Anker NEBULA Mars 3 Outdoor Portable Projector
Brightness: 1,000 ANSI lumens | Streaming OS: Android TV 11 | Battery life: Five hours | Power source: AC adapter | Auto adjustments: Keystone, focus | Built-in stand: Tilting | Resolution: 1080p | Size: 6.29” L x 10.23” W x 9.84” H, 9.9 pounds
The Nebula Mars 3 is about the size of an Igloo Playmate handheld cooler, and at nearly ten pounds, it weighs as much as a full one — so it’s not the most portable projector. But its five-hour battery life, 1,000 ANSI lumens of brightness, and IP3X water-resistance rating make it the best option for outdoors or off-grid viewing. Its larger size also leaves room for powerful 45W stereo speakers, which sounded closer to a small soundbar than a portable speaker (that’s a good thing). Its built-in kickstand doesn’t rotate, but it still helped adjust the angle of projection, which is nice because automatic keystone and focusing were a bit slow and less consistent than with the XGIMI projectors.
Technically speaking, the Mars 3 has the best image quality of all the projectors I tested. When projecting indoors, still images appear bright and dynamic with accurate colors, even in the middle of the afternoon. However, movie footage renders with an off-putting smoothness I couldn’t disable in the settings. As a result, Pride and Prejudice (2005) ended up looking more like a soap opera than a meticulously produced period drama shot entirely on film. This projector also, frankly, looks a bit ridiculously huge resting on a coffee table. Overall, though, it’s an excellent choice for tailgating or car camping where weather, lighting, and sound are all highly variable.