Plugable 15.6-inch USB-C Portable Display review: Instantly indispensable
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According to some estimates, there are about 1 billion "knowledge workers" — people who work with information for their jobs — on the planet, 100 million in the United States alone.
Over the last four and a half years, knowledge workers have used the wireless mouse, portable keyboard, venerable docking station, webcam, and portable monitor, all of which are work-from-home wonders.
After six weeks of constant use (on planes, at work, at home, and the strange places between), there's just one laptop accessory I would take everywhere: The Plugable 15.6” USB-C Portable Display.
Plugable 15.6-inch USB-C Portable Display: Price and configuration
The market for USB-C monitors is an ocean of products with different power levels, display sizes, and durability issues.
It's a reality that Plugable co-founder and CTO Bernie Thompson readily accepts. "There are USB-C monitors you can get for $70 on Amazon," he tells Laptop Mag. However, you often get what you pay for.
The Plugable portable monitor, valued at $199 on Amazon, feels more robust in hand, is more reliable when plugged in, and is more balanced in color and picture, thanks to its in-plane switching (IPS) technology.
Plugable 15.6-inch USB-C Portable Display: Setup
The Plugable portable display's setup is simple: You plug it into your computer, and it works. If you're a Mac user like me, you'll see a prompt asking if it's OK to use the external device, and that's about it — you're free to adjust your display settings to your liking and start using this monitor.
To me, the ease of use is the best value prop for the Plugable portable display. You unplug it, put it in your bag, travel to your destination, and plug it back in.
If you have to set up somewhere on the go, you don't want to look for a power outlet, and with this portable monitor — and many others, to be fair — you don't need to search for one. It's also not so large that you appear like you're running a small business from a table at Starbucks, even if that is indeed what is going on.
When asked about the next generation of this portable display, Thompson, the Plugable CTO, told Laptop that it may become even more dock-like than it is now.
"The two obvious things are 4k (display) and more of a full dock," Thompson said. "I mean, we're the docking station company. We're not even going to call this a dock; we'll call this a hub. But you could imagine full dock functionality in the monitor."
Plugable 15.6-inch USB-C Portable Display: Design
The Plugable portable display feels like standard-issue equipment for professionals. It's black and utilitarian, lacking the flashiness that other brands might attempt to lean into.
When asked about its color, Thompson deadpans and channels his inner Henry Ford, "It's just black." When asked about the diagonal ridges on the bezel that frames the display, he also jokes: "They're just cosmetic; aren't they beautiful?"
The portable monitor's back has standard VESA mounts if you feel like placing it on a stand, and comes with a sturdy folio travel cover that turns into an easel, ensuring it'll be safe in your backpack, carry-on luggage, or bicycle basket.
Further aiding portability, Plugable's display weighs just 1.3 pounds. Even with the sturdy travel cover, it remains at an incredibly portable 1.6 pounds, though now touts some impressive additional protection from shocks or drops.
Users are also able to adjust the brightness of the monitor on a scale of 0 to 100 and choose from five color temperatures (cool, normal, warm, sRGB, and user), which, while unimpressive, should still be appreciated for knob-turners like me or visually acute users.
If you agree that what's on the display is more important than how the hardware looks, don't overlook Plugable's portable monitor.
Even the Plugable logo feels uncool: It features a USB Type-A cable that debuted nearly 20 years ago. The logo — and maybe the monitor design itself — is so uncool that it approaches something like retro chic.
To recap: It's sturdy, uncool, and reliable — three green flags in a marketplace stuffed with vaporware and over-marketed tech.
Plugable 15.6-inch USB-C Portable Display: Ports
In terms of port selection, if you're looking for the mini HDMI or DisplayPort inputs housed by many other portable monitors, you won't find them here.
Of the three ports available on Plugable's portable panel all are USB Type-C. In turn, you'll need a laptop that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode to connect it, at least without getting into the weeds of adding additional adapters to your setup.
Thankfully, almost all modern laptops, with their trim port selections often limited to only USB Type-C I/O, can handle this. Those featuring Thunderbolt or USB4 ports are similarly good to go, as they support DisplayPort connections as standard.
With Plugable's monitor connected to your laptop, that leaves the two remaining USB Type-C ports act as a micro hub of sorts. You can connect one of them to a power adapter for up to 100W of pass-through charging, 85W of which can be channeled to the host machine.
Both additional ports can also house accessories, offering speedy 10Gbps data streams to your laptop — ideal if you want to quickly pull some files from an external drive.
From Plugable's point of view, the lack of port variety is a feature, not a bug. This is where this review briefly detours from technology journalism to technology evangelism.
Embrace the vision of USB — of one cable and connector to connect them all.
"When you actually embrace the vision of USB — of one cable and connector to connect them all; that's data, video, and power — [think about] all the different combinations you can do.
"In a sense, people want one device that does it all," Thompson tells Laptop Mag. "Previously my bag was full of [all kinds of cables], and now I just bring two high-end Plugable cables I know it will work for everything."
Thompson's point is sound, and the adoption of a full USB Type-C array for Plugable's display leads to less cable confusion. It's a monitor designed to be simple and functional. It's this plug-and-play mentality that makes the company's products so effortless in operation, and their new portable monitor is no different.
Plugable 15.6-inch USB-C Portable Display: Display
In my usage — which included everything from watching Tour de France highlights on YouTube to Lord of the Rings and Photoshop editing — I found the matte display vivid and bright. While the picture is sharp enough, no one will confuse it for a 4k monitor, but that isn't what this is meant to be.
In the "normal" view mode (one of five presets on the display), the average brightness was 355.6 nits, more than good enough for working indoors.
This monitor won't work on a sun-filled day at the park, though that statement should feel obvious. This display is terrific for work tasks and sufficient to still become lost in the world of Middle Earth — plus, thanks to a 178-degree viewing angle, you're even able to share your views of the Shire with another quite comfortably.
Bottom line
If you're in the market for a second monitor for work (and if you only have one, you really ought to be in the market), you should choose the Plugable portable display over a standard monitor. It's portable. It's robust. And it's thoughtful USB-C-focused integration will help reduce headaches.
It's a new product, so we don't know much about its longevity, but everything else in the Plugable ecosystem — including docking stations, chargers, and cables — has proven to be reliable in Laptop Mag testing, and I don't expect its portable display to be any different.
