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Create your own drive-in experience at home with these genius accessories.

A good outdoor movie projector lets you get that big theater experience anywhere you want. Whether you're projecting onto a patio wall, garage door, or a specialty outdoor movie screen, taking your entertainment outside makes any movie feel like an event. Whether you're watching a classic film with friends, playing the big game during a barbecue, or just watching regular TV in the great outdoors, the options are endless. That’s why we’ve put together a list of our favorite outdoor movie projectors—so you can spend more time entertaining and less time shopping.

While it would be nice to be able to pick one of our recommendations out of a hat, there are a few things you should think about before buying any outdoor movie projector:

First and foremost, think about whether you want your projector to live outdoors full-time or travel between indoors, outdoors, friends' houses, and more. Some projectors require wired power, while others have built-in batteries and wireless connectivity.

Measured in lumens, this is how bright an image your projector can display. If you’ll be projecting in a well-lit area, you need a projector with a high lumen rating. In total darkness, you can get by with far fewer lumens.

Don’t forget about what you’ll be projecting on to. Smaller projectors may be better for tighter spaces, but larger ones are a better fit for huge, movie-like projections.

While many outdoor projectors have built-in speakers, they typically aren’t very powerful. Consider a set of outdoor speakers to level up your outdoor movie experience. If your projector supports Bluetooth, Bluetooth speakers are some of the most portable, convenient options available.

To assemble this list of recommendations, we perform intensive research, reviewing content from expert sources like PC Mag, The Verge, CNET, Tom’s Guide, DigitalTrends, and others, as well as thousands of consumer reviews from online storefronts like Amazon and Walmart. As for the products themselves, we evaluated them on performance, design, build quality, and price.

For more great ways to upgrade your outdoor space, check out our picks for the best projectors, outdoor movie screens, and outdoor speakers.

This projector offers just the right mix of features to be great for almost anyone. At just about 3 pounds, it’s portable and lightweight, and can run on battery or plugged in. It has wide ranging connectivity and uses Android TV for easy access to all the major streaming services. Its picture quality is solid, as well, with 1080p resolution and a large max screen size.

It’s not the brightest option out there, but it has everything else going for it, making it a great do-it-all outdoor projector.

If you use your projector all the time and want best-in-class image quality, the BenQ TK850 is the way to go. Picture quality is stunning, with 4K resolution, great HDR (high-dynamic range), amazing brightness, and very sharp clarity. Unlike most projectors, the built-in speakers here are actually decent, and good enough for smaller gatherings. Simply connect your chosen media via HDMI, and enjoy an incredibly detailed image anywhere you want.

Maybe you're new to projectors, and aren’t quite sure how much enjoyment you’ll get out of one. In that case, we recommend a more entry-level model, like this GooDee YG600, to test the waters. It is far and away the most affordable option on our list, but still provides a great projecting experience.

The GooDee YG600 hits the essentials–native 1080p resolution, HDMI connectivity, built-in speakers, and a large image. Just be sure to use it in dark conditions, as it is not very bright.

Gaming on a projector may sound strange, but with the Optoma GT1080, it can be just as enjoyable as playing on a TV screen. The main selling point of this projector is the fast refresh rate and low response time, two specs that are crucial to enjoying video games. Outside of gaming, this projector is no slouch, with good brightness, picture quality, and excellent throw distance.

The BenQ GS50 is designed for frequent travelers in the great outdoors. It features a portable, durable design that’s not afraid of a little bit of water or a few bumps along the way.

The projection itself is highly adjustable, and auto-focuses quickly. And built-in Android TV means you can enjoy tons of streaming apps without the need for a separate device. All-in-all, the GS50 is easy to pack for any outdoor adventure.

If portability is your top priority, no other projector can match the form factor of the Anker Nebula Capsule II Mini. It weighs 1.5 pounds, and is about the size of a can of soda. Built-in Android TV means you can simply pack the projector without needing any additional devices to connect it to. Battery life, especially considering the size, is solid, although the single 8-watt speaker will only suffice with small groups.

Unlike every other projector on our list, this Epson EF-100 uses laser lighting to project its image. Laser lights have a much longer lifespan when compared to traditional bulb lights. The EF-100’s laser light is rated at 12,000 to 20,000 hours, far longer than our other recommendations.

Outside of the lighting, this projector is pretty standard, with HDMI connectivity, built-in Android TV, and above average brightness. But, in terms of longevity, it’s a top pick.