7 Best Outdoor Projectors for a Backyard Movie Night

7 Best Outdoor Projectors for the Ultimate Summer Movie Night

Take your viewing habit outside with these home theater options, which range from pocket-sized to incredibly powerful.

Published on July 11, 2023 05:03PM EDT

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

Best outdoor projectors composite — Photo:
Courtesy of BenQ, Epson

While spending a summer evening outside with good company, a fresh cocktail, and the quiet noises of night has its appeal, other nights call for a multi-media experience, whether that's streaming the newest Pixar movie at a pool party, casting your hometown team's baseball double-header, or binging The Bear with your best friends.

Home theater projectors allow you to use your patio, campsite, or any outdoor space to create a custom movie moment. Whether powered or cordless, these projectors offer sharp color and focus, easy connection to your streaming subscriptions, and a cinematic experience right in your own backyard.

01 of 07

Best Outdoor Projector: BenQ GS50 Portable Projector

With an ambient light sensor that adjusts the picture brightness as the sun sets and 1080p clarity, this projector can make a campsite feel like a theater. And since it's drop-proof and splash-proof, it can stand up to the day's hike as easily as it provides the evening's entertainment.

Price at time of publish: $699

Buy on Amazon

02 of 07

Best Looking: Epson EF-100 Mini-Laser Streaming Projector

The sleek design of this small-scale projector, which comes in white and silver or black and copper, houses three-chip laser projection technology for bright, crisp color and enhanced blacks on screens up to 150 inches. The 2000-lumen brightness and included Android TV let you watch all your favorite shows and movies in a variety of settings.

Price at time of publish: $499.99

Buy on Amazon

03 of 07

Best Battery-Powered: Nebula Solar Portable

The Nebula Solar portable projector offers three hours of battery life when fully charged, comes with Android TV and Dolby Digital Plus with dual speakers, and automatically focuses the picture. It's sized to present media in 1080p on screens up to 120 inches, and connects to other devices with HDMI, USB, and Bluetooth access.

Price at time of publish: $499.99

Buy on Amazon

04 of 07

Best for Sports and Gaming: BenQ TH575 1080p DLP Gaming Projector

Whether your idea of watching sports is streaming the All-Star game or refereeing your family's MarioKart marathon, the low-input lag time on this projector lets you follow every catch, hit, and pass. With its 3800-lumen brightness, you can even watch the afternoon games.

Price at time of publish: $449

Buy on Amazon

05 of 07

Best Under $200: DBPOWER Q6 12000L Native 1080P WiFi Projector

This well-reviewed projector offers a powerful dynamic contrast ratio for bright, clear images, and uses wifi to mirror content streaming from your smartphone. It also includes ports for streaming USB sticks, laptops, tablets, and other devices.

Price at time of publish: $93.24

Buy on Amazon

06 of 07

Best Mini: KODAK Luma 450 Portable Full HD Smart Projector

When they say mini, they mean it: This pocket-sized projector is just 3 inches square and less than 1 inch thick. It projects clearly as close as 8 inches to the screen, and has a three-hour battery life—take it along for sleepouts in the backyard or for streaming movies at the block party.

Price at time of publish: $549.99

Buy on Bloomingdales

07 of 07

Best Big-Screen: Optoma HD28HDR

Optoma Home Theater Projector — Courtesy of Amazon

With the ability to project images up to 300 inches and 3600-lumens brightness, this HDR compatible projector, which includes a gaming and sports mode, lets you watch your favorite movies, shows, games on the big (really big) screen.

Price at time of publish: $694.48

Buy on Amazon

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!