Updated on: June 13, 2022 / 3:47 PM / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently from the CBS News staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Do you find yourself wanting a bigger screen for your laptop? Instead of spending big bucks to buy a new laptop , why not just add an extra screen (or two!) to your current laptop setup? We've found the top-rated and best portable monitors for laptops that are lightweight and easy-to-use.

Top products in this article:

12.5" SideTrak Swivel attachable dual portable monitor, $330

Upgrade to a triple monitor setup: 12" P2 triple portable monitor, $400 (reduced from $430)

Portable gaming monitor with smart cover: 17.3" ASUS ROG Strix portable gaming monitor, $329

These portable monitors for laptops come with one or more screens that can work as a mega-screen, or function independently. Many of these top-rated portable monitors for laptops feature a 1080p resolution, HDR technology and more tech for a crisp, clear and colorful screen. 

You can find top-rated portable monitors for laptops on sale now. And if you're looking to upgrade your overall office or home-office space? Amazon has a bunch of deals on tech and office furniture before Amazon Prime Day 2022 . Shop deals on laptops at Amazon ahead of Prime Day , shop deals on headphones and earbuds at Amazon ahead of Prime Day , shop deals on furniture at Amazon ahead of Prime Day  and more.

Keep reading to shop the best portable monitors for laptops.

Double your computer screen with this 4.1-star-rated SideTrak Swivel attachable portable monitor. The portable monitor is designed to mirror, rotate 270 degrees and swivel 360 degrees. The content on your screen will automatically adjust as you swivel and switch between horizontal and vertical orientations. Monitors require a USB-C or USB-A port, and a mini HDMI port for each screen. 

An Amazon customer who purchased the portable monitor called it "everything I wanted."

"I chose this unit because it could attach it either side and I could get two without paying extra for some sort of double mount. Works really well -- I can pack everything into a backpack for travel and work," the reviewer wrote. 

12.5" SideTrak Swivel attachable dual portable monitor, $330

Right now you can save on this triple portable monitor that's compatible with most operating systems. Create a three-screen super-monitor, or use each screen independently. This triple monitor setup lets you adjust the brightness and volume for each monitor.

The monitors come with a laptop dual-screen extender that can be clipped to the laptop frame without the use of other accessories. It also includes a retractable stand. Monitors must have two USB-C or one UBS-C ports, and at least one HDMI port.

"I loved the fact that it was literally plug and play. Didn't have to install any drivers or other hardware," raved an Amazon reviewer, who is identified as a verified customer of the monitors. 

12" P2 triple portable monitor, $380 after coupon (reduced from $430)

Marked down $20 right now on Amazon, the OFiyaa triple laptop monitor weighs less than 3 pounds. The monitors give you four display modes so you always have the best view. The brightness, sound and contrast can be adjusted independently for each screen.

The monitors are compatible with most operating systems. They require at least two USB-C ports, or one USB-C port and one HDMI port.

12" OFiyaa triple portable monitor, $420 (reduced from $440)

This Asus monitor weighs less than 2 pounds and connects via USB type-C cables. The 1080p screen features an anti-glare surface and a blue-light filter.

"This is an absolutely fantastic, slim, portable display. I'm an app developer and it slips in my bag with ease," wrote an Amazon reviewer and verified customer of the Asus ZenScreen portable monitor. 

15.6" Asus ZenScreen portable USB monitor, $189

This portable monitor will save a bunch of space in your laptop bag: It features a 0.3-inch, ultra-slim profile, and weighs just 1.7 pounds. It offers 1080p resolution with HDR technology and this portable monitor is equipped with two USB type-C ports and a mini-HDMI port.

The KYY portable monitor comes with a scratch-proof smart cover made of faux leather. It doubles as a stand, and provides protection for your portable computer monitor.

"Working from home full time required the need to have additional monitors to be more effective in my workflow. I have a limited amount of space on my desk, and really wanted to put a portable monitor in front of an existing monitor, and the KYY monitor fit the bill perfectly, leaving enough room for my mechanical keyboard and wrist wrest," wrote an Amazon-noted verified customer. 

Be sure to apply the $40 coupon before checking out at Amazon.

15.6" KYY portable monitor, $150 after coupon (reduced from $200)

This portable monitor was made with gamers in mind. ASUS calls this monitor the "world's fastest portable gaming monitor." It boasts a 240Hz refresh rate and 3-millisecond pixel speed for super-smooth gaming visuals. The portable monitor features a 100% sRGB color gamut, and a 1,000:1 contrast ratio for gorgeous picture color. 

The monitor only needs to charge for an hour to provide 120 minutes of game play. When fully charged, it has a battery life of up to 3.5 hours. It's compatible with most devices that take USB-C or micro-HDMI. 

