Three Massive Monitors for Your Laptop: A Design Dilemma

I’m currently seated in a bustling coffee shop surrounded by four monitors. One of these screens is my standard laptop, a common sight next to my steaming cup of coffee. However, the other three screens are the impressive portable displays of the Aura Triple Aero 15.6-inch Pro Max, a remarkable device crafted from aluminum and matte glass that towers over my laptop, exuding an aura of dominance akin to Mr. Universe. Surprisingly, no one seems to notice this striking piece of technology, which is a relief because with all these screens in front of me, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m the least competent person in this café.

The concept of “portable” triple-monitor accessories designed to enhance your laptop’s screen real estate for tasks like managing spreadsheets or any multitasking effort to heighten your productivity is not new. Recently, a wave of affordable display command centers has inundated social media, marketed as essential life hack tools. I thought it would be entertaining to take the Triple Aero outside of my usual workspace, both to evaluate its portability and to gauge my ability to utilize it socially in public. I often question why I subject myself to these challenges.

This setup holds considerable appeal, particularly for those like myself who find the limited space of a laptop display to be unmanageable. For individuals who dread the thought of spending countless hours in the same room with a traditional multi-monitor setup, the Tripe Aero offers a practical alternative. My usual method of working remotely involves using my 11-inch iPad Pro as a wireless external display. While it serves its purpose, I often contemplate whether I can find a solution that offers the best of both worlds.

Experience Functionality Over Aesthetics

The Triple Aero showcases three 15.6-inch, 1080p IPS LCD displays mounted on a folding, height-adjustable stand, allowing for more ergonomic computer posture rather than the typical hunching over a laptop. The brightness level of the displays is adequate for visibility in a sunlit coffee shop. However, challenges may arise on particularly bright days, especially when the sun is streaming in through windows behind the Triple Aero. The display casings and stand are crafted from sleek black aluminum. While the device does feature built-in speakers, their audio quality leaves much to be desired and is best avoided for any serious audio needs.

At the bottom edge of the central display, users will find two USB-C ports: one designated for powering the screens and another for video input from your laptop, which also facilitates passthrough power. Additionally, there are three Micro HDMI ports corresponding to each display, enabling connections with multiple devices instead of just a single computer. The Triple Aero is bundled with a 65W power adapter that includes two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, providing versatile charging options.

While this device may not win any beauty contests, that’s not its primary function, is it? Opting for a product like the Triple Aero signifies your priority for maximizing display capacity. Despite its functional design, I find it frustrating that Aura has chosen to place the port labels on the back of the device rather than the front. For a stationary monitor, this might not be an issue, but since the Triple Aero is intended for travel, accessing the rear ports can be cumbersome. Additionally, the buttons for adjusting internal settings lack labels, requiring users to fumble their way through without guidance. I could resort to DIY labeling with tape and a marker, or Aura could simply have provided front-facing labels!

Adjust Your Expectations for Performance

Using the Triple Aero can be a mixed experience, especially when it comes to setting it up in public spaces. On the positive side, the matte finish IPS displays maintain a fairly consistent image quality, even from wider viewing angles. However, they are better suited for handling spreadsheets and text documents than for watching films like Oppenheimer. The displays struggle with color differentiation, making it challenging to distinguish between an active Safari window and an inactive one on macOS. This confusion results in multiple attempts to type in windows that I mistakenly believe are in the foreground.

The Triple Aero is not just limited by its color reproduction issues; the performance also hinges on software, specifically SiliconMotion’s InstantView. This software essentially records the screen of your computer, compresses the video for transmission over USB-C, and then decodes it within the Triple Aero. While this works adequately for basic tasks, it demands a significant amount of CPU resources, and instances of bugs are quite common. Users often face challenges in getting their computer to recognize the device upon plugging it in, and it may require several attempts to correctly arrange the displays so that your Mac can identify them accurately. Display lag is a frequent issue, with the mouse cursor disappearing and reappearing unexpectedly. This problem becomes especially pronounced when trying to stream high-bitrate content or engage in gaming, with titles like Death Stranding being unplayable during my attempts.

If your usage of the Triple Aero is sporadic, these issues might be tolerable. However, they remind me of the reasons I abandoned similar devices that aimed to provide dual display support for my old M1 iMac after just a few weeks. Using the three Micro HDMI ports can circumvent these problems, but it necessitates a computer capable of supporting multiple external displays, which many Apple silicon-equipped Macs do not. Additionally, you would need a Thunderbolt dock with at least three HDMI outputs, which is also a rarity.

Despite its elaborate design, the Triple Aero does offer some advantages. I appreciate the foldable side displays, and the height adjustment provided relief for my neck. Furthermore, the individual HDMI ports allow for multiple users to connect their external displays, fostering collaborative work environments. I can imagine that having the displays folded back into a triangular formation could create a nostalgic atmosphere, reminiscent of classic LAN parties for gaming. Although I didn’t get the chance to test that theory, I can envision a lively gaming session with friends, armed with a Triple Aero and three Nintendo Switch consoles, diving into a game of Mario Kart—that sounds like a blast!

On the positive side, the Triple Aero remains remarkably stable, even with two displays extended out from its stand. When folded, it compactly resembles a large gaming laptop, and its stand conveniently doubles as a suitcase-style handle for transport. However, transporting the 7-pound device can be a challenge, as its dimensions do not easily fit into a standard laptop case, and the shipping box is too bulky for casual carrying in a backpack. Aura offers a felt sleeve and a soft case designed specifically for the Triple Aero, but without a hard case, I remain concerned about potential damage to the outward-facing display during transport.

Evaluate Your Need for the Aura Triple Aero

Priced at $699, the Aura Triple Aero 15.6-inch Pro Max falls into a category of products that I find intriguing yet unlikely to purchase for my personal use. It’s difficult for me to justify spending as much or more than a quality 4K portable monitor like the Espresso Pro, which is similarly priced but offers a far more premium feel, as indicated by rave reviews praising its image quality and modular design reminiscent of an iPad’s functionalities.

While the Triple Aero provides ample screen real estate, the Espresso Pro promises a significantly more enjoyable user experience. Furthermore, with the Espresso Pro, you won’t need to deal with drivers that require external display support, which your laptop’s hardware might not natively support. Additionally, using the Espresso Pro likely feels much less awkward in public settings.