Five years ago, there was very little variety in the types of portable monitors available for consumers. You had a few options from well-known desktop monitor brands, and that was about it. However, in the past few years, we’ve seen a large uptick not only in form factors for portable monitors, but also in the adoption of leading panel technologies like OLED.

ViewSonic is a well-known player among the best portable monitors, and we’ve reviewed several of its entries. The latest to grace our lab is the VG1457. This is a dual-display monitor that is quite different from the typical competitors in this space. Rather than having the two displays flank a laptop’s built-in screen with a “spine” connecting them, the VG1457 features two panels stacked on top of each other, joined by a 360-degree hinge.

Due to this design, the VG1457 can be used in several types of orientations across multiple screen modes. And with a sub-$350 price tag, it represents a relative bargain for mobile warriors.

Design of the ViewSonic VG1457

The VG1457 features a remarkable design, incorporating two display panels in a relatively light and compact form factor. Since ViewSonic doesn’t have a thick and heavy frame that needs to support two outstretched panels, the VG1457 only weighs 2.6 pounds (about double that of a portable monitor with a single display). And when folded, it has roughly the same footprint as a single-panel portable monitor (albeit thicker).

Each panel measures 14 inches across and features 1200p resolution. In its default landscape orientation, the VG1457’s panels are stacked on top of each other, with two 360-degree hinges connecting them. However, if you prefer, you can stand the panels up so that they are in portrait mode, with the two panels sitting next to each other, book-style.

In either viewing mode, the twin panels are supported by an adjustable kickstand. The kickstand incorporates dual 2-watt speakers and three USB-C ports. The bottom USB-C port is used exclusively to power the monitor, while the other three USB-C ports can handle power and video, including two-way power delivery up to 65 watts. I was able to power the VG1457 using a single USB-C cable connection to an HP OmniBook X laptop.

ViewSonic includes two USB-C cables and a 65-watt USB-C wall adapter in the box. A felt carrying case is also included, which is sufficient for protecting the VG1457 while traveling. It’s not substantial enough to protect the displays from damage if you drop it, but it should prevent more superficial damage to the displays.

ViewSonic VG1457 Specifications

ViewSonic VG1457 Operating Modes and OSD

The 360-degree hinge design allows the VG1457 to be used in various orientations. The most popular will likely be landscape mode, with the panels stacked. Portrait mode has the two panels side by side, which would be beneficial for editing two Word documents simultaneously, for example.

There’s also a “tent” mode, which would allow you to have one display facing you, and the second facing away from you (i.e., for someone sitting on the opposite side of the table from you). The VG1457 can automatically rotate the screens to the correct visual orientation using the Auto Pivot feature.

In addition to these orientations, there are also several operating modes. Mirror Mode will simply duplicate what’s on your laptop’s screen to both of the VG1457’s displays. Extend will allow you to have a separate image across each display (laptop and both VG1457 displays). Full Screen mode will display one source/image across both of the VG1457’s displays. Finally, dual source mode allows each of the VG1457’s panels to take input from a separate source. For example, one panel could use a laptop as a source, while the second panel could use a tablet as a source.

As for the OSD, it’s controlled by four circular buttons on the right side of the kickstand. It took a little while to get used to, as once a button is pressed, you have to pay attention to the position of the on-screen menus and what button they correspond to. I had to do some mental gymnastics to navigate the interface somewhat smoothly.

The Display Settings menu allows you to choose between Mirror, Extend, Full Screen, and Dual Source modes. The only other configurable options are under the Color Adjust Menu, where you can only adjust Contrast and Brightness. When you’re not in the OSD, you can use the buttons to individually control brightness and speaker volume.

Display Performance on the ViewSonic VG1457

The VG1457 uses twin 14-inch 1200p IPS panels with a standard 60 Hz refresh rate. Both panels are covered with an anti-glare finish to reduce distracting reflections.

ViewSonic says that the panels are rated for up to 300 nits maximum brightness, but that wasn't the case with our review unit. Instead, we saw just 201 nits, ranking it in fourth place of five dual-screen portable monitors that we've recently tested. Only the KYY X90D was dimmer at 181.4 nits at full power.

Color performance was also not up to par compared to its peers; we measured just 44.8 percent coverage of DCI-P3 and 63.2 percent of sRGB. Both figures put it at the back of the pack, and by a large margin.

