Laptop Extended Monitor – Get More Screen Space Without Sacrificing Portability

If you’ve ever struggled to fit everything you need on your laptop’s tiny screen, a laptop extended monitor can give you extra workspace without sacrificing portability. The best portable monitors double your screen workspace and can be set up in a variety of configurations to suit the way you work. Our tech experts at Forbes Vetted have rounded up the best options available to help you create the perfect dual-screen setup for your home, office, or dorm room desktop.

The key to a successful laptop extended monitor is to make sure your computer’s input ports match the inputs on the portable display you’re purchasing. If possible, opt for a USB-C monitor that supports both data and power transfer over a single cable. This eliminates the need for separate power cables and adapters, which can also save space in your bag.

When selecting a portable monitor, you’ll want to take into account the size and resolution of the screen as well as other features like built-in speakers or touchscreen capability. You’ll also want to decide whether you need a battery-powered monitor or one that draws power directly from your laptop. A portable monitor that draws power directly from your laptop will typically be lighter, more compact, and less expensive than a battery-powered option.

Many portable monitors include built-in speakers and a kickstand to prop them up when you’re working on the go. This can be particularly helpful for those who need to work on the go or are frequently interrupted by phone calls, emails, and other distractions. You’ll also want to consider what kind of ports you need on the portable monitor, as this will affect its compatibility with your laptop and other devices.

Some portable monitors have multiple USB-C inputs that support daisy-chaining, which lets you add additional monitors to your setup by connecting them to each other using a single cable. These can be useful if you need to do some serious multitasking or have limited available USB-C ports on your laptop. Others, such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 and Google Pixel 8 Pro, have a Mini HDMI port that you can use to connect to other devices that don’t support USB-C.

A few manufacturers offer freestanding portable monitors that don’t attach to your laptop, but rather sit on top of it. You can adjust the angle of these displays up to 170-degrees in either portrait or landscape mode. This can be especially helpful if you’re using a thin laptop or have one with a strong supporting hinge. The FOPO “triple” monitor is a good example of this, as it hangs from the top of your laptop’s screen and secures to its sides via a plastic framework that grips the corners of the laptop.

The Asus ProArt PA148CTV is a great portable monitor for mobile editing, as it includes touch support and integrations with Adobe software. Its Full HD display offers vibrant colors and high visual clarity at wide viewing angles, and its on-screen menu gives you plenty of adjustments to fine-tune the image quality. This model is also quite lightweight and compact, at 1.6 lbs and 0.5″ thick.