The Best Outdoor Projectors of 2022, Including Amazon’s Top Seller
Updated: Dec. 15, 2022Turn your backyard into a movie theater with the help of a great outdoor projector.
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Buying an Outdoor Projector
Outdoor projectors are a great addition to an outdoor living space. Like the perfect patio furniture or grill, they can make your backyard into an entertainment oasis.
They’re a popular purchase during the summer months, allowing you to watch movies, TV, sporting events and other video content in your yard! When shopping for an outdoor projector, pay attention to its resolution, portability and brightness, as well as how far it needs to be from the screen (a.k.a. “throw distance”). It’s also important to consider whether it connects to your phone or computer via Bluetooth, or if there are special cables/adapters involved.
You’ll also need an outdoor projector screen or other flat surface to project the image onto, as well as an outdoor speaker system for quality audio.
Best-Selling on Amazon: GooDee HD Movie Projector
High-end projectors often cost thousands of dollars, but the GooDee HD Movie Projector is a quality budget option that offers up to 1080p resolution and a max screen size of 230 inches. GooDee claims it’s 80 percent brighter than other projectors, making it ideal for environments with ambient light. And it comes with built-in dual stereo speakers.
If that hasn’t convinced you it’s a good projector for the price, it rates 4.5 stars on Amazon with more than 1,500 reviews! It’s Amazon’s #1 best-selling item, so grab it on Prime Day.
Best All-Around: Portable Smart Home Theater Projector
This portable projector from LG is an unbeatable option for an outdoor movie night, thanks to its compact form, high-definition picture and built-in smart TV platform. It can deliver up to 2-1/2 hours of video without being plugged into an outlet, and its picture can be sized up to 100 inches. Plus it has LG’s smart TV platform built in, allowing you to watch Netflix or other streaming services.
Best Bluetooth: Nebula by Anker Mars II Pro
It’s easy to control the Mars II Pro projector, thanks to its Bluetooth technology. Downloading the Nebula Connect app turns your smartphone into a remote control for the projector. You can even “mirror” your phone screen to display all sorts of media. This compact outdoor projector delivers 720p resolution, and you can also hook it up to USB or HDMI-compatible devices like gaming systems.
Best for Large Screens: Epson Pro Wireless Projector
For a theater-like outdoor movie experience at home, you need the Epson Pro Wireless Projector, which can project crystal clear 1080p images on large screens. This powerful projector can be connected to USB or HDMI-compatible devices, and it can also connect wirelessly to streaming devices like Amazon’s Fire TV, Apple TV and more. And it’s one of the best options on this list for display visibility, thanks to 4,000 lumens of color and white brightness.
Best for 4K: Optoma Home Theater Projector
If you want crisp, clear high-definition image for your outdoor viewing party, choose a high-end projector like the Optoma UHD50X. This unit offers true 4K ultra high-def resolution — perfect for today’s movies — and can project images up to 25 feet. It also offers various media inputs including HDMI 2.0, HDMI 4K, USB and VGA.
Best Sound: Optoma CinemaX Home Theater Projector
Most projectors lack great speakers, especially for outside. But if you want quality audio and are willing to splurge, consider the Optoma CinemaX P2 Projector. It has an integrated soundbar with Dolby 2.0, including two full-range speakers and two woofers. This high-end projector also offers 4K ultra high-definition resolution. It’s compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
“The soundbar is excellent,” writes one verified reviewer on Amazon. “You can crank it up, but it never sounds harsh, just full and immersive.”
Most Portable: Anker Nebula Capsule
If you want to take your projector with you while camping or traveling, the Anker Nebula Capsule — the size of a soda can — is as portable as they come. It offers four hours of video playtime per charge, and its 360-degree speaker will ensure everyone can hear the audio. The downside? The resolution is on the lower side, at a max of 480p.