It's one thing to be able to boast (or not boast) about color performance with instrumented tests, but how does the VG1457 look in real-world applications? For my needs, I spend a lot of time in Word, Excel, Microsoft Edge, and Pixelmator Pro. And for those use cases, it was "fine." Colors weren't particularly vibrant, and I wished that the brightness of the VG1457's panels at least matched the brightness of the native 14-inch display on the OmniBook X that I was using as a test system.

Watching movies was also just an "OK" experience, with muted colors and lots of grey undertones when watching dark scenes.

The VG1457 also includes a pair of 2-watt speakers, which sounded OK. They're serviceable for handling your Google Meet or Zoom calls, or listening to some music in the background while you work. However, they are by no means high-quality speakers that will blow your socks off.

Bottom Line

The ViewSonic VG1457 has a lot of positive qualities that I appreciated. Its relatively compact and lightweight frame (for a dual-screen monitor) is a boon for travel. Many dual-screen monitors are “portable” in name only, and would be a chore to carry around; however, I was able to slip the VG1457 into my laptop backpack with ease. I also like that there are three USB-C ports supporting 65-watt power passthrough to your computer or other peripherals.

On the other hand, color performance and brightness were lackluster compared to the competition. You won’t be happy if you’re looking to use the VG1457 for watching videos or photo editing. Still, for more basic productivity tasks or presenting (which is its primary mission anyway), it’s more than adequate.

While the overall portable monitor market has exploded over the past few years, one sub-segment that has seen increasing attention is the dual-panel market. We’ve already reviewed entries from several players in this space, but the latest from JSAUX might be one of the most versatile that we’ve seen so far.

The JSAUX FlipGo Horizon Pro is a dual-screen portable monitor with a large footprint. Still, it’s highly configurable in how you position the display panels, and it even includes an integrated hub with multiple USB-A ports and a gigabit Ethernet port. Those features are rare among the best portable monitors, so let’s see what makes the FlipGo Horizon Pro tick.

Design of the JSAUX FlipGo Horizon Pro

A lot is going on with the design of the FlipGo Horizon Pro, and for good reason. It's trying to accomplish a lot with its various operating modes, and it employs a rather ingenious system to execute on its mission.

At the heart of the FlipGo Horizon Pro is its black aluminum frame. It consists of a wedge-shaped base, on which your laptop rests. Not only does the weight of the laptop provide an additional anchor point (and stability) for the base, but it also positions the laptop on a slight incline.

On the back of the base are several ports used for connecting the monitors and expanding port availability for your laptop. You’ll find two USB-C inputs for the monitors, a USB-C for power from the included 65-watt power adapter, and a USB-C port for data and video that connects directly to your laptop. In addition, there are three USB-A ports for peripherals and a Gigabit Ethernet port for networking.

Sprouting up from the base is a horizontal bar that forms the basis for mounting the monitors. Two sliding platforms attach to the horizontal bar: one for the left monitor and one for the right monitor. The sliders allow you to accommodate both large and small laptops. In addition, each slider can fold forward or back to suit your preferred viewing angle or enable a specific operating mode.

At the end of each slider are magnets that firmly hold each monitor panel in place, whether in landscape or portrait mode. The whole platform can then be adjusted for tilt thanks to the aluminum kickstand that attaches to the horizontal bar.

Each monitor is also constructed of aluminum and has two USB-C ports (one for video, one for power) and a micro-HDMI port. You’ll also find a jog wheel for the OSD and a power/menu button on each.

The whole setup comes in dual-carrying cases. A large, foam-padded carrying case opens to reveal a second carrying case that houses the two display panels. Elsewhere inside, you’ll find the 65-watt wall adapter, multiple USB-C cables to handle video and power, two HDMI cables, a MagSafe phone mount, and multiple power plug ends for global travel.

JSAUX FlipGo Horizon Pro Specifications

JSAUX FlipGo Horizon Pro OSD

Since each display is independent, each has its own on-screen display (OSD). You can access the OSD by pressing in on the jog wheel. Moving up and down with the jog wheel navigates through the OSD, while pressing in goes one level deeper until you select an option. A single press on the power button goes back one menu, while a long press turns off the monitor.

