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Shop for the best photo, business, and mobile scanners for your business, home or office from top companies such as Fujitsu, Canon, Epson and more. The 7 Best Document and Photo Scanners of 2018 Capturing documents and photos is easier than ever. Share Pin Email. It’s compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems and it comes. After 100 hours of research and testing since 2013, we think the wireless, battery-powered Epson ES-300W is the best portable scanner for most people.
Your guide
- Ben Keough
We’ve spent more than 130 hours researching and testing portable document scanners since 2013, and after our latest round of testing we’re convinced that the Brother ADS-1250W provides the best balance of usability, performance, and portability you can find. It accurately recognizes text, produces good-looking results, works wirelessly with computers and mobile devices alike, and scans quickly.
Our pick
Brother ADS-1250W
The Brother ADS-1250W is fast, accurate, and reliable, but what really sets it apart from the competition is how easy it is to use.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
Thanks to intelligently designed software and reliable hardware, the Brother ADS-1250W is more pleasant to use than the other document scanners we tested. It offers more accurate text recognition, cleaner-looking scans, and reliable Wi-Fi, and in our tests it scanned just as quickly as the other models we tried. It’s bigger and heavier than some of the competition, and it doesn’t include a battery, but we think it’s still portable enough for most people.
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Runner-up
Brother ADS-1700W
Aside from a touchscreen and a few additional scanning destinations, the ADS-1700W is identical to our top pick. Get it if the ADS-1250W is unavailable.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
In terms of performance, the Brother ADS-1700W is identical to our top pick, but it typically costs more. For the premium, it adds a mediocre 2.8-inch touchscreen and the ability to scan directly to cloud storage services, FTP and email servers, and network drives. If those features speak to you, or if our top pick is out of stock, the ADS-1700W is a fine choice. We just don’t think its extras are necessary for most people.
Upgrade pick
Epson FastFoto FF-680W
The FastFoto FF-680W costs more, weighs more, and takes up more space than our top pick, but it can quickly deliver solid scans of both photos and business documents.
Buying Options
Traditional document scanners aren’t designed for photos—they bend documents as they scan them, and the rollers can damage photo paper’s delicate finish. The Epson FastFoto FF-680W is different because it can safely archive treasured snapshots in as little as one second per photo. It’s expensive for a convenience item, but if you have shoeboxes full of old shots, it’ll make short work of an otherwise annoying task.
Everything we recommend
Our pick
Brother ADS-1250W
The Brother ADS-1250W is fast, accurate, and reliable, but what really sets it apart from the competition is how easy it is to use.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
Runner-up
Brother ADS-1700W
Aside from a touchscreen and a few additional scanning destinations, the ADS-1700W is identical to our top pick. Get it if the ADS-1250W is unavailable.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
Upgrade pick
Epson FastFoto FF-680W
The FastFoto FF-680W costs more, weighs more, and takes up more space than our top pick, but it can quickly deliver solid scans of both photos and business documents.
Buying Options
The research
Why you should trust me
I’ve been writing about imaging gear—including cameras, printers, and scanners—for more than a decade, and I know each manufacturer’s lineup inside and out. Wirecutter has been covering portable document scanners since 2013, logging more than 130 hours of research and testing in search of the best, most reliable models. We’ve kept up at every step with changes in the category, including the introduction of duplex scanning, Wi-Fi, and built-in batteries.
Who should get a portable document scanner
If you have a big pile of documents and receipts that you need to digitize, these scanners are the quickest way to get the job done. But you might want one for other reasons too:
- Reduces clutter: This may be the digital age, but a frustrating variety of documents still come exclusively on paper, and many of them need to be kept for years according to state and federal laws. Creating digital copies means you can stay in compliance without drowning in a sea of paper.
- Makes documents easier to find: Since portable document scanners use optical character recognition (OCR) technology to turn printed text into searchable text, you can do word searches to find exactly the document you need in seconds. That’s a lot better than spending an afternoon digging through dusty filing cabinets.
