Best overall under £300: Anker Nebula Capsule II (£250-280) - portable, built-in Android TV, decent brightness (200 ANSI lumens).
Best value under £200: XGIMI MoGo 2 (£180-220) - excellent picture quality, good speakers, compact design.
Best under £150: Vankyo Performance V630 (£120-150) - bright (6500 lumens rated), large screen capable, basic but reliable.
Best for D&D/gaming: XGIMI MoGo 2 or Nebula Capsule II (low input lag, good contrast for battle maps).
Finding a decent mini projector on a budget can feel overwhelming. The UK market is flooded with cheap projectors making wild claims (20,000 lumens for £80? Not happening), while premium brands like XGIMI and Nebula sit at £400+.
The sweet spot for budget-conscious buyers is £150-£300. In this range, you can find genuinely good projectors with bright-enough images, decent speakers, and smart features—without the buyer's remorse of ultra-cheap Amazon projectors.
This guide covers the best budget mini projectors available in the UK in 2026, tested for real-world use cases: bedroom ambience, fake window projection, home cinema, and D&D battle maps.
At this price point, expect basic 720p resolution, inflated lumen claims (divide by 10 for real brightness), and minimal smart features. Best for dark rooms and casual use. Look for: LED bulbs (long lifespan), HDMI input, at least 3000 "rated" lumens.
Best for: D&D battle maps, bedroom ambience in dark rooms, testing if projection is for you before upgrading.
This is where quality jumps significantly. You'll find 1080p native resolution, 150-200 real lumens (usable in dim rooms), auto-focus, and some smart features. Brands like XGIMI and Vankyo offer excellent value here.
Best for: Serious home cinema, window projection, gaming, daily use.
Approaching mid-range territory. Expect Android TV built-in, excellent speakers, 200+ lumens, auto keystone correction, and portable battery power. These compete with £400+ models from 2-3 years ago.
Best for: Anyone who wants "good enough" without spending £500+ on flagship models.
Best overall budget pick. This soda-can-sized projector punches well above its weight. Native 720p (DLP), 200 ANSI lumens (actual), Android TV 9.0 built-in, and surprisingly good 360° speakers. Battery lasts 2.5 hours.
Best use: Bedroom ambience, travel, garden cinema, anywhere you want grab-and-go convenience.
Best value under £250. XGIMI's budget entry offers 1080p native resolution, Android TV 11, Harman Kardon speakers, and XGIMI's excellent auto-setup (auto-focus, keystone, screen fit). Only 400 ISO lumens, so needs a dim room, but picture quality is outstanding for the price.
Best use: Bedroom cinema, D&D battle maps, living room ambience (evenings with lights off).
Best entry-level projector. No smart features, no auto-focus, but 1080p native, genuinely bright (real 300+ lumens), and built like a tank. Manual keystone correction works fine. Excellent starter projector or dedicated D&D rig.
Best use: D&D projector (fixed setup), budget home cinema, anyone comfortable with external streaming devices.
Best for window projection. 1080p, 400 ANSI lumens (brighter than MoGo 2), Android TV, and a built-in kickstand. Designed for wall projection, making it ideal for fake window setups. No battery, but brighter and sharper than Capsule II.
Best use: Fixed window projection, bedroom TV replacement, living room cinema.
Best budget smart projector. Lesser-known brand, but 1080p native, Android TV 9.0, 400 lumens (claimed), and aggressive pricing. Picture quality is slightly softer than XGIMI/Nebula, but at £50-70 less, it's a steal for smart features.
Best use: Anyone who wants smart features on a tight budget and doesn't mind slightly lower quality.
| Model | Price (UK) | Resolution | Brightness | Smart Features | Battery | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker Nebula Capsule II | £250-£280 | 720p | 200 ANSI | Android TV | Yes (2.5h) | Portability |
| XGIMI MoGo 2 | £180-£220 | 1080p | 400 ISO | Android TV 11 | No | Picture quality |
| Vankyo V630 | £120-£150 | 1080p | 300+ lumens | None | No | Entry-level |
| Nebula Solar Portable | £200-£230 | 1080p | 400 ANSI | Android TV | No | Window projection |
| Emotn N1 | £140-£180 | 1080p | 400 claimed | Android TV | No | Budget smart |
Budget projectors lie about brightness. A £100 projector claiming "20,000 lumens" has maybe 50-100 real lumens. Look for:
Many cheap projectors claim "supports 1080p" but have native 480p or 720p resolution. Native resolution = what the projector actually displays. Always check native resolution, not "supported" resolution.
