My new favorite travel accessory gives me an extra screen to work and play on

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Plugable’s 15.6-inch portable monitor is available now on Amazon for $179, with a 10% off Prime Exclusive discount.
• It’s an ultraportable second display for your laptop that requires a single USB-C cable for power and connection.
• It caps out at 300 nits brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate, and the matte display catches some glare. 

Plugable, the maker of clever connectivity gadgets like this dual HDMI adapter and this Thunderbolt docking station, has released a 15-inch portable monitor that gives you an extra display for your laptop while you’re on the go. 

Also: These 6 new travel gadgets announced at IFA are must-haves for any jet setter

If you’re anything like me, you’re used to having (at least) two monitors to work with. If you’re traveling with a laptop, switching back to a single display can be a jarring adjustment.

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That’s where portable monitors come in. There are quite a few on the market, but their technology and portability continue to improve, resulting in thoughtful products like Plugable’s 15.6-inch USB-C portable monitor. This is a device that’s designed to travel, with a folio-like cover that both protects the screen and folds back to prop up the monitor when in use.

Even better is the fact that it only weighs 1.8 lbs (840 grams) and is thin enough to slide into a backpack or lay flat on top of your laptop. This is what turns this device from a cool idea into a logistically practical tool. All you need is a single USB-C cable to connect to your laptop, and you’re in business: the pass-through from the cable powers the monitor. 

You can also power the device by hooking it up to any power block with a USB-C cable if you don’t want to leech too much power from your laptop.

The display itself is sufficient. It’s not going to win any awards in terms of brightness, as it caps out around 300 nits, but it’s good enough for a portable device with productivity in mind. As far as the resolution goes, it features a 1920×1080 Full HD IPS display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a matte screen that looks great in low light but catches some glare in brighter environments.

If you’re using a laptop with a particularly impressive, bright OLED screen, this display will contrast significantly, so I recommend using the laptop’s display for things like video or photo editing, while assigning programming apps, Slack, or email to the portable display.

Also: I went hands-on with Lenovo’s auto-swiveling laptop at IFA 2024, and it’s quite the spectacle

The side of the device features physical buttons to increase or decrease the brightness, and three ports: one upstream and two downstream 10Gbps USB-C for 85W pass-through charging, allowing it to act as a hub for connecting peripherals while keeping the laptop charged.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Carrying a second screen for your laptop need not be an expensive or inconvenient luxury. Plugable’s 15.6-inch USB-C portable monitor only costs $179, and is diminutive enough to add a minimum amount of weight to your backpack. The folio cover provides sufficient protection and portability, and the pass-through USB-C power eliminates the need for specialized cables or a separate power supply.

The monitor itself isn’t the brightest or the most impressive, but for the price, it’s well worth the added convenience it contributes to working remotely.