Portable TVs have been around for some time, although perhaps they were not as portable then as they are now. Given that we can fit high-resolution screens in our pockets and tablets can accompany us just about anywhere, it stands to reason that excellent portable TVs exist at affordable prices with great screens. Being a more focused device than the modern smartphone, they can do more at a lower price.
Whether they look like thicker tablets with good reception or simply look like miniature TV, if you are in the market for one, there is a model that will be a good fit for you. Yet there might be too many to sort through on your own, so that is where we come in. We will lay out the best options for you so that you can make your choice.
Here is what you should know about portable TVs, as well as some top recommendations for devices currently available in 2023:
What makes for a great portable TV in the first place, though? While there is no definitive answer as much is left to individual tastes and needs, we think you should pay attention to the following:
Portability (Size and Weight): We recommend a portable TV of at least 7" that is as light as possible. Your exact point of comfort will be up to you, but you should be able to comfortably watch the screen if it is several feet away from you.
Resolution and Picture Quality: While you might not need a massive 4K screen on your portable TV, you should at least be able to get a hi-resolution picture. You should also fine-tune other settings and features to ensure the best possible image.
Sound: Good sound is at least half of a good television experience. While you might be using headphones (ideally, there should be a port to connect them or Bluetooth compatibility), having a good set of speakers built into the portable television is a must if multiple people are using the device.
Signal Reception: Many people will use a portable TV to watch broadcast programming, especially if they travel with it. Good signal reception (without having inconvenient antennas and extra equipment) is key to this.
Battery Life and Charging Options: You do not want to watch TV for an hour before you have to worry about battery life. Instead, you should have at least a few hours of viewing time. You will also want to consider charging options, such as whether there is a car adapter. How much this matters depends on your intended usage and viewing habits, as well as what brightness settings you prefer.
Stand and Setup: Unless you are just using it yourself and are content with keeping it in your hands or lap, you will need to keep it propped up or on a stand. How the portable TV stands up and what it comes with can mean a great deal.
Input Options: Depending on what you want to do with the portable TV, the input options will be a qualifying factor. At the very least, the TV should have a USB port, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot, but additional input slots help as well. You probably will not be hooking up a full entertainment system to the device, but a few items are to be expected.
Additional Features: There may be other things we consider, such as programs or options built into the portable TV. Peripherals might also come into play, especially if they come with the television.
You might personally have additional considerations, but for the general population, all the above will be our main facets of review.
Without further wait, here are our top picks. Instead of a general top five, we have instead decided to select five portable televisions that we found excelled in one category or would interest a particular buyer.
There are so many portable televisions on the market that it can be hard to simply pick out a "good" one. If that seems to be the problem for you, we would recommend the Tyler TTV705-14, a model that can handle most needs and has enough features that there will be no complaints from practically any user. It does trend just a tiny bit towards the "regular television" side of things given its size and the fact that it weighs five pounds, but the features make up for it. It is a bit more fragile and scratch-prone, though, so travel with it carefully.
Yet, what are the features that make it so great? First off, it supports a 1080p resolution and has Dual Tuners (ATSC and NTSC). For sound, it has both a headphone jack and built-in stereo speakers, making it great for group settings. Even with these features, the battery will support up to four hours of usage, which is, to our knowledge, near the upper limit of what one will find with a portable television. Of course, you can install it much like a regular television (many people are happy with it in their RV or on their boat).
It is even compatible with some popular devices and streaming services. Do you want to use Chromecast or Roku with it? No problem there. Overall, for the price, there is little more we could ask for.
When they get a television, some people want a television that has everything they could hope for and more, complete with the best picture quality possible. Why would they not want the same when it comes to a portable TV? All of the best features matter and performance products will often last the longest, effectively being more future-proof than the rest. We think the Milanix 14.1" Portable Widescreen LED TV with HDMI best fits that description.
This portable TV is among the slimmest available for its size, and it comes complete with many of the imaging features one would find on full-size TVs and stereo speakers installed in the device. Additionally, the HDMI port takes special note, as this opens up quite a few possibilities for use. Not only this, but the device is compatible with devices such as Roku, Amazon Firestick, Slingbox, and more. We recommend checking the full list of ports if you are even remotely interested in this device.
We should note that performance can be relative, and alternative models of many of the portable TVs listed in this article can also qualify as an excellent option. Nonetheless, the Milanix 14.1" took our distinct interest for its compatibilities and high level of general performance, and it should take yours.
A portable TV is often a superfluous purchase, and certainly not the main device in most people’s households. To that end, people often do not want to spend too much on one. Yet fears that quality will be lost on a budget model are mostly unfounded now that we have the SuperSonic SC-2813 Portable Widescreen LED TV available.
With a 13.3-inch screen, it is large enough for small gatherings but still portable enough to take with you, and it has a built-in rechargeable battery that will serve you well for years. There is a 768p resolution, but given the size of the screen you won’t be missing too much, and the tradeoff is worth the reduced price (you can get it for under $100 if you find a good sale). The HDMI input also allows for connections with outside devices, making it handy to have whenever you need a screen.
As expected, the TV comes with a built-in digital TV tuner, but also has an FM radio so you can keep that device at home to save some space. Customers love the features, and the stand works well enough in a variety of environments. It won’t take your breath away, but it won’t take your bank account away either.
