In the today’s world of digital communication, most documents and images can be easily shared without using any paper. However, some people may need to quickly print, scan and/or copy important documents or photos for their work while they are traveling. For such people, the best option is to buy a good portable printer as it can help them save their time and money.
There are plenty of portable printers available in the market and picking the best portable printer can be tough. Therefore, in this guide, we will not only describe the factors which you should consider before buying a portable printer, but will also recommend a portable printer which I think is the best portable printer based on my research.
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Factors To Consider While Choosing a Portable Printer
Since there are several portable printers from reputed printer manufacturers which are available in the market, it can be tough for you to select the appropriate one for your needs. However, there are certain factors you should consider which can help you in selecting the right portable printer to fulfill your needs.
- Purpose of Printer: Firstly, you must know exactly which tasks you want to perform with your portable printer. If you need to print a few pages occasionally, then there is no point in going for a multi-function printer, because a single-function printer can be enough for you. However, if you need to perform a wide-range of functions, then you must go for a multi-function portable printer.
- Size and Weight: The size and weight of a portable printer is an extremely important factor as this printer are required by users who want you to carry it along wherever they go. Therefore, a small-sized, lighter printer will be ideal for most users, but if your workspace is roomy, then you can easily compromise on the printer size.
- Connection Type: Most users think that when choosing a portable printer, one should always go for the printer which supports Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth connectivity. This can certainly be true in most cases, but sometimes when you are facing wireless disconnections or when security is an issue, then the USB connectivity option can be highly useful.
- Print Quality and Speed: Portable printer can’t match regular printers in quality. If you have to print text-only pages, then any portable printer would be good for you, but if you want to print images or the details in the output print matters a lot to you, then you need to look at the printing resolution of a printer more carefully. Similarly, print speeds are usually low in portable printers, but you can refer to the pages per minute (ppm) or the images per minute (ipm) number of a printer to determine how fast it can print.
- Power Source: If you are going to use your portable printer at a place where you will get uninterrupted power, then you can go for any portable printer. However, if uninterrupted power can be an issue for you, then opt for the printers with rechargeable batteries as they will offer better operational flexibility to you. Rechargeable printers can be highly useful for people who are frequent travelers and work while traveling.
- Customer Support: If you are going to use the portable printer when you travel, then it’s important that the printer you want to buy should have support centers at places where you visit frequently. This will make your work a whole lot easier if suddenly your printer develops some performance issues.
Now you know which features and functionality you need to look for while determining the best portable printer for your needs.
Best Portable Printer
We studied the reviews of a lot of portable printers with a wide variety of features and price ranges. After thorough research, we have determined that the best portable printer you can buy today is the HP OfficeJet 250 mobile printer. This HP printer delivers impressive scores on all the major factors that need to be considered while determining the performance and efficiency of a portable printer.
HP OfficeJet 250 Mobile All-In-One Printer
Pros
- Easily performs print, scan and copy functions.
- Supports Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, USB and Bluetooth connectivity.
- Can print at high print resolutions and at good print speeds.
- Input tray capacity of 50-sheets and ADF of 10-sheets.
- Long lasting rechargeable battery.
Cons
- HP doesn’t provide USB cable with the printer.
- Weight of the printer is heavier than many laptops.
- Duplex printing is not supported.
Features & Functionality
This HP printer can easily print, scan and copy multiple pages. Despite its small size and low weight, which is less than seven pounds, this printer is bundled with multiple features so that you get good performance with high efficiency.
This HP portable printer supports a wide-range of connectivity options, like Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth and USB. Therefore, you can easily connect this printer to almost any device and carry it almost anywhere. The print quality of this printer is really impressive as it can deliver print resolutions of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi. The top print speed for black & white prints is nearly 10 ppm and for color prints is up to 7 ppm.
You can easily complete multi-page scans and print jobs as this printer comes with an automatic document feeder (ADF) of 10-sheets and an input tray which has a capacity of 50-sheets. The dual-cartridge system used by this printer is capable of delivering up to 600 prints before it needs replacement of the cartridges.
Verdict
The HP OfficeJet 250 mobile printer is a great choice because it’s easy to carry and simple to setup. The print quality and speed is impressive, the print costs are nominal and you get a wide-range of connectivity options, which makes it easy to connect this printer with PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets. Overall, this HP portable printer offers good value for money to users who need to perform both scan and print functions.
Other Portable Printers Worth Your Money
Although the HP OfficeJet 250 mobile printer is recommended by us, but if due to some reason you don’t find this HP printer suitable for fulfilling your requirements, then we are providing a brief review of a few more portable printers which you can consider as they offer good value for money in this printer segment.
Canon PIXMA TR150 Wireless Portable Printer
Pros
- Can print at resolutions of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi.
- Compact design and lightweight.
- Supports Wi-Fi and USB connectivity.
- Good print speed of up to 9 ppm for black prints.
- Capable of printing borderless photos.
Cons
- Battery not included, but optional.
- Doesn’t support Bluetooth connectivity.
Verdict
The Canon PIXMA TR150 portable printer is for users who want to print sharp text documents and vibrant photos. This printer is easy to carry due to its lightweight and compact size, but you have to buy its battery separately as it not available with the printer. The Canon printing application you get with this printer has an intuitive interface, which makes it easy to print multiple pages.
Epson WorkForce WF-110 Portable Printer
Pros
- Offers high print resolution of up to 5760 x 1440 dpi.
- Can recharge battery over USB.
- Supports automatic duplex printing feature.
- Supports Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and USB connectivity.
- Option to expand battery power with external battery.
- Capable of printing 4” x 6” borderless photos.
Cons
- Low print speed of up to 4 ppm.
- Doesn’t support Bluetooth connectivity.
Verdict
The Epson WorkForce WF-110 portable printer is usually preferred by business professionals who may need to print a lot of pages while traveling. This Epson printer delivers a unique balance of efficiency, quality and portability due to its expandable battery feature which allows its users to print a lot of pages on the go. This Epson printer has a sturdy design and is economical to use.
Conclusion
In this guide, we have recommended the best portable printer according to us, but its best suited for the users who need an all-in-one printer. Therefore, we have recommended two additional printers which can perform only print function, but offer you great value for your money.