Top Rated Portable Televisions : Your Comprehensive Guide

Read update

• We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have updated our pick for the best budget portable TV.

Portable TVs offer a nice binge-watching experience on long road trips and airplane rides, making it easy to stream content from any of your favorite streaming apps and keep yourself and others entertained. Here are our picks for the best.

UPDATE: 07/01/2024

We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have updated our pick for the best budget portable TV.

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  LG

LG StanbyME Go

Best Portable TV Overall
See at LG

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  Tyler

Tyler 14-Inch Portable TV

Best Budget Portable TV
See at amazon

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  Seventour

Seventour Portable Car TV

Best Portable TV for the Car
$279 at Amazon

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  Desobry

DESOBRY Portable Smart TV

Best Portable Gaming TV
$170 at Amazon

What to Look For in a Portable TV in 2024

Choosing the best portable TV comes down to four criteria: screen size, image/sound quality, charging time, and the number of ports.

Portable TVs with a minimum screen size of 7 inches, up to 1080p resolution, and wide viewing angles offer the best viewing experiences. While these specs don’t sound as impressive as today’s modern TVs , portability will always be the most important feature for these sets.

The best portable TVs also come with several connectivity options, such as HDMI, USB, and built-in tuners to pull in free local TV channels . Ports to plug in Chromecast, Roku, and other connected streaming devices will allow instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows.

Ideally, the portable TV you choose will operate using DC power and have a battery when a power source is unavailable. All the choices below do just that!

After researching different portable TVs, we narrowed down our options to five of the best you can buy.

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Best Portable TV Overall: LG StanbyME Go

LG

Often called the “suitcase TV,” the LG StanbyME Go is a rare portable television from a reputed brand. It’s essentially a 27-inch touchscreen full-HD TV that lives in a briefcase. When you need it, just open the case, adjust the TV angle/ orientation as you like, and start watching. Once you are done, you sit the screen down in its space, close the case lid, and it’s ready for storage or travel.

It’s a bit expensive, but you won’t find a more refined or feature-rich portable TV on the market. If you want to invest in a portable television and are a frequent user, it’s hard to go wrong with the LG StanbyME Go.

In terms of features, you get Dolby Vision and HDR10 to enjoy high-dynamic range content from various sources. There is also a 20W four-channel speaker system with Dolby Atmos support. So you’ll get a pretty decent surround sound experience.

Like other LG TVs, the StanbyME Go relies on webOS for the software, giving you access to many apps, including all popular streaming services. There is also Apple AirPlay 2 support. Other highlights include a built-in battery that can power the TV for up to three hours and an HDMI input to connect your streaming devices, gaming console, and more.

There is much to like about the StanbyME Go, but it’s not without its quirks. The permanently attached briefcase is likely to become a distraction or come in the way. Also, it uses an LCD panel, so you won’t get the same picture quality as LG’s excellent OLED TVs.

Best Portable TV Overall

LG StanbyME Go

LG StanbyME Go is a unique portable TV that comes in a suitcase. It offers a large screen, Dolby Vision support, and can work in different orientations.

See at LG See at B&H Photo Video

Best Budget Portable TV: Tyler TTV705-14 Portable TV

Tyler

With a price tag of just over $100 and a solid feature set, the Tyler TTV705-14 is an excellent choice for folks seeking a budget portable TV. It packs a 14.1-inch 1080p screen that offers reasonably good picture quality with crisp and clear details.

One of the highlights of the Tyler offering is the HDMI port, which not only supports traditional sources such as a DVD or Blu-ray player but also streaming devices from Roku, Amazon, Google, and others. Just remember that you’ll need wireless internet access to use the streaming devices.

Even if you don’t have the internet or streaming devices, the Tyler TTV705-14 still offers a lot. It’s equipped with a dual tuner that supports NTSC and ATSC signals. The channels you receive will depend on your location, and the signal quality, and a bundled antenna helps receive these signals.

The onboard stereo speakers are okay for the size of the TV, but they may not provide the best audio experience. You can connect external speakers using the 3.5mm audio jack for better sound quality if you want.

The TV is powered by a built-in Li-ion battery, ensuring it can run even when you don’t have access to AC or DC power. The company also includes a power adapter to connect the TV to your car’s 12V outlet. While the company claims up to four hours of battery backup, it’s important to note that this may vary depending on usage, particularly if you’re running it at full brightness or using it to power a streaming stick.

