Prices checked Nov 13, 2026 on each brand's US store · Our No. 1: AWOL Vision LuxVision, 9.6/10Our No. 1: LuxVision · 9.6/10
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A dark living room with a large projected image glowing above a low console

Best ultra short throw projectors of 2026, ranked

15 laser UST projectors scored on dated US prices, brightness, color, gaming and warranty. Our No. 1 costs $5,999; the best value, $1,699.

See the rankingCompare side by side
Photo: AWOL Vision Projector / Unsplash

Top picks

All 15, ranked

Prices checked November 13, 2026 on each brand's own US store. Scores come from one public formula.

The ranking: 15 ultra short throw projectors, best first

How we score
No. 1Best overall

AWOL Vision LuxVision

Best for a bright living room, a 120 to 150-inch picture and a console you play on.

  • 6,000 ISO lumens claimed by AWOL: the brightest projector of the 15 we compare
  • 4K at 120 Hz with VRR and ALLM, and a 1 ms input lag claim
  • Optical lens shift, rare on an ultra short throw: alignment without shoving furniture

The catch: It is a week-old product at $5,999: very few owners have lived with it yet. AWOL's page gives no speaker wattage and no fan noise figure, and it does not name Netflix among the apps. At 35.1 lb and 24.3 inches wide, it needs a deep, sturdy console.

Brightness
6,000 ISO lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.18:1
Input lag
1 ms (brand)
Warranty
2-year
9.6/10Excellent

$5,999

At AWOL Vision, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at AWOLRead review
No. 2Best price

XGIMI MIRA Pro

Best for first-time UST buyers who want triple-laser color and fast gaming without spending $2,000.

  • RGB triple laser and 110% of BT.2020 for $1,699: nothing else under $2,000 claims both with 3,000 lumens
  • 1 ms at 1080p/240 Hz in Game Mode with VRR on, per XGIMI
  • Automatic screen alignment and motorized focus: the easy first evening

The catch: The picture stops at 120 inches, per XGIMI, and the page gives no native contrast figure: the 20,000:1 it quotes is with dynamic black switched on. Sound is 36 W with DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio, not Dolby Atmos. XGIMI also doesn't state a laser life or name Netflix for this model.

Brightness
3,000 ISO lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.175:1
Input lag
1 ms (brand)
Warranty
2-year
9.5/10Excellent

$1,699$1,999

At XGIMI, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at XGIMIRead review
No. 3

AWOL Vision Aetherion Max

Best for a mixed-use room where movies matter most and the lights are sometimes on.

  • 6,000:1 native contrast, per AWOL: the highest stated figure under $5,000 on our list
  • 3,300 ISO lumens with 110% of BT.2020, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced
  • VRR, ALLM, three HDMI 2.1 ports and DisplayPort over USB-C

The catch: 4K tops out at 60 Hz here; the 120 Hz panel mode is reserved for the LuxVision. AWOL publishes no speaker wattage and no fan noise figure for the Max, and the "1 ms" input lag comes without a resolution. And buying the projector alone at $3,999 made no sense on the day we checked: the screen bundle was cheaper.

Brightness
3,300 ISO lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.2:1
Input lag
1 ms (brand)
Warranty
2-year
9.4/10Excellent

$3,999$4,499

At AWOL Vision, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at AWOLRead review
No. 4Best laser TV

Hisense L9Q

Best for replacing the family TV outright: bright picture, real speakers, tuner and Netflix built in.

  • 5,000 ANSI lumens, per Hisense: second-brightest on our list, built for daytime
  • 116 W, 6.2.2 channels, 10 speakers tuned by Devialet: you can skip the soundbar
  • Google TV with Netflix, plus an ATSC tuner for over-the-air channels

The catch: Hisense's product page gives no return window, so ask before you spend $5,999.99. The gaming figure is 12 ms at 2K/120 Hz: good, but there is no VRR listed and only two of the four HDMI ports are HDMI 2.1. The page doesn't say whether focus is motorized.

Brightness
5,000 ANSI lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.18:1
Input lag
12 ms (brand)
Warranty
2-year
9.3/10Excellent

$5,999.99

At Hisense, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at HisenseRead review
No. 5Best for movie nights

AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro

Best for a dim or dedicated room where contrast and color matter more than raw brightness.

