Few years ago, finding a projector under $300 was an impossible task.
However, with the advent of technology and efficient manufacturing, you can get a good quality projector for less than $300.
And thus, today, we’re going to check out some of the best picks we can find under $300.
Do note that there are multitudes of projectors available within the $300 range. Hence, finding the 7 best projectors under $300 was not an easy task.
Yet, we did all the hard work so that you can sit back and enjoy this list.
Ready?
Let’s get started!
Top 3 Picks for Projectors under $300
7 Best Projector Under $300
#1: Viewsonic PA503S
If you’re looking for a high-quality projector under $300 from a reputed brand, you surely can’t go wrong with Viewsonic PA503S.
Falling just under the $300 mark, this compact projector from Viewsonic offers an optical resolution of 800 x 600p supported by 3800 lumens of brightness.
This high lumen value ensures that you can enjoy your movies and web content without having to dim your whole room. Plus, the high brightness also allows for day time usage.
It offers a dynamic contrast ratio of 22,000:1 and weighs just 7.14 pounds, making it portable enough to be stored anywhere.
The Viewsonic PA503S uses DLP display technology that offers crispier image quality. It can display a 100-inch screen from a distance of just 2.5 meters.
Viewsonic has equipped this projector with SuperEco mode to improve lamp life, extending the lamp life to a whopping 15,000 hours. This SuperEco mode reduces the lamp’s brightness and prevents it from overheating. This feature, in turn, improves the lamp life multiple folds.
On the connectivity front, the PA503S comes outfitted with:
- 1x HDMI 1.4
- 2x VGA
- 1x RS232
- 1x Video In
- 1x Audio In/Out
- 1x Monitor Out
- 1x USB mini Type-B
Thus, you won’t have issues connecting this projector with a plethora of devices like Computer, Laptop, Xbox, Playstation, Wii, and so on.
Additional features include reduced input latency of 16ms and the capability to display 3D images through the HDMI port.
This way, you can play your games on this projector. At the same time, also dabble with 3D cinema and enjoy a movie theater-like experience at home.
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#2: Vankyo Performance V630
Vankyo is a renowned brand when it comes to price-effective projectors. Their projector range starts from as low as $59, while the Vankyo Performance V630 is the top-of-the-line projector from the brand.
Being the flagship model, it comes with irresistible features like 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolution at 60Hz, ±45° keystone correction, 50,000 hours lamp life, and max screen of 300-inches.
The Vankyo Performance V630 has a premium built quality. It comes in a white casing that is lightweight and compact enough to carry anywhere. To add to its portability, the brand even provides a good quality carrying case with the package.
Since it has a throw ratio of 1.3x, you can get up to 120-inches from a distance of just 10 feet. Thus, this projector will be ideal to use in a small room or your dorm.
On the connectivity front, it comes with all the latest connectivity features like 2x HDMI, AV, VGA, USB, SD Card support, and Audio out port. Additionally, you can also utilize the screen mirroring feature and mirror your phone screen onto the projector.
These connectivity options make it ideal for pairing with PC, laptop, PS4, Xbox, USB sticks, Pen Drives, Android/iOS devices, and streaming media players.
The brand is generous enough to offer 2x 5W stereo speakers in the projector. However, to extract a better sound quality, it’s better to invest in a dedicated speaker set.
Even though the Vankyo Performance V630 is feature-packed to the brim, its brightness value doesn’t even come close to the one found on Viewsonic PA503S.
Though the brand doesn’t reveal its lumens value, the guys at projectorreviews.com found the brightness to be less than 500 lumens. This brightness value is adequate at best. Thus, using this projector in the daytime won’t be recommended. To know more about this projector, please check our detailed review on it.
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#3: Yaber V6
The Yaber brand stands in toes-to-toes with the previously mentioned Vankyo projector brand. It also specializes in building low-cost projectors meant for casual users.
The Yaber V6 is one such projector that offers the same features just as the Vankyo Performance V630, yet keeping the price down. However, it does one-up because it offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for less than $300.
