The best portable TVs offer endless entertainment and companionship on long car/plane rides, camping trips, and other places where a charging outlet is not available. Our evaluation focused on size, the number of input options, charging options, run time, and signal quality. We also looked into auxiliary features such as fold-out stands, other mounting accessories, and the ability to use them internationally. With any of these options, you will be able to fill even the best TV mounts.
After more than 14 hours of research, our top pick goes to the Tyler TTV705-14 14″ Portable TV. It has the biggest screen size on our list (14 inches) and leading 4-hour battery life, along with a healthy signal range and crisp sound and audio quality. Keep reading to learn more about the Tyler TTV705-14 14″ Portable TV and five others that made the cut. To help you make a great choice, we will highlight key qualities that make them the best TVs on the market.
Top 6 Best Portable TV
#1 Tyler TTV705-14 14″ Portable TV
Award: Top Pick
WHY WE LIKE IT: This portable TV provides up to 4 hours of battery life and a large 14-inch screen. It is an excellent choice if you consume media from multiple devices, including gaming consoles, streaming sticks, or SD cards.
- Best battery life
- 4-hour battery life
- Great signal reception
- Screen scratches easily
- So-so 1 year warranty
- Bulky (almost 5 pounds)
Thanks to this Tyler portable TV’s built-in antenna, it connects to broadcasts within a 15-mile range. It also has built-in ATSC and NTSC digital tuners, which receive analog and digital signals. This portable television also comes with a fully functional remote control. This LCD TV is small and compact without compromising on features. While researching, the picture quality was really sharp, and its sensitive tuner really dialed into signals well, revealing crisp images with little distortion. It even includes an FM radio.
Related: Here are the best places to buy a TV.
We like this portable TV’s multiple input options (USB, HDMI, headphone jacks, SD), which are compatible with many peripherals, including gaming systems and streaming TV devices such as Roku and Amazon Fire Stick. This allows instant access to thousands of movies and TV episodes with a decent WiFi or 4G connection. We love this for long flights (assuming you have a portable battery). It would be nice if this portable television had a detachable antenna, though, like with our #2 pick, the Milanix portable widescreen LCD TV.
#2 Milanix MX7 7″ Portable TV
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Award: Honorable Mention
WHY WE LIKE IT: This is the best portable TV for camping, featuring a small 7-inch screen and an up to 90-minute run time. It is an excellent choice for anyone looking to watch TV outdoors.
- Best budget
- Very lightweight
- ETL-certified
- So-so battery life
- May be too small for some people
We love this portable TV’s LCD screen with clear, high-resolution images that really pop. Two built-in antennas also help amplify signals, and an external antenna boosts the signal, which was good enough for receiving 33 channels in a densely populated suburb. Plus, it weighs less than 3 pounds, making it comfortable to hold in your lap on long car rides. This portable widescreen LCD TV comes with detachable antennas, USB/SD card slot, AV inputs, and a built-in digital tuner. The detachable antennas on this portable widescreen LCD TV allow viewing of channels without having to stream.
Though this portable TV uses a built-in lithium-ion battery, it only runs up to 90 minutes. However, it can be plugged in using your car’s charger to run indefinitely. Bonus points for its ETL certification by Electrical Testing Laboratories, an organization that sets product safety standards. Another portable television is the 7 in. SuperSonic SC-499 Portable widescreen LCD TV with built-in Digital Tuner on Amazon.com. It has a rechargeable battery and also comes with a USB port plus AC/DC adapter and MMC inputs, an earphone jack, a built-in speaker, and a full-function remote control, but this portable digital TV does not include a built-in DVD player, unfortunately. It is still one of the best portable TVs on the market today. Also, the best TV antenna will help your local channels look amazing.
#3 Leadstar 10 Inch Portable TV
Award: Lightest Weight
WHY WE LIKE IT: This is the best portable TV for cars, featuring a mini antenna, windscreen car mount, and a car charger. It is a great choice for road trippers.
- Best for car
- Very lightweight (1.7 pounds)
- Great customer service
- Remove control not intuitive
We like this portable TV’s built-in antenna and signal reception, with 17 channels discovered during the scanning process. Sound and picture quality is also solid, producing clear images with balanced tones and a lack of muffling or distortion. This portable digital TV has an FM function and comes with an antenna, remote control, and a windscreen car mount holder. This is a 10.1″ digital LED TV with a 16:9 screen ratio and with 1024×600 SD resolution.
While watching programs, the run time was approximately 3 hours from a 100% charge. We appreciate the long run time without having to constantly reach a wall or AC outlet to recharge. This is also the best portable TV for gaming, with connections to input your Nintendo Switch and other handhelds, along with SD card, HDMI, and USB thumb drive inputs for image and video playback. It would be nice if this LED TV had a detachable antenna, though, like with the Milanix portable widescreen LCD TV.
#4 Tyler 13.3” Portable TV
Award: Best Speakers
WHY WE LIKE IT: This portable TV comes with two great-sounding built-in stereo speakers and a gorgeous 13.3-inch LCD display. It is a great choice for anyone who wants a great-sounding portable TV.