  • 6,000:1 native contrast, per AWOL, for $500 less than the Max
  • 110% of BT.2020 with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced
  • VRR, ALLM and a 1 ms input lag claim; three HDMI 2.1 ports

The catch: 2,600 ISO lumens is a nighttime figure: fine on a 100 to 120-inch ALR screen in a dim room, thin in a sunny one. The screen in the same-price bundle is soft gray, and AWOL doesn't sell it as an ALR screen. As on the Max, there is no speaker wattage on the page and 4K stops at 60 Hz.

Brightness
2,600 ISO lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.2:1
Input lag
1 ms (brand)
Warranty
2-year
9.2/10Excellent

$3,499

At AWOL Vision, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at AWOLRead review
No. 6

Hisense PX3-PRO

Best for a living room that needs one do-it-all projector: movies, streaming, Xbox, decent built-in sound.

  • 3,000 ANSI lumens and 110% of BT.2020, per Hisense, at $2,499.99
  • Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced: nothing missing for movies
  • Google TV with Netflix built in, Wi-Fi 6E, eARC

The catch: Hisense calls it "Designed for Xbox" with a 240 Hz high-refresh mode and a low-latency mode, but publishes no millisecond figure and lists no VRR. The product page states no return window either, and the 3,000:1 contrast is half what AWOL states for the Aetherion.

Brightness
3,000 ANSI lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.22:1
Input lag
No figure
Warranty
2-year
9.1/10Excellent

$2,499.99$3,499.99

At Hisense, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at HisenseRead review
No. 7

Hisense PT1

Best for Apple households and smart-home fans who want Hisense color for under $2,000.

  • RGB triple laser with 110% of BT.2020 for $1,999.99
  • Dolby Vision and HDR10+, with Google TV and Wi-Fi 6E
  • AirPlay, Apple Home, Alexa, Google Assistant and Control4 support, per Hisense

The catch: 2,500 ANSI lumens is fine for evenings and a shaded room, light for a sunny one. Hisense publishes no input lag figure and no return window for the PT1, and its page doesn't name Netflix the way the PX3-PRO's does. There is no 3D and no IMAX Enhanced.

Brightness
2,500 ANSI lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.2:1
Input lag
No figure
Warranty
2-year
8.9/10Very good

$1,999.99$2,999.99

At Hisense, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at HisenseRead review
No. 8

AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro

Best for movie and 3D fans on a budget who watch after dark and want a big picture.

  • RGB triple laser, 107% of BT.2020, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for $1,699
  • Input lag published at both resolutions: 15 ms at 4K/60, 8 ms at 1080p/120
  • Active 3D, motorized focus, pictures from 80 to 150 inches

The catch: 2,000 ISO lumens is the lowest brightness on our list: this is an evening projector. The built-in system is Android 9.0, which is why AWOL adds a Fire TV stick on the product page. The throw ratio is 0.25:1, so it sits further from the wall than newer models, and the warranty is 12 months where rivals give 24.

Brightness
2,000 ISO lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.25:1
Input lag
8 ms (brand)
Warranty
1-year
8.8/10Very good

$1,699$2,999

At AWOL Vision, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at AWOLRead review
No. 9

JMGO O2S Ultra

Best for small rooms and shallow consoles: a bright picture from a box the size of a bread maker.

  • 0.16:1 throw ratio: the closest to the wall of the 15 projectors we compare
  • 3,600 ISO lumens, per JMGO: the brightest projector under $2,500 here
  • 10 lb and 12.3 by 11.4 inches: it fits consoles the others overhang

The catch: The speakers are 2 × 10 W: plan a soundbar. The warranty is 12 months. JMGO's page states no color gamut percentage, lists Dolby Vision and HDR10 but not HDR10+, and gives no input lag, VRR or ALLM for this model. The 100-inch ALR screen bundle ($3,099) was sold out on the day we checked.

Brightness
3,600 ISO lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.16:1
Input lag
No figure
Warranty
1-year
8.7/10Very good

$2,199$2,999

At JMGO, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at JMGORead review
No. 10

Formovie Theater Premium

Best for movie lovers who want Dolby Vision, native Netflix and good built-in sound in a slim cabinet.

  • RGB triple laser with 107% of BT.2020, Dolby Vision and HDR10+
  • Google TV with native Netflix: no stick, no workaround
  • Speakers by Bowers & Wilkins (2 × 15 W) with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X

The catch: 2,200 ISO lumens puts it among the dimmer projectors here, at a price where the Hisense PX3-PRO gives 3,000 for $300 less. The trial is 14 days, per Formovie. No input lag figure is published, and shipping terms aren't stated on the product page.

