4 Features That Determine the Best Portable Monitor for Mac

The best portable monitor for Mac laptops should provide sharp visuals, a premium feel, and excellent compatibility with macOS

Choosing the best portable monitor for Macbook Pro or Macbook Air requires a little forethought and research. While there are many portable monitors on the market, only some of them offer the same smart design, premium feel, and robust functionality that you'd expect from an Apple product.

Luckily, picking a portable monitor for Mac laptops doesn't have to be a difficult process. By keeping a few simple considerations in mind, you can buy your new display with confidence, and see how much simpler life can be with a compact second screen. Whether you're writing a screenplay, designing a website, video-chatting with colleagues, or catching up on social media, a portable monitor can be the perfect companion for your trusty Macbook.

Need help picking the right portable monitor for your needs? Check out our complete guide, What to Know About Portable Monitors.

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What makes the best portable monitor for Macbook Pro?

Although its signature iPads are capable of things like screen mirroring, at present, Apple doesn't produce any dedicated portable monitors. If you're in the market for a portable monitor for Macbook Pro or Macbook Air, you'll have to buy one from a third-party manufacturer. As such, you'll want to make sure that your secondary display looks, feels, and functions as much like an Apple product as possible.

If you've been an Apple fan for a long time, you already know what makes the company's gadgets and software feel distinctive. Apple gear is almost always clean, minimalist, simple, and intuitive. You'll want the same qualities in a portable monitor.

Did You Know?:Ricoh’s portable monitors come in wired and wireless variations. Each one has a 15.6” OLED touch display packed into a lightweight design — 1.23lbs for the wired model and 1.58lbs for wireless.

Lightweight, stylish design

Whereas Windows laptops run the gamut from "sleek" to "unassuming" to "overdesigned," Mac laptops are a bit more uniform. You'll want your portable monitor to be thin, lightweight, and streamlined, just like your Macbook. The best portable monitor for Macbook Pro or Macbook Air should complement your laptop, particularly when you're out and about.

Keeping your device small and light isn't just a matter of aesthetics, though. Remember that a portable monitor, by definition, is a display that can go with you everywhere. When you stash it in a bag, you won't want it to take up too much space or weigh you down, especially since you'll already be carrying your laptop as well.

Sharp, colorful display

A monitor has essentially one job: to display what's on your computer. If your secondary display is too small, too indistinct, too dark, or too dull, it's going to be more of a hindrance than a help. A portable monitor for Macbook devices has to provide a sizable screen, high resolution, bright lighting, and a rich color gamut.

As an example, consider the RICOH Portable Monitor 150. It offers a 15.6-inch OLED screen with full 1080p resolution, 300 nits of brightness, and 100% of the DCI-P3 color spectrum. The screen size and resolution mean that you'll be able to easily parse text or see what's happening in a video. The brightness means that you can use it in almost any environment, regardless of the ambient light. The color gamut and OLED capabilities mean that your graphic design projects will look true-to-life.

USB-C connectivity

The best portable monitor for Mac laptops doesn't necessarily need an HDMI connection. That's because not every Macbook offers an HDMI port. By contrast, every modern Mac laptop to date has a USB-C port, or a mutually compatible Thunderbolt port. To keep things simple, you should search for a portable monitor that can supply both video and audio through a USB-C cable, regardless of whether or not the device also has an HDMI port. Remember: Even if your current Macbook supports HDMI, there's no guarantee that your next one will.

USB-C has another major advantage over HDMI, in that the cable can provide power. This means that you won't have to search for a second outlet — or even a first outlet, if your laptop is fully charged and you won't need to use the secondary display for too long.

Adjustable kickstand

If you're using a portable monitor in your home office, you can position it in an ideal spot and leave it there indefinitely. However, you can't guarantee perfect positioning in a park, coffee shop, or coworking space. This is where having an adjustable kickstand comes in handy. If you can tilt the display at a variety of angles, you can find an orientation that suits your workspace.

Bear in mind that "adjustable" can mean a variety of different things when considering the best portable monitor for Macbook Pro or Macbook Air. Some devices can tilt up and down; some can swivel; some have variable heights; and some can switch between landscape and portrait modes. It's almost impossible to find a device that does all of these things, however, so think carefully about which adjustments you find most useful, and choose accordingly.

Did You Know?:PCMag called the wireless RICOH Portable Monitor 150BW “an awesome piece of kit” and “a tour de force of mobile display technology.” Find out more in this review.

Our recommendation: RICOH Portable Monitor 150

Take productivity and comfort wherever you go with our light, sharp, versatile portable monitor for those who work on the road or need extra screen real estate. Stay productive and mobile with our high-performance, lightweight (25.2oz), ultra-slim bezel (.19” at its slimmest point), OLED touchscreen portable monitors.

The RICOH Portable Monitor 150 is a particularly good choice for Mac laptops, thanks to its minimalist design, simple setup, and robust screen. With full HD resolution, 300 nits of brightness, and 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, you can count on a crisp, clear, and accurate image, whether you're streaming online videos or perfecting your digital artwork. Click here to learn more about our portable monitor series.

Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings.

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