Best Short Throw Projectors (2026)

What are the best short throw projectors in 2026?

Summary

This revision moves the top pick from the Hisense PX3-PRO to the AWOL Vision Aetherion Max, because the reviews moved. What Hi-Fi's five-star review of the Aetherion Max says it has "sneaked right to the top of our current UST projector chart" [src9]. RTINGS replaced the PX3-PRO as its best ultra-short-throw projector with AWOL's Aetherion Pro, the Aetherion Max's dimmer sibling, which it says performs almost identically apart from brightness [src2]. Projector Reviews, testing the PX3-PRO's successor, says the PX3 Pro has been "outclassed and outperformed in so many ways" in under two years [src19]. The PX3-PRO stays on as the value pick: ProjectorCentral still lists it first among USTs, at a $2,498 street price against $3,799 for the Aetherion Max, and TechRadar still names it the best UST for most people [src1, src7].

The change is not about stock: the Amazon listing this card links for the PX3-PRO showed it in stock when we checked on 2026-10-06.

The Hisense PT1 replaces the Formovie Theater, which won ProjectorCentral's 2022 Laser TV Showdown, as the budget pick [src13]. ProjectorCentral gave the PT1 a Highly Recommended award as an excellent value for an RGB-laser UST, and What Hi-Fi four stars as a great-value home theatre performer; both find it best in a dark or light-controlled room [src23, src24]. The AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro is no longer the value pick: RTINGS, whose 2025 test is the most recent independent test of it we found, rated its contrast mediocre and its colours bland [src31]. The single-laser Hisense PL2 is the other low-cost option; What Hi-Fi rates it five stars, but we found no second independent test of it, so it is listed as an alternative [src30].

Two use-case picks are now named. The Hisense L9Q is the brightest projector here — ProjectorCentral measured 5,185 ANSI lumens — and TechRadar, testing it against window light and room lamps, calls its high brightness a big advantage over the competition [src10, src5]. The Valerion VisionMaster Max is RTINGS's best short-throw projector; it is not an ultra-short-throw model, and Engadget puts it about 7.8 to 13 feet from a 120-inch screen [src2, src8]. Hisense's PX3-PRO successor, the PX4-PRO, which went on sale in the US at Hisense's own store, Amazon and Best Buy in July, and AWOL's Aetherion Pro are new to this card as alternatives [src36, src18, src20].

The screen is part of the purchase. In a room with any light, an ultra-short-throw projector needs a UST-specific screen rather than a white wall. The Hook Up's 2023 test of eight 100-inch UST screens ran from $450 for a Wemax lenticular CLR screen to $2,016 for an Elite Screens floor-rising CLR3 screen, and found its Fresnel screen much better within a 45-degree viewing cone but worse off-axis [src14]. Most of these projectors reach 4K by pixel shifting rather than with a native-4K imager: most of the DLP models use a 0.47-inch chip with a native 1080p array, the Samsung Premiere 9 uses a larger 0.66-inch chip, and the Epson LS800's 3LCD panels put half the pixels of full 4K on screen [src13].

Top 15 Models Compared

Brightness shows the maker's rating and, where a reviewer measured it, the measured figure. ANSI and ISO 21118 ratings are similar tests; "peak" lumens are not comparable with either. UST models sit inches from the wall; short-throw models need several feet.

Best for Each Use Case

Best Overall: AWOL Vision Aetherion Max — Check price

What Hi-Fi gave the Aetherion Max five stars for "incredibly punchy but also natural pictures" and puts it at the top of its UST chart, calling it a bargain for what it delivers despite its price [src9]. ProjectorCentral's review, which gave it a Highly Recommended award, measured 3,031 ANSI lumens against a 3,300 ISO rating, on/off contrast from about 9,575:1 to 22,000:1 depending on how its iris and Enhanced Black Level (EBL) system are set, and 3 to 13 ms of input lag, with VRR and ALLM for gaming [src11]. RTINGS rates it an outstanding gaming projector with impressive contrast in dark scenes, though scenes that are mostly bright look flatter and the picture is warm until calibrated [src21]. The caveats, from ProjectorCentral: EBL clips HDR highlights, so its reviewer would leave EBL off and use the iris instead, and it suggests a 120- to 130-inch screen rather than the 200 inches AWOL claims [src11]. It runs Google TV, and its remote has a Netflix button [src11]. RTINGS's own UST pick is the cheaper Aetherion Pro, which it says performs almost identically apart from brightness — the better buy if you do not need the Max's extra light [src2]. The Amazon listing we link showed the Aetherion Max in stock when we checked on 2026-10-06.