Brightness
2,200 ISO lumens
Light source
RGB triple laser
Throw ratio
0.21:1
Input lag
No figure
Warranty
2-year
8.6/10Very good

$2,799$3,499

At Formovie, checked November 13, 2026

Check price at FormovieRead review

Also ranked: No. 11 to 15

All 15 reviews

The top six, side by side

Open the comparison tool
The six best-scoring ultra short throw projectors compared
Projector
AWOL Vision LuxVision9.6/10$5,999 · Nov 13, 2026
XGIMI MIRA Pro9.5/10$1,699 · Nov 13, 2026
AWOL Vision Aetherion Max9.4/10$3,999 · Nov 13, 2026
Hisense L9Q9.3/10$5,999.99 · Nov 13, 2026
AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro9.2/10$3,499 · Nov 13, 2026
Hisense PX3-PRO9.1/10$2,499.99 · Nov 13, 2026
Brightness (brand)6,000 ISO lumens3,000 ISO lumens3,300 ISO lumens5,000 ANSI lumens2,600 ISO lumens3,000 ANSI lumens
Light sourceRGB triple laserRGB triple laserRGB triple laserRGB triple laserRGB triple laserRGB triple laser
Throw ratio0.18:10.175:10.2:10.18:10.2:10.22:1
Native contrast10,000:1Not stated6,000:15,000:16,000:13,000:1
HDR formatsDolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX EnhancedDolby Vision, HDR10+Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX EnhancedDolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX EnhancedDolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX EnhancedDolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced
Lowest input lag1 ms (brand)1 ms (brand)1 ms (brand)12 ms (brand)1 ms (brand)No figure
Smart TVGoogle TVGoogle TVGoogle TVGoogle TV with NetflixGoogle TVGoogle TV with Netflix
Warranty2-year2-year2-year2-year2-year2-year
Where to buyCheck price at AWOLCheck price at XGIMICheck price at AWOLCheck price at HisenseCheck price at AWOLCheck price at Hisense

✓ marks the best figure of the row. "Not stated" means the brand doesn't publish it. Brightness, contrast and input lag are each brand's own figures. Prices checked November 13, 2026.

Rankings for your need

All rankings

For bright rooms

8 projectors that claim 3,000 lumens or more, ranked with brightness counting for 45%. Pair any of them with an ALR screen.

8 bright projectors · No. 1: AWOL Vision LuxVision

For gaming

9 projectors whose makers publish an input lag figure, ranked with gaming specs at 40%. Read at which resolution each figure applies.

9 gaming projectors · No. 1: AWOL Vision LuxVision

Under $2,000

4 laser projectors in 4K at $2,000 or less on Nov 13, 2026, price counting for 45%; three are true RGB triple lasers.

4 projectors under $2,000 · No. 1: XGIMI MIRA Pro

Projector + screen bundles

5 projectors sold with a matching screen by their maker; on Nov 13, 2026 one bundle cost less than its projector alone.

5 bundles · No. 1: AWOL Vision LuxVision

Laser TVs

8 projectors with a smart TV system and at least 30 W of sound built in, ranked for everyday viewing.

8 laser TVs · No. 1: Hisense L9Q

For home theater

9 projectors with Dolby Vision and at least 3,000:1 native contrast, ranked with color, contrast and HDR counting for 45%.

9 home theater projectors · No. 1: AWOL Vision Aetherion Pro

Two projectors in mind? Put them side by side

Pick up to three: price, brightness, contrast, throw ratio, input lag, sound and warranty in one table, with the best figure of each row ticked.

