The Best Short Throw and Ultra Short Throw Projectors for 2024

Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

Best UST Projector for Shortest Throw (Plus No Rainbow Artifacts)

Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800 3-Chip 3LCD Smart Streaming Laser Projector

Pros & Cons

• Bright laser-phosphor light source
• Three-chip LCD design means no rainbow artifacts
• Fully integrated Android TV
• Short input lag for gaming
• Good sound quality

• No Ethernet port; streaming requires Wi-Fi
• No 3D support

Why We Picked It

The Epson LS800 takes the key advantage of UST projectors to the extreme by offering the shortest throw we’ve yet seen. So while most UST models will force you to pull your furniture a few inches from the wall to fill a 120-inch wall-mounted screen, the LS800 lets you fill the screen and leave the furniture where you really want it. It also offers a laser light source with a brightness rating of 4,000 ANSI lumens, a three-LCD design that guarantees it can’t show rainbow artifacts, a high-quality image with good color accuracy and contrast, plus—as a bonus for gamers—a short input lag for a 4K-class UST projector. It even offers a robust stereo audio system, with two 5-watt speakers and a 10-watt subwoofer.

Who It’s For

The LS800 lacks 3D support as well as options that allow a full calibration, so you’ll have to look elsewhere if you consider either feature essential. On the other hand, for those who can’t abide rainbow artifacts, the fact that it can’t show them will be enough by itself to make it a strong contender. More generally, it’s a sterling choice as well for anyone looking for a TV replacement, thanks to its excellent image quality straight out of the box, a level of detail that’s virtually indistinguishable from a 4K image (using fewer pixels, but enough so the eye can’t see the difference), a notably short input lag for gaming, and an equally notable short throw even for a UST projector.

Specs & Configurations

Engine Type

LCD

Rated Brightness

4000 ISO Lumens (Equivalent to ANSI)

Native Resolution

Equivalent to 3840 by 2160 using Epson’s 4K PRO-UHD technology

Maximum Resolution

3840 by 2160 60Hz, HDR

Inputs and Interfaces

HDMI 2.0, USB

Dimensions (HWD)

6.2 by 27.4 by 13.4 inches

Weight

27.6 lbs

Warranty

2 years

Learn More

Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS800 3-Chip 3LCD Smart Streaming Laser Projector Review

Best Ultra Short Throw Projector With Bundled Screen

Hisense L9H TriChroma Laser TV

Pros & Cons

• 4K resolution
• Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG
• Exceptionally wide color gamut
• Rated at 3,000 ANSI lumens
• Screen included
• Integrated Google TV

• No 3D support
• Fixed focus means you can’t upgrade to a larger screen

Why We Picked It

For its UST projectors, Hisense distinguishes between Laser TV models like this one and its Laser Cinema models, like the PX3-PRO, one of our other top UST picks. The L9H is designed to be a straightforward TV replacement, complete with a screen, so you don’t have to find an appropriate match yourself. The projector comes out of the box already focused and calibrated for the screen it comes with. Color accuracy was generally good, and shadow detail was solid after some easy tweaking. This is a 4K HDR model that you can unbox and run with.

Who’s It For

If you’re starting your home theater from zero, without a screen you mean to use, and your eyes aren’t prone to seeing rainbow artifacts, the Hisense L9H is a compelling pick. Its combination of bundled screen, appealing features, and on-point image quality make it a great package.

Specs & Configurations

Engine Type

DLP

Rated Brightness

3000 ANSI lumens

Native Resolution

3840 by 2160 using 1920 by 1080 DLP chip with XPR fast-switch pixel shifting

Maximum Resolution

3840 by 2160 60Hz

Inputs and Interfaces

HDMI 2.1, HDMI 2.0, eARC, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, RF (Coax)

Dimensions (HWD)

6.1 by 24 by 13.6 inches

Weight

24.7 lbs

Warranty

2 years

Learn More

Hisense L9H TriChroma Laser TV Review

Most Versatile Short Throw Projector

Optoma UHZ35ST

Pros & Cons

• 4K native resolution
• Short input lag for gaming
• Laser light source rated at 3,500 ANSI lumens

• No built-in streaming apps or bundled dongle
• Shows frequent rainbow artifacts
• Image quality for HDR isn’t as good as for SDR
• Pricey for what it delivers

Why We Picked It

There’s actually no single use the proficient, versatile Optoma UHZ35ST is best for. So while you can limit this native 4K model to a single purpose, it earns our recommendation for being a crossover model you can move from one type of use to another. Optoma markets it primarily as a home entertainment and gaming projector, but also lists it on its web site in both business and education categories, with good reason. The 3,500-lumen laser-phosphor light source that makes it bright enough for gaming or viewing movies in a family room with ambient light also makes it bright enough for presentations in an office or classroom. And the combination of compact size and 6.6-pound weight makes it easy to carry back and forth between home and office. 

