I know someone who once said that life in a college dorm is considered one of the best days in one’s life. While this may or may not be true, you can always try to make it better. What better way can there be than streaming NetFlix or watching a movie through a projector?
Though realistically, you’d just want to have a place to rest your head when you’re in the dorm. It’s also true that most of the students can’t afford a high-budget projector. Therefore, acquiring a quality projector within a low budget can be a tough task.
Though there aren’t many things to keep a note of, you’ll have to keep an eye out for contrast ratio, support resolution, maximum brightness, and a few other things.
With that said, let’s have a look at the best projectors for dorm rooms. We’ve prioritized budget projectors for this list.
1. VANKYO LEISURE 3
Undoubtedly the best projector for a dorm room has to be the VanKyo Leisure 3. Not only is this projector budget-friendly, it also has good specs to back up its performance.
The Vankyo Leisure 3 is powered by the MStar Advanced Color Engine. This engine powers the projector greatly to display accurate and clear images. It also has a 1920×1080 resolution so your pictures will be portrayed perfectly on the big screen.
This projector is great for viewing movies, tv-series, or even hosting video game competitions. With this projector, you can get up to 170” of watching size. It also has a great projection distance of 4.9ft to 16.4ft. However, we recommend a viewing distance of 6.6 ft.
While many projectors are too loud, this is not the case with the Vankyo Leisure 3. This projector has an innovative cooling system. This system reduces the fan noise greatly. It contains heat too. This projector also supports a phone connection. However, you need separate adapters – these are sold separately.
Overall, the Vankyo Leisure 3 is one of the best projectors for dorms at the moment. It provides a perfect balance of price and features.
Pros
- The MStar Advanced Color Engine powers the projector greatly to display accurate and clear images.
- The 1920×1080 resolution ensures pictures are displayed perfectly.
- Up to 170” of watching size.
- A great projection distance of 4.9ft to 16.4ft
- The innovative cooling system reduces the fan noise, as well as contains the heat.
- It supports a phone connection.
Cons
- The adapters for phone connections are sold separately.
2. APEMAN LC350
Coming in at a close second, we have the Apeman LC350. This is another projector that you’d love. This projector is not just budget-friendly, it’s also full of performance and useful features.
Let’s start with the performance section. This projector is quite bright at 4500 lumens. The contrast ratio of 2000:1 is great too. This projector displays very clear pictures with a 1080P Full HD resolution.
It also has a large display size of 180 inches. The projection distance on the other hand isn’t very long as it’s just between 5 to 8 ft. It also comes with an efficient cooling system that reduces the fan noise by a flat 50%. Meanwhile, the built-in dual speakers ensure loud and clear sounds.
This projector is quite portable thanks to its build quality and low body weight. It also has HDMI, VGA, USB, Micro SD, RCA AV interfaces. Finally, it has a splendid lamp life of 55,000 hours.
The only bit of complaint we have is that occasionally it gets overheated after using it for a few moments. Other than that there isn’t anything to talk about. This is a beastly projector and you should pick it up for your dorm room.
Pros
- At 4500 lumens, the projector is quite bright.
- The 1080P Full HD resolution provides the clearest picture quality.
- The built-in dual speakers ensure loud and clear sounds.
- The efficient cooling system reduces the fan noise by a flat 50%.
- Splendid lamp life of 55,000 hours.
Cons
- It occasionally overheats after excessive usage.
3. GooDee Mini Projector
Yes, this is a budget-friendly list. But we also included a budget option. Sounds confusing? Let’s skip to the point. The GooDee Mini projector is the cheapest quality projector you can get at the moment!
The first thing you’ll notice about this projector is its small size. It has a 5.3*3.9* 2.36-inch size and about .60 lbs weight. This makes it easily portable. You can compare it with most 6.5 inch smartphones. The connection interfaces are quite a handful. It includes HDMI, USB, Micro SD card, audio, and AV interface.
Performance-wise, you won’t be disappointed because it comes with a full-HD resolution. It can project up to 60 inches and at a distance of 2 meters. The lamp life is quite big too thanks to its 30,000-hour life.
While most projectors are somewhat painful to set up, these projectors have none of that problem. Just plug and play and you’re good to go. Finally, they offer up to 18 months of post-sell service where you can ask for a refund or replacement!
But as it’s a very low-budget projector, the build quality isn’t that great. You might have to repair it frequently unless you handle it with care. But regardless, it’s one of the cheapest projectors at the moment. It also provides value for its price!
Pros
- The small size and weight make it very portable.
- A lot of mainstream connection interfaces.
- The full-HD resolution makes watching pictures a treat.
- It can project up to 60 inches and at a distance of 2 meters.
- A decent 30,000-hour lamp life.
- Up to 18 months after-sell service.
Cons
- Build quality isn’t that great.
4. DBPOWER L21
Want to spend a bit more? We got you covered. The DB power L21 is one of the best low budget projectors you could opt for. With its performance and features, it will surely win you over.
Let’s start by mentioning the performance of this projector. You’d be delighted to know that it’s one of the better-performing projectors thanks to its massive 6000 Lux brightness. It also has a 3000:1 contrast ratio alongside full HD resolution.
It can display images up to 200ft! Though you won’t use it at that height anyway, it’s nice knowing it is capable of such a feature. The projection distance can go up to 5 meters. It’s very easy to use too with the keystone and focus correction.
This projector comes with a built-in quality speaker that you won’t need any external speakers for it. It also comes with a powerful cooling system that doesn’t make too much noise. Finally, it also has a massive 50,000-hour lamp life.
Though the HDMI adapter isn’t added with the projector, it still provides great value for its price. Pick it up without any doubt.
Pros
- This projector has a massive 6000 Lux brightness.
- The 3000:1 contrast ratio alongside full HD resolution ensures excellent picture quality.
- It can display images up to 200ft.
- It’s very easy to use with the keystone and focus correction.
- The built-in speakers are very powerful.
- A massive 50,000-hour lamp life.
Cons
- The HDMI adapter isn’t included with the projector.
5. DR. J Professional HI-04
For the final one, we have the DR.J Professional HI-04 projector. This projector provides all the performance one might need yet it manages to keep the price somewhat low.
For starters, this projector comes with a 100” projector screen. Off the bat, you’ll be getting more than you bargained for. It supports a full HD 1920X1080p quality. Both aspect and contrast ratio is standard too as they are 4:3/16:9, and: 2000:1 respectively. This projector can display up to 176 ft.
You can use this projector with just about anything. The compatibility ranges from Laptops and PCs to USB flash drives and media players. On top of all this, the lamp lifetime of 40,000 hours is great too.
However, they don’t recommend using this projector for any kind of presentation as that wouldn’t be an ideal scenario. Aside from that, this is one of the best projectors for dorms at the moment. Don’t think twice about going for this projector!
Pros
- This projector comes with a 100” projector screen.
- It supports a full HD 1920X1080p quality
- Standard aspect and contrast ratio of 4:3/16:9, and: 2000:1 respectively.
- Ability to display up to 176 ft at once.
- The compatibility ranges from Laptops and PCs to USB flash drives and media players.
- A massive lamp lifetime of 40,000 hours.
Cons
- Not recommended for use during presentations.
Wrapping Up
Overall, these are some of the best projectors you can buy at the moment. All of them are budget-friendly and won’t break your wallet.
In our opinion, the VANKYO LEISURE 3 is by far the best projector for dorms. It’s full of features and has a reasonable price. We recommend this one if you’re looking for the most value out of your purchase!