In terms of design, the Tyler TTV705-14 looks fairly utilitarian. It has essential buttons on the front to control it. Of course, you also get a remote. Moreover, a detachable stand is supplied in the box, or you can use the built-in kickstand to prop it up.

Unfortunately, the TV viewing angles are poor. So it’s best to watch it directly in front of the screen.

Best Budget Portable TV

Tyler TTV705-14 Portable TV

The Tyler TTV705-14 portable TV is a good option for folks on a tight budget. It has a solid feature set, including a built-in battery and support for streaming devices.

See at amazon

Best Portable TV for the Car: Seventour Portable Car TV

Seventour

If you are looking to keep the kids or other occupants in your car entertained on a long road trip or just need something to watch on a break, the Seventour Portable Car TV is a good option. It comes with a universal mount that can fit any car seat with a round headrest pole and keep the TV in place during your ride, including when encountering a pothole or speed breaker.

The TV features a 12.4-inch Full HD IPS LCD panel and not a 4K panel as per some of its marketing on Amazon. It runs Android 10, which is, unfortunately, not the Android TV version. But you still get a wide selection of apps via the Google Play Store, including many popular streaming services.

Among other features, you get two HDMI ports, one for input and the other for output, allowing you to connect streaming devices and gaming consoles or mirror the TV to another display.

But unlike our other recommendations, it doesn’t have a built-in battery. So it’ll need to be plugged into your car’s 12-volt outlet or cigarette lighter port. Moreover, there is no TV tuner, so you rely on apps to get your content. Of course, except for downloaded content, you’ll need access to a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot for internet connectivity.

Best Portable TV for the Car

Seventour Portable Car TV

The Seventour Portable Car TV is perfect for your car with its universal car mount, access to Android apps, and HDMI input. Unfortunately, it lacks a battery.

$279 at Amazon

Best Portable Gaming TV: Desobry Portable Smart TV

Desobry

Looking to game on the go? Desobry Portable Smart TV can help. It has everything you need to play games wherever you want. You get a 14-inch Full HD display, dual speakers, and an HDMI input. So you’ll be able to connect any game console or PC that can output video via HDMI.

There is also a 4,000mAh battery to power the display when you don’t have wall power. Plus, you’ll be happy to know the company bundles wall and car chargers for the TV.

Other features include a built-in TV tuner to enjoy free broadcasts. You can also use the HDMI port to plug in your favorite streamer. Plus, a USB port and RCA connectors are available to give you even more options. Unfortunately, the TV only supports up to 32GB USB drives formatted in the FAT32 file system.

There is a built-in TV stand to prop it up for a convenient viewing angle, and the company supplies a car mounting kit for your vehicle. Finally, while the TV picture quality is quite decent for its price tag, it suffers from poor viewing angles.

Best Portable Gaming TV

DESOBRY Portable Smart TV

Desobry Portable Smart TV will help you or your family game on the road, while camping, or in your backyard. It houses a Full HD screen, HDMI port, and dual speakers.

$170 at Amazon

Best Portable Smart TV: LG StanbyME Go

LG

Being a webOS-based smart TV, our best portable TV overall recommendation—the LG StanbyMe Go —is also suitable for portable smart TV shoppers. It’s an excellent mobile TV that uses the same smart TV operating system found on LG’s regular TVs. So you get access to many apps via the company’s app store, casting support via Apple AirPlay 2, and hands-free voice control via the company’s voice assistant. Apart from your voice, you can also control the TV using the touchscreen or via the included remote control.

Among other features, this “suitcase TV” includes a 27-inch LCD screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the included swivel allows you to use the display in both landscape and portrait orientations. Moreover, you can operate the TV in tablet mode to play digital board games and do other stuff.

Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos are present to deliver a cinematic experience when you are watching movies or TV shows from your streaming service. You can also use the HDMI input to connect external devices, given you can supply them with power.

The StanbyME Go has a built-in battery that lasts up to three hours on a single charge. Fortunately, the battery is removable. So when it eventually gives up, you can just buy a replacement battery, which the company currently sells for under $250 , and give the TV a new lease of life.

LG claims that the suitcase carrying the TV is durable and can withstand everyday mishaps. So you won’t have to worry about damaging your investment with just a few bumps or impacts. Unfortunately, the LG StanbyMe Go isn’t as lightweight as our other recommendations. It’s also a bit expensive, and the display can’t be removed from the case.

Best Portable Smart TV

LG StanbyME Go

LG StanbyME Go’s webOS is a feature-rich smart TV platform that includes all popular streaming services and supports voice control.

See at LG See at B&H Photo Video

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