Once in the OSD, there are your typical adjustable settings, including brightness, contrast, and sharpness. There’s a separate menu for color temperature, saturation, and hue. You can also switch between HDMI and USB-C connections for the monitors.

JSAUX FlipGo Horizon Pro Operating Modes

The FlipGo Horizon Pro has an extensive array of operating modes that you can use with a laptop and even a smartphone. Its namesake mode is “Horizon Mode,” which has both display panels sprouting out from either side of your laptop’s display like a big pair of ears. Each display can be presented in landscape mode, portrait mode, or any combination of the two (i.e., one landscape and one portrait or both in portrait).

Stack Mode allows you to place the two panels standalone, side-by-side, in portrait orientation or on top of each other in landscape orientation. Solo Mode is for using just a single panel, while Creative Mode uses the included magnetic attachment to mount your smartphone in place of one of the monitors.

My preferred arrangement was to use Horizon Mode, with the two display panels in portrait orientation. Creative Mode just seemed like a waste to me, because the point of purchasing a FlipGo Horizon Pro is to have the expanded real estate of two monitors, and ditching one to use a smartphone in its place just rang hollow.

I had similar reservations about Solo Mode due to the unit's weight, even with one display, which is easily twice that of a traditional single-screen portable monitor due to the heavy frame.

With that said, we have to give JSAUX credit for providing a wealth of options for customers to choose from. In the end, having options is a good thing, even if they don’t align with my specific tastes.

Display Performance on the JSAUX FlipGo Horizon Pro

Before I get into the actual numbers, let me first talk about living with the FlipGo Horizon Pro. When I’m working at my desk, I use a 49-inch DQHD OLED monitor, which gives me plenty of real estate to have multiple Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge windows open, widgets strewn about my screen, along with my photo editing software. However, when I’m on the go, my go-to system is a 13-inch MacBook Air. Needless to say, the fall-off in screen real estate is jarring, which is why I usually travel with a 15.6-inch 1200p portable monitor.

With the FlipGo Horizon Pro, I was able to add two 15.6-inch 1080p monitors to flank my 13-inch MacBook Air. The extra displays are incredibly welcome, especially when I’m performing data entry or researching topics that I’m writing about. With that said, there’s room for improvement with respect to the actual panels that JSAUX uses on the FlipGo Horizon Pro.

JSAUX claims that each panel is rated for 300 nits of maximum brightness; however, our instrumented test showed just under 250 nits in its default picture mode. Even using the custom setting in User mode, we maxed out at 276 nits. Likewise, color performance was dismal at best. We recorded 79.9 percent coverage of sRGB and just 56.6 percent of DCI-P3. The numbers tell one story, but real-world performance was also rather lackluster. Photos looked lifeless, and colors (particularly reds) seemed off-kilter. In addition, the stark difference in color reproduction between my MacBook Air's native IPS panel and the two panels on the FlipGo Horizon Pro was stark. I saw similar disparities when using the FlipGo Horizon Pro with a HyperX Omen 16 gaming laptop.

With that said, my needs for a portable monitor while traveling aren't incredibly demanding. When I'm editing photos, I do so on my MacBook Air's native display, while the secondary display panels are used for spreadsheets, my word processor, and browsing websites. In other words, the relatively poor quality of the panels did not put a damper on the actual functional usefulness that they provided.

Bottom Line

The JSAUX FlipGo Horizon Pro is a do-everything mobile accessory, offering two screens, a built-in hub, and multiple configuration options. It seems as though JSAUX thought of everything, providing all the necessary cables and a two-tier storage case with separate padded storage for the two display panels.

I encountered no issues while using the displays, although the cable management can get a bit overwhelming. And despite the included suitcase, because of the weight of the entire apparatus, the FlipGo Horizon Pro is more of an accessory that I’d want permanently sitting on my desk than lugging around when traveling.

With that said, the FlipGo Horizon Pro carries a price of $449.99 direct from JSAUX, although the company is currently offering a coupon that takes off $40. For comparison, the KYY X90D is $224; while it doesn’t allow the screens to pivot independently into portrait mode, it represents a huge cost saving if all you want are two additional screens. But if you want the added versatility, including features like additional USB ports and an Ethernet port, there aren’t many options superior to the FlipGo Horizon Pro in the dual-screen space.