Back to school season is nearly upon us, which means that now is an excellent time to start looking for tech deals for your favorite student(s). One category that parents might not often think about is portable monitors , but they can be highly beneficial to students, especially as they start moving into middle and high school. Portable monitors enable students, who often rely on laptops for school work, to expand their workspace, which can be particularly useful when researching and writing reports.
Luckily, there are plenty of deals to be found on some great portable monitors out there. And best of all, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to find a great monitor – many can be had for under $100, making for an easy buying decision.
Arzopa A1
The Arzopa A1 is a prime example of excellent bang for your buck, with a sales price of just $63.17, a 40 percent discount off its MSRP. For that price, you get a large 15.6-inch IPS panel with a 1080p resolution. It has a high-quality feel to its construction, thanks to an aluminum chassis that is finished in black.
The monitor features two USB-C ports and one mini-HDMI port for connectivity, and can connect to a laptop via just one USB-C to USB-C cable (included) if it supports DisplayPort Alt Mode. If you need to connect via HDMI, Arzopa also includes a USB-C to USB-A for power and a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable in the box.
The A1 is just average regarding color performance, falling about mid-pack. The same can be said for its brightness performance (228 nits), but for a secondary monitor that won’t be used for color-critical work, it’s a fine value proposition for your students.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Feelworld DH101
If you want something a bit smaller and can more easily slip into the bag, look at the Feelworld DH101 . It features a 10.1-inch IPS panel, a size class that we don’t often see for portable monitors. The drop in the diagonal measurement also means that the resolution drops to 1290 x 800 instead of the 1920 x 1080 resolution we usually see in larger panels.
One of our favorite features of the DH101 is its beefy kickstand, which folds flat against the panel when not in use, or swings out to your preferred viewing angle. Rubber feet on the bottom of the monitor and the kickstand ensure that it won’t slide around on a desk. All the connections (2x USB-C, mini-HDMI, 3.5mm audio) are included on the kickstand, as are the OSD controls.
Despite its small stature, the DH101 punches above its weight class with respectable color performance (77.7 percent coverage of DCI-P3, and 101.6 percent of sRGB), while brightness is remarkably high at 351.2 nits.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
With a price tag of $129.99, the Feelworld DH101 remains affordable for a portable monitor. And with its easy-to-transport footprint and bonus touch screen capability, it’s a solid choice.
Arzopa Z1FC
“All work makes Jack a dull boy.” With that in mind, it’s good to look at a portable monitor that excels not only at the productivity tasks required by a student, but also at gaming. Gaming is a popular leisure activity for kids, and the Arzopa Z1FC delivers a big 16.1-inch IPS panel with a 1080p resolution. Best of all, it features a 144 Hz refresh rate and HDR support.
The Arzopa is equally adept at gaming and productivity tasks thanks to its 16.1-inch panel size and 144Hz refresh rate. It can also be had for under $100.
The Z1FC has two USB-C ports and a mini-HDMI port for connectivity, and it features a slim kickstand for propping up the monitor. It also covers 106 percent of the sRGB color gamut. Best of all, the Z1FC is on sale for just $96.99, or 25 percent off its usual asking price.
Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.
