A short-throw projector puts a 100-inch image on the wall from just a few feet away, so you don't need a long room or a ceiling mount at the back of it. These are the best short-throw models you can buy on Amazon, picked from current lab testing, from a $849 movie-night projector to a reference-grade dark-room machine.
The best short-throw projector is the Valerion VisionMaster Max (about $3,499): outstanding contrast, smooth motion, and a motorized zoom and lens shift for easy placement.
For gaming or a brighter room, the JMGO N3 Ultimate (about $2,199) is brighter and more responsive. On a budget, the 1080p BenQ TH671ST (about $849) is a proven pick. If you'd rather go ultra short throw, the XGIMI MIRA is the best value UST.
A projector's throw ratio is the distance to the screen divided by the image width. A standard projector needs roughly 1.2 to 2 feet of distance for every foot of image width, so a 100-inch picture often means placing it 10 to 14 feet back. A short-throw projector cuts that to roughly 3 to 7 feet, which makes a big image possible in an apartment, a bedroom, or a room where the projector sits on a table in front of the couch. An ultra short throw (UST) projector goes further and sits just inches from the wall, like a piece of TV furniture.
Use our projector screen size calculator to see what image you'd get at your distance. Our picks follow RTINGS' lab testing, limited to projectors sold on Amazon.
| Projector | Type | Resolution | Rated brightness | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valerion VisionMaster Max | Short throw | 4K (pixel shift) | 3,500 ISO lumens | ~$3,499 |
| JMGO N3 Ultimate | Short throw | 4K (pixel shift) | 5,800 ISO lumens | ~$2,199 |
| BenQ X500i | Short throw | 4K (pixel shift) | 2,200 lumens | ~$1,499 |
| BenQ TH671ST | Short throw | 1080p | 3,000 lumens | ~$849 |
| XGIMI MIRA | Ultra short throw | 4K (pixel shift) | 2,000 ISO lumens | ~$1,444 |
The dark-room movie projector of this group. Its native contrast is excellent, and it's one of the rare projectors where the dynamic contrast (a dynamic iris) genuinely deepens blacks without obvious artifacts, so dark scenes have real weight. Judder handling is fantastic for smooth camera pans, its anti-rainbow-effect feature works well for people sensitive to DLP color flashes, and its color volume is exceptional. A motorized zoom and vertical lens shift make it easier to place than most short-throw projectors.
Worth knowing: its brightness is right for a dim or dark room, not a sunny living room. Its zoom range also reaches beyond typical short-throw distances, which adds flexibility but means checking the throw distance for your room.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.Brighter and more colorful than the Valerion, with strong contrast and a crisp pixel-shifted 4K image. It's the better gaming projector: very responsive at 4K 60Hz for consoles, plus 1080p at 120Hz and 240Hz for PC games, and JMGO lists VRR and ALLM support. Setup is easy thanks to a two-axis gimbal stand, lens shift, optical zoom, autofocus, and automatic keystone and screen alignment.
Worth knowing: for pure dark-room movie watching, the Valerion's deeper contrast and motion handling are still better. The review count is modest.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.A sharp pixel-shifted 4K image that's easy to fit in a small room, and a very good gaming projector at 1080p 120Hz and 240Hz. It comes with an Android TV streaming dongle with Wi-Fi 6, Chromecast, and AirPlay, it can remove judder when used with a streaming device that matches frame rates, and it has an eARC connection for sending sound to a soundbar or receiver. BenQ backs it with a three-year warranty.
Worth knowing: it's a step down from the JMGO in brightness, color, and contrast, and rainbow artifacts are a little more noticeable.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.A simple, proven short-throw projector for dark-room movie nights. It's accurate out of the box, so movies look natural without tweaking, it has decent contrast for the price, and it's responsive enough at 1080p 60Hz for casual console gaming. Two HDMI inputs and a built-in speaker round it out.
Worth knowing: it's 1080p, not 4K, and there's no smart platform, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, so plan on a streaming stick and external speakers.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.If you want the projector to sit right against the wall, look at UST models. Our top UST pick is the AWOL Aetherion Pro on our main projector page, which RTINGS also rates its best UST projector. For less money:
A triple-laser UST projector with vibrant, accurate color out of the box, Dolby Vision support, Google TV built in, and Harman Kardon speakers. It sits a little closer to the wall than the AWOL for the same image size.
Worth knowing: it's dimmer than the AWOL, and it can only remove judder by dropping to 1080p, so the smoothest motion costs some sharpness. People sensitive to DLP rainbow artifacts may notice them.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.