SideTrak Swivel 12.5"

The SideTrak Swivel crams two portable screens into an ultra-compact magnetic attachment, making it the king of portability. But its actual display performance is the worst we've ever recorded—washed-out colors, sluggish response, and a pitiful contrast ratio ruin the deal. Unless you absolutely need triple monitors on the go and don't care about image quality, this isn't worth your money.

The SideTrak Swivel is a pair of 12.5-inch 1080p screens that clip onto your laptop magnetically, giving you a triple-monitor setup on the move. It's a clever idea, and the compact design is genuinely impressive—at just 600 grams per display, it won't turn your bag into a dumbbell. But the moment you look at image quality, things fall apart fast. The 600:1 contrast ratio and 6-bit+FRC color mean everything looks washed out, and the 30ms response time makes even cursor movements feel sluggish. For spreadsheets and static documents, it's functional. For anything else, it's a tough sell.

We tested it against our entire monitor database and the numbers are brutal. The Swivel ranks dead last in overall performance, with display and ergonomic scores scraping the bottom of the barrel. It does nail portability—no other monitor beats it for compactness—but that's the only podium finish it'll ever see. Think of it as a desperation play for road warriors who absolutely need three screens and have zero quality standards.

It's a 60Hz panel with a 30ms response time, which lands it in the 0th percentile for performance. That's not a typo; it's literally the worst we've tested. Scrolling feels smeary, and even basic window dragging leaves ghost trails. The 300 nits of brightness and 600:1 contrast ratio can't produce deep blacks or vibrant colors, so video calls and presentations look flat. On paper, it supports 16.7 million colors, but the 6-bit+FRC trickery means gradients are prone to banding. It handles static content fine, but don't expect any visual joy here.

The price is a circus. Across vendors, we spotted listings from $302 all the way up to an eye-watering $55,993. If you can find it for the lower end and you're truly desperate for a triple-screen laptop rig, it might be justifiable. But even at $302, you're paying a lot for two mediocre portable monitors with bad panels. The best deal appears to be around that $300 mark—any higher and you're getting swindled. For most people, a single high-quality portable monitor like an Asus ZenScreen offers far better value without the visual compromise.

Compared to proper desktop monitors like the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQDMG or Samsung Odyssey OLED G6, the Swivel looks like a toy. Those OLED gaming beasts deliver stunning contrast and color, but they're not portable. That's the trade-off. In the portable space, the Swivel faces the Lepow Z1 or Asus MB169B+. Those offer similar portability but better screen quality in single-panel form. The Swivel's triple-screen trick is its only ace, and it comes at a heavy visual cost. If you can survive with one external screen, skip this and get something that doesn't look like a cheap tablet from 2015.

If you need accurate colors for design work or decent contrast for watching movies, look elsewhere, because the Swivel's screen quality is painfully outdated. Gamers should also stay away—the response time feels like you're dragging windows through molasses. Basically, if image quality matters at all, get a single high-quality portable monitor instead.

This is a niche product for a niche problem. If you're a data analyst or a writer who lives on the road and absolutely must have three windows open simultaneously, the Swivel's compact design might save you. Everyone else should steer clear. The screens are just too ugly and sluggish to recommend for creatives, gamers, or anyone who cares about how their content looks. It's a one-trick pony, and the trick isn't that impressive.