when it comes to best portable monitor, they all share a very similar form factor. A 12- to 17-inch display usually has an integrated stand for propping it up on a desk or flat surface. All portable monitors reviewed up to this point adhere to that formula.
However, the SideTrak Swivel sidesteps the criteria for this category by choosing to attach semi-permanently to the back of your laptop’s display lid. This attachment point has its pros and cons, which we’ll explore in more detail later in this review.
If you’re looking for a portable monitor that can expand your workspace without a desk or flat surface nearby, the SideTrak swivel is an interesting option in this category. However, if you want tight control over your display settings, or expect great image quality, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
SideTrak Swivel Portable Monitor Specifications
| Panel type/backlight | IPS/WLED |
| Screen size/aspect ratio | 12.5″/16:9 |
| Maximum resolution and refresh rate | 1920×1080@60Hz |
| Maximum brightness | 300 nits |
| contrast ratio | 600:01:00 |
| screen coating | matte/anti-reflection |
| port | 1x Mini HDMI 2.0, 1x USB-C |
| (DisplayPort 1.2 Alt Mode) | |
| speaker | no |
| size | 12 x 7.4 x 0.7 inch |
| weight | 1.3 pounds |
SideTrak Swivel Portable Monitor Design
Our SideTrak Swivel review unit has a 12.5-inch display, but SideTrak also comes in a 12.5-inch version. 13.3″ and 14″ sizes (opens in new tab) Please match your laptop model. The sides and top bezel are 0.25 inches thick, and the bottom bezel or “chin” is just under an inch thick. The entire unit is incredibly lightweight, weighing just 1.3 pounds. Given that most people use a swivel that hangs behind the laptop’s display, a lightweight design is essential and you don’t want to add extra weight to the point where the laptop becomes unstable.
However, the lightweight design also means the Swivel feels very cheap. The scratchy plastic used is of poor quality and the top and bottom halves are glued together somewhat haphazardly. On my unit, not only was the seam between the two halves uneven, but there were lots of very sharp flashing/molding lines along the plastic (one end hard enough to slice my finger). was sharp).
Swivel has only two buttons, neither of which are marked. Adjust brightness up or down. Also, the Swivel only has two ports on him, a micro HDMI port and a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt-Mode. SideTrak comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable (USB-C to USB-A adapter included if needed) and micro HDMI to HDMI cable included.
We should also mention that the Swivel doesn’t have a traditional on-screen display (OSD). There is only one setting to adjust: brightness. There is only one display mode and no other configurable options. Good luck getting your laptop’s panel to display the colors of your display.
Attach the SideTrak Swivel to your laptop
The SideTrak Swivel’s main attraction is that it attaches directly to your laptop. Securing the Swivel requires a little preparation, starting with the screen mounting guide that comes with the SideTrak. Using the paper guide as a template, attach the metal plate to the back of your laptop’s display in either a right-handed or left-handed configuration. A metal plate is attached to the back of the display using double-sided tape. SideTrak says this is a semi-permanent mount and should be removed using the included plastic scraper tool. SideTrak includes two metal plates when using the Swivel with a second laptop.
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Attaching the metal plate attaches the Swivel’s arm with four magnets. Magnets provide a strong connection that won’t break easily. You can also slide the display in and out from the side of your laptop. As the name suggests, the swivel rotates 360 degrees and rotates 270 degrees. It has a built-in gyroscope that automatically adjusts the orientation of the display depending on whether it’s mounted on the left or right side of the laptop.
However, the swivel mechanism again causes build quality issues. The mounting points where the display contacts and rotates around the arm are crudely constructed and have loose tolerances. So the Swivel is not perfectly square, but tilted at an angle of 2-3 degrees. This is unpleasant to the eyes.
Another issue is that despite the Swivel weighing just over a pound, the uneven weight distribution causes the Motile laptop to tilt to the right while in use. My Motile M141 weighs 2.55 lbs, which may exacerbate the problem, but heavier laptops may not have tilt issues. However, the drooping swivel mechanism cannot be circumvented.
When not in use, the Swivel folds flat by sliding it snugly behind your laptop’s display. Strong magnets ensure that they will not fall off during transportation.
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You can also use Swivel like a traditional portable monitor. The swivel attachment “arm” acts as a stand with adjustable angles. The arm also doubles as a stand for placing Swivel in portrait mode.
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SideTrak Swivel image quality
Compared to other productivity-focused portable monitors, the SideTrak Swivel ranks near the bottom of the pack in our display tests, with one exception. Its brightness rating was above average, slightly exceeding the manufacturer’s specs at 301.4 nits.
However, the sRGB gamut coverage was 72.4%, while DCI-P3 was only 51.3%. Both results are the lowest we’ve ever recorded for a portable monitor, and as expected from these numbers, the actual results were mediocre.
The brightness was certainly at its peak, but the colors were subdued. For example, when I edit a photo in Pixelmator Pro, colors that should be clearly red are skewed to an orangey red. This also interrupted the content I saw on the display. mandalorian (Season 3: Episode 2). Complicating things further, the lack of an OSD means there’s no way to adjust the Swivel’s color and image settings. Unfortunately, this case is not ideal.
My review sample also had a hotspot at the bottom center of the display, appearing as a cluster of pixels as bright as a pinky nail.
Conclusion
The Sidetrak Swivel is an interesting concept, but unfortunately its implementation misses the mark in some respects. First and foremost, Swivel’s build quality is poor, with some lapses affecting functionality. It’s so thin, hollow and fragile that I’ve been tossed in my laptop bag on various excursions and wondered how long it would last before it cracked.
The hinge that allows the screen to swivel and rotate is also a literal weak point. The hinge isn’t stiff enough, causing the screen to sag and create a non-horizontal viewing experience.
The lack of an OSD for adjusting color and image settings limits your ability to adjust the image to your liking. When it comes to monitors, we often take the OSD for granted, so it’s a shame it has nothing but brightness control.
And then there’s the price. At $329 for a portable monitor, it’s a lot. OLED panel price around $200 in the last few months. I applaud SideTrak for trying something different with their Swivel approach to portable monitors, but there are too many compromises to recommend (and a great portable display that doesn’t cost a penny). too many).
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