Do you need Android TV built-in? Not necessarily. A £120 "dumb" projector + £30 Fire Stick = same functionality as a £200 smart projector, often with better performance.
Get smart features if: You want one remote, minimal cables, and convenience.
Skip smart features if: You already own a Fire Stick/Chromecast/console, or want to save £50-80.
Portable projectors with batteries (like Nebula Capsule) are convenient but sacrifice brightness for size. If your projector will stay in one room, a larger, brighter, non-portable model offers better value.
Most budget projectors have weak speakers. XGIMI (Harman Kardon) and Anker (Nebula) are exceptions with genuinely good sound. Otherwise, budget for external speakers or soundbar.
Winner: Anker Nebula Solar Portable (£200-230)
Why: 1080p, 400 lumens (bright enough for evening use), built-in kickstand for easy wall mounting, Android TV for YouTube ambience playlists. Fixed setup means no battery needed.
Alternative: XGIMI MoGo 2 if you want better picture quality and can handle dimmer brightness.
Winner: Vankyo V630 (£120-150) or XGIMI MoGo 2 (£180-220)
Why: D&D projectors need brightness (battle maps have detail) and decent contrast. Vankyo wins on price and brightness. XGIMI wins on picture quality and auto-setup (huge time-saver for weekly games).
Pro tip: Use our throw distance calculator to mount your projector perfectly above your table.
Winner: XGIMI MoGo 2 (£180-220)
Why: 1080p native, excellent picture quality, Android TV for streaming, Harman Kardon speakers good enough to skip external audio. Only works in dark rooms, but that's fine for movie nights.
Alternative: Nebula Capsule II if you also want to use it in the garden/other rooms.
Winner: Emotn N1 (£140-180) or Vankyo V630 (£120-150)
Why: Kids will bump/knock projectors. Go cheap and bright. Emotn offers smart features for YouTube Kids. Vankyo is bright enough to work with some lights on (important for younger kids who don't like full darkness).
Winner: Anker Nebula Capsule II (£250-280)
Why: Built-in battery, tiny size, grab-and-go convenience. Worth the premium if portability matters.
If a projector costs £80 and claims "20,000 lumens," it's lying. Real cinema projectors with 10,000+ lumens cost £10,000+. For budget projectors, look for ANSI lumen ratings or trust brands (XGIMI, Anker, BenQ, Epson).
Budget projectors often have poor contrast (blacks look grey). Test with dark movie scenes (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones). DLP projectors (XGIMI, Nebula) have better contrast than cheap LCD projectors.
Most mini projectors need 2-3 metres for a 100" image. Measure your room first! Use our throw distance calculator to check if a projector fits your space.
If your projector has weak speakers (most do), pair it with a £30 Bluetooth speaker or soundbar. Massive improvement for £30.
Budget projectors work on white walls, but a £20 projector screen improves picture quality dramatically. You don't need a £200 screen—a basic white screen or blackout fabric works great.
Yes, if you know what to check. Projector bulbs have lifespans (3,000-10,000 hours). Ask seller for bulb hours used. LED projectors (most modern minis) don't have replaceable bulbs, so buying used is riskier.
Best used buys: Older XGIMI models (Halo, Elfin), Anker Nebula Mars, BenQ GV1/GV30. Check eBay, Facebook Marketplace, CEX.
For ambient lighting only, sunset lamps (£20-40) or smart LED strips (£30-60) are cheaper. But projectors offer dynamic video content (fireplace, aquarium, nature scenes) that static lights can't match.
Read our full comparison: Projector vs Sunset Lamp vs LED Strips
At £300, you can buy a decent 43" TV or a budget projector with 100"+ image. TVs win on brightness and reliability. Projectors win on size, portability, and ambience flexibility.
Read our full comparison: Mini Projector vs TV
If you can stretch to £250-280: Get the Anker Nebula Capsule II. Portable, smart, reliable, and genuinely good for everyday use.
If you want the best value under £250: Get the XGIMI MoGo 2 (£180-220). Best picture quality in this price range, excellent auto-setup, perfect for bedroom cinema or D&D.
If you're on a tight budget (under £150): Get the Vankyo V630 (£120-150). No frills, but bright, 1080p, and reliable. Add a Fire Stick for smart features.
If you need window projection specifically: Get the Anker Nebula Solar Portable (£200-230). Brighter than MoGo 2, built-in kickstand, designed for wall use.
Any of these projectors will deliver a genuinely good experience. The key is matching your use case and room conditions to the right model.
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