Open the comparison toolPhoto: Anton Borzenkov / Unsplash

Latest reviews

All 15 reviews
No. 1 of 15

AWOL Vision LuxVision

6,000 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.18:1 throw

$5,999Nov 13, 2026

9.6/10Excellent
No. 2 of 15

XGIMI MIRA Pro

3,000 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.175:1 throw

$1,699$1,999Nov 13, 2026

9.5/10Excellent
No. 3 of 15

AWOL Vision Aetherion Max

3,300 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.2:1 throw

$3,999$4,499Nov 13, 2026

9.4/10Excellent
No. 4 of 15

Hisense L9Q

5,000 ANSI lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.18:1 throw

$5,999.99Nov 13, 2026

9.3/10Excellent
No. 6 of 15

Hisense PX3-PRO

3,000 ANSI lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.22:1 throw

$2,499.99$3,499.99Nov 13, 2026

9.1/10Excellent
No. 7 of 15

Hisense PT1

2,500 ANSI lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.2:1 throw

$1,999.99$2,999.99Nov 13, 2026

8.9/10Very good
No. 8 of 15

AWOL Vision LTV-3000 Pro

2,000 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.25:1 throw

$1,699$2,999Nov 13, 2026

8.8/10Very good
No. 9 of 15

JMGO O2S Ultra

3,600 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.16:1 throw

$2,199$2,999Nov 13, 2026

8.7/10Very good
No. 10 of 15

Formovie Theater Premium

2,200 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.21:1 throw

$2,799$3,499Nov 13, 2026

8.6/10Very good
No. 11 of 15

NexiGo Aurora Pro MKII

2,400 lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.21:1 throw

$2,299.99Nov 13, 2026

8.5/10Very good
No. 12 of 15

XGIMI AURA 2

2,300 ISO lumens · Laser + LED hybrid · 0.177:1 throw

$2,239$2,699Nov 13, 2026

8.4/10Good
No. 13 of 15

Epson Lifestudio Grand

3,600 ISO lumens · 3LCD laser · 0.25:1 throw

$2,699.99Nov 13, 2026

8.3/10Good
No. 14 of 15

Formovie Cinema Edge

2,100 ISO lumens · Laser phosphor · 0.23:1 throw

$1,799$2,499Nov 13, 2026

8.1/10Good
No. 15 of 15 · Sold out

Samsung The Premiere 9

3,450 ISO lumens · RGB triple laser · 0.189:1 throw

$5,999.99Nov 13, 2026

7.5/10Fair

Read before you buy

All 6 buying guides

Prices checked Nov 13, 2026

Read on each brand's own US store, dated, with sale prices named as sale prices.

Official sources only

Specs, warranties and return terms from the 8 brands' own pages, linked in each review.

One public formula

7 criteria with published weights and a tie-break, the same for every projector.

Links flagged

Some links are affiliate links. It never changes our scores.

How to choose an ultra short throw projector in 2026

An ultra short throw projector sits on a console a few inches from the wall and throws a 100 to 150-inch picture upward onto a screen. No ceiling mount, no cable across the room, nobody walking through the beam. That is the whole appeal, and in 2026 the good ones are laser-lit, 4K, and bright enough to do a television's job. We read the US product pages of 15 of them, from AWOL Vision, Hisense, Formovie, XGIMI, Epson, Samsung, NexiGo and JMGO, and noted each price on the brand's own store on November 13, 2026.

Start with your room, not with the spec sheet. A bright living room needs lumens first: 3,000 or more, and an ALR screen. A dark den rewards contrast and color instead. A gamer should look for a published input lag, not a slogan. Our No. 1, the AWOL LuxVision, is the rare projector that covers all three, at $5,999. If that is three times your budget, the XGIMI MIRA Pro gets you a triple laser and 3,000 lumens for $1,699. One honest word before the list: budget for a screen. A projector this close to the wall needs a screen made for it, and the screen does half the work in daylight.

By Owen Whitaker, editor, home theater projectors · updated November 13, 2026

UST projectors: questions buyers ask

More answers in our guides
What is the best ultra short throw projector in 2026?
On our formula, the AWOL LuxVision (9.6/10): 6,000 ISO lumens, 4K at 120 Hz and optical lens shift for $5,999 on November 13, 2026. The best value is the XGIMI MIRA Pro (9.5/10) at $1,699.
How much does a good UST projector cost?
Between $1,699 and about $4,000 for most homes. Under $2,000 you get a 4K triple laser with 2,000 to 3,000 lumens; $2,200 to $2,800 adds brightness, sound or contrast; $3,500 and up buys the best contrast or 5,000 lumens and more. Add $500 to $1,500 for an ALR screen.
Do I need a special screen for a UST projector?
In practice, yes. Because the light comes from below at a steep angle, an ultra short throw needs a flat, tensioned screen, and an ALR screen made for UST (lenticular or Fresnel) to hold contrast in daylight. See our ALR screen guide.
How far from the wall does a UST projector sit?
It depends on the throw ratio. For a 100-inch picture, the lens plane sits from about 14 inches (0.16:1) to 22 inches (0.25:1) from the screen; the cabinet's back edge is closer than that. Our throw distance calculator gives the figure for each projector.
Is a UST projector better than a big TV?
Above 100 inches, it is usually cheaper and easier to get into the house; below 85 inches, a TV is brighter and simpler. The honest comparison is in UST projector vs TV.