Turning your garden into an outdoor theatre, or taking a projector on your next camping trip to create a cinema under the stars, is really starting to sound appealing now that the sun has finally arrived.
With huge sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup and Formula 1, kicking off this summer, a projector that can beam onto a wall or, ideally, a huge outdoor screen, is a novel and exciting way to catch the latest match or race.
As a Staff Writer who specialises in all things home cinema, I have reviewed my fair share of outdoor projector models. That ranges from ultra-cheap products to more premium models offering 4K resolution. No matter the price tag, though, many of these models can transform any outside space into an al fresco cinema. Pick one of our top choices and watching a movie under the stars will never get old.
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- How to build an outdoor cinema in your garden
Best overall portable projector
If you’re looking for the most fuss-free setup it’s hard to look beyond the Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air.
With a built-in battery, speakers and wi-fi, it’s entirely self-contained, so once you’ve got it in position there’s no need to add any other kit to get it up and running – just fire up your chosen app from the Google TV operating system and away you go. It’ll even automatically adjust the picture to make sure everything looks as it should.
As portable projectors go, the picture you get from the Anker Nebula Mars Air is impressive. Everything is sharp and detailed, with convincing colours and generally decent black levels. Very dark shots can sometimes take on a slight red tinge, but on the whole it’s a step above what other projectors of its size offer.
If you’re looking for a projector that’s affordable, compact (even if it’s probably a bit too hefty to be taken on a weekend away), feature-packed, and just about bright enough to be used outside, the Mars Air should be your first port of call.
Read the full Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air review
Best compact outdoor projector
The Xgimi MoGo 4's stature may be small, but don't underestimate the mighty performer. The dinky model can deliver a detailed, punchy picture performance that ticks a lot of boxes on our outdoor projector wish list.
When watching movies and TV, we are treated to nicely balanced picture that looks impressively cinematic considering its size and price. With Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes on Blu-ray, for instance, we find: "The MoGo 4 does a good job with the deep blacks, as well as making sure there is a decent amount of detail in the lighter shades. The flames also look punchy against the black background, making for an overall cinematic image."
In terms of audio, the projector is not quite as pleasing. The two Harman Kardon speakers inside the body do produce a relatively clear sound, but struggles to make a huge impact with the lower frequencies and feel weaker in dramatic moments that rely on heavy bass.
Weighing in at just 1.3kg, it's easy to carry to the garden or even further in a backpack. By twisting the body out, the hard plastic on the side even transforms into a nifty stand.
It comes with Google TV built-in as well, which means there is support for Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. For UK users, however, it's worth noting that BBC iPlayer is not on the cards.
While it is not perfect, the MoGo 4 offers an ultra-portable design as well as a vibrant and crisp picture that should elevate your outdoor cinema setup.
Read the full Xgmi MoGo 4 review
Best value outdoor projector
While you’d struggle to find many people who’d describe £500 as spare change, if you don’t want to spend too much on your outdoor projector, the Xgimi Vibe One is an affordable option.
It resembles a lantern more than a projector, complete with a sturdy handle at the top to make it simple to carry around.
The Vibe One runs Google TV with all the usual streaming suspects present but, like the MoGo 4, there is no native app support for BBC iPlayer. Brightness tops out at 250 ANSI Lumens, and Xgimi claims the screen size can go up to 150 inches.
There is a slight catch that is worth noting: the battery life. The Vibe One features a built-in battery, which the company claims can deliver a very specific 1.2 hours of life. That number is only if you are using the projector in the Eco mode, however, so it is even shorter in reality.
So how does the picture look? The projector delivers a detailed, punchy image with the ability to go reasonably dark. In our review, we test it out in a light setting and find that "it will be hard to enjoy a Christopher Nolan movie outdoors on a summer's day, for instance [...] but it will be fine for a spot of sunny sport, the short battery life notwithstanding."
It certainly has its shortcomings, but the Vibe One is surprisingly strong performer considering its price tag.
Read the full Xgimi Vibe One
Best mains-powered outdoor projector
Anker's entry-level 4K projector is designed for indoor use, but if you’re looking for a traditional projector that you can get away with taking outside occasionally with the help of a long extension cable, the Nebula X1 fits the bill.
Weighing in at 6.2kg, it is certainly on the heavier end of this list but it is light enough to carry around for a short distance. Plus, there's a handle on the top to make the process easier.
The projector can be placed on a projector stand, table, or the floor, with an optical engine and lens array that then tilts up to 25 degrees. With a claimed 3500 lumens to play with, it’s also much better-equipped to deal with less-than-ideal viewing conditions than a lot of cheaper models.
