I think that the first thing you have to do before searching for the best projectors for Halloween effects is to have a budget in mind.
I’ll review a wide array of models because I am sure that everyone has different things in mind when it comes to creating special effects for Halloween.
Some projectors are definitely going to cost under $100 but others will cost double that or even more. There are plenty of models to choose from.
Another thing is to establish if you want a very basic device just for projecting Halloween graphics or if you want a projector that can be used daily for watching movies, TV or playing games and can also be used also around Halloween for a few days.
You’ll see what I’m talking about as you check out my reviews for the 7 best projectors for Halloween effects.
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Top 7 Best Projectors for Halloween Effects
I’m really excited about writing my reviews for the best projectors for Halloween effects. I think that I have selected some pretty interesting devices. I hope you’ll find what you’re looking for.
If you want other alternatives, you can also check out my article on the best projectors under $300.
1. Bigasuo Pro302 Mini Projector
There are plenty of people who have bought this projector for Halloween. I enjoyed finding videos in the reviews from those who have successfully used this Bigasuo to create some really interesting effects.
Well, you won’t have to use this projector only on Halloween. The rest of the time, you can use it to watch TV or movies. That’s what it’s primarily made for.
Overall, I think that the Bigasuo Mini Projector is one of the most popular, best projectors for Halloween effects. I like it even more when it’s on sale. If it’s on sale, it has a pretty cheap price, under $200.
DVD Player
Let’s talk first about a pretty unexpected feature. At the top of this device, there’s actually a DVD player included.
It’s called a 2-in-1 projector with DVD player. That’s not something you see often, that’s for sure. The manufacturer mentions that this is their exclusive patent.
It’s not a Blu-ray player so you won’t be able to play Blu-ray discs.
I thing it will also make a pretty awesome projector for dorm rooms.
Brightness
I couldn’t find an actual lumens volume. What I can say is that the brightness is decent but it’s best to use the Bigasuo Pro302 in the dark, whether you use it outdoors or indoors.
I saw plenty of people who used it outdoors, playing movies for large crowds. If you get a good screen with awesome viewing angles, you can definitely play movies for a very large crowd on a 80-inch or 100-inch screen.
The large majority of users praise its brightness and its overall image quality.
Halloween effects clearly look their best in the dark.
It’s a LED projector that has a low power consumption of 48W.
Besides low power consumption, LEDs also have a longer lamp life, around 20,000-30,000 hours. The fact that Bigasuo claims a 65,000 hours lamp life is outrageous and I absolutely don’t think that it’s real.
Resolution
It has native HD (1280 x 720) resolution. It’s quite good for this price range. Most cheaper models still only have a 480p resolution.
It supports up to Full HD content.
A 8,000:1 contrast ratio is also mentioned. It’s nothing impressive.
Connections
The featured connections are plenty: 2 HDMI inputs, AV, VGA, micro SD, USB port, headphone. Pretty much nothing is missing from the list of connections.
Surprisingly, there’s also Bluetooth support for connecting external speakers. You also get 2 built-in speakers so you might not feel the need for an external one.
It also comes with a tiny tripod stand that might be helpful in achieving the special effects for Halloween wherever you want them displayed.
2. CiBest W13 LED Portable Projector
This is a projector under $100. It will be interesting to see what it offers for this low price and if it’s worth it.
My reason for reviewing it as one of the best projectors for Halloween effects is simple: there are user reviews from people who use it for Halloween and Xmas videos on their windows.
It actually has more user reviews from people who use it for Halloween projections than many other models.
There are also plenty of people who use it for movie nights indoors and outdoors. For the price, you’ll get a pretty decent picture.
Brightness
The brightness is not measured in ANSI lumens, which is quite common with these cheap devices. It states that it has 7500L but those are not ANSI lumens, which is the international standard for projector brightness.
Let’s just say that it works decently in the dark. It doesn’t look that good in ambient light.
Lamp life is estimated at 50,000 hours but even for a LED that’s not exactly possible. LEDs usually get 20,000-30,000 hours lamp life.
Resolution
The native resolution is 800 x 480 pixels. You won’t get a higher resolution for projectors under $100.
Supports 1080p content.
Aspect ratio: 16:9 or 4:3. You can have both.
Connections
The connections are plenty: HDMI, SD card reader, USB port, headphone, VGA, DVD.
It comes with HDMI cable, AV cable, power cable, remote control, and adjustable foot.
It also has a 3W speaker but you can connect external audio via the Audio output.
