Finding the best portable printers involves determining the features and functionality that you need for your usage. We recommend that you only look at printers that are shorter than 15” in width, weigh less than five pounds, and have advanced, reliable wireless connectivity options. Make sure you consider the printer’s battery life and the time it takes to recharge it. When buying a portable printer, always look for quick and reliable wireless connectivity features. These are some of the elements to look for when shopping for the best printers.
After researching hundreds of portable printer reviews with a wide range of features and price points, we have determined that the HP OfficeJet 200 is the best portable printer you can buy today. Keep reading about this, and our other top picks to learn more about the best printers on the market today.
Top 10 Best Portable Printers
#1 HP OfficeJet 200 Portable Printer
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: It’s impressive that HP managed to include a 2” screen, 50-sheet input tray, and dual-cartridge inkjet print head on this unit that weighs less than five pounds and fits in a laptop bag. This printer functions as a full-size printer no matter where you are.
- Fast-charge rechargeable battery
- Wide range of paper compatibility
- Wi-Fi Direct print without a network
- No paper storage
The HP OfficeJet 200 achieves an excellent balance of portability and functionality in its design. Even though it weighs less than five pounds, this unit has the feel of a full-size inkjet printer with a 50-sheet input tray and color printing up to 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution. It also supports various media sizes, including the most common business printing and photo paper sizes.
The printer operates off of a removable rechargeable battery as well as AC power. You can charge the battery within 90 minutes and have the option of purchasing additional batteries to switch them out if you’re on the go for a while. A tilt-up control panel with a 2” display is very useful and intuitive if needed, though this printer’s Auto Wireless Connect feature makes connecting to your laptop and devices easy, with or without a router. Compare this to the best wireless printer that offers the most versatile connection options, extraordinary performances, and print quality.
#2 Epson WorkForce WF-110 Portable Printer
Award: BEST FOR BUSINESS USERS
WHY WE LIKE IT: When it comes to printing for work, this Epson gives you the balance of quality, efficiency, and portability that you need. The advanced Wi-Fi technology keeps you reliably connected, and its energy-efficient expandable battery keeps you powered on the go.
- Expandable battery power
- Auto power off to preserve energy
- Fast 5G Wi-Fi
- Slow color printing on battery power
The feature-packed Epson WorkForce WF-110 is designed to keep you connected and ready for business at any moment from anywhere. Featuring 5G Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct, you’re assured to have a mobile printer with a fast and reliable connection to your devices wherever you are. A built-in lithium-ion battery provides reliable cordless printing. The unit offers both USB and AC adapter options for when it needs a charge, and you want to work from AC power. The option to add an additional external battery is great for those who may need extra juice for frequent cordless use. It’s also Energy Star qualified, meaning it is very energy efficient.
Operating the printer is easy via the 1.4” color screen and built-in control panel, which is a unique feature for portable models. Its dual-cartridge inkjet system utilizes high-quality, instant-dry ink that achieves up to 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi resolution. This gives the printer a great range to produce presentation materials, reports, invoices, spreadsheets, contracts, and more. You can even print on up to 110 lb cardstock. Compare this to the best printer for cardstock that will process custom sizes up to 13 x 19”, and you can print borderless. If you want smaller prints than that, there are also top-rated compact printers to consider.
#3 Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Portable Printer
Award: BEST FOR MOBILE PHOTOS
WHY WE LIKE IT: The pocket-sized Fujifilm Instax Mini Link has a ton of fun features for browsing, editing, and printing photos from your smartphone. You can add custom frames, create collages, add text and graphics, and connect with friends, all with this compact printer.
- 100 reproductions per charge
- Cartridge-free print technology
- Robust editing features in the app
- Only connects through Bluetooth
Bring your smartphone photos to life with the Fujifilm Instax Mini Link printer that connects wirelessly from your mobile device via Bluetooth technology. This is an ideal portable printer for phone use, weighing less than 8 ounces and just 3.5” wide. Its internal, rechargeable lithium-ion battery can produce up to 100 prints from just one charge and recharges in as little as 80 minutes. Photos are printed out within 12 seconds of initiating the print job.
All of the printer’s functions are managed on your smartphone using the Instax Mini Link app, which has a bunch of unique and fun modes. Use Print Mode to easily edit and print photos and stills from videos. Fun Mode allows you to connect and collaborate with friends, create collages, and add sketches to your photos. All of these features make this Fujifilm the best portable photo printer available today. Students may also prefer the best printer for students that offers an excellent balance of portability and functionality in its design.
