With the popularity of smartphones came portable printers, capable of handling a variety of print files, including those received via a traditional Wi-Fi connection or Wi-Fi Direct. This is a useful and practical tool, allowing you to print invoices or photos. But it's not easy to choose among the different brands (Brother, HP, Epson, Fujifilm, Canon...). Don't worry, make your life easier by reading our guide to the best portable printers of the moment.
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Our selection
"The WF-110W is Epson's most compact and lightweight A4 wireless inkjet printer. Its size and weight of 1.6 kg allow you to take it everywhere.…"
"The HP Tango's competitive price and printing capabilities are marred by below-average print results. But it remains the best portable printer you'll find on the…"
"The HP Officejet 250 Mobile AIO is a 3-in-1 portable printer with 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution. The 2.65-inch color display allows for easy handling…"
"The HP Sprocket Select is an inkless pocket printer that produces wallet-sized photo prints. It is, currently, an excellent choice for photo prints from a…"
The WF-110W is Epson's most compact and lightweight A4 wireless inkjet printer. Its size and weight of 1.6 kg allow you to take it everywhere. The printing speed reaches 7 ppm in black.
189 £ on AmazonMeasuring 309 x 154 x 61 mm and weighing only 1.6 k, the Epson WF-110W is compact and wireless. Its built-in battery allows you to print 50 pages. And you can charge this model via a USB cable. In addition, a dedicated external battery is available as an option, allowing you to print up to 410 pages on a single charge.
Wi-Fi connectivity makes it easy to use this Epson printer, with compatible apps such as Google Cloud Print and Epson Connect. The Epson iPrint1 app allows you to print from a mobile device (smartphone, tablet, laptop). Regarding the printing speed, it will be 7 ppm in black and white and 4 ppm in color. Finally, the cartridges are capable of printing up to 250 pages in black and white and 200 pages in color.
The HP Tango's competitive price and printing capabilities are marred by below-average print results. But it remains the best portable printer you'll find on the market today.
120 £ on AmazonThe HP Tango is a compact and aesthetic printer. It is barely thicker than a loaf of bread, which makes it easy to store. The competitive price and the variety of paper it can print on also make it attractive. There's no LCD control screen at all, because you're supposed to control the printer from the Smart HP app that's compatible with Android or iOS mobile devices most of the time. In short, this printer is for users who are looking for mobility.
The top cover folds out to serve as the main feed tray that can hold up to 50 sheets of A4 paper or 20 sheets of photo paper. There is also a small output tray that you can attach to the front of the printer. The Tango is not particularly fast for a printer in this price range. HP advertises speeds of up to 11 pages per minute for black plain text, 8 ppm for color documents and 37 seconds for a 10 x 15 cm postcard print.
The HP Officejet 250 Mobile AIO is a 3-in-1 portable printer with 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution. The 2.65-inch color display allows for easy handling and better queue tracking.
266 £ on AmazonPortable, yes! This 3-in-1 printer is only 600g lighter than the HP Officejet 200 once the battery is installed. It takes up little space even in height, with its 91.3 mm. For printing, the HP Officejet 250 Mobile AIO has a paper tray of 50 sheets with a printing speed, on battery, of 9 ppm in black and white and 6 ppm in color for a resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi.
In photocopier mode, it produces up to 17 ppm, on battery, with a resolution of 600 dpi. In terms of compatibility, the HP Officejet 250 Mobile AIO supports A4 papers, photos (10×15 cm) and envelopes. The photocopier only allows A4. In addition, this printer allows you to print directly from your smartphone thanks to Wi-Fi direct and Wi-Fi classic and let's not forget the USB 2.0 port.
The HP Sprocket Select is an inkless pocket printer that produces wallet-sized photo prints. It is, currently, an excellent choice for photo prints from a smartphone or tablet.
88 £ on AmazonAny specific needs?
The best portable printer in 2021
The best entry-level portable printer
The best high-end portable printer
A great portable printer for photography
Your guide :
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| TOP OF THE LINE | CHEAP | TOP OF THE LINE | EXCELLENT | |
In accordance with our commitment, this buying guide does not contain any sponsored products. |
9/10 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
7/10 |
| OUR SELECTION |
Epson Workforce WF-110W
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HP Tango
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HP Officejet 250 Mobile AIO
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HP Sprocket Select
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The WF-110W is Epson's most compact and lightweight A4 wireless inkjet printer. Its size and weight of 1.6 kg allow you to take it everywhere. The printing speed reaches 7 ppm in black.
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The HP Tango's competitive price and printing capabilities are marred by below-average print results. But it remains the best portable printer you'll find on the market today.
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The HP Officejet 250 Mobile AIO is a 3-in-1 portable printer with 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution. The 2.65-inch color display allows for easy handling and better queue tracking.
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The HP Sprocket Select is an inkless pocket printer that produces wallet-sized photo prints. It is, currently, an excellent choice for photo prints from a smartphone or tablet.
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Dimensions (L x W x H)
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30.9 x 15.4 x 6.1 cm
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37.6 x 20.6 x 9.1 cm
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38.02 x 19.83 x 9.13 cm
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19 x 12.9 x 3 cm
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Color or monochrome?
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Color
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Color
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Color
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Color
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Maximum print speed (black and white)
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7 ppm
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11 ppm
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9 ppm
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-
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Wi-Fi
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Multifunction
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No
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Yes
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Yes
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No
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One of the biggest questions is what size printer you want to take with you. It's best to consider the intended use of the device and choose a model that fits it. The goal is to get a model that is light and compact enough for you to carry and store easily in your backpack or pure laptop bag.
