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 of the choices below do just that!
After researching more than fifteen different portable TVs, we narrowed down our options to five of the best you can buy.
Best Portable TV Overall: Tyler TTV707-13 Portable TV
The Tyler TTV707-13 is a solid portable television that comes with pretty much everything that most people would want. It features a 13.3-inch LCD with a full-HD resolution, which offers decent picture quality and viewing angles. The TV also hits the sweet spot between size and portability.
✓ Large 13. 3-inch full-HD screen✓ Multiple mounting options✓ Built-in HDMI port, digital tuner✓ Four hours of battery life
✗ Weak speakers with poor placement
One of the TV’s highlights is its HDMI port, which allows you to connect any streaming device to access services such as Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and HBO Max. Apart from HDMI, you also get an analog video port, one USB port, an SD card slot, and a Mini-USB port for VGA input. So you will be able to connect everything from a DVD player to your computer with a VGA output to this portable TV.
When you are not using a Fire TV Stick or Roku to stream Netflix, you can use the TV’s digital tuner with the supplied antennae to watch broadcast TV channels.
In terms of power, the Tyler portable TV has a built-in battery, which the company claims can last around four hours on a single charge. Moreover, the company supplies a regular 110v AC adapter for home and a 12v DC adapter for in-car charging.
Unfortunately, the TV’s twin speakers aren’t very loud, and their rear placement makes matters worse. So if you go with this TV, it would be good to invest in a decent portable speaker to complement it.
Best Budget Portable TV: SuperSonic SC-2812 Portable TV
The SuperSonic SC-2812 Portable TV is an excellent value option, starting with an above-average screen size of 12 inches and solid 720p resolution. It also has a built-in digital tuner, allowing quick and free access to HD television signals.
✓ Excellent 165-degree horizontal/vertical angle✓ Built-in ATSC digital tuner for free signals✓ Above-average screen size (12 inches)
✗ Weighs close to 3 pounds
One of our favorite things about the SC-2812 is its generous 165-degree horizontal viewing angle and 165-degree vertical viewing angle. This means its picture quality does not degrade with most seating positions—especially useful when multiple people are sharing the screen with you.
Like the Milanix TV, the SuperSonic SC-2812 Portable TV is powered by a built-in lithium-polymer rechargeable battery and comes with the most commonly used inputs (USB/HDMI), along with a MicroSD slot to play media using any SD-enabled external device.
Best Portable TV for the Car: Tyler 7-Inch Portable TV
The Tyler 7-inch Portable TV is a well-rounded option for those long road trips, starting with a compact, 720p 7-inch screen and built-in rechargeable battery for 4 hours of run time—good enough to avoid being tethered to its included car charger.
✓ Compact, 7-inch screen✓ Rechargeable battery good for 4+ hour run time ✓ Includes car charger
✗ Odd button placement with remote control
Like all of our picks, the Tyler 7-inch Portable TV can support virtually all web media formats, including the most common MOV, MPEG, and MP3. It also comes with multiple ports (USB, AC/DC) to plug in your Apple TV, Chromecast, or DVD player.
One knock on this unit, however, is its remote control. Aside from all buttons being the same size, button placement could be better. Placing a channel button directly above the volume button was simply not the best idea.
Still, though, if you need to entertain someone on a long car ride, you can’t beat this Tyler TV option.
Best Portable Gaming TV: Leadstar 10-Inch Portable TV
The Leadstar 10-Inch Portable TV is an excellent option for gamers, thanks to a large 10.1-inch screen, crisp 1080p resolution, and a USB and HDMI port to accommodate the Nintendo Switch and other gaming consoles.
✓ Large 10. 1-inch screen✓ Crisp 1080p resolution✓ Includes USB and HDMI ports
✗ So-so build quality (plastic)✗ Non-detachable antenna✗ Remote controller too nit-picky
Plus, the Leadstar TV is the lightest TV on our list, weighing only 1.76 pounds. This portable TV is easy to pop into a bag and carry around. Plus, it comes with a rechargeable battery, good for a roughly 3-hour run time before needing to be recharged.
If you want to get outside and still play some video games, this is the portable TV for you.
Best Portable Smart TV: Tyler 14-Inch Portable TV
The Tyler 14-Inch Portable TV makes our cut for best smart TV thanks to its sheer number of inputs, suitable for playing virtually every device known to man, including Roku and Slingbox.
✓ 1080p resolution ✓ Two mounting options ✓ Excellent viewing angle
✗ Weighs close to five pounds
Rounding out the specs for the Tyler 14-Inch Portable TV includes a built-in rechargeable battery good for 2+ hours of playtime and 1080p resolution, a godsend in a world of 720p portable TVs.
Our only knock on the unit is its heft, weighing close to 5 pounds. However, it does come with a sturdy fold mount and table mounts with a hinged neck to adjust the viewing angle as needed.
Another thing worth mentioning is that this is not technically a smart TV. It does not feature built-in WiFi or a smart TV OS. However, it does provide all of the ports necessary to connect your favorite streaming device, which is the next best thing.
