall is the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air. It's compact, looks and sounds good, and has Google TV built in. It also has a built-in battery and a convenient handle; basically, it does everything right. It's not quite as small or as bright as some options, but it has few vices in a category that, on average, has a lot. Check out our full review of the Mars 3 Air.
If you don't mind running an extension cord, the BenQ X500i is a short-throw projector with excellent image quality that can sit just a few feet from a screen or wall to create a huge, gorgeous image. Check out our full review of the BenQ X500i.
Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Photo Gallery 1/5 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Best outdoor projector overall Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air Pros Great size
Google TV streaming
Decent color and contrast for a portable Cons A little pricey
Shorter battery life than its predecessor Anker's Mars 3 Air is a compact, battery-powered projector with built-in streaming and surprisingly decent speakers. Its image quality is good given its size and price. It's far brighter when plugged in -- all portables are -- but running on batteries should let you watch a full-length movie. It even has an HDMI port so you can connect a PlayStation, Xbox or Switch for some outdoor game nights. Why I like it The Mars 3 Air does most things right and few things wrong. It's easy to use, pretty bright and its speakers are fairly loud. Who should get it Anyone looking for a great, all-around projector for movies and TV away from (or adjacent to) home. Who should skip it The Mars 3 Air trades outright performance for size and price. You can get a brighter, better-looking image with some of the larger projectors on this list. Those are more expensive and not as portable, however. There are also smaller and cheaper projectors, but those have their own compromises, too.
... Show more Get it now $440 at Amazon Specs & Configurations Resolution 1,920x1,080 pixels Brightness (claimed) 400 lumens Battery life (claimed) 2.5 hours Learn more Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air review Add to compare
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