This one too offers 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolution along with support for 4K content. Though compared to Vankyo V630, it offers a better contrast ratio at 10000:1.
While the brand doesn’t state this projector’s lumens value, it claims the brightness as 7200 Lux, which is not an accurate metric to measure its brightness. Thus, you can expect the Yaber V6 to put out at a max 500 lumens brightness.
Since the projector’s footprint is small, it comes in smaller packaging, and along with the projector, the box includes:
- Power Cord
- VGA cable
- HDMI cable
- 3-in-1 AV cable
- 3-in-3 AV cable
- Remote Control
- Projector Lens Cover
- User Manual
Connectivity-wise, the Yaber Y31 offers a 2x HDMI port, 1x VGA port, 2x USB port, 1x AV port, and 1x Audio Out port. Alongside, the Yaber V6 will wirelessly connect to your Android phone, iPhone, Macbook, and laptop through the miracast feature for easy screen mirroring.
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#4: Benq MS535A
The Benq MS535A stands in the same league as the previously mentioned Viewsonic PA503S. This means it isn’t featured loaded like the other projectors in this list. Yet, it gets the basics right and offers optimal display quality and brightness.
With a rated brightness value of 3600 lumens, the Benq MS535A is an ideal pick for daytime viewing. The high brightness value makes it an ideal choice in classrooms and office environments.
It offers a 15:000:1 dynamic contrast ratio with SVGA resolution at 800 x 600 pixels. Even though the resolution is in a 4:3 aspect ratio, it has support for a 16:9 aspect ratio making it ideal for watching movies and TV shows without any issues.
Benq has also equipped this projector with an Infographic Mode that accentuates text and graphics displayed through the projector. Thus the high brightness coupled with Infographic mode makes it ideal in a work or study environment.
The Benq MS535A has a plethora of connectivity options that include:
- 2x HDMI port
- 1x RS232
- 2x VGA port
- 1x S-Video
- 1x Audio In
- 1x Audio Out
- 1x D-sub
- 1x RCA
It comes with a 210W lamp that offers a maximum of 15,000 hours of usage in the SmartEco mode. The provided lens has a zoom factor of 1.2x. Thus you can generate a large picture even in a small room.
This projector is easy to set up out of the box and offers fast image alignment, thus reducing manual work.
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#5: GooDee BL98
At first look, the GooDee BL98 can seem like a premium projector from a reputable brand due to its wavy and silvery design at the front. However, it sits at a considerably lower price than our $300 benchmark.
Just like the Vankyo Performance V630 and Yaber V6, the GooDee BL98 has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080p, though it doesn’t get 4K support, which is fine for this price range.
It comes in a compact casing that’s approx.12-inches wide and 10-inches deep, and weighs just under 6 pounds. This makes it ideal for carrying around at your friend’s house for a movie night.
For the price, GooDee has equipped this projector with an acceptable contrast range of 5000:1 that gets the job done without you asking for more.
Along with a premium design, which adds to the premium design is the capacitive touch buttons to control various functions of this projector.
While the GooDee BL98 lacks wireless connectivity, it offers plenty of wired connectivity options like 2x HDMI, 2x USB, AV, TF, VGA. Besides that, the projector also supports MHL connectivity. Thus, you can mirror your Android phone, iPhone, and Macbook through the supported HDMI cable.
What adds to the excitement is the 5-year warranty provided by the brand. This provides an additional incentive to get the GooDee BL98 over other projectors.
While the projector wins on provided features, it falters when it comes to the projector’s UI, which seems a decade old and unintuitive.
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#6: Anker Nebula Capsule
Even wanted a projector that you could fit in your pocket and take it wherever you go? If that’s what you’re dreaming of, then the Anker Nebula Capsule will be your ideal companion.
With its design and size resembling a coke can, the Anker Nebula Capsule is a battery-powered projector that can act as a standalone projector without any wires.
