Best Projector for 2023

Picture quality: Projectors lag behind TVs when it comes to overall picture quality. However, they largely make up for it with absolutely massive images. Want a TV that’s 100-inches or more? Only a projector can do that, if you’re not ultrarich. Even so, there’s a wide range of picture quality even among projectors of a similar price. A projector with a great contrast ratio but only average light output is going to look better than the opposite. However, a brighter projector will be easier to see with some lights on, and can create an even bigger image.

Where are you using it?: For light controlled rooms and home theaters, a projector with a high contrast ratio is better than one that prioritizes light output. For mixed-use rooms where it’ll be hard or impossible to totally control the ambient light, or if you want an outdoor movie night with an image the size of the side of your house, one that prioritizes light output will be better, because the contrast ratio won’t be as noticeable.

What about X spec?: Ignore the specs. Companies claim million-to-one contrast ratios, insane brightness ratings, and even more. But the specs are largely divorced from reality. A claimed 2,000 lumen projector is probably brighter than a 500 lumen projector, but 1,500 and 1,700 lumen projectors are probably the same.

How much should you spend?: $1,000 is the sweet spot with projectors, where you can get great picture quality and brightness. Less than that usually requires a compromise of some kind. Some highly portable and battery-powered models are far less. They’re not as bright, but they’re great for their intended use. Spending more gets you incremental improvements. Above $3,000 there’s a big jump in picture quality again, and from there the sky’s the limit. Great picture quality, but they’re well beyond what we usually test.

What features should you look for?: If you’re connecting the projector to an audio system (and you should, either receiver/speakers or soundbar), then you don’t really need many features in the projector itself. Just get one that has great picture quality and high brightness. Lens shift and zoom are handy if you want more flexibility in placement. If you’re looking for some kind of “all-in-one” device with speakers, make sure it has a full version of Android TV inside for streaming, otherwise you’ll want to connect a streaming stick like Roku. This is because many highly portable and budget models use the Aptoide store, which won’t have as many streaming app options, and those it does have often have compromised functionality (no HD, difficult to navigate, and so on).

CNET puts projectors through a rigorous and unbiased testing process that’s the culmination of more than two decades of projector reviews. We use specialized test equipment, including a Photo Research spectroradiometer, a Minolta LS-100 luminance meter and an AEMC CA813 illuminance meter. The data is collected and collated by Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software, which helps us evaluate every PJ we review. Every lamp-based projector is “burned in” for 50 hours before measuring, and all projectors are initially set up using their most accurate color temp and color modes. Test patterns, sent from CalMan, are then used to adjust the various picture settings so the projector looks its best before measurement and evaluation. Contrast ratios are measured in each lamp and iris mode (when available). Once the projectors are fully set up and objectively measured, we watch a variety of content, including TV, movies, and games, both with the projector by itself, and compared side-by-side with two direct competitors.

Broadly speaking, we’re looking for the three picture quality aspects: contrast ratio, overall light output and color reproduction. Contrast ratio is the most important part of any projector’s performance. It’s the difference between the darkest part of the image and the brightest. While certain TV technologies, like OLED, can create a black that’s the actual absence of light, no projector technology can do this. Because of this, contrast ratios with projectors are far lower. It’s the difference between a washed out and “flat” image and one that’s more lifelike and “pops.” The better projectors will have a measured contrast ratio in the thousands. Most are between 500-1000:1.

Light output is the second most important factor, because it’s not only how bright the image appears on your wall, but also how big an image you can produce. Most modern projectors are significantly brighter than projectors from even 10 years ago. We measure brightness in candelas per square meter (cd/m2) and then convert to estimated lumens for ease of comparison. It’s important to note that we use the most accurate color temperature mode for our brightness comparisons, but we’ll note when a less-accurate mode is significantly brighter. Most of the projectors we test are between 1,000-2,000 lumens, with battery-powered models far less, and some specialized projectors even higher.

Color accuracy is the last major factor. No projector can truly take advantage of HDR or wide color gamut, but some can do more than others. Generally, we’re satisfied with accurate colors, but adding HDR effects is a bonus. Most home theater projectors we test are fairly accurate. Budget models, those that prioritize brightness over everything, and PJs from newcomers to the projector space, often have wildly inaccurate colors that result in a very unnatural image.

Other factors, like video processing and HDR processing, are evaluated in the viewing tests. These are rarely a major factor in projector performance, but some models still use older chips that have issues.

The best projector will have a high contrast ratio, high brightness and great color. Those are difficult to do at the same time, but as long as the balance works and it looks better than its competitors at a similar price, it’s a winner.

For more info, check out how CNET tests projectors.

*See review for more details

**As measured. See how CNET tests projectors for details.

BenQ GS50: The GS50 is a lunch box-size 1080p projector with a built-in battery. You can even use it as a Bluetooth speaker. However, it’s dimmer than the Xgimi Halo Plus for similar money, so we recommend that one instead.

Samsung Freestyle: The small, cylindrical Freestyle is an interesting idea, but it comes up short. It’s about the size of a Bluetooth speaker and in fact can double as one, and the Freestyle can pivot on its stand to project an image at any height on walls and even the ceiling. Its built-in streaming is far better implemented than with most portable projectors. However, it lacks a battery and its performance is average, at best. Worse, its price is a good 50% higher than it should be based on how it looks and performs. Read our Samsung Freestyle review.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2: Another relatively expensive projector we didn’t love, the Xiaomi at least has a gorgeous, Apple-like design going for it. We appreciated the compact size, 1080p resolution and built-in Android TV streaming, but the cons outweigh the pros. It’s relatively dim, especially for the price, and it lacks both a built-in battery and compatibility with a USB power source, so it’s not truly portable. Read our Xiaomi Mi Smart Projector 2 review.

Epson Home Cinema 880: The 880 is one of Epson’s less expensive home projectors, but it still puts out a remarkable amount of light. That and the price make it tempting. The contrast ratio is terrible, however, so the overall image quality is weak. Read our Epson Home Cinema 880 review.

LG HU810PW: The HU810PW is a higher-end, laser-powered projector with 4K resolution that’s able to create some lovely, colorful images. It’s also quiet and sports an attractive, boxy case. The contrast ratio is quite poor, so it doesn’t look nearly as good overall as other projectors in its price range. Read our LG HU810PW review.

Anker Nebula Solar Portable: The Solar Portable is a portable projector with a built-in battery that lasts three hours. It sports 1080p resolution, but it’s not very bright and the contrast isn’t great. Though the Anker Mars II Pro has its own issues, overall it’s the better option for the same money. Read our Anker Nebula Solar Portable review.

Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K: Since it has a handle and it’s a compact size, the Cosmos Laser 4K is technically portable, but it’s hardly mini at more than 10 pounds. There’s also no battery, so you’ll need to plug it in. It’s nice and bright, but the other downsides — lack of zoom, average overall image quality and a steep price for what you get — keep it off this list. Read our Anker Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K Projector review.