Projector rentals: backyard movies & events, sorted.

A projector you'll use twice a year — birthdays, backyard movies, a one-off pitch — doesn't need to sit in a closet the other 363 days. Renting from a neighbor gets you a real 3,000-lumen setup with a screen for less than the cost of a cheap Amazon box that dies after one season.

On Cache, most projector rentals run $40–$100 per day. Add another $15–$40 for a screen if the owner has one. A full backyard-movie bundle — projector, screen, speaker, cables — usually lands at $80–$150 for a weekend. A refundable deposit is held, not charged, for the duration.

Indoors, lights off: 1,500–2,500 lumens is plenty. Backyard after full dark: 2,500–3,500 lumens for a crisp image on a 100" screen. Daylight or dusk: 4,000+ lumens or wait for it to get darker — no projector wins against the sun. If the listing doesn't say, ask.

Standard-throw projectors need roughly 1.5× the screen width of distance to fill a screen (so ~12 feet back for a 100" screen). Short-throw units can do the same from 4–5 feet. Measure your space before you book — nothing kills a movie night faster than realizing the couch is in the way.

A dark surface behind the screen (a sheet works). A Bluetooth speaker or the projector's audio-out to something louder than the built-in tinny driver. An HDMI-to-your-phone or a Fire Stick. Extension cords rated for outdoors if you're on grass. Most owners include the screen, cables, and remote — confirm what's in the bundle before you pick up.

Browse projectors in your city, send a request with your dates, and the owner accepts before any money moves. Deposits sit as a hold and release automatically after a clean return. A quick photo handoff at pickup and return is the whole flow. How Cache protects renters →