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Best Outdoor Projectors To Watch Your Movies Outside

The Camping List Review Team
Written By The Camping List Review Team
Last updated: Feb 20, 2025, 06:24 PM
Affiliate Disclosure ↓
Outdoor projector

When it comes to media viewing, the bigger the better! That’s why we see TVs and monitors being scaled up to enormous sizes. However, there is a limit to scaling the size of your standard plasma display. It is here that a projector comes into play. By scaling up your media and projecting it onto a surface, the leading outdoor projectors in 2025 allow you to take your Netflix library and video game sessions outside.

Thrilled to know more? Well, trust us, we’re even more excited to tell you all about these amazing gadgets, and how you can go about buying one for your upcoming party. From display size to screen resolution, there is a lot that you’ll need to look out for when in this market. However, we will help you navigate it with ease with our buying guide section. Our team has also compiled a list of the best external projectors currently available to help you better understand this market.

View all Contents
  • How To Find a High-Quality Outdoor Projector: A Buyer's Guide
    • How We Choose the Top Outdoor Projectors
    • Key Considerations When Buying an Outdoor Projector
    • Buying Tips for the Highest-Quality Outdoor Projector
    • How Much Do Outdoor Projectors Normally Cost? Are They Even Worth Buying?
  • People Also Asked
  • Your Adventure, Our Experience
  • Contributors
  • Related Reviews

Our Top Picks

  • Nebula Outdoor Projector: Best Overall (Shop Now) →
    Read more about this product ↓
  • Artlii Outdoor Projector: Honorable Mention (Shop Now) →
    Read more about this product ↓
  • GooDee Outdoor Projector: Contender (Shop Now) →
    Read more about this product ↓
  • Jinhu Outdoor Projector: Also Consider (Shop Now) →
    Read more about this product ↓

What Is the Leading Outdoor Projector Of 2025?

Nebula Outdoor Projector

Best Overall
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The Anker Nebula Capsule is a tiny, soda can-shaped projector that is super compact and portable with a bunch of versatile features. It has a 720p native resolution with a maximum brightness level of 200 lumens. On top of it, this one is powered with an IntelliBright technology that offers increased brightness. Although the 100-inch projector size is not very suitable for large parties, it is ideal for a small group of people viewing in a low-light environment. 

This rechargeable outdoor projector comes with 5000+ built-in apps that you can view from the user interface or connect via Bluetooth, HDMI, or USB port to stream movies and shows. Moreover, the built-in speakers produce a strong audio output which is a huge plus.

Product Pros
  • Compact and portable design
  • Four-hour long battery life
  • Enhanced brightness with IntelliBright technology
  • Variety of connectivity options
Product Cons
  • The resolution could be higher

Artlii Outdoor Projector

Honorable Mention
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The Artlii Energon 2 is a budget-friendly outdoor projector that offers a display size of up to 250 inches along with a manual 60-100% zoom option using a remote control. From 1920×1080 pixels of the screen resolution to 340 ANSI lumens of light output and 7000:1 contrast ratio, this outdoor projector has it all. The integrated speakers have such a strong audio output that you’ll hardly require connecting external speakers.

Moreover, this outdoor projector has a built-in 5G WiFi connection that promises a smooth-running experience without any kind of lag. It supports both wired and wireless connections, including HDMI, USB, SD card, Bluetooth, external speakers, and more.

Product Pros
  • Offers full HD resolution with support for 4k playback
  • Supports both wired and wireless connections
  • Built-in speakers with solid audio quality
  • Comes with a carrying case for ease of portability
Product Cons
  • A little bulky design

GooDee Outdoor Projector

Contender
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With its 6000 lumens of light output and 230-inch large display size, The GooDee’s YG600 outdoor projector is a great choice for adding theater-like entertainment to your domestic routine. It has a nice overall picture quality at 1280 x 768 pixels that along with color accuracy is further improved by its high brightness.

This outdoor projector has a very sturdy and durable build quality. Another great feature of this bad boy is the innovative whisper-quiet fan design for a noiseless application and peaceful viewing time with your family and friends. What’s more? This one has got tons of connectivity options be it your android smartphone, iPhone, laptop, external speakers, and others. 

Product Pros
  • Large 230-inch projector display size
  • Whisper-quiet fan for the noiseless application
  • Extremely stable and durable design 
  • High brightness with 6,000 lumens of light output
Product Cons
  • The audio output of built-in speakers could be enhanced

Jinhu Outdoor Projector

Also Consider
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The Jinhu outdoor projector is one of the most compact yet sturdiest options in the market today. It boasts a light output of 5500 lumens which is great for a 100-inch projector size. Though it supports 1080p content, it offers a screen resolution of 720 pixels which is fair enough and better than many mini projectors out there. 

Also, this outdoor projector plays really well with the color tones and produces bright and radiant colors while offering exclusive image details. Apart from that, this mini projector comes with an integrated WiFi connection that can be enabled via your smartphone or laptop. However, due to copyright issues, you won’t be able to stream movies from apps like Netflix and Hulu so you should rather download them to your device.

Product Pros
  • High brightness of 5500 lumens bulb
  • Compact and portable
  • Built-in WiFi connectivity
Product Cons
  • Offers only 720p resolution

How To Find a High-Quality Outdoor Projector: A Buyer's Guide

Watching your favorite characters on the big screen while outdoors may sound fun. But trust us, the process of actually buying a projector can get too hectic if you don’t know what to look for. So, to ease things up, here is our comprehensive buyer’s guide section.

