Projectors & Screens: How Much Do They Weigh?

If you’re in the market for a new projector and screen, one of the questions you want to ask is: how much do they weigh?

Indoor.

Outdoor.

Home theaters.

Offices.

No matter the use, you want to make sure you’re getting the best quality projectors and screens for your money.

But wait. You’re probably wondering what the heck weight has to do with the quality of your equipment, right? I’ll let you in on a little secret.

Projector and screen weight is a huge factor in how well they perform.

It’s true- size matters.

Before learning all this stuff, I had no idea that the two were connected. I would blindly go for the lightest product possible because bulky equipment is a pain and I’m a small person so- no thanks. Boy, was I selling myself short (no pun intended).

Now that you know the secret, let’s look at some different weights for projectors, screens, and their use cases, shall we?

How Much Does a Projector Weigh?

On average, a typical projector weighs 5 to 7 pounds. Since people are looking to upgrade their entertainment systems, a home theater projector usually weighs in at about 5 pounds.

Not bad, right?

This is sufficient for your viewing pleasure. The projector gives approximately 5000 lux and that means a quality picture that will make your place the movie night hot spot!

Side note: What is lux? The higher the number of lux, the more light power your projector has.

For those of you looking for an office projector you’ll most likely be looking for a portable projector. It can be around the same weight as a typical home theater projector at 3-8 pounds.

Portable projectors are good for outdoor entertainment too so you can get more than one use out of them! However, if you’re not the boss I don’t recommend stealing office equipment.

Now all of this is not to say that you won’t ever be interested in a heavier projector. Like I said, size matters. If you’re looking for some serious projection power on enormous screens, you could be looking at models for any use weighing anywhere between 10 to 15 pounds.

The bigger the projector, the bigger the motor- and just referencing common knowledge- a big motor means a greater capacity to kick a$$.

What Much Does a Projector Screen Weigh?

If you’re going to buy a projector, you should probably buy a projector screen. A quick tip from me to you- you’re welcome.

Unlike projectors, size does not matter. Not in the conventional sense, that is. Of course, a bigger screen is better for a bigger picture which is almost always the goal, but the weight is irrelevant entirely.

Let’s pause for a minute and look at the history of TVs.

Everyone that hasn’t lived under a rock for the last 75 years is aware that bigger TV screens produce a bigger picture. Bigger TVs are generally heavier as they increase in size.

Back to the point.

Projector screens don’t follow this rule. Mind blown, right?!

There is an obscene amount of screen types (17 to be exact). Anything you think you might want a projector screen for, there’s a type for that.

For the sake of not dragging this post on, I’m going to focus on the general categories.

Motorized (electric) projection screens are immensely popular. You can mount them to the wall, which is great for a home entertainment system or permanent office space.

They are super easy to use and surprisingly lighter than you may think. For example, a 125” from Elite Spectrum Series only clocks in at 28.5 pounds.

Portable screens are another great option for use at work. They can be used indoors and outdoors and are ideal for doing presentations on the go, but if you’re going to bring it outside make sure your stand can handle any rugged conditions.

This type of screen is very lightweight and very convenient for the carrier. They can be as big as 40 inches and weigh less than 11 pounds!

The last type of projector screen I’m going to mention is the manual screen. Borrringggg.

They’re much lighter than electric projection screens considering the lack of power components. Pretty obvious, I’d say. Less parts translates into less pounds.

All it takes is some muscle to work a manual screen, but I’m not going to dissect the process. Anyone that’s ever been to grade school is likely to understand how a manual projection screen works.

Just like portable screens, manual ones can be as lightweight as 11 pounds. That’s not an amazing feat considering 99% of portable screens are manual, but it’s still valuable information.

Manual projector screens can be mounted on the wall as well and are generally good for any kind of use. They are the basis of all projector screens after all.

But wait, there’s more…

Now that I’ve told you how much a projector and screen weigh, I have on final point to discuss. We’re piggy backing off projection screen weight here.

Why? Because I said so.

Just kidding (sort of).

I only want to give you all a little bit of perspective of projector screen sizes. I should have warned you this entire post would revolve around the whole “size matters” debate.

The most common projector screen sizes fall in between the 100 to 120 inches. Let’s use 120 inches to get this point across.

A 120-inch screen is a perfect size for indoors and up-close viewing. View size measures out to be 7’ H x 7’. That’s just short of the height of an average-sized wall!

Alright, let’s drive this home folks.

A 150-inch screen is damn big. Now that I just told you what the average screen measures up to, add a couple of feet to the height and width and…

Boom! Perfect home theater here you come! As long as it can fit.

Conclusion

By now, you should have a good idea of all things projector and screen.

Okay maybe not all things.

But you now know how much a projector and screen weigh. Take that information and do what you will. Go build a home entertainment system or crush those office conferences!