Power Pick: This Projector Is The Small Apartment Solution I Was Looking For
It made my TV obsolete.
Welcome to Power Picks, a monthly series on the things that help us navigate our lives, step into our personal power, or simply get us through our day-to-day. Our hope is that by sharing what makes us feel great, we can help you feel great, too.
When my then-fiance and I moved into our new, very tiny apartment, we ran into a problem: Our bedroom didn’t have space for a new TV. Sure, we could cuddle up in our living room and then migrate to the bed after our movie or show ended, but what about the early morning Formula 1 races we watched religiously on Sundays? The idea of getting out of bed at 7 or 8 a.m. to see them sent shivers down my spine (I am not a morning person).
That’s when we had the idea to get a projector—a small one that we could prop up on our dresser, turning our massive white wall into our own little silver screen. We decided to try the XGIMI Halo+ Projector, and it’s been a real game-changer.
XGIMI's Halo+ wasn't the first device we bought. The $800 price tag scared us off, so we bought another, more affordable model from the brand. But when that device made watching anything in a non-nighttime setting impossible, we upgraded to the Halo+. It's been the most worthwhile thing we've purchased for our space.
There are so many reasons the Halo+ is worth the price tag. First of all, the image and sound quality are excellent (even for daytime viewing), which is surprising given how small the device is. Our apartment faces the street, and we get direct sunlight in the morning. The projection is not as good as it would be in a darker room (which is understandable), but it's near-perfect. Now, I no longer have to squint to see which driver is currently winning when we watch our favorite early-morning races. And the sound quality is so good that we haven't had to buy any additional speakers or sound bars.
Its small size is a major reason we love it so much. It blends in with the rest of our furniture and makes no noise while in use. I haven't taken it on vacation (yet!), but it's lightweight and compact enough to throw in a carry-on (it's about the size of a well-packed makeup bag).
The Halo+ blends right in with the rest of my bedroom setup.
Another great thing about it is that we were able to set it up in under five minutes. The keystone correction—aka, the feature that adjusts your projector's image to be rectangular and in-focus—happens in seconds, so we can start watching right away.
The Halo+ has Android TV 11, Google Play, and Chromecast built-in, so we can connect to the apps we use most—like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO, YouTube, and even my Nintendo Switch—without trouble. The only issue we've had is connecting to Netflix. Because AndroidTV powers it, you have to connect a separate device, like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, in order to use Netflix. But it's not a big deal—it takes less than a minute to set up. A.k.a, I could binge Nobody Wants This. as soon as it came out and then quickly switch over to start watching Shogun.
While not perfect, the projector showed a clearer image at well-lit times of the day.
The bottom line? The Halo+ makes me never want to leave my house. Why would I when I can turn an entire wall into a movie theater without an AMC A-List membership? Whether you're in the market for a TV or your apartment doesn't have room for one, I cannot recommend this projector enough.