#4 Canon Pixma iP110 Portable Printer
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Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Canon Pixma iP110 achieves better color resolution than many full-size printers, which allows users to easily produce high-quality photos and documents from a lightweight, compact unit. The capability to print directly from major cloud services gives you the power to print virtually anything from anywhere.
- Five-color inkjet technology
- Access cloud services via intuitive mobile app
- Wi-Fi Direct print without a network
- No onboard controls
The Canon Pixma gives you the power to produce incredible 9600 x 2400 maximum color dpi inkjet prints on the go. With that print quality, you have the versatility to use it for a range of purposes, from high-definition photos to professional quality business documents. A 50-page auto sheet feeder and up to 9 ppm print speed make even higher page count printing feasible no matter where you are.
At only 4.3 lbs and just over a foot wide, this printer is easy to stash in your laptop back or backpack. Optional battery power allows you to print from anywhere, and the included power cord gives you access to AC power when available. Built-in Wi-Fi with AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, and Mopria compatibility provides myriad easy wireless connection options to your preferred device. Compare this to the best duplex printer that easily sources documents from your preferred mobile device with built-in Wi-Fi functionality.
#5 HP OfficeJet 250 All-in-One Portable Printer
Award: BEST VERSATILITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: Print, scan, and make copies on the go with the incredibly compact and well-designed HP OfficeJet 250. It auto-connects to your devices via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and works smoothly with cloud storage services, so you can do it all.
- Color LCD touchscreen
- Cloud storage integration
- Auto document feeder
- No auto two-sided printing
Although it looks small and weighs less than seven pounds, the HP OfficeJet 250 allows users to easily print, copy, and scan multipage documents. Connect to your devices quickly with the HP Auto Wireless Connect feature as well as via Bluetooth. The unit also includes software for communicating seamlessly with Dropbox and Google Drive. It has an impressive 50-sheet input capacity and pumps out pages as fast as an impressive 20 ppm.
Manage all of the unit’s functions via a 2.65” color touchscreen — quite a unique feature for a printer of this size. The portable all-in-one printer uses HP Thermal Inkjet technology that can achieve up to 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi color resolution. Its dual-cartridge system is compatible with high-yield cartridges that can produce as many as 600 pages before replacing. Scan documents to PDF, JPEG, PNG, and editable text formats to send to your devices, email, or cloud services. Makeup to 50 copies at a time with the ability to reduce or enlarge 20 to 400 percent. Compare this to the best large format printer that features two 250-sheet high-capacity paper feeding trays as well as a rear input tray for specialty media.
#6 Kodak Mini 2 HD Wireless Portable Printer
Award: BEST ON A BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Kodak Mini 2 instant photo printer is a fabulous budget option among mobile printers that you can carry with you in your pocket. It offers several ways to wirelessly connect with mobile devices quickly and can produce good-looking, borderless color images right from your phone, making this a great option for wireless printing at such a price range.
- Connect easily to gadgets via NFC
- Companion app has a lot of features
- Fantastic value for its class
- Slow 50-second print speed
The slick Kodak Mini 2 HD Wireless Printer offers fantastic portability, great wireless technology, and high-quality photo printing, all at an affordable price point. At just over 3” wide and weighing in at 11.2 ounces, you can easily bring this mini portable printer with you in your pocket or purse. It’s easy to set up and use just with the touch of its single power button. It also features a handy power indicator and Bluetooth indicator to monitor your battery life and connections. You can connect to the printer via Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC, and Bluetooth.
The Kodak Mini 2 can be run on battery power or with a power adapter. You can even charge the unit via USB from a PC or laptop with the included USB cable. The printer uses compact and efficient dye-sublimation print technology to produce images. The unit uses cartridges that include both ink and photo paper. Each compact cartridge produces eight photos before needing to be reloaded. And for the best photos, compare this printer to the best photo printer that can produce shareable keepsake photos on the spot from just about any digital image you can put on your iPhone, Android smartphone, or tablet.
#7 HP Sprocket Studio Portable Printer
Award: BEST FOR CREATIVITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: Get creative with your photos using the HP Sprocket Studio printer, which works through a feature-rich app that gives users the power to edit and personalize photos creatively in many ways.
- Great battery life
- Robust in-app creative editing features
- ZINK inkless print technology
- 2×3” max media size
The HP Sprocket allows you to get creative with your photo prints wherever you are versus a desktop printer. The HP Sprocket App facilitates pretty much all of the functions of the printer. Connect your device quickly and reliably through Bluetooth. Then, use the well-designed and feature-packed app to source and edit your photos. You can connect your social media accounts to be able to directly print some of your favorite social media photos. From there, the app has a fabulous array of editing tools that allows you to add custom text, borders, emojis, and filters.