If a portable TV weighs more than everything else you are carrying on you, is it all that portable? The last thing you want to deal with is lugging around the TV for the course of your travels. You can try to make whatever portable TV you have in mind work, or you can pick out a portable TV with the overall size in mind. We think that the Tyler 7" Portable TV can be a great choice if you need something small.
It will fit perfectly in your lap, in a laptop bag with room to spare (or even a larger pocketbook if it has the right compartment for it), or in the most cramped of spaces. Given its size, it won’t be a burden to anyone, though you might want to invest in a case for safe travels. It is the perfect airplane device if you have something to play on it, and the battery will last long enough for your entertainment. And with a 720p resolution, shows will still look nice enough to enjoy.
Regarding other features and stats, the RCA 7" has a headphone jack, a detachable antenna for better reception, a remote control, all the wires you might need to be included, and more. It might be a little basic compared to the larger or more advanced options here, but it has everything you need and will not waste your time.
Long trips or more extended periods without access to batteries or a power outlet can mean that an otherwise excellent portable TV can turn into a useless weight in a few hours. The Tyler TTV707-13 we chose for our all-around model has excellent battery life, but perhaps you want another option to consider as well.
If this is the case, you want the Tyler TTV707-13, which has a battery life of about 4 hours, depending on which settings you use. You can, of course, use the AC adapter to save battery life when you have the opportunity and use the rechargeable battery the rest of the time. Some portable TVs might run on disposable batteries, which have their uses, but we find they are not sustainable for the average person.
However, battery life is not everything, so you should also know that the Tyler TTV707-13 has features like a USB port and an SD card slot, built-in speakers, a 15 mile-range on its local reception, and more. All these things make us happily recommend this portable TV, whether battery life is your first concern or not. It is hard to go wrong with it, given the screen size and extra features.
If you are wondering about portable TVs, what they can do, and how you can best use them, you might want to read the answers to some of the questions listed below:
If you are wondering about the difference between the two, especially the larger portable TVs, it is more than you might think. Portable TVs are made with one thing in mind: portability. In contrast, the standard TV might have a slightly different focus depending on its manufacturer, size, and smart TV capabilities (the average TV made today might have more in common with an all-in-one computer than a television from a few decades ago).
Your regular TV, being larger, will undoubtedly be better for multiple people and standard living room usage. A regular TV will also likely be able to connect to more peripherals, both in terms of device variety and the number of devices at the same time. Essentially, unless you are a world traveler and would never have the use for a standard TV, a portable TV is not a replacement. It can be in those situations where a regular TV would never fit, such as camping or waiting in the car.
Additionally, there will be a sacrifice somewhere compared with a regular television if you are getting portability. While the screen resolution might be the same as many standard TVs, it may not be as large for the same price, or you might pay more for the portability on an otherwise equal performance. The portable television might not perform some of the modern TVs' smart functions, such as fast streaming, without external peripherals.
This is a smart question and one that will make sense for a lot of people. Most tablets and portable devices are relatively small and not a good choice if you want several people to watch content at the same time. Additionally, many portable TVs will pick up broadcast signals, while that would not be so easy with a tablet or smartphone.
A portable television will also be a good choice for traveling to other countries as well. While you might get content in your country on your smartphone, geo-restrictions can cut out your access to most streaming services, meaning that functionality is reduced. With a portable TV, you should be able to pick up whatever is broadcasting in the area. Your data plan also might not be the best wherever you are traveling.
Also, certain devices are simply not designed to connect to a smartphone. Some gaming consoles might connect to a portable TV, though the screen size might not be best for gaming. Blu-ray players and other entertainment systems, portable in design or not, might also connect better to the TV than your tablet or smartphone.
Finally, with a portable TV, you can more easily multitask, allowing yourself to watch (or more likely listen to) the television while you text friends, answer emails, or perform other tasks. You might be able to watch a video in the corner of your smartphone, but you can only divide your screen space so much.
We cannot be entirely sure what to expect from the future of portable televisions. However, it can be safe to say that the technology will follow the trends of regular televisions in many regards, albeit a few steps back.
Based on this idea, we might expect more smart TV features to come about if they are not already present in the latest models. Device connectivity will be key, and streaming directly to portable televisions will be a must in the coming decade, lest they fall behind other devices and become obsolete. Some phone peripherals are already working on allowing for TV functionality, so the reverse must occur. The lines between devices are thinning, and we may simply have tablets that have portable TV features in the future, instead of dedicated devices.
Alternatively, we might see efforts to try to make portable TVs even more compact or lightweight. Foldable screens are not entirely out of the realm of possibility, and lighter (yet just as sturdy) materials are always being developed. Much of the progress made with other portable devices will likely get used with portable TVs (and vice versa). How long it takes these developments to make it to market is another matter.
A portable TV might not be the first gadget on your wish list, but if you need one or could use one, its absence will be felt. Whether you want to keep up with the news, watch the game wherever you might be, or something else, we are confident that there is a portable television listed above that will be able to help. We hope that whatever your choice you find yourself satisfied, and that you can enjoy whatever entertainment you would like wherever you go.