Who It’s For

The UHZ35ST will be of particular interest to anyone who needs a projector primarily for one of the uses it handles well, but also wants to use it occasionally for another. One scenario would be needing a projector to use mostly at home, but also to take occasionally to your office or school for a presentation. Another would be needing one primarily for presentations at your office, but also planning to bring it home for special occasions like a watching a big game or hosting a movie night. That said, note that some features—including support for 3D and state-of-the-art short input lag for gaming—are aimed squarely at home use, which makes the UHZ35ST most appropriate for scenarios that peg its primary location at home.

Specs & Configurations

Engine Type

DLP

Rated Brightness

3500 ANSI lumens

Native Resolution

Equivalent to 3840 by 2160 using Epson’s 4K PRO-UHD technology

Maximum Resolution

3840 by 2160 60Hz, HDR; Full HD 3D

Inputs and Interfaces

HDMI 2.0b, USB-A (power only), Ethernet (control only)

Dimensions (HWD)

4.5 by 10.8 by 8.5 inches

Weight

6.6 lbs

Warranty

1 year

Learn More

Optoma UHZ35ST Review

Best Short Throw Gaming Projector

BenQ X500i

Pros & Cons

• 4K native resolution
• Short input lag (supports up to 120Hz refresh rate)
• Separate video modes for three categories of gaming
• Android TV 11 dongle included for streaming
• LED light source rated at 2,200 ANSI lumens

• Wi-Fi is the only network connection option
• Shows rainbow artifacts
• Initial setup requires a screwdriver
• Out-of-box HDR settings need tweaking

Why We Picked It

At this writing, the BenQ X500i offers the most bang for the buck of any 4K (3,840-by-2,160-pixel) gaming projector, regardless of throw. The list of key features starts with (of course) a state-of-the-art short input lag. For 1080p we measured it at 16.9ms at 60Hz, 8.5ms at 120Hz, and 4.2ms at 240Hz. For 4K/60Hz, it came in at 16.7 milliseconds (ms). It also supports 1440p (2,560-by-1,440-pixel) resolution (increasingly popular for gaming) at up to 120Hz. Beyond that, the menus offer separate modes for each of three types of game—role playing game (RPG), first-person shooter (FPS), and sports player game (SPG)—or six modes if you count the HDR and SDR versions of each separately. Each of the modes automatically adjusts both picture and audio settings to enhance both the visual aspects and sound quality for the type of game it’s named for. Other key features include the LED light source, a maximum brightness of 2,200 ANSI lumens, support for full HD 3D, and the included Android TV 11 dongle that lets you also use the projector as a smart TV.

Who It’s For

Some gaming projectors are just as much for home entertainment—watching movies and video—and worth considering even if you don’t expect to ever use them for gaming. The X500i isn’t one of them. If you’re not reasonably serious about gaming, choosing it would mean paying extra for lots of gaming features you don’t need. If you take your gaming seriously, however, and you want a short throw gaming projector, the X500i is the one to measure the competition against.

Specs & Configurations

Engine Type

DLP

Rated Brightness

2200 ANSI lumens

Native Resolution

3840 by 2160 using 1920 by 1080 DLP chip with XPR fast-switch pixel shifting

Maximum Resolution

3840 by 2160 60Hz, HDR; Full HD 3D

Inputs and Interfaces

HDMI 2.0b, USB 2.0, USB-C

Dimensions (HWD)

4.6 by 14.4 by 9.6 inches

Weight

7.9 lbs

Warranty

3 years

Learn More

BenQ X500i Review

Best Room-to-Room Portable Short Throw Projector

Nomvdic P1000 4K UHD Home Projector

Pros & Cons

• 4K resolution on screen
• Short-throw design, for a big image from close to the screen
• Short input lag for gaming
• 1.2x motorized optical zoom
• 3D support

• No built-in streaming features
• Desaturated color from HDR input in our tests

Why We Picked It

Instantly recognizable as a room-to-room portable home projector from its size and not-quite-cubical shape, the Nomvdic P1000 is typical for the breed in most ways but adds some touches, including its short throw, that make it stand out from the pack. Fairly typical features include the brightness rating of 2,300 ANSI lumens, an LED light source, support for 3D, a native 4K resolution, and both good enough sound quality and high enough volume to serve nicely in a large family room or for a backyard movie night. Unusual touches include the short throw lens, made even more unusual by a powered optical zoom. Rounding out the feature list is an input lag that matches today’s best gaming projectors.

