The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is a portable 4k projector with an RGB LED light source that's rated for up to 20,000 hours. Powered by Epson's 3-chip 3LCD Triple Core Engine technology, this projector has a 1.2 throw ratio that can project a 65-inch image from about 5.7 ft (1.73 meters) away, and up to a 150-inch image from about 13.1 ft (3.99 meters) away. It features a 180-degree horizontal swivel, it can be tilted vertically 105 degrees (90 degrees up and 15 degrees down), and it also comes with auto-focus, auto-keystone, auto-obstacle avoidance, and auto-screen fit for easy setup. The projector also has an easy-to-grab metal handle for improved portability, and it can also put out ambient lighting for some added flair. It supports HDR and HLG, includes one HDMI 2.0 port that doubles as an ARC/eARC port, and is equipped with two 5W Bose speakers.
Our Verdict
The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is a reasonable projector for watching movies. It's not bright enough to combat a lot of ambient light, and it has unremarkable contrast with darker scenes, but the image is very uniform across the screen, making it better suited for watching movies in a dark or dimly lit room. The projector has a great color gamut, especially for watching SDR content, and while its accuracy is only decent out of the box, it benefits a lot from calibration.
Supports pixel-shifted 4k for sharper images.
Great color gamut in SDR.
Good contrast in brighter scenes.
Excellent accuracy after a calibration.
Can't combat a lot of ambient light.
Shadow details look flat in dark content.
The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus projector is alright for gaming. It supports HDR10 and HLG, and it projects pixel-shifted 4k. However, it only goes up to a 60Hz refresh rate, and despite having an ALLM mode, its input lag is just okay, making it a more ideal option for casual gaming. It features an RGB LED light source that helps make colors pop, though the projector's mediocre brightness limits this a bit. Its contrast is also unremarkable, especially with darker scenes, but it performs notably well with mixed content and brighter scenes.
Great color gamut in SDR.
Good contrast in brighter scenes.
Excellent accuracy after a calibration.
Can't combat a lot of ambient light.
Only supports 60Hz.
Input lag isn't instantaneous.
Shadow details look flat in dark content.
The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus has mediocre brightness. Its brightness is very uniform across the screen, and its white and color light output are nearly identical, which prevents colors from being washed out. However, it's only bright enough to watch either in a dark or dimly lit room. The projector also provides the option to charge it using its USB-C port, but there's a significant drop in brightness when doing this, so it's recommended that you use the projector's power adapter for the best results.
Very uniform image across the screen.
Can't combat a lot of ambient light.
The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus has mediocre contrast. Despite having a dynamic contrast feature, blacks look raised, especially in near-black and dark scenes, which makes shadow details look flat as a result. That said, the projector does excel with mixed content and brighter scenes.
Good contrast in brighter scenes.
Shadow details look flat in dark content.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus. It's part of Epson's Lifestudio series of projectors, sitting above the Epson Lifestudio Flex as the other portable lifestyle projector in this series. The Lifestudio series also includes the Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus and the Epson Lifestudio Pop, which are positioned as personal lifestyle projectors. The table below highlights the key differences between each model:
| Model | Advertised Color Brightness (lms) | Advisertised White Brightness (lms) | Resolution | USB-C port | Horizontal Swivel | Vertical Tilt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus (Epson EF-72) | 1,000 | 1,000 | Pixel-shifted 4k | Yes (power supply) | 180 degrees | 90 degrees up + 15 degrees down |
| Epson Lifestudio Flex (EF-71) | 700 | 700 | 1080p | No | 180 degrees | 90 degrees up + 15 degrees down |
| Epson Lifestudio Pop Plus (EF-62) | 700 | 700 | Pixel-shifted 4k | No | No | 8 degrees up |
| Epson Lifestudio Pop (EF-61) | 700 | 700 | 1080p | No | No | 8 degrees up |
Popular Projector Comparisons
The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus is an adequate projector for both movie watching and casual gaming, and is more ideal for those looking for a budget, multi-purpose projector with passable portability. It outputs pixel-shifted 4k, and its RGB LED light source helps make colors pop, though its mediocre brightness makes it better suited for use in dark or dimly lit environments. It doesn't have an integrated battery, though, so if you're looking for something a bit more portable, you can consider the XGIMI Halo+, which is a 1080p projector with lower brightness, but it has an integrated battery and is small enough to easily carry around. The Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus accepts 4k signals from gaming consoles, though the projector downscales them to 1080p. It's also capped at 60Hz, and its input lag is just okay, so if you're a more competitive gamer looking for a projector with adequate portability, consider a projector like the Hisense M2 Pro. Finally, the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus only has one HDMI 2.0 input, so you can't plug a console and soundbar at the same time, for example, but its two 5W Bose speakers are plenty for smaller rooms.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best portable projectors, the best 4k projectors, and the best budget and cheap projectors. If you're really looking for something to use outside, consider the best outdoor projectors as well.
The XGIMI Halo+ and the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus share a lot of similarities. The Epson can put out pixel-shifted 4k while the XGIMI is 1080p. However, both are LED projectors with wide color gamuts, but max out at 60Hz refresh rates, have similar (but unremarkable) contrast, and only one HDMI input. That said, the Epson has better brightness, more responsive input lag, and is much more accurate than the XGIMI. On the other hand, with its smaller size and integrated battery, the XGIMI is significantly more portable than the Epson.
The XGIMI HORIZON Ultra is an upgrade over the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus. The XGIMI is significantly brighter, quieter, and has extra HDMI and USB inputs for added flexibility. That said, while the Epson's contrast is unremarkable, it's still notably better than the XGIMI's. The Epson is also more accurate after calibration and is smaller and more lightweight, making it a more portable unit.
The JMGO N1S Ultimate is an upgrade over the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus. The JMGO is significantly brighter, has much better contrast across dark and bright scenes, and is overall a notably quieter projector than the Epson. The JMGO's color gamut is also much wider, and despite it being much less accurate out of the box compared to the Epson, they both reach similar levels after calibration. Both projectors have auto-focus and auto-keystone, and are comparable when it comes to how portable they are.
We've independently bought and tested over 75 projectors and published detailed results for each, so you can decide which one to buy. These have all been tested under the same standardized methodology, allowing you to compare them side by side. We still have all these projects in our lab, so we can continually go back and compare them to ensure our reviews are still accurate. All our test methodologies are also public on our website, so you can validate the results yourself.
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