3. PVO 300pro Portable Projector
This Pvo is primarily marketed as a projector for children. It’s also very cheap, it costs less than $100 so we have our second model that is really cheap.
Even so, there are a few user reviews who mention that their primary intention was to buy it for their Halloween projections.
Thus, it’s an affordable device that you get to use for your special effects but it can also be used for entertainment, either by your or your children.
It’s described as a pico projector but it’s a bit more bulky. It measures 5.63 (L) x 3.78 (W) x 2.13 (H) inches. And It only weighs 0.70 pounds. It’s very light and ultra-portable.
Unlike the large majority of pico projector, this one from PVO doesn’t come with a built-in battery.
You can power it from a source device (laptops, phones, etc.), from a power bank, car charger, or by using the power adapter.
Brightness
I couldn’t find exact numbers for this spec but it looks bright enough. The image quality is good.
Someone mentioned that the brightness is higher when it’s powered from a wall outlet.
That means that if you’re taking this projector camping, you might not be able to achieve maximum brightness from a power bank or any other source that is not a wall outlet.
Resolution
800 x 480 pixels native resolution. It’s what you would expect in this price tag but it’s not bad.
The overall image quality is nice, especially if you get it for creating Halloween effects or for your children to watch their favorite cartoons.
It supports up to 1080p content.
In terms of screens, it’s recommended to use 60-100 inches ones. I would stick closer to 60 inches, given the very low resolution.
Connections
There are plenty of possibilities to establish connections for all sorts of devices via ports like: HDMI, micro USB, U Disk, Audio, Micro SD, and AV.
You can connect your smartphone via a Type C to HDMI adapter. That is the easiest way to establish a connection for Android phones or for tablets that don’t have a HDMI out. For iOS devices, you can use a Lightning to HDMI adapter.
There is no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
It also comes with a tiny internal speaker but there’s an Audio output for external speakers.
4. DBPower RD828 1080p Projector
There are quite a few user reviews who are satisfied with this DBPower RD828 as a projector for Halloween, working quite nicely with AtmosFX, even when projecting a very large hologram.
However, I also think that, among the best projectors for Halloween effects, this one is awesome for watching movies or TV channels, too. As long as you’re willing to spend more than $200 on it.
I think it has a lot of uses and it can work nicely as an affordable home theater device.
Brightness
It mentions that it has a brightness of 8,000L. Those are not ANSI lumens so don’t believe that it has an extraordinary brightness.
I’m not saying that it’s not decent but I would advise you to use it in darker rooms or when it gets dark outside if you want to play your movies outdoors.
Resolution
The impressive thing is that, for this low price, we get Full HD native resolution. That’s not something you’ll see that often.
The image quality is indeed very good. That’s why I said that, out of all the models that I included here, this one is very good for entertainment purposes, too.
The DBPower RD828 is a LED projector with LCD-chip technology. That’s why its overall image quality is very good.
Nevertheless, that lamp life of 50,000 hours is a bit too much. 20,000-30,000 hours is what you can expect, which is still a lot.
Lamp-based projectors only get about 6,000 hours and then you’ll have to change the bulb. With LED models, there’s nothing to change, very little maintenance is needed.
Connections
The connections are exactly what we need: HDMI (2 of them), USB, AV, Audio out. I especially like the inclusion of 2 HDMI ports.
Android or iOS phones can be connected via screen mirroring.
I have to warn you about something. The projector might block you from casting content from streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, etc. I don’t know why that happens but it’s always a possibility with these manufacturers who are not famous brands like ViewSonic, Optoms, Epson and all the others.
If that happens, due to something called HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection), there’s only one easy solution: getting a streaming device because they come with their own OS and you can install the apps you need. A basic Roku, which can cost under $30 is a good option. You don’t need 4K streaming devices for these types of cheap projectors.
The HDCP also doesn’t apply if you connect a DVD player or Blu-ray player. Or if you play purchased movies. It just blocks content from streaming services.
There’s no Bluetooth. You’ll have to use the Audio output.
5. Aaxa LED Pico Projector
This is actually a projector that’s smaller than a hand, that’s why it’s also called pico. It only measures 4.25 x 2.36 x 0.7 inches. It’s also very cheap with a price tag under $150.
There are quite a few users who have bought this model to be used with AtmosFX and that’s why I decided to review it as one of the best projectors for Halloween effects.
I also reviewed it as one of the best projectors for cookie decorating because it certainly has multiple uses.
