The 5 best projectors for a bedroom in 2024

Buying the best projector for your bedroom is a little different from buying one for your living room or home cinema room. While the principle remains the same, size considerations can be an issue along with simply not feeling like you need to have the most high-end equipment while watching a movie or TV show from bed. That doesn’t strictly mean ruling out the best 4K projectors but still, it’s worth adjusting your plans a little.

That’s why, below, we’ve picked out the best projectors with your bedroom in mind. The list may feature some familiar names in the projector world but each of the choices is picked with bedroom viewing in mind. We’ve also considered price and different situations although if you read much further down, you can see exactly what our criteria is in terms of how we picked things out. Projectors are increasingly popular thanks to being much simpler to set up than before, being more affordable, and often being far more flexible than you’d expect. Here’s what to expect from the best projector for a bedroom, whatever your intentions and budget.

Anker Nebula Capsule 3

Best overall bedroom projector

The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 is primarily targeting the portable projector world but that’s useful for a bedroom. If you only have a small bedroom or you simply don’t want to kit it out too fully like a home cinema, the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 will delight you. It’s small and weighs just 900g. It also has a 2.5-hour battery life if you don’t want to hook it up to a power source for a short viewing session.

Despite its slight build, it offers a good-quality picture. It’s a full HD 1080p projector so it looks great while there’s a 500:1 contrast ratio with two times better contrast than standard LED. Dolby Digital support along with Dolby Audio means it looks and sounds pretty good, although be aware of it only having 300 lumens of brightness. That’s not ideal but at least auto-focus and auto keystone correction is doing all the hard work with setup for you. Setup takes just three seconds thanks to its Intelligent Environment Adaptation system.

If you feel like gaming from bed, that’s an option with this projector as the Anker Nebula Capsule 3 has a 25ms game latency. Also, it comes with Android TV 11 installed so you can easily find all your favorite streaming apps. Google Assistant and Chromecast support is also useful while the Nebula Connect app helps you manage everything effectively. There’s always a regular remote if you fancy a traditional solution. It even has quality-of-life additions like the choice of different user profiles depending on who is using it to watch shows. The Anker Nebula Capsule 3 can project up to a 120-inch picture which will be more than enough for a bedroom and likely to make it useful for taking elsewhere with you.

Samsung The Freestyle 2

Best portable projector

It makes a lot of sense that one of the best TV brands also makes a great projector. The Samsung The Freestyle 2 is a portable projector which means it lends itself well to a bedroom environment. It only weighs 800g so if you want to move it around, you can do so easily. It’s possible to use a portable battery but in your bedroom, you can easily hook it up to a power source.

Setup is a breeze thanks to the projector having an auto leveling function that means it does everything for you. There’s also autofocus and auto keystone technology which adjusts the picture for the best view possible. The projector also comes with a cradle stand which gives you floor-to-ceiling flexibility with a rotation of 180 degrees possible. A full HD image of between 30 inches and 100 inches is possible here so it’s well-suited for a bedroom environment.

Using the Samsung The Freestyle 2 is a lot like using a Samsung TV so it’s pretty simple to figure out. There are plenty of apps to browse including all your favorite streaming choices, along with some games too. The interface is a little slow at times but it’s easy enough to use so it’s good for the whole family and less tech-savvy users to figure out. There’s also multiple voice assistant support if you prefer to speak your instructions over using the remote. Much like having a TV in your bedroom but with the flexibility of a projector, the Samsung The Freestyle 2 is a good projector for those who want something straightforward but that can be moved around easily.

Epson EpiqVision Flex

Best budget projector

If you just want a cheap projector for occasional use or to see if you’d use it over a TV, check out the Epson EpiqVision Flex. From a reputable brand, the projector might lack the finer details of pricier options but it’s still worth considering. It has a resolution of 1280 x 800 but it can project that to up to 300 inches. Yup, that’s excessive for a bedroom but it’s nice to know the option is there. In a cozy bedroom setup, you’re less likely to notice the lower resolution too.

Alongside that, the Epson EpiqVision Flex promises an impressive brightness of up to 3,000 lumens which should help enhance its picture quality. It also uses 3-chip 3LCD technology to display 100% of the RGB color signal for each frame so color accuracy is pretty sharp and accurate. There’s also advanced screen adaptive color correction which automatically produces a more clear and natural image, no matter what you’re watching. A built-in speaker provides the sound.

The Epson EpiqVision Flex works on the basis that you add the streaming options. That means no Android TV or similar built-in but it does have a HDMI port so you can connect your laptop, Apple TV, games console, or even a cable or satellite box to watch something on the projector. For a bedroom, that should be fine as you’re likely to have something you can hook up to it but do be aware that depending on your situation, you may need to buy a streaming device to work alongside it.

BenQ HT2150ST

Best short throw projector

A short throw projector can work in a small space while still ‘throwing’ a large image at a screen. With the BenQ HT2150ST, it’s capable of projecting 100 inches of image from just three feet while overall, it can project up to 300 inches. We’re not saying you’ll need to do this in your bedroom but being able to create a large image in a small space is sure to be a huge (in every sense of the word) advantage for anyone with a small apartment. The image is a full HD 1080p image with 2,200 lumens of brightness and a 15,000:1 contrast ratio. Its colors are quite as accurate as some of the competition as it’s 96% Rec.709 but it’s good enough for most people.

