I’ve been testing out the Xebec Tri Screen 2 for the last few months. It’s an innovative new piece of technology and here is my honest review!
As someone who is relatively new to working from home full-time, I was super excited to test out the Xebec Tri Screen 2!
I’ve only ever used my laptop for online work, and now that I’ve transitioned to full-time remote work, I can see why people love using multiple screens.
Sometimes you are working on a bunch of things at once, and it’s much nicer to have multiple screens instead of flicking between tabs and losing your place.
However, my current one-bedroom apartment in Sydney doesn’t have much room for a spacious home office set up with a desktop! I’m very limited in space, so I’ve found the Xebec Tri Screen 2 conducive to expanding my home work environment.
I can just use it right at the kitchen table. It gives me two extra screens without taking up the space of a desktop! But it does have some drawbacks, especially when I’m travelling around Australia by air.
To help potential customers fully understand the Xebec Tri Screen 2, I’ve written a comprehensive review of the product.
This is my personal experience, and I hope it’s helpful but please do take it with a grain of salt as every person may have a different experience!
READ MORE: Check out our review of a similar product, the Espresso Display.
Table of Contents
What is the Xebec Tri Screen 2?
The Xebec Tri Screen 2 is a laptop attachment that allows you to add 2 extra screens to your workstation.
It’s portable, easy to use, and can attach to the back of any laptop.
So if you’re someone who is used to working with multiple screens, this attachment gives you the benefit of 3 screens, wherever you go.
Here is a breakdown of all aspects of the Xebec Tri Screen 2. From design, to portability, to display quality, these are all my personal opinions about this unique and innovative product.
Design – 8/10
The Xebec Tri Screen 2 is simple, sleek, and modern. It’s all black and can easily attach to any laptop without adhesives.
You simply pull apart the adjustable sides and slide it right onto your laptop. It’s convenient and looks professional, plus you can adjust the angle of the screens to suit you.
There is a kickstand that unfolds from the back, which is essential for me. I have a Macbook Air which is pretty light, so the Xebec weighs down the screen without the kickstand to hold it up.
I was also super impressed by the packaging when the product arrived!
The screen and all its parts are stored neatly in a beautiful box with colorful, travel-inspired designs all over it. I honestly couldn’t even throw the box away because I loved it so much!
READ MORE: Check out our favourite productivity tools and hacks!
Ease of Use – 7/10
I’ve given the Xebec Tri Screen 2 a 7/10 for ease of use because I found it pretty confusing to set up, but it’s super easy once you get it going.
I’m not a very tech-savvy person and I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of cables and adaptors that came with the screen. I also had to download some screen extension software and adjust the settings on my laptop.
The tutorials on the Xebec website were very clear and helpful, but I still had to rewatch them multiple times to wrap my head around it all.
The tutorials are also geared towards more modern laptops, whereas I have an older model so some of the steps didn’t work for my laptop (2017, 13-inch Macbook Air – Pretty much ancient in 2024 but I still love it and will use it until its dying breath).
I had to reach out to customer service via email to get the setup recommendations for my laptop. But they were very helpful and I was able to get everything running after a few days of back-and-forth.
Customer service also helped me realize that the best way to set up my Xebec was with 2 Tri Screen Adaptors. My box only came with one, so I had to order another one to use both screens.
But everything went smoothly, it just took me a few weeks to get the whole thing up and running! Now that I have everything figured out, I can set up my Xebec Tri Screen 2 in just a few minutes each time I want to use it.
For someone who is more experienced with technology, this is all probably a piece of cake! But for me, the set up was a bit confusing.
Portability – 6/10
The Xebec Tri Screen 2 is true to its promise – it’s very portable and easy to move around.
You should have no problem folding it up, tossing it in a backpack, and being on your merry way.
I do find it to be heavier and bulkier than I imagined. The screens themselves are thin, but when you fold it all up the entire product is 2.5cm thick at its widest point (1.77 inches). It also weighs 2 pounds, which doesn’t sound like a lot but every pound counts when you’re flying with a carry-on that can only be 7kgs!
As someone who does a lot of domestic flying for work, I usually only pack a carry-on that cannot exceed the weight limit otherwise I have to pay at least $60 AUD.
So I find myself leaving the Xebec at home, simply because my bags are already too full and I would rather save that 2 pounds for more essential items like clothes, camera gear, and toiletries.
Also while traveling through airports, space is often limited and I find it easiest to work with my laptop just sitting in my lap. Or I work on the plane with my laptop on the tray table.
Because I have to use the kickstand to keep my laptop screen upright, I find it hard to use the Xebec unless I’m at a proper table with a decent amount of space.