Print up to 35 photos from one charge of the internal, rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The printer uses ZINK inkless print technology, so you don’t have to worry about replacing ink cartridges or toners. The unit includes 10 sheets of 2×3” peel-and-stick photo paper, allowing you to get even more creative with your photos. Use them for scrapbooking, creating photo collages, as part of a string light display, or any other cool photo craft project you can think of. And check out the best printer for crafting, for a model that allows you to draw, emboss, and cut in 3D.
#8 KODAK Step Wireless Mobile Photo Mini Printer
Award: BEST FOR EDITING
WHY WE LIKE IT: Kodak has packed a photo editing suite and a large 4” touch screen into this sleek portable printer that fits in the palm of your hand. The Kodak Step Wireless printer offers many features and software for easy editing, refining, and personalization.
- Zero-ink technology
- Photo editing suite
- Micro SD storage up to 128GB
- May need to brighten photos before printing
Kodak continues to show the innovation that made it the standard for instant and portable photo printing with the Kodak Step Wireless printer. Not only can you print photos on-demand, but the device also comes with photo studio software.
The printer doesn’t need ink cartridges. Simply load the heat-activated photo paper to prepare for printing. It has a convenient micro SD port for media storage. When taking photos, you can select from a number of modes and filters best suited for the photo you want to capture. The printer has a powerful editing suite that allows easy editing right on your phone, including custom frames, filters, adding text and captions, decorating with emojis and stickers, and much more. And if you need to save on usage, check out the best ink efficient printer that has an Ink Save Mode you can switch on to ration your ink use.
#9 Epson Workforce ES-60W Wireless Portable Printer
Award: BEST FOR CONVERTING TO DIGITAL
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Epson Workforce ES-60W is incredibly handy for scanning documents from anywhere. Upload your documents to email, the cloud, and more in your preferred file format at speeds of up to 15 ppm.
- Upload directly to the cloud
- Auto-detects connectivity
- LCD displays connection status and battery level
- No automatic two-sided scanning
The Epson Workforce ES-60W can be best characterized by its speed and lightweight, compact design. Scan documents in as quickly as four seconds per page and 15 ppm. The unit can handle paper up to 8.5” wide by 72” long and smaller items like receipts. The scanner is easily portable as it is under 11” wide and weighs 0.66 pounds. The unit has a simple control panel with buttons for all of its primary functions, including scan start/stop, power, wireless connectivity, and wireless on/off. You can connect to the unit through Wi-Fi or USB 2.0.
Most notably, the Epson Workforce ES-60W provides a wide range of options after you scan your documents. You can send them wirelessly to your PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices. Epson’s included software lets you scan files directly to Dropbox, EverNote, Google Drive, and other cloud storage services. Scanned documents can also be converted to PDFs and editable Word and Excel files. Epson’s included ScanSmart Software has effective organizational and workflow tools designed to streamline your processes. And for quality printing, it is important to invest in the best printer paper on the market.
#10 HP Tango X Portable Printer
Award: BEST VOICE-ACTIVATED
WHY WE LIKE IT: The sleek-looking HP Tango X has easy-to-use voice-activated controls, offering a seamless, hands-free user experience. Coupled with smart connection options, this printer provides quick access when on the move.
- Dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Hands-free use with Alexa and Google Assistant
- Print speeds up to 20 ppm
- Paper tray is small
The HP Tango X’s modern design and attractive, integrated linen cover will make you want to take it everywhere with you. Luckily, its compact size and connectivity options make it easy to do so. Dual-band Wi-Fi allows users to connect via both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. You also have the option to connect via Bluetooth. Setting up the printer and syncing it with your devices is quick and easy, making it an ideal portable printer for iPhone and Android.
This printer is fabulous for hands-free, voice-controlled use. The unit is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant-enabled devices, so you can initiate print jobs all the way from another room by simply saying so. It has the ability to use high-yield cartridges that require less frequent replacement with up to 600 pages per cartridge. The printer uses a dual-cartridge HP Thermal Inkjet print technology that produces up to 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi color resolution documents. And, of course, you will need the best printer ink that produces unrivaled quality. Lastly, if you are an artist who is looking for guidance on the best printers to use for your art prints, read our guide to the best printers for art prints.
DON’T SEE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR?
If the portable printers we’ve listed don’t quite meet your needs, consider exploring our guide on the best types of printers to find something more suited to your requirements. If you’re unsure if you need an all-in-one printer, our comparison of all-in-one vs. single-function printers can help.