Who It’s For

The P1000 is a solid choice for almost anyone who wants a room-to-room portable projector they can carry easily from one room to another to set up as needed, and also wants a short throw to give a bigger image at any given distance from the screen. There is one possible wrinkle: In our tests, 4K HDR movies played from disc were watchable, but well below the quality we saw with SDR material and with HDR streaming material. As long as you don’t plan to watch 4K HDR movies from disc, that won’t be an issue, however, making it easy to recommend the P1000 for streaming material or even SDR material on disc. And given its short input lag, it’s a particularly good choice for gaming.

Specs & Configurations

Engine Type

DLP

Rated Brightness

2300 ANSI lumens

Native Resolution

3840 by 2160 using 1920 by 1080 DLP chip with XPR fast-switch pixel shifting

Maximum Resolution

3840×2160/60Hz; 1080p/240Hz; Full HD 3D

Inputs and Interfaces

USB-C, USB-A, Bluetooth, HDMI 2.0

Dimensions (HWD)

8.3 by 8.3 by 6.7 inches

Weight

6.8 lbs

Warranty

1 year

Learn More

Nomvdic P1000 4K UHD Home Projector Review

Best Short Throw Projector for Business or Golf Simulators

BenQ LW600ST

Pros & Cons

• WXGA (1,280-by-800-pixel) resolution, suitable for presentations and golf simulation
• Vibrant graphics and photorealistic images
• Short throw delivers a big picture from close to the screen
• 1.2x zoom

• Shows frequent rainbow artifacts when viewing movies and video
• Brightest mode adds an obvious green bias

Why We Picked It

The LW600ST is the projector so nice, BenQ named it twice. Literally. On one of its two dedicated product pages, it’s called the LW600 Installation Projector (read: for office and school use). On the other, it’s the LW600 Golf Simulator Projector. But it’s the same projector for both, and it earns kudos for either application. The combination of WXGA (1,280-by-800-pixel) resolution, good color accuracy, and a short throw is a winner for building a golf simulator in your basement or for showing presentations that include photorealistic images in business and education settings. We saw rainbow artifacts too often to recommend it for, say, showing movies in a classroom, where some in the audience may find the red/green/blue flashes annoying, but for a golf simulator or short video clips of a minute or two, they shouldn’t be a problem.

Who It’s For

For business and education use, the natural home for the LW600ST is in a room where you don’t have enough space to put a standard throw model far enough from the screen to get the size picture you want. If you need to show photos or short film and video clips as part of your presentations, its good color accuracy makes it an even better choice. The short throw combined with its photorealistic color also makes it a must-see candidate for a 720p-based golf simulator setup. And for either application, you’ll appreciate its brightness. BenQ rates the LW600ST at 2,800 lumens, which is easily enough for a suitably large image in a room with a moderate level of ambient light.

Specs & Configurations

Engine Type

DLP

Rated Brightness

2800 ANSI lumens

Native Resolution

1280 by 800

Maximum Resolution

1920 by 1200

Inputs and Interfaces

HDMI, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi (optional)

Dimensions (HWD)

4.2 by 11.9 by 8.7 inches

Weight

5.8 lbs

Warranty

3 years

Learn More

BenQ LW600ST Review

Buying Guide: The Best Short Throw and Ultra Short Throw Projectors for 2024

If you’re considering buying a projector with a shorter-than-standard throw distance, it helps to understand the categories of short throw and UST in the context of all four throw ranges on the market.

What’s deemed a standard throw is what you’ll find on most projectors. Long throw lenses and short throw lenses are harder to manufacture well enough to project a high-quality image, which makes them, and the projectors that use them, more expensive. But if you have to put the projector far away from the screen—as in, say, a movie theater—you need a long throw lens to get a small enough image to fit the screen. Short throw lenses do the opposite, giving you a big image from close to the screen, while UST lensing systems (which usually add a mirror to the mix of optical elements) will fill any given screen size from even closer. That brings us to the question of why you might want a short throw or UST projector in the first place.

What Are Short Throw Projectors Good For?

Any number of situations make being able to get a big image from close to the screen useful or even necessary. If you’re setting up the projector in a small room, for example, or for a retail store window display, you may not have enough room with a longer throw to get the image size you want. And even when the space is large enough for a standard or long throw to give you the right image size, you may not have the option of mounting the projector on the ceiling. In those cases, keeping the projector close to the screen may be the only way to avoid the possibility of people casting a shadow if they stand up during a presentation, for example.