How We Choose the Top Outdoor Projectors

We ensured these two ingredients when cooking up our best-of list for outdoor projectors:

Media playback and connectivity

Connectivity is king when it comes to any playback device. This is why we ensured that all our top-picked outdoor projectors not only offered playback over wifi but also through various cable slots; USB, HDMI, VEGA, to name a few. Many of our top picks also came preloaded with streaming software like Netflix and Youtube for maximum convenience.

Sound and convenience

Talking about convenience, we also ensured that our shortlisted external projectors ran super quiet. We’re talking about the fan noise here. The actual sound output, on the other hand, is supposed to be rich and loud, which we did ensure.

Another factor that contributes to convenience is the projector’s remote. So, we looked through the customer reviews of our favorite outdoor projectors and made certain that their remotes were not only ergonomic but also boasted button layouts that were helpful and readily accessible.

Key Considerations When Buying an Outdoor Projector

Now that you know how we crafted up our top-picked list, here are three things that you must consider when in the market for a new outdoor projector:

Resolution

Simply put, the resolution of your projector signifies how clear its image quality will be. The image’s resolution is measured in pixels where each pixel contributes to creating an image on your screen.

The resolution is found by measuring the area of pixels on the screen. Since your standard screen is a rectangle, the formula for its area is length into breath. So, the pixels along the screen’s sides are multiplied. You should lookout for a higher resolution, somewhere around the 720p to 1080p mark.

Screen size

The screen size of your outdoor projector will depend on your application. If you’re looking for something to play movies for a large party, we recommend opting for something with a screen size larger than 100-inches. Anything below will do great for a movie night or video game session with the family or some friends.

Buying Tips for the Highest-Quality Outdoor Projector

Now, it is time to equip you with these two killer tips that will help you make a more informed decision when in the market for a new outdoor projector:

Brightness

A projector’s brightness is measured in lumens. This goes without saying but since you’re buying a projector for external viewing, we recommend getting something with a high lumen number.

For night-time viewing, anything in the 1000 region should be enough. However, if you’d like to watch a movie or play games outside while the sun shines, you should opt for something with 2000-plus lumens of brightness.

Portability

Two things will contribute to the overall portability of your new outdoor projector. Firstly, is its weight and size. A bulky projector that occupies too much space in your bag will obviously not be a good choice for taking outdoors.

Secondly, your outdoor projector’s power scene will determine its portability. A rechargeable model will obviously be more portable than something that needs to be plugged in. In the case of the former, be sure to consider the projector’s battery life before pulling the trigger on the purchase.

How Much Do Outdoor Projectors Normally Cost? Are They Even Worth Buying?

Talking about pulling the trigger on this impending purchase, how much should you expect to be spending on your new outdoor projector? Well, it entirely depends. The price range of these bad boys goes from a couple of hundred dollars to upwards of $1000. A more expensive outdoor projector will generally get you a larger screen projection size, a higher and brighter resolution, enhanced connectivity, and better portability.

Now, as far as the worthwhileness of purchasing an outdoor projector goes, that too depends. If you’re a social animal who would rather spend time outdoors with your loved ones, there is no better experience than watching movies or playing games on the big screen. Quality bonding time and entertainment.

People Also Asked

How many lumens do I need for an outdoor projector?

Lumens is the unit of measurement that is used to calculate a projector's brightness. As far as outdoor viewing goes, you'll need something with at least 2000 lumens if you're planning to watch media during the daytime. For night-time viewing, anything with 1000 lumens or more should be sufficient enough.

What is the best outdoor projector?

Boasting a brightness of 2200 lumens and a resolution of up to 1920 x 1080 pixels, the TOPVISION WiFi Portable Outdoor Projector may just be the nicest outdoor projector currently on the online marketplace. It can scale up movies, games, or any media to a massive 200-inches and weighs only 2.7 pounds for amazing portability.

What is the difference between an indoor and an outdoor projector?

The differences between an outdoor and indoor projector lie in its brightness and sound system. An external projector will usually boast a louder, yet clear, sound system to prevent you from getting distracted from the outdoor noise. The outdoor projector will also have a brighter bulb that churns out a higher number of lumens for easy viewing.

What should I consider when buying an outdoor projector?

We recommend considering the brightness and image resolution of your new outdoor projector. As a general rule of thumb, you should go for a larger resolution and lumen count for a better and clearer viewing experience. We also recommend buying something with decent sound and a screen projection size that meets your needs.

Your Adventure, Our Experience

At TheCampingList, our dedication to authenticity and reliability stems from our own adventures in the great outdoors. Our team, comprised of seasoned experts in hiking, camping, climbing, cycling, fishing, and hunting, rigorously tests every product and shares insights drawn from real experiences. This hands-on approach ensures our reviews and guides meet the highest standards of durability, functionality, and comfort. Moreover, our platform thrives on the rich contributions and feedback from our vibrant community of enthusiasts. We pride ourselves on delivering unbiased, educational content that empowers and informs your outdoor pursuits. Trust in TheCampingList for genuine advice and support, where we're all about enriching your journey, every step of the way.

Contributors

The Camping List Review Team
The Camping List Review Team
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