The BenQ HT2150ST also promises a low input lag of 16ms and a dedicated game mode if you want to play games on this projector. A dedicated game mode fine-tunes all images while also enhancing shadowy scenes to provide better clarity and visual precision. Easy installation comes from its vertical keystone correction options and its 1.2x zoom.

Best for anyone with limited space or looking for a projector for some gaming time from the bedroom, the BenQ HT2150ST is pretty versatile. You’ll need to connect other devices to it to stream anything but that’s a small price to pay for something that works so well in a small room.

LG HF65LA

Best ultra short throw projector

If your room or setup is so small that you really need to think about every inch, the LG HF65LA could be the solution for you. It’s expensive for a full HD projector but it’s an ultra short throw one so it can handle being awkwardly placed very close to a wall. How close? Just 5 inches away and you’ll still enjoy a 60-inch image. Move it to only 15 inches away and that number vastly increases to 100 inches. That’s remarkably impressive stuff and sure to be of use if your bedroom is small or you need to place the projector very close to a wall.

Besides the up to 100 feet range, the LG HF65LA also offers up to 1,000 lumens. There’s also a contrast ratio of 150,000:1 with the brightness ensuring natural and rich colors with whatever you’re watching. There’s no need to worry about complex setup either as the LG HF65LA simply needs you to connect it to a video source and your home audio setup, and it’s all good to go. It has 4-corner keystone technology which allows for adjustment of each corner for the optimal image.

It’s also possible to use the LG HF65LA with your Android or Windows smartphone as it has Wi-Fi support for casting content across. Alternatively, you can rely on the HDMI input for more traditional methods such as for connecting laptops or game consoles. The LG HF65LA also allows for wireless sound streaming too if you have a Bluetooth-compatible sound system or speaker.

When maximizing your limited space, the LG HF65LA will fulfill all your needs. It’s expensive but a good way of enjoying a great screen experience without needing to move things around too much at home.

Epson Home Cinema LS11000 4K Projector

Best 4K projector

If you’re a perfectionist about whatever you’re watching, you need the Epson Home Cinema LS11000 4K Projector. It’s incredibly excessive for your bedroom as it’s a fully-fledged home cinema 4K projector but that means it will look stunning. It has support for HDR video and also has a wide color gamut so whatever you watch will look great here. A laser projector, it will also last for longer without the need for replacement bulbs.

Unlike the other projectors here, the Epson Home Cinema LS11000 4K Projector offers a 120Hz refresh rate and also supports HDMI 2.1 so it’s perfect for hooking up to a games console, while its lens has great zoom and lens-shifting options. It uses a digitally controlled Precision Shift Glass Plate which precisely refracts pixel light to display its image with 8.29 million pixels. It also has powerful video processing technology through Epson’s Picture Processor so it can handle all kinds of enhancements in the background as well as provide full 10-bit HDR color processing. There’s also a dynamic contrast ratio of up to and above 1,200,000:1.

Ideally, the Epson Home Cinema LS11000 4K Projector needs to be placed in your home cinema room but we’re not judging if you want something truly high-end for the bedroom. This one will fulfill all your dreams and lead you to never want to step away.

How we chose these projectors for a bedroom

Buying a projector for your bedroom is just as involved a process as buying one for your living room or your travels. It’s important to think about a few key things before you commit to a purchase. That’s exactly what we did before making our choices above, so we’ve listed our thought process below. While there may be other factors that matter too, these are the core ones that should apply to everyone.

First and foremost, as with most purchases, think about what your budget is. As you can see above, it’s possible to spend a few hundred but it’s also possible to spend thousands on a projector. There’s no wrong answer here. It all comes down to how much you’re willing to spend. Of course, generally, the more you spend, the better the quality and better features you gain, but not everyone needs streaming apps to be built in, and not everyone needs 4K resolutions in their bedroom.

On that note, what kind of resolution would you like? Full HD is a reasonable choice because it’s an excellent middle ground. It’s possible to spend more on a 4K projector but if you’re chilling in your bedroom, it might feel less necessary than it would in the living room. Similarly, no one wants to go for less than full HD in the living room but it can work in a bedroom environment.

Features are also a core part of the projector experience. Some projectors have Android TV or their own operating system built-in. That means you can use apps like Netflix or Disney Plus without having to do anything more than set up your projector. It’s very useful if you’re short on time or if you’re planning on using the projector in a portable manner. Other projectors depend on you connecting devices via HDMI to provide you with a picture. That means plenty of flexibility but it does mean more setup for you. Typically, projectors with built-in apps tend to have HDMI anyway so you can still hook up a games console or DVD/Blu-ray player anyhow.

While we’re talking about portability, have you considered portability? It’s less important in your bedroom but a small and lightweight device that can easily be stored away can be useful if you prefer a minimalist bedroom. Also, it means you can take it out with you if you’re going on vacation or camping. If you’re happy with a permanent setup, there’s no need to check out portable projectors but the cleanness of fewer cables in your bedroom is sure to be a big selling point.

Loosely related to that, the size of the projector can be an issue if you have a small bedroom so measure it up to be sure you have room. If you have a small bedroom, it’s worth considering opting for a short throw or ultra short throw projector as that way, you can place the projector quite near to a wall and still enjoy a full experience. When dealing with a smaller living space, all these things add up fast to ensure you get an enjoyable experience.

This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.