Best short throw projector 2026: which of six fits your room, from a 1.10 m laser to 4K with zoom, and how far each sits

Short throw and ultra short throw sound like one family and install very differently. LG's UK guide puts a short throw projector at 90 to 180 cm for a 100-inch image, while an ultra short throw (UST) projector sits only a few inches from the wall and throws the image steeply upwards. The six projectors in this guide are all short throw: none of them goes on a TV unit against the wall.

The three models with a 0.69–0.83 ratio need 1.22–1.47 m for 80 inches, 1.53–1.84 m for 100 and 1.83–2.20 m for 120: about 4 ft to 4 ft 10 in, 5 ft to 6 ft and 6 ft to 7 ft 3 in. The two Optomas, with 0.496, need about 0.88 m, 1.10 m and 1.32 m (2 ft 11 in, 3 ft 7 in and 4 ft 4 in). The TK705STi, with 0.8, needs 1.42 m, 1.77 m and 2.13 m (4 ft 8 in, 5 ft 10 in and 7 ft). They are 16:9 sums from the lens: not distances from the furniture, nor mounting tolerances.

The light source is the part of a projector that wears, and the six in this guide use three kinds. BenQ's UK spec sheets give the hours: the TH671ST's lamp lasts 4,000 hours in normal mode, 10,000 in SmartEco or Eco and 15,000 in LampSave; the 4LED source of the TK705STi and the X500i, 20,000 hours in normal mode and 30,000 in Eco. At three hours a day, 4,000 hours is about three and a half years, and 20,000 hours about eighteen.

BenQ's UK warranty treats the light source as a consumable with its own limit, whichever comes first: 1 year or 2,000 hours, or 3 years or 3,000 hours for a lamp depending on the model; 3 years or 20,000 hours for LED; and from 2 years or 10,000 hours to 5 years or 30,000 hours for laser. The dimming that comes with use is not covered in any case (read on 23 September 2026).

Since 29 April 2024, UK law requires makers of connectable products to publish the minimum period for which they will provide security updates, with an end date: it is the product security regime of the PSTI Act. For a projector with apps built in, that date says how long its smart system will keep getting fixes.

BenQ prints it on each UK spec sheet. The X500i, whose apps come on an Android TV dongle, is guaranteed until 31 December 2026. The TK705STi, with Google TV built in, shows 20 July 2025, a date that had already passed when this guide was written on 23 September 2026. The TH671ST, which has no apps, shows 31 December 2024.

The projectors in this guide have no TV tuner, so live channels arrive through a Freeview box, a streaming stick or built-in apps. The screen changes nothing about the licence: in the UK you need a TV Licence, £180 a year since 1 April 2026, to watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or to use BBC iPlayer, on a TV, a computer or any other device. Watching another service's on-demand programmes, such as Netflix, is not on that list.

If you play from the sofa and put the picture first, compare the 4K output at the frame rate your console really delivers. If you put response first from a PC, check which resolution is left when the fast mode is on. The lowest latency in a listing usually belongs to one particular combination, and it does not necessarily include every picture setting switched on.

The X500i's sheet is a useful example: it separates 16.7 ms at 4K/60 from 4.2 ms at 1080p/240 and warns that its 2K/120 input is scaled down to 1080p. The X2-4K advertises an Xbox combination of 1440p/120. Sharing zoom and an LED source does not make them equivalent. For films and apps, the TK705STi can be a more direct buy if its fixed lens fits.

A wall that receives daylight reflects it even when the projector is trying to draw black, and more light from the projector cannot subtract it. That is why no screen size "that will look fine in daylight" can be promised from a lumen figure: the room's light, the surface, the picture mode and how much contrast you expect are all missing from it.

For films, plan how to control the light. For a meeting room where the blinds cannot come down, check legibility with real content and consider a television or a professional display if the size you need fits the budget. An ALR screen has to match the optics and the mounting angle; the word "anti-glare" on it is not enough.

A budget that does not reach the full installation: do not swap the model for another that only promises "4K" and leaves out its throw ratio. Reduce the size, change the location or put the purchase off until an alternative is checked.

A requirement not yet confirmed: if you do not know the distance of the mount, need a particular app or cannot control the light, settle that first. No discount fixes an incompatibility.

You already have a projector that works: a suitable screen, aligning it properly or controlling the light may make more sense than replacing it with a higher resolution. And if you want a small image to watch in bright light, compare a television too.