Best Value: Hisense PX3-PRO — Check price

ProjectorCentral gave the PX3-PRO its Editor's Choice award and still lists it first among USTs, at a $2,498 street price; it launched at $3,499 [src1, src7]. In ProjectorCentral's tests it measured 2,669 ANSI lumens against a 3,000-lumen rating, native contrast just over 4,000:1, about 94% of BT.2020, and input lag from 7 ms at 1080p/240Hz to 21 ms at 4K/60Hz; its Google TV includes an authorized Netflix app [src16]. TechRadar names it the best UST for most people, and What Hi-Fi's five-star review calls it a great UST for movie fans and gamers alike, with slightly grey blacks and middling audio [src7, src4]. RTINGS finds it bright enough to look punchy with some ambient light, but its input lag at 60Hz and 120Hz disappointing for console gamers and its picture warm until calibrated [src22]. Newer models beat it on black level: Projector Reviews found the Aetherion Pro ahead on black floor, dark-area detail and input lag, with the PX3-PRO the brighter of the two, and calls the PX3 Pro outclassed by its successor, the PX4-PRO [src20, src19]. The Amazon listing we link showed the PX3-PRO in stock when we checked on 2026-10-06.

Best Budget: Hisense PT1 — Check price

ProjectorCentral gave the PT1 a Highly Recommended award, calling it "an excellent value for an ultra-short throw projector with an RGB laser light engine" [src23]. It measured 2,600 ANSI lumens against a 2,500 rating and 2,951:1 contrast; the US model runs Google TV with Netflix, and its 0.2:1 throw ratio puts a 100-inch image 17 inches from the screen [src23]. What Hi-Fi gave it four stars as a great-value home theatre performer with impressive dark-scene contrast, but found it not quite bright enough for light rooms and its brighter modes prone to rainbow effect [src24]. RTINGS also finds remarkable depth in dark scenes, with a blue tint out of the box and sluggish response when gaming at 4K/60Hz [src25]. ProjectorCentral advises a light-controlled room and a screen of 120 inches or less, lists a $1,998 street price, and says gamers may prefer the brighter, faster PX3-PRO [src1, src23]. The Amazon listing we link did not show the PT1 in stock when we checked on 2026-10-06; if you cannot find one, the Hisense PL2 below is the other low-cost UST on this card.

Best for Bright Rooms: Hisense L9Q — Check price

The L9Q is the brightest projector on this card: ProjectorCentral measured 5,185 ANSI lumens against a 5,000 rating and gave it a Highly Recommended award [src10]. TechRadar tested it at home against light from several windows and room lamps and calls its high brightness "a big advantage it has over the competition" [src5]. Its ten Devialet-designed speakers in a 6.2.2 configuration are why TechRadar now names it the best UST for sound quality [src5, src7]. ProjectorCentral measured 3,900:1 contrast, short of the 5,000:1 rating, and saw slight laser speckle; it runs Google TV with an authorized Netflix app, and its 0.18:1 throw ratio puts an 80-inch image 2.2 inches from the wall [src10]. It launched at $5,999, and ProjectorCentral lists a $4,498 street price [src5, src1].

Best for Flexible Placement: Valerion VisionMaster Max — Check price

This is a short-throw projector, not an ultra-short-throw one: it sits several feet from the screen rather than inches from it. RTINGS names it the best short-throw projector, for amazing native contrast, a dynamic contrast mode that is genuinely worth using and fantastic judder handling [src2]. Its motorized 0.90-1.50:1 zoom and ±105% vertical lens shift place and centre the image without tilting the projector, RTINGS found its colours very accurate without calibration, and its rainbow-effect reduction mode makes rainbow flashes essentially invisible to most viewers [src27]. Engadget scored it 86 out of 100 for category-leading image quality; it needs about 7.8 to 13 feet for a 120-inch image, runs Google TV with certified Netflix, and has mediocre built-in sound — and Engadget's reservation is price, saying most buyers would do better with cheaper rivals [src8].

The PX3-PRO's Successor: Hisense PX4-PRO — Check price

Hisense's 2026 UST launched in the US at $3,999 and runs Hisense's VIDAA platform rather than Google TV [src18]. What Hi-Fi gave it five stars as "a huge step forward" for Hisense's UST line, with a sharp, deep image that makes the PX3 look flat by comparison, but no 4K/120Hz gaming, some colour inconsistency and a tendency to rainbow effect; its VIDAA apps include Netflix [src18]. Projector Reviews measured 3,386 lumens against a 3,500 rating, found no detectable fan noise thanks to a new liquid cooling system, and calls it one of the best ultra-short-throw projectors of 2026; against the Aetherion Max it gives the PX4-PRO the edge in overall picture and the AWOL the edge in black floor [src19].