17.3" ASUS ROG Strix portable gaming monitor with smart cover, $329

This super-lightweight InnoView portable monitor weighs just 1.5 pounds. It features 1920 by 1080 resolution, a 178-degree viewing angle, a 16:9 aspect ratio and HDR-rendering technology for strong image contrast and detail. The portable monitor can connect to laptops, PCs, tablets, smartphones and more via USB-C or mini HDMI ports.

"The display on this monitor is great. It's pretty close in color temperature to my laptop and the quality is pretty darn good. Setting it up was really easy," an Amazon customer wrote in a review.

To get the best price, Don't forget to apply the $30 coupon before checkout at Amazon.

15.8" InnoView portable monitor, $160 after coupon (reduced from $190)

First published on May 3, 2022 / 8:00 AM

Fitzpatrick is the second man to win a U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open on the same course, joining Jack Nicklaus who turned the trick at Pebble Beach.

On this "Face the Nation" broadcast, Brian Deese and Rep. Zoe Lofgren join Margaret Brennan.

The boat sank in the water off Kittery, Maine.

Lofgren said Trump is "continuing on his campaign to undercut confidence in the election system."

The woman who grew up in poverty to become her city's mayor has been forced to address San Francisco's frustrating problems of homelessness and rising property crimes, which may be making this famously liberal city a little less tolerant.

Jenny Nguyen found it difficult to watch women's sports at sports bars, which predominantly showcase men's games. So, she founded the Sports Bra in Portland, Ore., the first one in America that exclusively shows women's sports on all its TVs.

More than 100 employees of an Apple store in a Baltimore suburb say they have voted to unionize by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.

"The quicker you move, the more agency you have in reducing the impact of a recession," says one banker.

AAA says national average likely to drop below $5 a gallon in coming days as the price of crude oil sinks.

Bank of America economists say the Federal Reserve "fell way behind the curve" in trying to curb inflation

On this "Face the Nation" broadcast, Rep. Zoe Lofgren and former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb join Margaret Brennan.

Lofgren said Trump is "continuing on his campaign to undercut confidence in the election system."

The following is a transcript of an interview with Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner and a member of the Pfizer board, that aired Sunday, June 19, 2022, on "Face the Nation."

The following is a transcript of an interview with Loretta Mester, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, that aired Sunday, June 19, 2022, on "Face the Nation."

The following is a transcript of an interview with Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat and member of the House Select Committee investigating Jan. 6, that aired Sunday, June 19, 2022, on "Face the Nation."

The CDC has approved two COVID vaccines for children under 5. But some parents remain hesitant. Elise Preston reports.

Doctors at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell had never seen anything like the Spring 2020 pandemic outbreak. They, along with "The Desperate Hours" author Marie Brenner, pull back the curtain on the struggles and triumphs from what felt like a war zone.

The staff at an elite ICU in New York City had seen many emergencies, but nothing close to the start of the coronavirus outbreak in March 2020. CBS News' Lesley Stahl sits down with doctors from New York-Presbyterian/Weill-Cornell Hospital, and with journalist Marie Brenner, author of "The Desperate Hours," to pull back the curtain on the inner lives, struggles and triumphs of doctors who were living in what felt like a war zone.

In the past five years more than half of U.S. adults have gone into debt because of medical and dental bills, a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found.

More than half of U.S. adults have gone into debt because of medical and dental bills in the last five years, a poll found. In partnership with Kaiser Health News, Anna Werner takes a look at the devastating toll medical debt is taking on families.

Petro defeated real estate magnate Rodolfo Hernández and will be the country's first leftist president.

World swimming's governing body has effectively banned transgender women from competing in women's events.

Witnesses in Ethiopia say more than 200 ethnic Amhara have been killed in an attack in the country's Oromia region and are blaming a rebel group, which denies it.

The study followed several dozen sharks off the coast of Miami.

Burger King operates over 150 restaurants in Japan.

Fitzpatrick is the second man to win a U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open on the same course, joining Jack Nicklaus who turned the trick at Pebble Beach.

At the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City, dancer and actor Mikhail Baryshnikov stars in an adaptation of Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard," a story whose themes of loss and freedom echo with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He talks with correspondent Anthony Mason about the production, and how the dancer, who has remained largely non-political since his 1974 defection from the Soviet Union, says he can no longer stay silent over what he calls Putin's war.

The singer-songwriter lost his dad in a plane crash before he turned two. Now 50, A.J. Croce is turning to the music that his father, Jim Croce, made famous, and in the process is embracing his father's legacy – and his own.