Brightness
We get a 25 lumens brightness. It’s a LED model so it still manages to be pretty bright. Due to the fact that the effects will be displayed at night and they will be visible and bright.
The lamp life is estimated at 15,000 hours.
Resolution
I’m surprised to see that it has a HD native resolution. 720p in this price range is pretty rare.
For watching movies or TV channels, I would recommend using a 60-inch screen if you want the best image quality.
Battery life
These kinds of pico projectors always have a built-in battery. This one from Aaxa will last for up to 100 minutes on battery.
If you want to use it continuously (not on battery), you’ll have to buy a USB charger with 5V/2A output. 5V/1A USB chargers can only be used to charge the battery.
Connections
They’re pretty basic: mini-HDMI, USB, micro USB, headphone, AV.
However, you’ll have to get a mini HDMI to HDMI cable if you want to establish a connection through that.
6. Akaso Mini Projector
This is another pico projector. However, unlike the one from Aaxa, Akaso has a price over $200.
It’s also very small 5.51 x 2.71 x 0.61 inches. It weighs just 0.46 pounds.
I found a review from someone who used it for Halloween and tried it with the pumpkins effect from AtmosFX, which worked great.
Brightness
50 ANSI lumens. It’s pretty satisfactory but let’s not forget that this is not exactly a very cheap projector.
Resolution
854 x 480 pixels (480p). It can play full HD movies so its max resolution is 1080p.
Battery life
You can get about 2 hours on battery.
You can use the included USB charging cable if you want to use it continuously.
Connections
You can wirelessly connect laptops/tablets/smartphones to this Akaso. Even so, the Android 7.1 OS is outdated. Maybe you’ll be able to update the OS.
HDMI, USB, earphone, micro SD, DC are the other options for cable, flash drive, SD cards connections.
The accessories are impressive: tripod stand, USB charging cable, HDMI cable, remote control.
What projector is best for AtmosFX?
On their website, this famous creator of digital decorations, recommends using a projector that accepts storage media like USB or SD card. All of the above models certainly feature these connections alongside the very helpful HDMI input.
AtmosFX also mentions that a HDMI connection is ideal and I totally agree. Nowadays, it’s pretty much an omnipresent input for these devices.
It also needs to play .mp4, which once again applies.
Moreover, it needs to have a repeat or loop function. Absolutely all the projectors that I included here received positive reviews for their ability to play Halloween effects so there’s no problem with that either.
AtmosFX mentions that their decorations are HD quality. I’m aware that the projectors under $100 have 480p resolution but they still can play up to Full HD content so they will be able to play these decorations if that’s what you want to use.
7. ViewSonic M1+ Portable LED Projector
I wanted to review this 7th model here under the heading where we’re talking about the digital decorations from AtmosFX because they have a Holiday Bundle that includes the ViewSonic M1+ alongside their decorations bundle. It’s a package of decorations + projector.
Thus, let’s see what this model offers since it’s recommended by AtmosFX. It’s a bit expensive, costing a bit more than $300. You’ll have to decide if it’s worth the money. As an alternative, there’s actually the M1 (no + in the name) that’s a bit cheaper.
Before that, I must admit that I really like the way it looks. The smart stand enables easy placement wherever you want it to go. And it doubles as a lens cover.
Brightness
300 LED lumens. It seems that not even ViewSonic wants to mention ANSI lumens for this M1 line.
Even so, the brightness is really good, very nice but it’s still at its best in darker environments.
Lamp life is estimated at 30,000 hours.
Resolution
It has the same low resolution, 854 x 480 pixels, that other cheaper models have. It can play up to Full HD content.
Thus, even if AtmosFX mentions that their decorations are HD quality, in their kit they include a device with 480p nativer resolution that has a 1080p max resolution.
Thus, those cheap projectors under $100 with the same 480p resolution that I reviewed can also work due to the same reasons.
Battery life
ViewSonic mentions 6 hours on battery. However, I would say that the more realistic number is 3 hours.
Connections
We get a plethora of connections: HDMI, USB Type C, USB A (for power), SD card, Audio out.
The max size for the SD card is 32GB.
There’s also the possibility to connect devices via Wi-Fi.
It also has Bluetooth.
One of the things that ViewSonic seems to be most proud of is the two 3W Harman Kardon speakers.
All in all, I can say that I’m glad that I included the ViewSonic M1+ as one of the best projectors for Halloween effects, even though it’s not exactly my favorite.