RTINGS's Ultra-Short-Throw Pick: AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro — Check price

RTINGS's best ultra-short-throw projector: outstanding contrast with deep blacks, fantastic judder handling, strong handling of the rainbow effect, very low input lag with 1080p modes up to 240Hz and VRR, and Google TV — but not bright enough to handle glare in a room with ambient light, and too warm out of the box [src2]. Projector Reviews lists a $3,499 MSRP, measured 2,901 lumens with its brightness boost on against a 2,600 ISO rating, and calls it one of the best UST projectors on its test bench this year [src20]. Against the PX3-PRO, Projector Reviews found the Aetherion Pro ahead on black floor, dark-area detail and input lag (1 ms at 1080p/240Hz against 7 ms), and the Hisense brighter and louder [src20].

Bright Rooms Without Rainbow Effect: Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800 — Check price

The LS800 uses three LCD panels instead of a DLP chip, so RTINGS saw no rainbow effect, and it rates the projector very bright — usable with some lamps or daylight in the room [src26]. ProjectorCentral measured 4,084 ANSI lumens against its 4,000 ISO rating and gave it a Highly Recommended award [src17]. TechRadar names it the best UST for sports and says its brightness is enough for daytime viewing without blackout curtains [src7]. Its 0.16:1 lens is the shortest throw here, but its Android TV platform is missing Netflix, and its 4K PRO-UHD processing still puts half the pixels of full 4K on screen [src13]. RTINGS found its contrast mediocre, with visibly raised blacks, and its gaming fine for casual play [src26].

Cheapest Well-Reviewed UST: Hisense PL2 — Check price

What Hi-Fi gave the PL2 five stars as an excellent UST for the price, with a balanced, consistent picture and good dark detail, and its buying guide calls it "currently the best ultra short throw model around" [src30, src3]. The trade-off is the light source: a single laser with a phosphor wheel rather than the separate red, green and blue lasers of the PX3-PRO, which What Hi-Fi says are meant to give a wider, more accurate colour gamut [src30, src13]. It is rated at 2,700 ANSI lumens with a 0.22:1 throw ratio [src12], runs Google TV with Netflix in the US, and is limited to 4K/60Hz, with average audio and middling upscaling [src30, src13]. ProjectorCentral says its input lag improves on the PL1's but not enough to call it a gaming projector [src13]. It launched at $2,499 [src30].

Samsung's Smart TV Platform: Samsung Premiere 9 (LPU9D) — Check price

TechRadar's review found bright, vibrant and impressively accurate pictures, immersive Dolby Atmos sound and the full Tizen smart-TV system, but 53 ms of input lag in game mode, HDMI 2.0 inputs limited to 4K/60Hz and no VRR [src6]. ProjectorCentral's buyer's guide sums up its own review as cooler — a strong feature set "hindered by its color accuracy and high price" — and lists a larger 0.66-inch DLP chip, a 3,200 ANSI lumen rating (3,450 ISO) and a 40-watt 2.2.2-channel speaker system [src13]. TechRadar has since replaced it with the Hisense L9Q as its best UST for sound [src7].

Strong Contrast, No Built-In Apps: NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII — Check price

RTINGS found excellent contrast that keeps depth in dark and bright scenes and very good gaming — 4K at 60Hz or 1080p up to 240Hz, with VRR — but colours that lack richness and brightness that suits only a dark room [src34]. It has no built-in streaming apps, so it needs a separate streaming device [src34]. ProjectorCentral lists it at 2,400 ANSI lumens with a 0.21:1 throw ratio, and Projector Reviews, listing a $3,499 MSRP, credits it with excellent black depth [src13, src20].

Movable Short Throw: Hisense C2 Ultra — Check price

Another short-throw model rather than a UST: a compact triple-laser projector on a swivelling stand with a 0.9-1.5:1 optical zoom, rated at 3,000 lumens [src29, src28]. RTINGS found it easily bright enough for a large screen in a living room, with very good contrast and exceptional colours, but only mediocre rainbow-effect control, and it removes judder only by dropping to 1080p [src28]. What Hi-Fi gave it four stars for bright, punchy pictures and often outstanding sound, with middling black levels [src29]. It runs VIDAA with an official Netflix app [src28]. RTINGS has moved it from its main short-throw picks to a notable mention, for buyers who want judder removal [src2].

Older, Bright UST: AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro — Check price

The LTV-3000 Pro was this card's value pick until this revision, but the most recent independent test disagrees: RTINGS rates it sub-par for a home theater, with mediocre contrast, bland colours and out-of-the-box colour that is hard to calibrate [src31]. Projector Reviews measured 2,586 ANSI lumens against a 2,400 ANSI rating (AWOL also quotes 3,000 "peak" lumens) [src32], and Android Central called it one of the brightest UST projectors around, with standout colours and Dolby Vision [src33]. It has no built-in Netflix: it ships with an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max that sits in a pocket on the back [src32, src31]. RTINGS measured low input lag at 4K/60Hz and 1080p/120Hz [src31].

