This Is the Only Digital Frame You’ll Ever Need

While some people go for a bold piece of artwork or a stack of coffee table books, in my family, the digital picture frame has always been the focal point of our living room. For indecisive folks like me, it’s the perfect solution—rather than choosing just one family photo to display (someone always seems to be blinking in the best one), we get to cycle through a compilation of our favorite memories. Our family trip to Greece, precious baby photos, awkward school portraits—you get the gist.  

Our old digital picture frame was a bit of a relic: clunky, glitchy, and far from user friendly. To upload pics, my dad had to manually transfer files from his desktop to a USB drive, a painful process that often ended in arguments as I was inevitably summoned to “help figure it out.” Still, despite its subpar quirks, we loved it. 

So, when the infamous frame finally broke during a cleaning mishap, it was a blessing in disguise. I gifted my parents the Aura Carver frame—and seven months later, they swear it’s one of the best presents they’ve ever gotten. Read on to find out why you need one too, along with a few more digital picture frame recs to add to your wishlist.

Other Frames We Love

While my family’s go-to is the Aura Carver, our team also tested Aura’s newer model, the Mason. The main difference between the two is resolution: The Aura Carver has a lower resolution and a larger display, while the Aura Mason has a smaller screen with a higher resolution. 

The Mason can also switch between portrait and landscape mode—it automatically adjusts when you rotate the screen—and has smart auto-cropping to format photos of all orientations. The screen automatically dims to correspond to ambient light, and it can accommodate up to 30-second-long videos. Just keep in mind that, like the Carver, the default video sound is silent, so you’ll need to manually turn the sound on for each video. 

Screen Size: 9 in. | Resolution: 1,600 x 1,200 | Storage: Unlimited cloud storage

If you’re looking for something a bit simpler (and less expensive), go with the Aeezo Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame. During testing, it was super easy to use—just connect to Wi-Fi and upload photos through the app. For those who aren’t the most tech-savvy, you don’t even need the app: You can use the touchscreen to browse through photos, delete files, pause the slideshow, and adjust the brightness. Plus, the frame is stylish and non-techy.

We’ll admit that the resolution quality is good, not great. However, we like that the frame adjusts photos by shrinking them rather than cropping them to maintain their quality. If you’re looking to save a few bucks on a more basic model, this one definitely gets the job done. It can even play videos up to 15 seconds long.

Screen Size: 10 in. | Resolution: 1,280 x 800 | Storage: 16GB

Whether you have a smart home or are simply looking for a high-tech option, the Google Next Hub (2nd Generation) is a must-have. This device does more than just display photos—it can control your lighting, set alarms, play music, stream movies and TV shows, edit your calendar, and much more. By syncing with other smart devices in your home, it acts as a true all-in-one hub.

While we appreciate all of the advanced features, the sleep sensor is a standout. It creates a daily report that tracks your sleep, telling you when you fell asleep, when you woke up, and how long you slept. It’s ideal for those who want to monitor their sleep data without having to wear a device overnight. 

Despite its smart capabilities, the frame has a surprisingly subtle appearance. Our only complaint is its orientation—due to the design of the stand, you can only use it horizontally. The screen size is also the smallest on our list, though we think that contributes to its unobtrusive design. 

Screen Size: 7 in. | Resolution: 1,024 x 600 | Storage: Unlimited cloud storage

Our Testing Process 

In addition to my personal favorite, the Real Simple team tested 11 digital picture frames at home. We looked at usability (how easy it was to set up and upload photos), aesthetics (how well it blended in with our decor), and display quality (clarity, brightness, and color). 

For video-compatible options, we tested playback by uploading videos of various sizes to the device and rating how well they played. As part of this process, we also noted each frame’s audio capabilities.

For smart frames with extra features, we tested each one, including clocks, calendars, streaming services, and video calls. Finally, we determined the overall value—whether we felt the frame was worth the price. 

How to Shop for Digital Picture Frames Like a Pro 

Storage 

Some digital picture frames use a memory card for storage, while others have cloud storage. Regardless of storage type, there is usually an upper limit unless you pay for more space. Think about how many photos you want to display and ensure that number aligns with the storage options. All of the options on our list have unlimited cloud storage, aside from the Aeezo Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame, which comes with 16GB—typically enough for about 3,000 high-res or 7,500 low-res photos. 

Usability

I’ve learned first-hand that a digital picture frame is nothing if you don’t know how to use it. As you shop, consider the upload process. If it has cloud storage, you can upload images via email or a manual online uploader. If it uses a memory card, you’ll have to transfer images from your camera to that card (usually from a computer).

If you’d like to give family and friends the ability to upload photos to your frame, prioritize finding a frame with cloud storage.

Display and Orientation

When it comes to display quality, there are three key factors to consider: orientation, aspect ratio, and resolution.

First, think about orientation—can the frame be displayed both vertically and horizontally, or in just one direction? When digital picture frames can display both portrait and landscape photos, showing the opposite orientation might result in pillar boxing (when black bars appear on the edges of photos to fit the screen without warping). We liked that the Aeezo Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame automatically adjusted photos by shrinking them, not cropping them. 

Next comes the aspect ratio, or the overall dimensions of the image. Most photos taken on phones fit into a 4:3 aspect ratio, but other common options include 5:4 and 16:9. If your photos don’t match your frame, pillar boxing might happen here, too.

Finally, resolution determines how sharp and detailed the screen is. Larger screens generally need a higher resolution for crisp images, while smaller screens can get away with a lower resolution and still look clear. For example, while the Aeezo Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame has the largest display screen at 10.1 inches, we found its resolution to be a bit weaker compared to other models. On the other hand, the Google Next Hub 2nd Gen, which has a small, 7-inch display screen, was consistently clear. At a minimum, we recommend looking for 1080p resolution.

Features

While some digital picture frames are pretty basic, others have capabilities beyond just displaying photos. 

Many digital picture frames support video playback, though they may limit video length to anywhere from 15 seconds to two minutes. Some frames also have audio functions, while others are silent. The Aura Mason plays videos up to 30 seconds in length, but you must manually turn on the sound for each. 

If you’re looking for something a bit smarter, we recommend the Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen). It doubles as both a picture frame and a smart device, syncing with your other smart devices, so you can control lighting, set alarms, play music, stream movies, and track sleep

Take Our Word for It

I’m Jamie Fischer, a writer for Real Simple with nearly two years of experience writing home shopping roundups. When my old, glitchy digital picture frame finally broke, I was convinced it was a blessing in disguise. Enter: the Aua Carver. It’s ridiculously easy to use, and its classic, simple appearance is a nice change from the bulky frames I’ve seen.