When it comes to picture performance, it delivers a vibrant and three-dimensional image that keeps a fair bit of detail even in lighter settings. At times, the picture is actually a bit too sharp, with a slightly unnatural degree of enhancement creeping in. This can be solved by reducing the Sharpness a few points, which results in a more balanced picture that is still pleasantly crisp.
Its audio offerings stand out from the crowd, thanks to their rich and detailed sound by projector standards. Nebula also offers the option to purchase wireless speakers, which use the brand's own surround sound format, FlexWave, to create a sense of height along with the up-firing drivers.
If you’re looking for a proper home cinema projector that can occasionally be used for a movie night under the stars, the Nebula X1 should be a candidate.
Read the full Nebula X1 review
Also consider
Epson EF-72
This suave and feature-packed lifestyle projector offers a rich, punchy and sharp picture, which makes it an ideal candidate to power your outdoor cinema. It comes with a range of streaming apps built in, and even an integrated lighting system, which can add some ambience to your al fresco theatre if needed. It's rather pricey, however, and the Bose-tuned sound system falls short when it comes to dynamics; though it does a good job in delivering clear dialogue.
Wanbo Vali 1
If you are on a budget, the Wanbo is a great option. We must caveat first that it is not a battery-powered model, so you will have to make sure you have a power source close by. That aside, the small yet sturdy model delivers a pleasant and balanced overall image.
How to choose the best outdoor projector for you
Picking an outdoor projector isn’t just a case of buying the most expensive one you can afford. Here are some things to consider when narrowing down your shortlist.
Portability
The smallest and most portable projectors feature built-in batteries, making them a complete all-in-one solution. But beware: extreme portability can come at the expense of top-notch picture quality.
Brightness
With no curtains to draw outside, brightness is a key consideration when it comes to choosing a projector for outdoor use, particularly if you live in a city or somewhere with lots of light pollution. Set up your projector in the evening for the best results, but the higher your projector's light output level, the more watchable the image will be when there is still some light around.
Sources
You'll also want to think about sources. Are you going to trail a Blu-ray player outside to plug into the projector's HDMI input? You could use a streaming dongle such as a Chromecast with Google TV to get a picture, assuming you can get a decent wi-fi signal in your garden. The easiest way to solve that conundrum would be to opt for a projector with built-in wi-fi and maybe even some on-board storage too.
Audio
Built-in speakers come in handy, but quality won't be the best. And a projector with an 3.5mm audio output or Bluetooth will give you the option to connect to a portable wireless speaker, which should give the sound a major boost.
How we test outdoor projectors
Testing projectors involves taking the time to explore their capabilities fully, including plenty of settings-tweaking and content-watching. This includes checking all the features, and individually tweaking picture settings to ensure the projector is giving us the best visual performance it can.
We conduct these tests in our state of the art testing room in Bath, which is fitted with a 100-inch screen and a plethora of external sources, including 4K Blu-ray players, video streamers and games consoles. This is also where each of these projectors meets its rivals, as every product is tested side-by-side against the competition so that its place in the market is considered as a whole – no product exists in a vacuum after all.
We review projectors using a wide range of content from 4K Blu-rays, to streaming services, video games and standard definition DVDs. This helps us find the strengths and weaknesses of each projector, with particular attention paid to brightness for projectors that might be used outdoors.
At the end of this process, a verdict is reached by a team of What Hi-Fi? reviewers who work closely together in order to ensure that each projector is tested fairly, and to avoid the possibility of any personal preference creeping in. This is also to make sure our reviews are consistent and thorough, and so that no feature or flaw is missed within our testing process.
FAQ
Do I need a screen for an outdoor projector?
In theory you can project video onto a white sheet or white wall, but picture quality will be compromised, so if you want to get the best from your outdoor projector you should save a chunk of your budget for a portable projector screen. Check out our handy guide on how to choose a projector screen for more on that.
What level of brightness should I look for?
If you’ve ever been to an outdoor cinema you’ll know that the film never starts until it’s dark. That’s because even the brightest projectors will struggle to compete with the power of the sun, so you’ll need to take the same approach with your DIY job. Over 500 lumens is a decent benchmark, but you can still make less than that work as long as there’s not too much ambient light. Just manage your expectations when it comes to picture performance.
What Hi-Fi? projectors coverage
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Advice
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- Xgimi MoGo 4 vs Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air: which projector is better?
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Recent updates
23 April 2026: Added Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air (best overall), Xgimi Vibe One (best cheap), Xgimi MoGo 4 (best compact), and Nebula X1 (best mains-powered). Removed obsolete models.
20 January 2026: Refreshed the page for 2026, included the Epson EF-72 in the also consider section and removed Optoma Photon Go.
1 April 2025: Added Epson EF-22 (best overall), Anker Nebula Mars 3 Air (best wireless), and BenQ GV31 (best value). Removed obsolete models and added an FAQ section.
