Key takeaways
- Portable monitors are having a back-to-school moment, with students and hybrid workers clipping a cheap second screen onto a laptop for note-taking and spreadsheets.
- Most models run off a single USB-C cable, so there’s no separate power brick as long as your laptop or phone can push video over USB-C.
- A solid 15.6-inch 1080p panel now costs around £50; sharper 2.5K screens and touchscreens sit closer to £100.
- Our overall pick is the ARZOPA 16.1-inch for the balance of size, price and reviews. The ASUS ZenScreen is the safer brand bet if you want a name you know.
Portable monitors keep climbing the UK tech charts, and the timing isn’t a coincidence. September brings a wave of students heading back to school and university, and a laptop plus a second screen has quietly become the default study setup. Add the steady growth of hybrid working, where people want a proper dual-screen desk at home without paying for a full monitor, and you’ve got a product that suits a lot of buyers at once. Prices have dropped too, so a screen that cost close to £150 a couple of years ago now sells for around £50.
We’ve pulled together six that cover the main use cases, from a bare-bones budget panel to a sharp 2.5K screen and a touchscreen for gaming. Every one is on Amazon UK right now, and prices below were correct when we checked in early August 2026.
How we picked these
We looked at a few things that actually matter day to day. Screen size and resolution come first: 15.6 inches at 1080p is the sweet spot for price, while 16-inch 2.5K panels give you more desktop room and crisper text. Connectivity matters just as much, because a monitor that takes video and power over one USB-C cable is far tidier than one that needs HDMI plus a separate power lead. We also weighed portability, whether the stand or cover is any good, the price, and what verified buyers say in reviews. Guides from TechRadar and RTINGS back up the same buying points, so we leaned on those to sanity-check our shortlist.
At a glance
| Monitor | Best for | Screen | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARZOPA 16.1″ | Most people | 16.1″ FHD IPS | around £80 |
| ASUS ZenScreen MB166C | A brand you know | 15.6″ FHD IPS | around £94 |
| Yodoit 15.6″ | Tightest budget | 15.6″ FHD IPS | around £50 |
| COOLHOOD 15.6″ | Travel | 15.6″ FHD, smart cover | around £56 |
| hualink 16″ 2.5K | Sharp detail | 16″ QHD 2560×1600 | around £100 |
| EVICIV 15.6″ Touch | Gaming and touch | 15.6″ FHD touchscreen | around £86 |
The best portable monitors
ARZOPA 16.1″ FHD Portable Monitor
Best for most peopleARZOPA is the name most people bump into first when they start looking, and for good reason. The 16.1-inch panel gives you a bit more room than the usual 15.6-inch crowd, the 1080p IPS screen looks clean, and it takes video and power over USB-C so a modern laptop or phone runs it off one cable. The fold-out stand doubles as a cover, which keeps the whole thing tidy in a bag.
The catch: the built-in speakers are quiet and tinny, so you’ll want headphones or a separate speaker for anything beyond a quick video call.
16.1″ 1080p IPS, USB-C and mini-HDMI · around £80
Check price on Amazon ›ASUS ZenScreen MB166C
Best known brandIf you’d rather buy from a company that’s been making monitors for years, the ZenScreen is the pick. It’s a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS panel that’s slim and light, runs off a single USB-C cable, and has ASUS’s blue-light and flicker-free modes for long study sessions. Build quality feels a step up from the no-name options, and the smart case props it up in portrait or landscape.
The catch: there are no built-in speakers at all, and at around £94 you’re paying a clear premium over near-identical budget panels.
15.6″ 1080p IPS, USB-C, flicker-free · around £94
Check price on Amazon ›Yodoit 15.6″ Portable Monitor
Best on a tight budgetAround £50 gets you a full 15.6-inch 1080p IPS screen with USB-C and HDMI inputs, which is a lot of second screen for the money. It’s the one to buy if you just want to try a dual-screen setup without spending much, or if you need a spare display for a spreadsheet next to your main laptop.
The catch: brightness is on the low side, so it struggles near a bright window and isn’t great for outdoor use.
15.6″ 1080p IPS, USB-C and HDMI · around £50
Check price on Amazon ›COOLHOOD 15.6″ with Smart Cover
Best for travelThe selling point here is the magnetic folio cover that wraps the screen for transport and folds into a stand when you get where you’re going. It’s a 15.6-inch 1080p panel with HDR and USB-C, and the whole package is built to survive being shoved in a rucksack. Good for anyone who works from cafes or moves between a desk and a lecture hall.
The catch: the folding cover only holds a couple of angles, so you can’t fine-tune the tilt the way a proper stand lets you.
15.6″ 1080p, HDR, USB-C · around £56
Check price on Amazon ›hualink 16″ 2.5K QHD Portable Monitor
Best for sharp detailStep up to a 16-inch 2560×1600 panel and text gets noticeably crisper, which pays off if you spend the day in documents, code or photos. It has HDR, a built-in kickstand, and USB-C plus HDMI. The taller 16:10 shape also fits more of a webpage or spreadsheet on screen than a standard 16:9 panel.
The catch: pushing a 2.5K resolution draws more power, so some phones and lighter laptops won’t run it over USB-C without a separate power source.
16″ 2560×1600 QHD, HDR, USB-C and HDMI · around £100
Check price on Amazon ›EVICIV 15.6″ Touchscreen Monitor
Best for gaming and touchA 10-point touchscreen makes this one handy for a Steam Deck, a games console or a mini PC, and the 125% sRGB coverage means colours hold up for light photo work too. It’s a 15.6-inch 1080p panel with a VESA mount option, so you can wall-mount it or clamp it to an arm if you’re building a small gaming corner.
The catch: touch only works over the full USB-C connection, so plug in over plain HDMI and you lose the touch feature.
15.6″ 1080p touchscreen, 125% sRGB, VESA · around £86
Check price on Amazon ›Frequently asked questions
Will a portable monitor run off a single USB-C cable?
Usually, yes, as long as your laptop or phone has a USB-C port that carries video (look for DisplayPort Alt Mode) and enough power. Higher-resolution 2.5K screens draw more, so a lightweight laptop or a phone might need the monitor’s second USB-C port plugged into a charger. Older laptops without video-capable USB-C can still connect over HDMI, but then you’ll need a separate power lead.
Are these any good for gaming or a console?
For a Switch, Steam Deck or PlayStation they’re fine at 1080p and 60Hz, which is what most of these panels run. If you want fast-paced competitive play you’ll want a higher refresh rate than these offer, but for casual and handheld gaming they do the job. The EVICIV touchscreen is the pick if you also want to tap the screen.
Is 2.5K worth it over 1080p?
It depends on what you do. For web browsing, video and general study, 1080p on a 15.6-inch screen looks perfectly sharp and saves you money. If you stare at text, spreadsheets or photos all day, the extra pixels on a 2.5K panel make everything cleaner and easier on the eyes, and the taller 16:10 shape shows more at once.
Do the built-in speakers matter?
Not much. Almost every portable monitor has weak, tinny speakers that are fine for a video call at a push but poor for music or films. If sound matters, plan to use headphones or a separate speaker, and don’t let the presence of speakers sway your choice.
Sources
Look Into is an Amazon Associate. We earn from qualifying purchases. Prices were correct at the time of writing and can change.