The size of the portable printer will affect the size of the prints. There will be borders on the photos and the documents will be mini size, depending on the size of the compatible paper. So it is vital to evaluate your needs in relation to this type of device and buy the model that will best suit it.
A portable printer has a built-in battery so you can use it anytime and especially anywhere. On average, printers of this type have a few hours of autonomy, so it is wise to choose a model with an autonomy that corresponds to your degree of use. Some good devices allow you to print 25 photos in one go, without recharging. The most important thing is to choose a portable printer with a connector that allows you to plug it into a power outlet or, better yet, a cigarette lighter.
This is a criterion as important as the autonomy of the portable printer. Indeed, this criterion will greatly influence the quality of your printouts whether in black and white or in color. It all depends on your intended use. If you want to use it for professional purposes or to print photos, avoid the entry-level models. Opt for the mid-range models, which have a better resolution.
Just because you're using a mini printer doesn't mean you have to settle for just one print size option. In fact, good quality portable printers have multiple paper size options allowing you to output professional documents from your car.
It
is necessary to acquire a portable printer with multiple connectivity whether for home or business use. Indeed, having the ability to use your printer via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi direct adds versatility to your equipment and especially a better flexibility of use.
If you're a professional who needs to print several invoices during the day, it's important to consider the print speed of a portable printer. It is expressed in pages per minute or ppm. For good performance, we recommend a model with a capacity between 9 and 12 ppm in black and white; and between 7 and 6 ppm in color mode.
Have you ever had to delete photos from your smartphone's memory? It's a frustrating process that forces you to choose between different pictures. With a portable printer, which usually has Wi-Fi connectivity, all you would have to do is connect your smartphone and print the photos. Having both devices allows you to replace a real camera, it's like having a new generation Polaroid at hand.
Indeed, portable photo printers or nomad printers are compact and light, you can slip it in your pocket. Thus, you can instantly print a photo taken in the minute. For more versatility, it is possible to buy a multifunctional model that can print photos and documents; or devices with a mechanism that allows you to attach other features.
The A4 mobile printer is the perfect companion for business people or people who go on business trips very often. With a good printing speed, you can print your documents between two train journeys or in the middle of a flight. This will save you time and improve your productivity.
Of course, you can buy a portable printer for purely domestic use. But, in most cases, it is the professionals who are often on the move who prefer these mini printers. It is time to distinguish between them according to their functionality.
What we can say about this type of printer is that it is a mini version of the traditional printers. They will allow you to quickly print your documents whether you are in a train or in a car. It is important to note that you should avoid entry-level models that have low resolution and poor paper handling. This type of printer is usually quite affordable.
This
is a Duplex printer in mini. In fact, this type of portable printer is capable of printing, scanning or photocopying. These multifunctional devices are handy for salespeople who are on the road all day and need to multitask on their printer. Despite a small printing capacity, it will save time and no more searching for a cyber cafe.
As the
name suggests, this is a mini printer dedicated to printing photos. These are the smallest models available on the market. Moreover, these printers print photos with a width of 5.7 cm, on average. You can find devices working as Polaroids, thermal paper, or dye-sublimation that has the best precision.
Like their big brothers, portable inkjet printers use an ink cartridge. They have the distinction of being more affordable regarding price, but you will have to buy a new cartridge each time. Also, inkjet technology is old, as they use a ribbon mechanism that can promote smudging.
Portable printers with thermal ribbon technology are the best in terms of print quality. This technology is easy to use, as there are no ink cartridges to handle. In addition, it is the right technology to print photos with a better resolution. The concern is its lifespan which is much shorter than inkjet printers.
In case you need to print miles of documents monthly, we advise you to choose portable inkjet printers. They are more robust and perform well in black and white mode. On the other hand, if you want to buy this type of printer to print photos during your vacations, for example, go for the thermal ribbon models.
Connect your portable printer via OTG Save your ink cartridge Dry ink cartridge Avoid paper jam
If your device does not have connectivity or it is not available, you can connect your smartphone via a USB OTG cable. To do this, all you need is for your mobile printer to have a USB input.
First, remember to print your documents in black and white, only or Only, as often as possible, and use sans-serif fonts. Then double check before printing that you are printing only the pages you need.
Programmed obsolescence affects the world of computers and electronics in general. It often happens that your device announces an empty cartridge when the cartridge can still go a few miles. To get the most out of it, remove it from its slot and shake it gently. On the other hand, you should avoid shaking a new cartridge before you put it in.
To
avoid this, remember to use your mobile printer at least once a week. For this, one line is more than enough.
To
avoid paper jams, you should take a few precautions before loading the paper. The best-known trick is to align the edges of the paper by tapping on one side while placing the pad on a table or flat surface.
The best portable printer depends on your needs and budget. Read our buying guide for the best products out there.
It all
depends on the intended use. For example, if you want a model in order to print snapshots the majority of the time, opt for a portable photo printer.
The
price of a portable printer will depend entirely on the type of model you want to acquire. For example, a classic portable printer costs between 200 and 500 euros while photo models start at 100 euros.
The
autonomy of a portable printer is a few hours, 1 h to 2 h approximately. It depends entirely on your use, but the possibility of a power outlet or a cigarette lighter adapter can extend this autonomy. Good models recharge in about 1 hr, depending on the model.
The
first thing to do will be to download from Playstore, for example; the application that is compatible with your model. Once installed, connect your smartphone to the same Wi-Fi network as the printer. The other way will be to use direct Wi-Fi, if available, or pair your two devices via Bluetooth.
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