Cevaton P5 Dual Laptop Screen Extender — A nomad's second screen

Portable monitors are no longer just a niche accessory—they're a lifeline for remote workers, gamers, and creators juggling on-the-go workflows. Enter the Cevaton P5 Portable Monitor, a 15.6-inch screen wrapped in a sleek, travel-ready design that promises durability without sacrificing style. Is this the Swiss Army knife of portable displays, or does it fall short when the rubber meets the road?

The P5 offers two main setups. Use the included case to mount it to your laptop's side, or detach the monitor and deploy the kickstand for flexible placement—left, right, portrait, or mirrored. The kickstand is my go-to: lightweight (1.5 lbs) and sturdy enough for Netflix binges or code sprints. The laptop mount? A mixed bag. At 3 lbs total, it's portable but bulkier, and the case doesn't fully protect the screen when closed—a minor design quirk that left me side-eyeing my backpack's pokey things.

The aluminum alloy frame and Kevlar-esque texture say "premium," while the polycarbonate keeps it backpack-friendly. But here's the rub: if you skip the mount, there's no included sleeve or case. You'll need to BYO protection or hope your laptop bag has a padded pocket. For a $220 monitor (at the time of this writing), that feels like a missed opportunity.

The 15.6-inch IPS panel delivers crisp 1080p visuals with 85% NTSC color accuracy—solid for spreadsheeting or fighting Terminids on lunch breaks. At 300 nits, it's bright enough for cafe work but wilts in direct sunlight. Gamers, note the 60Hz refresh rate: fine for casual indies, but don't expect more action-heavy games to feel buttery. As for the built-in speaker ... it exists. Switching from my iPhone's speaker to the P5's was like trading a kazoo for a kazoo with less bass. Thankfully, there's a 3.5mm jack for sanity preservation.

The "one cable" promise mostly holds up. My Steam Deck and iPad worked flawlessly via USB-C, and the included HDMI/USB-A adapters cover legacy devices. Phone users, though: my iPhone needed two cables—USB-C for video and USB-A for power. On the bright side, plugging in cables reveals the transparent back panel—a nerdy flex showcasing the internal PCB. The RGB lighting? A cute but forgettable touch, like a screensaver you disable after day one.

The Cevaton P5 nails the basics with a premium build and fuss-free setup, but it's not without compromises. Gamers will crave higher refresh rates, pixel snobs will side-eye the 1080p resolution, and everyone will mock the speaker. Yet for remote workers and creators who value durability over bleeding-edge specs? This is the portable monitor that'll survive your backpack, your chaotic desk, and your coffee shop hustle.