Quick Answer: The Hisense PX3-PRO is the best ultra short throw projector for most living rooms in 2026 — its triple-laser engine delivers bright, wide-gamut color and a 100–130 inch image from inches away, for less than premium rivals. The Samsung The Premiere 9 is our premium pick with the slickest smart platform, while the Epson LS800 is the best for bright rooms thanks to its huge brightness and ultra-short throw ratio.
Ultra short throw (UST) projectors — often sold as “laser TVs” — solve projection’s biggest problem: they sit on a media console inches from the wall, so there’s no ceiling mount, no long throw, and nobody walks through the beam. Paired with an ambient-light-rejecting (ALR) screen, the best ones rival a giant TV in a normal lit room. We tested these against ALR screens in daytime and at night. Below are our top picks for 2026. For a traditional long-throw setup, see our best home theater projector guide instead.
Our top picks at a glance
| Projector | Best for | Brightness | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hisense PX3-PRO | Best overall | 3,000 lumens | ~$2,999 | ★★★★★ |
| Samsung The Premiere 9 | Best premium | ~3,450 lumens | ~$5,999 | ★★★★½ |
| Epson LS800 | Best for bright rooms | 4,000 lumens | ~$3,499 | ★★★★½ |
| Formovie Theater | Best value triple-laser | 2,800 lumens | ~$2,799 | ★★★★½ |
| AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro | Best for big screens | 3,500 lumens | ~$4,999 | ★★★★☆ |
1. Hisense PX3-PRO — Best Overall
Hisense PX3-PRO
- TriChroma triple-laser engine with extremely wide color (~110% BT.2020).
- 3,000 lumens — bright enough for a daytime living room with an ALR screen.
- Throws a 100–130 inch image from just inches off the wall.
- Google TV built in plus Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support.
The PX3-PRO is the laser TV we recommend to most buyers because it delivers flagship features at a price the premium brands can’t match. Its triple-laser light engine produces some of the widest, most vivid color you can get, it’s bright enough to fight daytime light on an ALR screen, and Google TV with Dolby Vision/Atmos makes it a complete living-room centerpiece. Adjustable feet and a flexible throw range make it easy to dial in a 100–130 inch picture. For most people, this is the UST to buy.
2. Samsung The Premiere 9 — Best Premium
Samsung The Premiere 9
- Triple-laser engine with a bundled ambient-light-rejecting screen on some kits.
- ~3,450 lumens with excellent brightness and contrast.
- Full Samsung Tizen smart TV platform with Gaming Hub.
- Wireless one-connect box keeps cables off your console.
If you want the most polished, TV-like experience, Samsung’s flagship UST is it. The Premiere 9 pairs a bright triple-laser image with the same Tizen smart platform as Samsung’s TVs — including the cloud Gaming Hub — and its design and cable management are a cut above. It costs a premium, but for buyers who want a true “laser TV” that behaves exactly like a smart TV, it’s the most refined option here.
3. Epson LS800 — Best for Bright Rooms
Epson LS800
- 4,000 lumens — the brightest pick here, ideal for sunny living rooms.
- Ultra-short 0.16 throw ratio sits closest to the wall for a huge image.
- 3LCD design means no DLP rainbow artifacts and consistent color.
- Android TV built in with a strong Yamaha-tuned speaker system.
When your room is bright and you can’t fully control light, the LS800’s 4,000 lumens make the difference. It’s the brightest UST on this list, and its remarkably short 0.16 throw ratio means it can sit nearly against the wall and still fill a 120–150 inch screen — handy in tight rooms. The 3LCD engine avoids rainbow artifacts, and built-in Android TV plus a punchy speaker round it out. It’s the bright-room specialist.
4. Formovie Theater — Best Value Triple-Laser
Formovie Theater
- Triple-laser ALPD engine with wide color and excellent black levels.
- 2,800 lumens with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support.
- Built-in Bowers & Wilkins speaker system sounds genuinely good.
- Among the best contrast of any UST at this price.
The Formovie Theater is the value champion for picture-quality enthusiasts. Its triple-laser engine and unusually strong native contrast give it some of the best black levels in the UST world, and the bundled Bowers & Wilkins audio is a cut above. It supports Dolby Vision and Atmos, and for the money it punches right up against projectors costing more. If image quality per dollar is your priority, this is the pick.
5. AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro — Best for Big Screens
AWOL Vision LTV-3500 Pro
- 3,500 lumens of triple-laser brightness built for very large images.
- Drives screens up to ~150 inches with vivid, wide-gamut color.
- Dolby Vision support and 3D capability for enthusiasts.
- Often bundled with a matching ALR screen for a complete kit.
If you want the biggest possible image without losing brightness, the LTV-3500 Pro is built for it. Its 3,500-lumen triple-laser engine keeps a 130–150 inch picture bright and saturated, it supports Dolby Vision and even 3D for enthusiasts, and it’s frequently sold bundled with a matching ALR screen so you get a complete laser-TV package. It’s a premium choice aimed squarely at people who want wall-filling scale.
How to choose an ultra short throw projector
- Budget for an ALR screen. A UST’s bright-room advantage largely comes from a matching ambient-light-rejecting screen. Factor it into your total cost — projecting onto bare wall throws away much of the benefit.
- Measure your console and wall. Throw ratio (e.g. 0.16–0.25) determines how far from the wall it sits and how big the image is. Shorter throw (Epson LS800) suits tight spaces.
- Triple-laser vs. single-laser. Triple-laser (RGB) models deliver wider, more vivid color; single-laser-plus-phosphor units are cheaper but less saturated.
- Brightness for your light. 3,000+ lumens for bright living rooms; 2,500–2,800 is fine for rooms with some light control.
- Smart platform and sound. Google TV or Tizen built in saves a streaming box; strong built-in audio (Formovie, Epson) can replace a soundbar for casual use.
The bottom line
For the best mix of color, brightness, and price, the Hisense PX3-PRO is our overall ultra short throw pick for 2026. Step up to the Samsung The Premiere 9 for the most polished smart-TV experience, choose the Epson LS800 for the brightest bright-room performance, or grab the Formovie Theater for the best picture quality per dollar. Prefer a traditional setup? See our best home theater projector guide.