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Dec 05, 2023

3 Best Smart Projectors of 2023

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.

The latest smart projectors provide cinema-quality pictures and can take up less space than a medium popcorn.

The sleekest new television is not a TV at all. It's a projector. Instead of a black rectangular void staring you down when you’re not watching Succession, the projector relinquishes your precious wall space when it's off. (No white wall? Opt for a retractable screen.) The latest projectors are minimal enough to be stowed in a credenza, or sit discreetly on top, but powerful enough to deliver images worthy of an art-house cinema. And with all the new streamer-exclusive films, home and theater are one and the same these days. Here are three beamers that will improve your movie watching and your interior-design game.

Think of this as a major leap forward from watching on your phone or laptop. You can literally plop this Samsung number into a bag, and when it's time for an impromptu YouTube wormhole, you can project a massive 100-inch image onto any wall from nine feet away. While the projectors below work decently in daylight, you’ll want to use this one in darker conditions.

Versatility is the key for all of XGIMI's models, and its newest packs a wallop in a small package, so you can unplug it and stow it in your bedside drawer at night or take it to the backyard for some alfresco binge-watching. With built-in speakers and baked-in streaming services, you just have to bring the popcorn and the WiFi.

This is what's known as a "short throw" projector, meaning you only need to set it up a few inches from the wall instead of across the room to get a giant image—in this case, one with 4K UHD resolution. (Translation: Celebrities have pores, too.) How does it do that? Lasers. It also has two built-in speakers and auto-adjusting features, so you can fire it up without having to tweak the angles or the focus.

Krista Jones is the Senior Commerce Editor at Esquire, covering lifestyle, fashion, home, tech, and travel.

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