Let’s face it, working on a single laptop screen just isn’t the same once you’ve grown accustomed to using a multi-monitor setup at home.
Even with one of the best laptops, you’re still limited to a single, 13, 15 or even an 18-inch screen. This might be good enough for some people but if you’re the type of person that frequently has two full-size windows open side by side, you will probably feel limited while working on a laptop. I know I do.
For this reason, I started bringing a portable monitor with me whenever I travel for my job or need to get out of the house to work from a cafe. Thanks to USB-C, this is a whole lot easier than it used to be only a few years ago since you can now power a portable monitor and send video to it using just a single cable.
Although I’ve used a dual-screen portable monitor with my laptop before, I’ve yet to try doing so with a laptop screen extender. That’s why when Siaviala reached out about sending one over for a review, I took them up on their offer.
Unlike with your typical portable monitor that you need to set up next to your laptop, a laptop screen extender goes behind your monitor. While you could have a single display that attaches to your laptop, many laptop extenders — like the one I spent the past week testing out — actually have two screens. With a screen on either side of your laptop, you end up with a triple-monitor setup without the same hassle that would go into building one with three of the best monitors at home.
If you too are looking for more screen real estate but also want to be productive on the go, here’s what it was like working on a laptop screen extender and why you might want to consider a similar setup yourself.
A different take on laptop screen extenders
Many of the laptop screen extenders available today either attach directly to your laptop or are a bit bulkier since they can’t be broken down. The Siaviala S6 ($399, Amazon) is a bit different though as it’s entirely modular. Instead of one big device, this laptop screen extender is actually made up of two, 15.6-inch portable monitors that attach to a magnetic stand.
As you might not always want a triple-screen setup though, you can also use one of the monitors on its own. With the S6, Siaviala also includes a single monitor stand that like the dual one, slots in at the back of either monitor.
To give you an idea of how the S6 comes together, here’s a view of both monitors and the magnetic stand from behind. See the arms on the back of the magnetic stand? They fold out and then slot into the opening on the back of either monitor. Everything is clearly labeled left and right too, so you don’t end up attaching one of the monitors to the wrong arm on the magnetic stand.
It’s not just the stand that’s magnetic either. There are magnets on the front corners of the right monitor that allow it to connect to the left one to protect both of their displays while in transit. Likewise, when you have the two monitors magnetically connected like a laptop with a closed lid, the stand can attach to the back so that you have all of the pieces you need to use this laptop screen extender together in one place.
The S6’s stand also has another trick up its sleeve though. Siaviala includes a sleeve stand that lets you use the two monitors stacked on top of each other. Basically, you slot the single screen stand into the sleeve, flip the magnetic stand over and then connect this to one of its arms. Meanwhile, its kickstand helps hold up the lower monitor and provides extra support to the sleeve stand.
Setting it up this way took a little troubleshooting but after a few minutes I had everything together and ready to go. I plan on using the S6 like this with one of the best mini PC when I get some more time. For now though, here’s what it was like using it with my trusty ThinkPad.
Prime screen real estate
With both of the S6’s screens on either side of my 13-inch laptop, I now had 44-inches of screen real estate to work with. Unlike some of the other portable monitors I’ve used in the past, all of the ports are located on the back of each monitor instead of on the side.
In total, each display has three USB-C ports and one of these is actually USB-C with DisplayPort (DP) functionality. This port comes in handy if your laptop only has a single USB-C port as you can use the included USB-C to HDMI cable to connect the monitor to an HDMI port.
With both of the S6’s screens on either side of my 13-inch laptop, I now had 44-inches of screen real estate to work with. Unlike some of the other portable monitors I’ve used in the past, all of the ports are located on the back of each monitor instead of on the side.
In total, each display has three USB-C ports and one of these is actually USB-C with DisplayPort (DP) functionality. This port comes in handy if your laptop only has a single USB-C port as you can use the included USB-C to HDMI cable to connect the monitor to an HDMI port.
Not quite the ideal triple-monitor setup
Though I really liked the idea of having a separate monitor on either side of my laptop, setting things up this way did take up a lot of room. In fact, my small, 13-inch laptop now occupied an entire table. While the stand was sturdy and did hold up both monitors, I found that if I wanted to use my laptop screen at less of an angle, the S6 would fall forward.
At the same time, I wish Siaviala had taken cable management into consideration when designing the magnetic stand that holds the two monitors. Some cable clips or even a channel to run both of the USB-C cables through before connecting them to my laptop would have been a nice touch. I haven’t tried it yet but one of the main appeals of the S6 is that the arms that hold the monitors actually rotate. This way, you could have one screen in landscape mode and the other in portrait mode. I do plan on testing this out further though.
As the S6’s two monitors had a tendency to fall towards me when I was working with my laptop’s screen at less of an angle, I eventually moved to the back of the coffee shop and leaned them both up against a wall. This worked well and I was able to copy the photos I had taken to my laptop and start choosing which ones I wanted to use and which ones didn’t make the cut.
Another thing I noticed is that my laptop’s battery struggled to power two external displays for an extended period of time. Maybe this was because I turned up the brightness on both displays to take photos but I found I was only able to work for about an hour and a half before it shut down. Unfortunately, my ThinkPad only has two USB-C ports and with a monitor connected to either one, I wasn’t able to plug in my GaN charger to keep working.
Now if I had a laptop with multiple USB-C ports like the MacBook Pro (M3 Pro) which has three, this wouldn’t be a problem. Likewise, I could power one of the monitors off the wall using an AC adapter and then use the included USB-C to HDMI cable. However, as this was intended to be portable setup, I wanted to avoid having too many cables going every which way or using a wall outlet if possible.
Holding out for a one-cable solution
I still have to put the S6 laptop screen extender through its paces a bit more but so far, I’m pretty impressed with its design and how Siaviala used magnets to ensure that you aren’t fumbling around with all its different pieces. The fact that you can use either monitor on their own is another big plus. However, it’s a shame you can’t daisy chain the two monitors together with one USB-C cable and use another to connect them to your laptop.
Even though it doesn’t give you quite the same level of immersion, I really like how the UPERFECT Delta portable monitor I’ve been testing can be powered by a single USB-C cable. Additionally, that dual-screen, foldable portable monitor has two Mini HDMI ports instead of just only having USB-C ports. This makes connecting it to a game console or even an older laptop a bit easier.
Still though, with the S6, Siaviala provides you with an easy way to turn your laptop into a full-fledged mobile studio. The fact that each monitor needs to be plugged directly into your laptop could be a deal breaker for some but this does give you the flexibility to use them on their own when you don’t feel like rocking a triple-monitor setup when you’re out in public.
