The 5 Best Outdoor Projectors - Fall 2024

If you're looking for the best outdoor projector for your patio, look up the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra. Its brightness is impressive, easily good enough to overcome a few lights on the patio on a dark evening. It's also well-calibrated out of the box and projects colorful images with its wide color gamut. Unfortunately, it's not as well suited for a completely pitch-black environment due to its mediocre contrast ratio. However, this doesn't impact the projector's outdoor performance much due to city lights or moonlight; it's just rarely completely pitch-black outdoors. Still, if you do find yourself using your projector in completely pitch-black environments, consider instead the BenQ X500i below.

The XGIMI has a lot of smart features and includes HDR, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 support. The unit is also relatively lightweight compared to other products in its category; at a rather compact 11.2 pounds, it's light enough to bring it outside for an evening and then back in before the weather turns sour. Of course, you'll need an outlet on your patio or a long extension cable, as the unit doesn't have an integrated battery. Its portability is further enhanced by its extensive image correction features, making it a breeze to set up once you take it outside. Its Android TV 11 OS has Chromecast and AirScreen built-in for easy casting from your phone, and it has two 12W Harman/Kardon speakers in case you don't wish to connect the unit to a soundbar. All these features combined make this the best projector for outdoor movies.

When choosing a projector to use outdoors, a brighter unit is typically preferable, as lighting conditions are rarely optimal outside. Even at night, you'll have to contend with city lights, neighbors, and possibly moonlight. If you do find yourself mostly using your projector outside in optimal dark night conditions, with hardly any light around, then you'll want a unit with better contrast than the XGIMI HORIZON Ultra, such as the BenQ X500i, which has exceptional contrast but at the cost of a dimmer image. It can display impressive large images even from short distances, projecting up to a 120-inch image from about six to 7.2 feet away. In the dark, its wide color gamut delivers vibrant visuals, as colors appear rich and lively, ensuring an immersive experience. Its image accuracy is outstanding straight out of the box, so there's no need to adjust settings.

The X500i is packed with useful smart features, as it supports Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and HDR10+, plus it has native Netflix support. It comes with an integrated 10W speaker system, and at 8.3 pounds, it's also even lighter than the XGIMI, but at the cost of having fewer image correction features. For connectivity, the projector offers three HDMI ports, one hidden under the top cover, all supporting 4K @ 60Hz and 1080p @ 240Hz. There's also a USB-C port with DP Alt Mode for streaming content from compatible devices. Overall, it's the perfect short-throw projector for outdoor nighttime viewing due to its performance, versatility, and excellent image quality.

The best outdoor movie projector you can easily carry is the XGIMI Halo+. It's compact and weighs 3.7 pounds, so it conveniently fits into a backpack. The built-in battery ensures up to 2.5 hours of continuous playback, which lasts long enough for most movies. The projector boasts various image correction features, so it adjusts its image geometry automatically when you move it or when you're projecting on an uneven surface, like the side of a tent. The Halo+ features the Android TV smart interface, supports Chromecast and AirScreen, and comes equipped with Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 capabilities, so you can easily connect the device to your phone's Wi-Fi hotspot to stream your favorite shows on the go. The two 5W Harman/Kardon speakers also mean you won't need to carry a Bluetooth speaker when out on a camping trip.

As for image quality, it's dim, but it's still significantly brighter than other battery-powered ultra-portables, and its contrast is alright, so its 1080p image is pleasant (if unspectacular) when the lights are off. If you ever want to connect external devices, the Halo+ offers one HDMI port, which doubles as an eARC port, and a USB port for playing video files directly from the unit. Ultimately, if you're looking for a high-quality, portable projector for outdoor adventures, especially if you're in remote areas, the Halo+ is the best product you can get.

If you're looking for an affordable outdoor projector, consider the Epson Home Cinema 1080. While it lacks HDR support, it projects a sharp 1080p image, has a decent color gamut, and is bright enough to easily overcome a few lights on your patio when you're hosting an evening movie marathon. Its contrast does fall a bit short, causing blacks to appear gray. Still, this isn't an issue for outdoor use as nights aren't typically pitch black. It's also a pretty light projector at 5.9 pounds, making it easy to carry. Just ensure you have a power outlet on your patio because, unlike the XGIMI Halo+, this model lacks an internal battery.

Unfortunately, the Home Cinema 1080 lacks autofocusing, although it has automatic vertical keystone correction; manual adjustments are thus only required when adjusting the projector horizontally. It also lacks a smart operating system and Bluetooth, but it does have Wi-Fi 5 with Miracast support. Still, you'll probably want to invest in an external streaming dongle to increase its versatility. It only has one integrated 2W speaker, so pairing it with a soundbar or a Bluetooth speaker is recommended when using a streaming dongle. The projector includes two HDMI ports, as well as a USB-B port through which you can display images and sound directly from your laptop, or you can use the projector's USB-A port with a USB key if you prefer. Overall, the Epson is a compelling choice for a budget outdoor unit, offering solid performance at an affordable price.

If you're searching for an affordable, portable outdoor projector, consider the XGIMI MoGo 2—a compact option that won't break the bank. This 2.4-pound projector is exceptionally small, making it easy to throw into your backpack. While lacking an internal battery, it supports external charging via power banks through its USB-C port, making it an ideal companion for camping trips. This projector incorporates several image correction features, ensuring seamless adjustments to its image geometry whenever you reposition it. It has many smart features, including its built-in Android TV 11 smart interface, Chromecast, and AirScreen support. Additionally, it comes equipped with Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 capabilities for versatile connectivity. This projector boasts two built-in 8W speakers to complete the package, so it's quite easy to take outdoors.

Unfortunately, the projector is very dim, so you can only really use it at night, and even then, it's not exactly the most vibrant viewing experience. Trying to use this projector when sitting next to an active firepit can be a frustrating experience. Fortunately, its mediocre contrast is sufficient for an acceptable dark night viewing experience. Unlike the other picks, this unit only projects a 720p image, so it doesn't look as sharp, but then again, no image will be sharp when projected onto the side of a tent. Ultimately, you get this projector because of its price, not its image quality. If cheap and portable is what you're after, it's hard to beat this model.