Nikki Kahl

The Optoma ZH450ST is a compact, short-throw laser projector. While it fell well short of its 4,200 ANSI lumen claim, it remains a solid choice for classrooms and boardrooms, and thanks to its low input lag, golf simulators.

Though underpowered with only 500 ANSI lumens, the LG CineBeam Q HU710PB is a well built, portable 4K laser projector offering wide color gamut and LG's excellent webOS streaming platform.

Here's what you'll need to know to select a specialty impact screen and enclosure for your planned golf simulator, along with a trove of linked resources.

The ViewSonic LS740HD is a high-value 1080p laser projector for business and education environments that offers 5,000 ANSI lumens brightness at a price around $1,000.

Optoma's ML1080ST is the most compact and portable projector we've seen to offer an RGB laser engine with full BT.2020 color gamut, making it a good choice for road warrior presentations, digital signage, and other applications where color counts.

The AAXA P7+ is a highly portable 1080p pico projector that includes an Android-based OS for streaming from included apps such as Netflix, YouTube, Twitch, and Vimeo. While it's not very bright, it's good for mobile applications like camping.

Anker's Nebula Mars 3 is a high-performing portable projector uniquely equipped for the outdoors thanks to water-, dust- and drop-resistance, and a large built-in battery that doubles as a power bank.

The BenQ LH730 1080p LED projector is a great option for school or businesses to use in the classrooms and conference rooms, with good light output and high value for its $1,299 price tag.

The LG CineBeam PU700R is a smart lifestyle projector with an unusual spotlight form factor that calls to mind Samsung's Freestyle model, but it far outclasses that product with 4K resolution and a solid, 1,000 ANSI lumens of brightness.

The ViewSonic LS610HDH projector is a solid-state, 1080p LED projector for classrooms and business environments that is bright enough to shine even in ambient light and comes in with a very affordable $1,100 price tag.