Trying to stay in touch with family and friends isn’t easy (especially with the persistent barriers associated with Covid). Fortunately, the 21st century offers a plethora of technologies and services to stay in touch if you still can’t see your loved ones in person.
The best digital photo frames are pretty simple: they’re a screen disguised as a photo frame. These frames allow you to change the image as often as you like, create a slideshow, and even display shared photos sent by your loved ones. It’s a great way to enjoy up-to-date photos of your family and friends, no matter how far away you are.
What are the best digital photo frames?
If, for example, your parents live far away, you can connect to a digital frame and immediately upload new photos of you and your children to your parents’ frame for them to see. Want to send a virtual birthday card? Send it to your friend’s digital frame so he or she can receive it without you having to go to the mailbox.
These high-tech frames are also great for displaying digital art besides photos. Whether you have a new favorite movie or found a painting in a museum, you can immediately display an image in your home with one of these digital frames - no need to hang another poster.
What you need to know before you buy a digital picture frame
Before you buy a new digital frame, there are a few key factors to consider. We’ve chosen some of the best-equipped frames, but you’ll need to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Photo sharing functionality: How you get photos is the specification that varies the most with digital frames, and therefore the most important feature to consider. Some frames have an assortment of options for choosing photos, such as connectivity to major photo sharing sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Dropbox. Others are simpler, with a single email address to which you send images, which then appear instantly on the screen. If you’re buying a digital frame for less tech-savvy seniors, for example, you’ll probably want a less complicated interface.
Display Quality: As with any screen in your arsenal, the display quality of a digital picture frame is important. All of our choices have high-quality displays, but some of the more expensive options have full HD or even 2K quality displays. The quality you choose depends on how important the image quality is to you (or the user of the frame) and where the frame will be displayed. We place if it on a mantelpiece, people may not get as close to the frame as they would in a hallway with family photos.
Size: Display sizes for digital frames are typically around 10 inches, but you can find options up to 15 inches. Obviously, the larger the display, the more expensive it is. If you plan to place your frame in a larger room, consider a larger frame size.
The best digital photo frames to buy now
1. Echo Show 15
The Echo Show 15 is the latest Alexa smart home device with a screen, and it’s by far the best-looking Echo to date, with a frame-like design. In fact, it looks like a decoration rather than a technology device. That makes it one of the best digital picture frames, but the Show 15’s genuine talent is displaying widgets for news, reminders, lists, recipes and anything else a family might need at their fingertips.
Plus, because its software is so robust, adding images to your slideshow is very easy, and much of the work can even be done with your voice thanks to Alexa. We also like the large 15-inch screen, which makes it even easier to read and interact with the device.
Buy: Echo Show 15
2. Aura Mason HD smart digital photo frame
With high-quality decorative digital frames, Aura is another great brand to buy when selecting the best digital photo frame.
This nine-inch Aura Mason frame works via a companion app that connects to your digital library. The app has unlimited cloud storage for infinite photos and sends photos to all the frames in your Aura network. This means you can have a few frames around the house, or send images to family and friends on the same Aura network in different homes in a shared library.
We’re also fans of Mason’s current graphite frame design, which once again effectively hides the technology element, so it blends into your decor.
Buy: Aura Mason HD smart digital photo frame
3. Canupdog Digital Photo Frame
If you want a bigger screen, check out this digital frame from Canupdog. With a 15-inch screen, the frame looks like a genuine work of art - perfect for filling large mantles or empty walls.
The Canupdog uses the Frameo app on your smartphone, which allows you to upload photos to the frame’s internal storage space. It can hold up to 32 gigabytes of photos, which should be more than enough for your collection. Once you’ve uploaded your photos, mount the frame on any wall and it will automatically recognize whether it’s horizontal or vertical. The screen is in Full HD, which guarantees the sharpness of the images.
Buy: Canupdog Digital Photo Frame
4. Aura digital photo frame
The Aura frame works via a companion app that connects to your digital library. The app offers unlimited cloud storage for endless photos and sends images to any frame in your Aura network. This means you can have a few frames around the house, or send images to family and friends on the same network for a shared library.
As with the Skylight frame above, the companion app functionality may be restrictive for some, but it’s great for tech enthusiasts.
Style is really Aura’s forte, with a chic design and high-quality materials that enhance (rather than detract from) the ambiance of your home. It matched this attractive design with an ultra-high resolution display (2048 x 1536 pixels), ensuring a high-end look on your mantelpiece.
5. Skylight frame
At first glance, you might never guess that this Skylight frame is a digital device. Its sleek design and high-resolution 1280 x 800 pixel screen allow this stylish frame to blend in with any shelf or mantel filled with photos.
Simply email photos to the frame, then use the touch screen to browse, select images and create slideshows. This frame doesn’t require a 24/7 Wi-Fi connection, so it will work great in homes with spotty or irregular Wi-Fi.
Obviously, this email-only option can be restrictive if you’re used to more options, or if you have images spread out in various locations. It also means you don’t get convenient extra features like weather reports or smart home connectivity.
Skylight’s frame also has a nice “heart” feature that lets you “like” a photo by tapping the heart icon in the corner. The Skylight then automatically emails the person who sent you the photo to let them know you like it.
Buy: Skylight frame
6. Nixplay Smart Digital Photo Frame
Nixplay is one of the most popular digital frames in the U.S. with a range of models for every preference and a dedicated companion app for extensive connectivity. All Nixplay frames connect to your email, social media accounts, and cloud services besides Nixplay’s remote app (though a physical remote is also included).
This surplus of photo options is ideal for people whose media it spread across different accounts. But there’s a downside. People who are not very tech-savvy (like grandparents) will probably have a hard time learning how to use the frame’s many features.
Nixplay also has strength in numbers for template options. You can choose from six different frames that vary in materials (wood, metallic or black finish) as well as pixel count and size. At the top of the Nixplay lineup is the 2K display, which takes the gold medal for best display quality on our list.
Buy: Nixplay Smart Digital Photo Frame