The singer-songwriter lost his dad in a plane crash before he turned two, temporarily lost his sight when he was four, and lost his wife to a heart condition. Now 50, musician and songwriter A.J. Croce is turning to the music that his father, Jim Croce, had made famous, and in the process is embracing his father's legacy – and his own. Correspondent Jim Axelrod reports.

The inch-tall star of online animated shorts – a seashell with a googly eye, shoes, and a winning personality – became a viral hit; now he is starring in a feature-length film, the heartwarming adventure "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On."

Elon Musk held an all-hands meeting with Twitter employees this week, fielding questions and sharing his vision for the company. Financial growth, bots, and free speech were some of the key topics he weighed in on. CBS News technology reporter Dan Patterson joins anchors Michelle Miller and Elaine Quijano to discuss Twitter's potential future.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took questions from Twitter employees as his bid to take over the social media giant is still underway. He’s also now facing a massive lawsuit over his promotion of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin. CBS News tech reporter Dan Patterson has the latest.

Senate lawmakers are racing to finalize and vote on bipartisan gun reform legislation before the chamber enters recess in late June. CBS News Political Correspondent Caitlin Huey-Burns has the latest on where negotiations stand and the stakes for President Joe Biden.

As auto manufacturing costs climb, the electric car maker is upping the price of some models by as much as $5,000.

The cryptocurrency market has lost about 70% of its value in the past 8 months. CBS News tech reporter Dan Patterson breaks down how fraud is damaging the appeal of crypto. He also spoke with actor Ben McKenzie, who is co-writing a book about crypto, about why people should be skeptical before investing in the digital currency.

When we burn fossil fuels to power our homes and cars, we're burning the remains of ancient life – plants and animals that were transformed over millions of years into coal or oil. And we are using up that resource at a rapid rate. Writer and narrator Robert Krulwich explains how in this "CBS Sunday Morning" video essay, based on the work of Aatish Bhatia. Animation directed and designed by Nate Milton. Music by Buck St. Thomas.

Scientists tracked a group of polar bears that are genetically distinct and geographically separate from others.

America's aging power grid is already struggling to meet demand, and with extreme weather events becoming more frequent and less predictable, climate change has become a major threat to the country's energy infrastructure. Akshaya Jha, assistant professor of economics and public policy at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, joined CBS News to discuss.

Flooding over the last several days has forced the popular summer tourist destination to remain closed.

Multiple towns in Montana are dealing with the aftermath of devastating floods, the same waters that tore through Yellowstone National Park, raising troubling questions about how vulnerable our most precious lands are to climate change. Jonathan Vigliotti reports.

A son is accused of having his parents killed, but his sister says there's no physical evidence directly tying him to the crime — only words.

Madeline Barker allegedly made anti-Asian statements before using pepper spray on the women.

Multiple law enforcement agencies have been notified, and an internal investigation is underway.

A gunman opened fire inside a suburban Alabama church during a potluck dinner, killing three members.

A third person died after a church shooting near Birmingham, Alabama. A suspect who occasionally attended services at the church is in custody after another church member restrained him until police arrived. Mark Strassmann has the latest.

SpaceX on track to launch more than 50 Falcon 9 rockets this year.

If the fueling test goes well, NASA hopes to launch the SLS rocket on its maiden flight late this summer.

SpaceX keeps up a blistering pace with launch of a German military satellite.

If successful, SpaceX will set a new U.S. commercial space launch record.

Astronaut Sunita Williams will replace Mike Fincke. NASA did not say why Fincke was reassigned.

In the early morning hours of August 8, 2013, first responders were called to a house fire in Modesto, California. Scott and Janet Pettit were found dead inside, and investigators soon determined the fire was no accident.

How investigators built their case in the killing of cowboy Ray Green

Strict dress codes are just the beginning.

One of these shows could be your next binge obsession.

Looking for something fresh to watch? Here are the top films available on the streaming platform.

Steve Hartman hosts a special 30-minute episode, featuring stories that celebrate dads and paternal figures everywhere. In "On The Road: Dear Dad," Hartman introduces us to a group of dads who stopped violence at a Louisiana high school; a college football player who had a special surprise for his dad; a teacher who stepped into the role of dad when a student needed him the most, and more.

Michael Keaton has quietly maintained an A-List career in Hollywood that's still going strong. He opens up to Jon Wertheim about what got him into acting and some of his most memorable roles.

A social worker tried to tell him about "career alternatives" after he lost his sight, but Chris Downey wasn't about to stop being an architect. Lesley Stahl reports.

The transportation secretary shares how he’s overseeing one of the most significant investments in America’s roads, bridges and rails in over 50 years. Anderson Cooper reports.

Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Architect goes blind, says he's gotten better at his job; Michael Keaton

Copyright ©2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.