More and more people choose a projector instead of a TV as the projector is more versatile than the TV. You can use the projector for home theater, camping, or golf simulator. However, there are so many dazzling projectors on the market, making it hard to decide. In this guide, we select the best projectors under $300, helping you to narrow your list and make a wise decision.
In this section, we select and list the top 5 best projectors under $300 based on the top parameters and provide their strongest feature. The pros and cons of these projectors are also given in the box, helping you know about the projectors thoroughly.
|Price: $299.99 |Brightness: 100 ANSI lumen |Resolution: 854×480 |Max Image Size: 100”
|Light Source: LED |Lamp Life: 30,000 Hours |Battery: 4 hours
Anker NEBULA Capsule projector is a hot portable projector on the market. It has a small soda-can size but incorporates so powerful features, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen mirroring, a built-in battery, and an auto keystone. The projector has a built-in Android system, enabling users to download various Apps conveniently.
With a built-in battery of 5,200 mAh, the projector can last up to 4 hours without charging. It is worthy to note that the projector has a standard resolution of 480P and 100 ANSI lumens, meaning that you can only use the projector in a dark environment. Anker NEBULA Capsule has a built-in memory of 1G RAM and 8G ROM, enabling users to download video and files at will.
| Pros | Cons |
| Good wireless connectivity Built-in battery Built-in Android system Built-in memory Long lamp life | Small screen size Lower brightness Lower resolution |
|Price: $269 |Brightness: 400 LED Lumens |Resolution: 1920×1080 |Max Image Size: 180”
|Light Source: LED |Lamp Life: 30,000 hours |Battery Life: 2 hours
AAXA P400 is a budget short throw projector under $300. The projector features 400 LED lumens and 1080P resolution, bringing clear images for users. It has a throw ratio of 0.7:1, projecting 16 inches from 100 inches away.
The projector has a built-in battery with a battery life of 2 hours. If you want a big screen in a narrow room, you can choose this projector. The projector has a small size, and you can even put it on your palm.
| Pros | Cons |
| Short throw Long lamp life 1080P resolution | Lower brightness No smart system |
|Price: $279 |Brightness: 9000 lumens |Resolution: 1920×1080 |Max Image Size: 300”
|Light Source: LED |Lamp Life: 100,000 hours |Battery Life: No
YABER Y31 projector has a native resolution of 1080P and 9,000 lumens, which brings clear images for users. With a dynamic contrast of 10,000:1, the projector provides images with rich details. It adopts LED as the light source with a long lamp life of 100, 000 hours.
Compared with the other projectors on the list, YABER Y31 is much bigger and heavier. It has no built-in Android system nor battery, and therefore it is suitable for home use. Regarding interfaces, the projector has two HDMI interfaces so that you can connect the projector to TV sticks or other streaming devices conveniently.
| Pros | Cons |
| Native 1080P resolution Giant screen Long lamp life | Big size No Wi-Fi Poor wireless connectivity |
|Price: $289 |Brightness: 250 ANSI lumens |Resolution: Native 1920*1080 |Max Image Size: 251”
|Light Source: LED |Lamp Life: 30,000 hours |Battery Life: 3 hours
Emotn H1 features 1080P resolution and 250 ANSI lumens, bringing clear images with rich details when you watch movies. It adopts LED as the light source with a long lamp life of 30,000 hours. Featuring a built-in battery of 3 hours, the projector is suitable for outdoor use. In terms of design, Emotn H1 adopts retro-style combined with unique buttons with mechanical keyboard styles. It has a leather handle so that users can carry it conveniently.
It can project a max screen of 251”, delivering immersive and cinematic viewing effects. Emotn H1 has a built-in Android system and enables users to download hundreds of apps in the Emotn store. It has 1GB RAM and 16G ROM, enabling users to download videos and play them in an offline environment. Regarding wireless connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and screen mirroring, which provides convenient and quick wireless connections.
| Pros | Cons |
| Native 1080P resolution Long lamp life Built-in battery Built-in Android system Large memory Good connectivity | Lower brightness |
|Price: $299 |Brightness: 220 Lumens |Resolution: 1920*1080 |Max Image Size: 220”
|Light Source: LED |Lamp Life: 30,000 hours |Battery Life: 30,000 hours
Vankyo Leisure 495W features native 1080P, a contrast of 1,000:1, and 220 lumens, which deliver crisp images for users. It supports Dolby audio and produces pleasant and powerful Hi-Fi sound. As for wireless connectivity, the projector supports 2.4G/5G dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.1 connection, and you can connect the projector to iPhone, Bluetooth speakers, or other devices quickly.
It can project at most 220”, big enough for home theater use. It is worthy to note that the projector has no built-in system and battery. If you want to watch streaming shows from Netflix, you need to connect the projector to TV sticks.
| Pros | Cons |
| 1080P resolution Dolby Audio Good connectivity | Lower brightness |
As the budget for the projector is under $300, there are inevitably some downsides for the projectors. You should consider the following points before making a decision. If you have a higher budget, you can check our previous posts: Best 4K Projector Under $2000 or Best Best 4K Projector Under $1000.
Before paying for your projector, you should determine the usage scenarios of the projector. For example, watching movies at night, TV replacement, golf simulator, gaming, or sports, etc. If you just watch movies at night, the brightness of your projector is less important. However, if you want to use the projector as a TV replacement, the projector should be bright enough so that you can see the image clearly even during the daytime. If you want to use the projector for playing games, the input lag is critical. If you want to use the projector as a golf simulator, the projector should feature a good color gamut, low input, and short throw.
Lumen is the measurement for projector brightness. If the projector is not bright enough, the projection image will be blurry and dim when the ambient light is strong. In other words, you need to turn the lights off or close the curtain when the ambient light is strong. Among different lumens units on the market, the ANSI lumen is the widely recognized and standard brightness unit for projectors. You can use the lumens to ANSI lumens converter to convert different units.
Resolution describes the pixels in the projection images. The more pixels, the higher the resolution, and the better the image quality. Generally, a home projector has 720P resolution, 1080P resolution, or 4K resolution. If the budget is under $300, the resolution of the projector generally is lower than 1080P.
Connectivity is vital for projectors, especially multimedia projectors. Connectivity includes wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen mirroring) and wired connectivity (interfaces). A projector with versatile interfaces is preferred.
If the projector has a built-in system, for example, an Android system, you can access streaming apps conveniently and you have no need to connect the projector to external devices, such as TV sticks, TV boxes, etc.
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