For those curious about the different printing technologies, learn more in our article on inkjet vs. dye-sublimation printers. You might also want to consider whether a wireless or wired printer better fits your setup. Finally, if you have special printing needs, find out how to print on cardstock.
How We Decided
The most important criterion in our search for the best portable printers was to make sure that the user could, in fact, bring it with them as needed. We limited the size and weight of printers so that they measured no wider than 14” and weighed five pounds at most. After narrowing the field based on those measurement requirements, we considered the features crucial to a portable printer’s usability.
Only printers that have the option to operate on battery power were considered so that they could be put to use virtually anywhere. Some printers are both battery-powered and have an AC adaptor for when you want to plug it in. Similarly, we ensured printers had easy-to-use and versatile wireless connectivity. All printers have the capability to connect via Wi-Fi, and some can operate via Bluetooth connection.
Next, we considered the print technology that the printer uses. While all printers had a compact design, some use dye-sublimation technology while others use inkjet, which is the technology commonly found in most consumer printers. Dye-sublimation printers use the application of heat to print and don’t need ink cartridges. Inkjet printers apply ink through print nozzles onto the media.
Portable Printers vs. Traditional Printers
Feature | Portable Printers | Traditional Printers |
|---|---|---|
Size and Portability | Designed for portability and space-saving | Larger and less portable, designed for fixed locations |
Print Quality | Good print quality for text and basic graphics | Various levels of print quality but generally good |
Paper Handling | Usually limited paper handling capacity | More extensive paper trays and handling options |
Print Speed | Generally moderate to slow print speeds Typically, around 5-10 ppm for B&W | Vary widely in print speed Typically, around 15 ppm for B&W |
Connectivity Options | Typically designed with direct wireless or Bluetooth connectivity for mobile and cloud printing | Typically has a variety of connectivity options, including USB, Ethernet, and wireless connectivity |
Special Features | Features like battery power for on-the-go printing are possible with some models | May offer a wide range of features, such as automatic duplexing, large touchscreens, as well as advanced paper handling |
Versatility | Best for users who need a printer on the go or have limited space | Various printing needs, including office, home, and professional use |
Print Volume | Designed for light to moderate use, not ideal for heavy-duty printing | Can handle a wide range of print volumes, including high-volume printing |
Best Portable Printers Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Size and Weight
When deciding between mobile printers like the HP OfficeJet 200 vs 250, several factors go into determining how portable a printer is.- First, look at the size and weight specifications of the unit. It should not be wider than 15” and weigh more than five pounds. Those specs are for larger portable printer models that have more features.
- The size of portable printers varies depending on what features you are looking for, but anything larger than the above-mentioned specifications will be difficult to take with you and use on the go. So, that’s why you’ll want a light, portable printer for a Chromebook, especially if you travel a lot.
- Power Sources and Battery Life
Most portable printers can operate on battery power. These models commonly use lithium-ion batteries that are rechargeable. Depending on how much you plan to use the printer while operating off of battery power, you will want to pay attention to the unit’s battery life. Small photo printers will have shorter battery life than larger models. Some models also have the ability to add an external battery pack for even longer-lasting power. You’ll also want to look at how long it takes to recharge the printer’s battery. Generally, recharging takes anywhere from 80 to 120 minutes, depending on the unit and the conditions in your area. Make sure that the printer also has the capability to work off of AC power and/or USB power. You’ll also want to keep the ink cartridge situation in mind if the printer either needs one or doesn’t for portable printing. - Connectivity
As portable printers are designed to be versatile, you want to make sure that the printers you look at have versatile and reliable connectivity options. Look for units that have Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and Bluetooth connectivity. Most printers will be compatible with Apple, Android, and Windows devices, but this is something you should make sure of, since you don’t want to get waste time and money getting a photo printer for iPhone that isn’t compatible with your Google Pixel. Some portable printers are operated via a mobile app, so you want to check if that is the case and make sure that that process works for you.
ADDITIONAL Printer TIPS
Understanding what does ‘no chip’ mean on toner cartridges can be crucial for managing supplies. If you’re setting up your device, you might benefit from our guide on making your printer wireless. For those needing larger prints, we explain how to print poster size at home. Additionally, knowing how to scan a photo from your printer to your computer can be handy.
Troubleshooting tips, such as how to reset an ink cartridge and understanding what an ADF is in a printer, can save you time. If you need to use a fax, learn how to hook up a fax machine with a cable modem. Finally, for all-in-one printer users, our guides on setting up and repairing wireless printing issues can be particularly useful.