Older Dark-Room UST: Formovie Theater — Check price

The original Formovie Theater won first place for overall image quality among triple-laser models, and first for audio, in ProjectorCentral's 2022 Laser TV Showdown, and ProjectorCentral still rates it above its successor, the Theater Premium, for colour accuracy [src13, src1]. RTINGS calls it decent for movies: very good native contrast in dark scenes, but not bright enough for a moderately lit room, and inaccurate colour out of the box [src35]. It runs Android TV, and Formovie's own support page says Netflix playback is not supported [src35, src15].

Unavailable on Amazon When We Checked on 2026-10-06: LG CineBeam HU715QW — Check price

LG's single-laser UST won ProjectorCentral's Editor's Choice award in 2022 and is still on its top-10 UST list [src1, src13]. ProjectorCentral found good out-of-the-box picture quality and a sharp lens, but the narrower gamut typical of single-laser projectors (rated at 86% of DCI-P3), 53.9 ms of input lag and audio that ranked in the bottom tier of its 2022 Laser TV Showdown; it runs LG's webOS [src13]. What Hi-Fi dropped it from its buying guide in 2024 after the Hisense PL1 beat it at its awards [src3]. The Amazon listing we link showed it as currently unavailable when we checked on 2026-10-06.

Key Market Trends (2026)

• A generation change in DLP. Projector Reviews credits 2026's new DLP chips and controllers with noticeably higher native contrast and much lower input lag, and says ultra-short-throw projectors gained the most; its reviewer calls the 2024 PX3 Pro outclassed by its successor, the PX4-PRO. [src19]
• Irises and black-level systems. The Aetherion Max, Aetherion Pro and PX4-PRO add an adjustable iris to raise contrast; ProjectorCentral found that the Aetherion Max's EBL system clips HDR highlights. [src11, src20, src19]
• Rated is not measured. ProjectorCentral measured the PX3-PRO 11% under its rating and the Aetherion Max about 8% under, while the L9Q, PT1 and LS800 measured at or slightly above theirs; AWOL's 3,000 "peak" lumens for the LTV-3000 Pro corresponds to a 2,400 ANSI rating. [src16, src11, src10, src23, src17, src32]
• Smart platforms. Google TV runs on AWOL's Aetherion Max and Aetherion Pro and on Hisense's PX3-PRO, PT1 and L9Q, while Hisense's newer PX4-PRO and C2 Ultra run its own VIDAA, which includes Netflix [src11, src20, src16, src23, src10, src18, src28]. The Epson LS800 and the original Formovie Theater still lack Netflix, and the NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII has no built-in apps. [src13, src15, src34]
• Gaming at 1080p, not 4K. The newest USTs reach 1 ms at 1080p/240Hz, but Projector Reviews notes the new DLP models still display 4K at 60Hz at most. [src19, src20]
• Older flagships got cheaper. The PX3-PRO launched at $3,499 and the Aetherion Max at $4,499; ProjectorCentral now lists street prices of $2,498 and $3,799. [src7, src9, src1]

Important Caveats

• The verified-picks table at the top carries each pick's current price, stock and seller. Prices in this text are the figures the cited sources state — launch prices, MSRPs or street prices they track.
• The screen is part of the purchase. The Hook Up's 2023 test of eight 100-inch UST screens ranged from $450 to $2,016; lenticular CLR screens keep wide viewing angles, while the Fresnel screen it tested rejected more light but looked worse off-axis. [src14]
• No native 4K. Most of the DLP models here use a 0.47-inch chip with a native 1080p array and pixel shifting, the Samsung Premiere 9 a larger 0.66-inch chip, and the Epson LS800's pixel doubling puts half the pixels of full 4K on screen. [src13]
• Rainbow effect and speckle. Every model except the 3LCD Epson LS800 is single-chip DLP, and RTINGS saw no rainbow effect on the LS800 [src26]. What Hi-Fi saw rainbow effect on the PT1, the PX4-PRO and, to a minor degree, the Aetherion Max [src24, src18, src9]. RGB lasers can show speckle: ProjectorCentral saw slight speckle on the L9Q, and Projector Reviews some on ALR screens with the PX4-PRO. [src10, src19]
• UST setup is unforgiving. Ultra-short-throw models generally have no optical zoom or lens shift: RTINGS notes the Aetherion Max must be perfectly centred and needs a phone for its auto-keystone. [src21]
• Two picks are not ultra-short-throw. The Valerion VisionMaster Max and Hisense C2 Ultra are short-throw projectors with zoom lenses and need several feet of distance. [src8, src29]
• Availability when we checked on 2026-10-06: the linked Hisense PX3-PRO listing showed it in stock; the linked Hisense PT1 listing did not show it in stock; the LG CineBeam HU715QW listing was currently unavailable.
• Brightness measurements on UST projectors vary with meter position; ProjectorCentral notes its handheld readings may run slightly high or low. [src23]