UST projectors can sit even closer to the screen than short throw models, delivering images up to 120 inches (measured diagonally) from just inches away. So if you want to use a projector to replace a large TV at home, and you don’t want to deal with mounting it on the ceiling or running cables through walls, a UST projector is what you want.

(Credit: Hisense)

UST models can also be useful in business and education settings. Mount one just above a screen, and you can get close enough to the image to point to text or graphics you want to draw attention to without casting a shadow, much as you would with a whiteboard. You can even buy an interactive UST projector with sensors that let you draw on the image and give commands as if you’re reporting the weather on TV.

How Do I Choose Between a Short Throw and an Ultra Short Throw?

Both short throws and USTs are good choices for a room that’s too small to let you put a standard throw projector far enough from the screen to give you the image size you want. Either can help avoid the problem of people standing up and casting shadows on the screen in situations where a standard throw projector can’t be positioned to avoid that—a common issue not just for rooms with low ceilings but also for ad hoc setups for gaming, home entertainment, or presentations. To choose between them, however, it helps to know a little about their different designs.

It’s hard to tell a short throw model from a standard throw model without seeing the lens (or even with seeing the lens, if you don’t know what a short throw lens looks like). In fact, some standard throw and short throw models from the same manufacturer are literally the same projector with different lenses. You can usually spot these near-twins, because they typically have almost the same model name—except that one includes “ST” in the name and the other doesn’t. The only other difference is that the short throw version will cost more, because of the more expensive lens.

In contrast, most UST models are easy to spot. The vast majority are designed with the lensing system at what you would probably think of as the back of the projector, meaning the side facing away from the screen, but which manufacturers insist on calling the front. (That’s because projector makers define the front by where the lens is.) In most designs, the optics are fully contained inside the box. Typically, the top surface has a depressed area near that side farthest from the screen that contains a glass window for the image to shine through and go directly to the screen. Other designs have a raised lens pointing to the screen on that side, or a mirror, so the image will bounce off the mirror before going to the screen.

Some projectors with lenses on the side facing the screen are listed by their manufacturers as UST models, but are—at best—on the borderline between short throw and UST. (We’ll come back to this issue in the next section.) However, those projectors give up one of the big advantages of putting the lens on the other side, namely: If the image emerges from the side farthest from the screen, the projector itself is closer to the screen, with nearly the entire depth of the projector sitting between the lens and the screen. So while a UST lens lets the projector sit closer to the screen than a short throw lens, the most common UST designs put it closer still. And the less distance you want between the projector and the screen—whether simply to save space or to avoid the need for running cables over or through walls, ceilings, and floors—the more likely you want a UST model with the more typical UST lens placement.

What Is the Shortest Throw Projector?

The projector industry posits no firm definitions for each level of throw—or at least no universally accepted ones—which means manufacturers’ marketing departments are free to draw the line between categories wherever they like. But one related standard spec, called throw ratio, can help, and you can get an idea of which throw ratios fall in which category.

Throw ratio is the ratio between the distance to the screen and the width of the image. So, for example, if the lens needs to be 100 inches from the screen for a 100-inch-wide image (the approximate width of a 115-inch-diagonal 16:9 screen), the throw ratio would be 1.0. (That will show as “1.0:1” in some spec sheets, and just “1.0” in others.) Similarly, if the distance were 200 inches, the throw ratio would be 2.0 (200/100), and for a 50-inch distance, it would be 0.50 (50/100).

The range from 1.0 to (but not including) 2.0 is a standard throw by anyone’s definition. But while some peg a long throw at 2.0 and above, others draw the line at a higher number. Similarly, many manufacturers call anything below 1.0 a short throw, and anything below roughly 0.4 a UST, while others call anything below 0.5 a UST. Most of the current UST models we’ve tested—and all of the UST models mentioned here—offer throw ratios of 0.28 or lower. Specs for the short throw models included here range from 0.49 to 0.7, but again, some manufacturers would call a projector with a 0.49 throw ratio a UST model.

(Credit: Epson)

Zoom lenses add a twist to all this. Because an optical zoom changes image size, projectors equipped with zoom lenses have a range of throw ratios. One projector we’ve tested (but not included here) has a range of 0.9 to 1.08, for example, barely qualifying as short throw at the low end of its range. However, the manufacturer calls it a short throw projector. Some manufacturers also list a range of throw ratios for digital zooms, but keep in mind that digital zooms that affect image size should be ignored, if at all possible. They can only shrink the image from the full size the lens allows, and they do so by using a smaller area of the imaging chip, which also lowers brightness and can add artifacts.