- Large display
- Easy-to-use interface
- Awkward remote control button placement
- Flimsy tilting stand
This portable TV can support multiple media types, such as A/V, USB, and micro SD. This allows for playback of image and video files, as well as streaming devices like the Amazon Fire Stick. Bonus points for its built-in rechargeable 3.7V lithium battery, good enough for up to 3 hours of playing time. This portable digital TV features a 13.3-inch LED hi-res display with 1080p resolution, a 16:9 aspect ratio.
We were really impressed with this portable TV’s built-in stereo speakers, which really hit the right notes. An attachable antenna also picks up signals and provides clear reception, with 12 local stations discovered while researching. It may not be the best 70-inch tv, but it is a great portable television, one of the best portable TVs on the market.
#5 GJY NS-901 10.1 Inch Portable TV
Award: Best Reception
WHY WE LIKE IT: This 10.1-inch portable TV comes with an antenna and lasts up to 3 hours on a full charge. With built-in NTSC and ATSC tuners, it is a great choice if you want to view digital or analog broadcasts.
- Includes HDTV antenna
- SD and USB-drive compatible
- Great picture quality
- Wobbly stand
- Instructions are not clearly written
- Odd button placement on remote
We enjoy this portable TV’s antennas. While researching, it was able to pick up 24 channels in a low-density Florida suburb. This is a 10.6-inch LCD display with a 720p resolution. Input options also include a USB, HDMI, and Micro SD card reader, compatible with many streaming TV devices and audio/video playback. Unfortunately, it does not support DVD playback nor include a built-in DVD player. This portable digital TV does support HD video with MP3/MP4/JPEG/DIVX/AVI/MPG/VOB formats. Bonus points for a 3-hour charge, which makes it a good choice for an afternoon picnic. This portable TV comes with a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, two chargers, a car charger, and AC/DC adapter.
Inserting SD cards and USB drives resulted in near-instantaneous feedback. All of our favorite episodes and media files played back nicely, looking crisp on a 16:9 screen. Though audio and video quality is excellent, it does not include an FM radio, unlike our #1 pick Tyler TTV705-14 14″ Portable TV. At least you won’t need the best TV wall mount for this unit.
#6 Eboxer 10-inch Portable TV
Award: Best International
WHY WE LIKE IT: This digital portable TV features a 10-inch screen with a built-in ATSC tuner for international playback and a foldable stand.. It is a great choice for frequent travelers.
- 1080P video quality
- Supports a wide variety of digital codecs
- Loud speakers
- Lightly written instructions
- Does not support analog TV
Our favorite feature is this portable TV’s ability to pick up signals in more than five countries, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. It’s a great choice if you are a frequent traveler to these locations. Note that this portable TV is set to the ATSC standard, which only supports digital broadcasts. We also like the fact it supports USB, HDMI, and 1080p video in more than 6 different media formats, including MP3 and MOV. It also includes 2 built-in speakers that deliver HD sound. The 1080p resolution and 16:9 ratio give a great picture.
Thanks to a foldable back holder, this portable TV can easily sit on a makeup stand, desktop, or kitchen counter. It also holds both HDMI and USB ports, making it compatible with the Amazon Fire Stick, Roku, and other streaming devices. It can even be connected to a cable box.
How We Decided
In determining the best portable TV to buy, we explored size, the number of input options, image/sound quality, power options, and recharging times.
Our minimum recommended size is 7 inches (see our #2 pick Milanix MX7), which offers a good TV-watching experience when placed atop airplane seatback trays or laps.
The number of input options allows users to playback media from different devices (e.g., USB for Amazon Fire Stick and an SD drive for high res photos), with or without an internet connection.
Power options are very important. All of our picks can be charged using a standard wall outlet or car charger, keeping it on indefinitely when plugged in. Built-in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries help save tremendously on batteries, which offer average run times of 2 to 3 hours once fully charged.
Best Portable TV Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Size and Weight
Remember these points as you read through our many portable TV reviews. Go for a portable TV with a minimum size of 7 inches, which we feel provides adequate viewing, even when seated up to 3 feet away. We also like lightweight TVs, like the 1.76-pound Leadstar and the 2.1-pound Milanix, which are a pleasure to let sit or hold on the lap. If you want to move your TV from room to room, like in a school, you can make the task easier by placing the TV on the best mobile TV stand.
- Number of Input Options
All of our recommended picks have several input options, including USB, SD, and HDMI. This allows users to play different media types from popular devices like Roku or a standard flash stick with saved photos and videos. While camping, this is an excellent playback option if you need a larger screen than your phone. Consider portable TVs that connect to streaming sticks as a portable smart TV. Of course, most portable units are also 1080p TVs, including some high-end TV monitors. - Power Options
Our recommended picks use standard wall outlets and car charging. But, for stronger TVs like HD and Full HD, you’ll need a little more power to keep them running. If you’re looking to get the best image quality, then connecting an HDMI cable is the way to go. - Run Time
Our favorite portable TV delivers continuous playback of up to 3 hours using built-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. If your portable TV runs out of battery in the middle of your road trip, bring along something like the best portable DVD player for cars so you stay entertained during the whole trip.