I don’t use it on the plane because the tray tables are too small and the two screens would impede on my neighbor’s space. (Obviously I fly economy – you wouldn’t have these problems in first class!)
So I love using the Xebec at home, but I don’t take it with me during air travel because I find it too bulky and it needs a wide, flat surface.
If you’re mainly traveling on land, then you won’t have bags with a weight limit and it’s easier to find a table to work on. In that case, you should have no problem taking the Xebec Tri Screen 2 around with you.
It’s also important to note that your laptop battery drains quickly when it’s powering two extra screens. So your laptop has to be connected to the charger otherwise it might die faster than you expect!
Display Quality – 9/10
As I mentioned, I do often use the Xebec Tri Screen 2 when I’m working at home on my kitchen table.
I think the display quality is stunning! Everything looks basically the same as my main screen, which is impressive.
Because the screens are slightly smaller than the main screen, everything that displays is slightly smaller as well. Everything stays proportionate, but sometimes the text looks a bit too small for my liking.
But it’s not a problem because I just zoom in and can see everything fine. Colors are always vibrant as well.
Maybe someone who works heavily with photography or videography may feel differently. But as a writer who doesn’t primarily focus on imagery, I have no complaints at all!
Ports – 9/10
Each of the two screens on the Xebec Tri Screen 2 has 3 ports. Again, I’m not very tech savvy so I don’t know too much about the different ports and connectivity options that come with the screen.
But the website says the Xebec connects to all laptops, and I believe them because my box came with so many different cords and cables!
If it easily connects to every laptop, then I’d say the ports are a 9/10 (not sure I’m qualified enough in my technology knowledge to give it a 10/10!)
Accessories – 7/10
Similar to the last point, I don’t know enough about laptop gear to understand what all the different cables are for. I fiddled around with them all at the start, but couldn’t figure out the best way to connect the screens.
That’s when I chatted with customer service and they recommended the Tri Screen Adaptor. This is just one large adaptor that directly connects the screens with the USB ports on my laptop.
When my Xebec Tri Screen 2 arrived, it came with 1 Tri Screen Adaptor and about 7 other cables. So I ordered a second Tri Screen Adaptor and haven’t used the other cables at all.
I would say for the average person, the abundance of cables is a bit confusing and it seems easier to just include 2 Tri Screen Adaptors with the Xebec.
Now that I have and use the 2 adaptors, I have all these extra cords that I don’t really have a use for.
Again, I’m not an expert in technology so I’m sure Xebec has their reasons for including all these cables.
Maybe it would be easier to enter what kind of laptop you have during the ordering process? Then when it arrives it only has the specific cables that you need instead of a huge range of cables that might go unused?
This is just my opinion! A real tech enthusiast might feel differently.
Value – 7/10
I would give the Xebec Tri Screen 2 a 7/10 for overall value. It does work super well as an attachment in my home office! I love the benefit of having 2 extra screens, and it is a really cool and modern piece of technology.
So I think it’s a great product, but I do think it’s a bit expensive! The Xebec Tri Screen 2 is around $500 USD. And if you need any Tri Screen Adaptors, those are $50 USD each.
If you are on the road a lot and you want a work-from-home set up with multiple screens that goes anywhere with you, it’s a good investment.
Plus you can throw it onto any laptop! So you don’t need to upgrade or exchange whatever laptop you are already using.
But as far as laptop accessories go, it is on the expensive side. And if most of your traveling is by plane, like me, I don’t find it as convenient as I would have liked.
Xebec Tri-Screen 2 Overall Review – 7/10
So my overall rating for the Xebec Tri Screen 2 is a 7 out of 10! Here is a quick recap of my main positives and negatives:
Positives
- Easy to use once you set it up
- Great customer service
- Excellent screen quality
Negatives
- Bulky
- Expensive
- Confusing to set up (for an average person)
As someone who didn’t have multiple screens to work from before, I love the increased productivity I get with two extra screens. Though the setup process was overwhelming for me, I find it really easy to use now that I’ve got it all worked out.
Plus, the customer service team was amazing. They answered all my questions and helped ensure I got set up properly.
So I love using the Xebec Tri Screen 2 at home. But I don’t love using it for traveling by air, especially when you only have limited space in a carry-on and limited space to work on the go.
However, I can see how it would be great if you travel on land as opposed to traveling by plane. If you have an RV or campervan, or you move from office to office, you really can take it with you and set it up anywhere. Just remember you’ll want a constant power source because it can drain your laptop battery.
So I’d give it a 6/10 for air travel but an 8/10 for land travel. Unfortunately, I tend to do more air travel. But it is useful at home, and I’m glad I have it for those big projects where one screen just isn’t enough.
