The first time I used a portable monitor on a hotel desk, I didn't quite believe how much it changed the working day. Spreadsheet on one screen, video call on another, no constant alt-tabbing. The productivity gain isn't theoretical — it's immediate, and it's the reason consultants and travelling professionals have quietly made portable monitors part of their standard kit since 2023.
For frequent-travel professionals — consultants, sales, engineers, anyone whose laptop is their primary office — the £230 ASUS ZenScreen does the job for most situations. The £400-plus alternatives offer real but marginal improvements that mostly don't justify the price difference for typical hotel-desk and coffee-shop work.
We tested three for two months with three consultants who travel 50%-plus of working days: ASUS ZenScreen MB16AHP, LG Gram +view, and Mobile Pixels Trio.
How to pick
Most UK travel pros: ASUS ZenScreen MB16AHP at £200-£280.
Premium build / specific quality: LG Gram +view at £350-£450.
Want dual-screen attached to laptop: Mobile Pixels Trio at £300-£500.
For most travelling professionals: ASUS ZenScreen MB16AHP at £230. Best balance of weight, build, and brightness at the price.
The three worth knowing
ASUS ZenScreen MB16AHP at £200-£280. Standard portable monitor. 15.6" full HD IPS panel, USB-C powered plus display, 1.0kg, includes folio case that doubles as stand. The default for travelling pros.
LG Gram +view at £350-£450. Premium portable monitor. 16" 2560×1600 IPS panel, lightweight design, premium build. Pairs particularly well with LG Gram laptops.
Mobile Pixels Trio at £300-£500. Different design — a dual-screen setup that physically attaches to your laptop with magnets, expanding to a 3-screen workstation. Right for pros wanting permanent dual-screen attached to laptop rather than a separate device.
How I'd actually pick
Most travelling pros: ASUS ZenScreen MB16AHP. Cheap, light, USB-C single-cable.
Pros with LG Gram laptops: LG Gram +view. The pairing is genuinely useful.
Pros wanting permanent dual-screen attached to laptop: Mobile Pixels Trio. Different category; right for the use case.
What I'd swerve: cheap (£100-£150) portable monitors from unknown brands. Typically dim, slow refresh, fragile — and a portable monitor that breaks at the wrong moment defeats the entire point.
A note on whether you actually need one
Portable monitors earn their place for travelling professionals who actually work on the road two-plus times a month. If you travel four times a year, the £230 sits in a cupboard between trips and the productivity case doesn't pay back. The honest test: how often do you wish you had a second screen at a hotel desk or coffee shop? If the answer is "monthly or more," buy one. If the answer is "I've never noticed," skip it.
Affiliate disclosure: Morningfold has affiliate partnerships with ASUS, LG, and Mobile Pixels. See editorial standards.