It comes with a 5200mAh battery that offers a viewing time of around 4 hours. This makes it ideal for watching 2 entire movies before the Nebula Capsule runs out of juice.
Being a nano-size projector, it can offer up to a 100-inch screen from a distance of 3 meters. In comparison, you can expect an ideal image quality from the 60-inch screen that can be availed from a distance of just 1.73 meters.
On the resolution front, the Anker Nebula Capsule comes with a modest resolution of 854 x 480p and a brightness of 100 ANSI lumens. The lower brightness value makes it unusable during the daytime. However, to squeeze more out of this projector, it is recommended to get a dedicated projector screen for a practical viewing experience.
The Nebula Capsule has a height of 4.72 inches and a diameter of 2.67 inches on the physical front. At the same time, it weighs just over 1 pound.
When not in use to watch movies, you can also use it as a Bluetooth speaker with the provided 5W speaker that offers much better sound quality than we’ve seen in other projectors in this list. In the Bluetooth speaker mode, the battery life extends to a whopping 30 hours.
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#7: Crenova HDP300
Suppose you want a pocketable projector, but the Anker Nebula Capsule seems overpriced for your liking. In that case, you’ll love the Crenova HDP300.
For starters, it offers 170 ANSI lumens and a 7000mAh inbuilt battery; this in turn offers a brighter image and better battery life.
Alongside, it comes equipped with Android 7.1 OS and offers wireless tech like Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity.
Being a mini projector, it comes with DLP display technology that offers a crisp and bright viewing experience. The only limiting factor here is the native resolution of 854 x 480p.
Being a portable projector, the Crenova HDP300 is twice the Anker Nebula Capsule’s size and weight. The projector has a length of 9.44 inches with a depth of just under 6 inches. While it weight is limited to just 2.2 pounds.
It also comes equipped with an inbuilt speaker. Still, it’s better to pair it with an external speaker for an immersive audio experience. Even with a bigger inbuilt battery, the only downside here is the viewing time of just 2 hours. Thus, you might need to connect it with a power bank at the time of viewing.
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Things to consider while buying Best Projectors under $300
As seen above, you get a wide range of projectors under $300 with varying sizes and different features. However, before zeroing on a projector, there are certain things you should consider.
Here they are:
Projector’s Display Technology: Like a television, there are multiple display technologies available for a projector. Under $300, the most common display technology used is an LED display offers a lifespan of over 20,000 hours but lacks brightness. Thus, do consider going for a DLP projector if you’re main focus is display quality. DLP projector has a typical lifespan of 5,000-15,000 hours, depending on the model used.
Native Resolution: Native resolution is the true resolution that a projector can display on the screen. If you’re going with a DLP projector, the max resolution you’ll get is 800 x 600p. While projectors using LED display technology usually come with Full HD resolution, some projectors have support for 4K content. Having said that, a DLP projector, even with a lower native resolution, will offer a better viewing experience due to its excellent display quality.
Projector’s Weight: Just like our smartphones, projectors too are getting slimmer day-by-day. Thus, under $300, you’ll easily find projectors that weigh less than 7 pounds and are easy to carry wherever you go. The Anker Nebula Capsule and Crenova HDP300 are compact projectors and weigh 1 pound and 2.2 pounds.
Connectivity Options: Modern projectors get a plethora of connectivity options, but most of them are wired at this price. Few projectors mentioned above come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Thus, if you don’t want to struggle with wires, projectors like Yaber V6 and Anker Nebula Capsule offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity for easy pairing and mirroring your smartphone or laptop screen.
Conclusion
At $300, I’m assuming that you’ll need a projector for casual and occasional use. However, there are multitudes of cheaper projector options available. However, under $300, you get the right balance between display technology, features, and better image quality.
Thus, I recommend it’s better to spend a little more and get the best bang for your buck.
Most of the projectors mentioned above weigh less than 7 pounds, thus making them easy to carry at your friend’s house for a movie night.
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