📣 The Spruce Features Elite Screens Products in the 5 Best Outdoor Movie Screens to Jumpstart your Backyard Party

Manual B Series

Our favorite outdoor movie screen is the Elite Screens Manual B, a 120-inch pull-down screen that’s easy to mount and even easier to use on movie night. We installed it on the side of a detached garage, under an awning where it’s protected from the weather, and were blown away by the quality of the picture and the ease of setup.

This is a high quality screen that’s made from Elite Screens’ MaxWhite material, which is fiberglass-backed for extra durability in outdoor settings. It has a black backing too, so you don’t need to mount it directly against a wall like we did. If you hang it from the ceiling of your covered porch or gazebo, the black backing will block light from coming through and washing out the picture.

Yard Master Plus Series

Wind can ruin an outdoor movie night by blowing the screen around, which is why the Elite Screens Yard Master Plus is a good choice for breezy backyards. We had to deal with some wind while we were testing one, and the screen didn’t even budge, thanks to the included ground stakes that kept it solidly in place. Elite Screens cautions that this screen isn’t designed to withstand heavy winds (they recommend taking it down in winds over 7 mph).

This screen uses Elite Screens CineWhite material, which is designed to provide an extremely flat surface with a higher gain than the MaxWhite material used by the Elite Screens Manual B (our overall best recommendation). Outdoor movie screens aren’t great for outdoor viewing, but pairing a high gain screen like this with a bright projector like the Anker Laser 4K Projector will provide the best possible experience.

We noticed some wrinkles each time we unpacked the screen and set it up, but it looked smooth and the picture didn’t have any distortions by the time movie night started.

Yard Master 2 Series

If you don’t have a convenient wall or covered area to install a screen, or you like surprising your friends and family by holding outdoor movie nights in various locations, then I recommend a screen with an easy folding frame like the Elite Screens Yard Master 2. We found the initial setup to be a little tricky when we tested this screen, but we were impressed with how easy it was to set up and take down after that.

My own outdoor movie screen is no longer available, but it uses the same style of folding frame, and I love how easy it is to pull out for an impromptu movie night and then pack away when the movie is over. This one also comes with tie downs for added stability, although it didn’t perform as well in wind as the Yard Master Plus (our best for breezy weather pick) that also has a height adjustment.

This screen is also a lot easier to set up and take down than the Yard Master Plus (about five minutes compared to over 15) because the frame folds instead of needing to assemble and disassemble it every time. It uses the same CineWhite screen material though, so the picture is fantastic with wide enough viewing angles to accommodate the whole family (and the neighbors too).