The moral here? You can use manufacturer claims for the throw category as a starting point, but you should also look at some numbers. At the very least, comparing the throw-ratio specs for two projectors will tell you which one has the shorter throw, which will let you put it closer to the screen for any given size image. Often, the manufacturer will have a chart in its marketing material showing the distance for common screen sizes, particularly for UST models. And in virtually all cases, the information should be in a user setup guide available for downloading from the company’s website.

If you can’t find the information, you can easily calculate how far the projector will be from the screen for a given image width if you know the throw ratio for the projector (Distance = Throw Ratio times Width). For UST projectors, keep in mind that you are calculating the distance to the lens, not to the projector body itself. To find the distance to the projector, you’ll also need to know the distance from the lens to the side of the projector closest to the screen.

What Are the Advantages of Short Throw Projectors Over Ultra Short Throw Projectors?

Short throw projectors are less expensive than equivalent UST projectors, which means that unless you have a compelling reason to pick a UST model instead, a short throw is usually the obvious choice. You can also find features in short throw projectors that are either not available in UST models yet (like exceptionally low input lag for gaming), or may never be, as with compact short throw projectors for road warriors. (See our separate guide to portable projectors.)

Still other types of projectors are available in UST form but are rare—for example, portable projectors that are larger than mini projectors but small and light enough to bring with you if you need to, or at least carry easily from room to room or to the backyard for a movie night. Because short throw projectors sit farther from the screen than UST models, they’re also easier to position and focus, an important consideration for any application that requires repeated setup, even if you’re just moving the projector from a shelf to a conference room table.

What Are the Advantages of Ultra Short Throw Projectors Over Short Throw Projectors?

The two key advantages for UST models are both already mentioned above. They let you position the projector much closer to the screen than short throw models can without risking casting shadows, and when used as TV replacements, they don’t demand any more effort to hide power and data cables than any other TV does.

(Credit: Epson)

Both of these characteristics are essential to the category of UST projectors that are specifically designed to replace TVs. Most of these models use lasers as their light source and include fully integrated smart TV features. Some include TV tuners, as well, and some manufacturers even tout them as “laser TVs” rather than projectors. All of the UST models included here are TV replacements.

Other Projector Specs: What Else to Pay Attention to With Short Throw and UST?

One spec, in addition to throw ratio, that you should check for short throw and UST models is the supported image size for the lens. All lenses have a maximum size image they can throw without distortion or other image-quality issues, and both the maximum and minimum are usually listed on the projector’s spec sheet.

With standard throw lenses, the maximum image size is typically larger than you’d consider using with most of the projectors that we cover, given their brightness. But the shorter the throw, the less likely that is to be true. Projectors at the lower end of the short throw range or in the UST range can easily be bright enough to throw a bigger usable image than the lens can handle well, especially in a dark room. Manufacturers tend to be conservative on this front, so you can often get away with slightly larger images than the spec says, or see only a hint of a problem if you opt for a somewhat larger size. But don’t count on it.

What Is the Lifespan of a Short Throw Projector?

Almost all other issues about the projectors themselves—from contrast and brightness, to imaging technology, to connection options, and more—are the same for short throw and UST models as for standard throw projectors. However, one issue worth particular mention is lifespan. As with most projectors, short throw and UST models will typically last long enough that you’re more likely to replace them because you want new technology, like higher resolution when it becomes available, than because something goes wrong with the projector. That’s not to say that a fan motor can’t burn out or a chip can’t fail, but its no more likely than for a computer or a flat screen TV.

More and more projectors today use solid-state light sources—like LEDs or lasers—which typically aren’t meant to be replaced. The typical lifetime for either type of light source is 20,000 to 30,000 hours, which translates to approximately seven to 10 years, if you keep them running eight hours a day, seven days a week. If you pick a projector that uses a lamp instead, the lifetime for the lamp can vary from just a few thousand hours to as much as 10,000 hours. Unlike LEDs and lasers, however, lamps are meant to be replaced. (For lots more detail on other specs that apply to all projectors, check out our roundup of top overall projector picks.)

The one other issue you’ll want to consider is the screen to pair the projector with. In particular, for UST projectors that you plan to use in rooms with ambient light, you’ll want an ambient light rejection (ALR) screen, and you’ll need one that’s designed for UST models, as discussed in our guide to How to Choose the Right Screen for Your Projector.

So, What Is the Best Short Throw or Ultra Short Throw Projector to Buy?

The list of projectors we started with, and the spec breakout for them below, covers our picks for some of the best short throw and UST projectors available for some of the most common usage cases. For more tips about features to consider before buying, and also some additional top-pick projectors we’ve tested, see our screen and general-projector guides mentioned above, as well as our roundup of best home projectors.