Laser 14" Portable Monitor - Work from Anywhere

So we all worked from home.

We really got into it. Set up an office with all the toys... Proper desk. Decent camera and mic. Dual monitors of course.

But then we went back to work.

And for some of us, that meant we were out on the road again, suddenly squashed back into working on a laptop.

Man, I missed that extra screen though.

Turns out, I didn't have to.

The Laser 14" USB-C Full HD Portable Monitor solved all my out-and-about FOMO issues - and a few other problems I didn't even know I had.

The first thing that struck me about this Laser display was how light it is - just 560 grams. In fact, it's so light, when my review unit arrived at the office I assumed it was something else. Surely a 14-inch monitor couldn't be in a package as compact and as light as this.

But I opened the box and sure enough, there was my 1920 x 1200 Full HD IPS panel, complete with USB-C to USB-C cable and an HDMI-to-miniHDMI lead as well. Like all the other Laser products I've reviewed, the included cables are very high quality. This is important, because you can't just connect with any old cord to get the best out of this device - but I'll get to that shortly.

There's no denying there's a very plasticky feel to this particular screen - there's no mistaking it for some kind of steel and glass gaming monitor or even a small TV - but I see that as a plus, not a drawback. Plastic is light. What's more, the Laser monitor is also very slim, so it certainly lives up to its "portable" designation. I've just been sliding it easily into my laptop case, right in with my notebook. I don't even notice I'm carrying it around with me.

It certainly helps that most things you plug it into will power it as well, so you'll only need that single USB-C to USB-C cable. Now, this is where I need to point out - again - that not all USB cords are created equal. Only certain types are capable of delivering both power and video data at the same time. Obviously, the cable included here does just that, powering on the display the instant I plug it into my laptop or more surprisingly, my iPhone.

There are two USB-C slots on the side of the monitor, and when I got the idea to use it to display my daily Apple Fitness workouts, I was expecting to have to power it with a standard USB-C wall charger, while my iPhone would use the other USB-C port for the video feed. Instead, being able to power the screen from my phone simultaneously was a pleasant surprise.

As robust and high-spec as that USB-C cable is, there is one modification I wish Laser had made. When I have the monitor set up next to my laptop, I like to have both screens as close to each other as possible, so I can scroll my mouse from one to the other as seamlessly as I can. Unfortunately, because the USB-C plug and cable has to stick out several centimetres from the left-hand side, it means a bigger gap than I would like if I set it up to the right of my computer, or a lot of cable going in the wrong direction if I have the screen sitting to the left.

Laser could solve this easily with a cable with a right-angled or even a U-shaped plug on one end - then I could tuck the lead tidily behind the screen, out of sight. No matter; I've already ordered a USB 4.0 U-shaped adapter to solve this issue myself.

Then there's the HDMI option - or more specifically, HDMI to miniHDMI. Not only is this a great choice if your laptop has an HDMI slot, leaving any USB-C ports free for other accessories, gaming consoles and streaming sticks are easily connected this way too.

Obviously, you'll still need to power the screen via USB but now you literally have a smart TV you can carry around in a backpack.

To this end, I've been suprised at the picture quality. Frustratingly, the monitor brightness setting always seems to default back to 30% when not connected, but it's easy enough to bump that up using the controls on the left side and I've found the colour, brightness and contrast match the ISP display on my laptop very well. I wasn't expecting particularly great viewing angles from a screen like this either - but it performs much better in this department too, which again, is handy during my workouts where some exercises are standing up, while others are down on the floor.

There are even built-in speakers. Not good ones - but better than nothing at all, in a pinch. Luckily, there's also a 3.5mm AUX-out socket on the left side too, so it's easy enough to plug in some headphones or external speakers if you feel the need to boost the audio.

The pull-out kickstand on the back of the device folds completely flat into the rear panel when not in use. And if you love the Laser monitor so much you want to connect it more permanently, there are a couple of screwholes for universal VESA mounting as well.

But for me, that kind of defeats the purpose of this very simple, yet very well thought-out device. It's super slim, ultra light and will run off most laptops with a single cable. This means that multi-screen setup you got so used to in your WFH office can now be replicated easily when you're out and about. Dual screen productivity no longer has to be sacrificed for portability and best of all, you get a very handy second screen for a pretty tidy price.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Laser 14" USB-C Full HD Portable Monitor.