- Scans are harder to misplace than paper: Even if you’re diligent about sorting and filing your receipts and tax forms, there’s always the chance you’ll inadvertently toss something out during a move or spring cleaning. It’s a lot harder to accidentally discard digital copies, especially when you’ve backed them up to a cloud storage account.
- Easy to stow away: You probably won’t scan every day, which is why it’s great that these machines are designed to fold down into an even more compact profile for storage and travel. Stationary desktop scanners are faster, but they take up more space on a desk, and you can’t easily toss them in a drawer until the next time you need them.
If you already own a portable document scanner and like it well enough, you probably have little reason to upgrade. Scanner development moves at a snail’s pace, and models often stay on shelves for as many as four or five years between revisions. That said, if your current scanner doesn’t offer Wi-Fi, can’t scan both sides of a document at once, scans significantly slower than you’d like, or doesn’t reliably recognize text, give our pick a look.
If you have an all-in-one printer with a flatbed scanner and an automatic document feeder, you should think about buying a portable document scanner only if you find that you often need to scan when you’re away from home. Portable document scanners aren’t more accurate than all-in-ones and don’t produce noticeably better OCR results.
Can’t you just use a phone?
Technically, yes, a phone works for scans. But it takes longer, scans don’t look as good, and the text recognition isn’t as accurate. We have suggestions for the best Android and iOS scanning apps, and they’re great for quick medical forms and travel receipts, but we don’t recommend using them for large, frequent jobs or tasks where perfect character recognition is required.
How we picked
Portable document scanners are simple devices: They scan documents and deliver digital files. But there are a few boxes they need to check in order to be worth your time and money, so we prioritized these qualities when surveying the available models.
- Usability: If you hate using your scanner, you’re not going to use it. The hardware interface needs to be easy to navigate, and the desktop and mobile software should be powerful enough to get the job done but not so complex that it gets in your way when you’re working under pressure.
- OCR: A good portable document scanner should be able to accurately recognize printed text via OCR and turn it into a searchable PDF. The best portable document scanners can also export the text as an editable document, either in DOC, RTF, or TXT format. Ideally, a good scanner accurately recognizes every character, but realistically we expect a success rate of above 90 percent.
- Wi-Fi: Just a few years ago, Wi-Fi was a rarity in portable document scanners. Today it’s commonplace. Being able to run your scanner without a USB cable is a nice perk, especially if the scanning speed isn’t any slower.
- Duplex scanning: Being able to scan both sides of a two-sided document in a single pass drastically reduces the amount of time it takes to scan large documents. The feature also reduces wear and tear on both the original documents and the scanner itself.
- Automatic document feeder: Speaking of large documents, you don’t want to stand there and feed your scanner dozens of pages one by one. With an automatic document feeder (ADF), you can slide the whole stack into a slot and let the machine work its magic.
- Portability: It’s right there in the name. Portable document scanners actually span a broad range of sizes and especially weights—from under 1 pound to well over 3 pounds. Although machines with ADFs tend to be on the heftier side, we think a feeder is important enough to make the extra pounds worth it. Any model around 3 pounds or less is okay in our books.
- Speed: The best portable document scanners operate at around the same speed—about 25 pages per minute—but all else being equal, we prefer a faster one.
- Diverse power options: The fewer accessories you need to carry with your scanner, the more portable it is. Most scanners today can run on either USB or a typical AC adapter, so if you want to travel light, all you need is a USB cable. Some include built-in batteries, so they can operate in a truly wireless fashion: no USB cable, no power brick, not even a laptop. It’s certainly a nice feature to have, but one we think most laptop owners can do without.
With these features in mind, we considered the full range of portable document scanners currently available from top brands like Brother, Canon, Epson, Fujitsu, Visioneer, and Xerox, immediately ruling out bulky desktop models that didn’t collapse for storage and transport. In total, we found nine available portable (with ADF) models and 12 ultraportable (without ADF) models.
Best video game for mac. In the end, we decided to test our reigning picks, the Epson ES-200 and Epson ES-300W, head-to-head with a pair of new portable document scanners from Brother, the ADS-1250W and ADS-1700W. When it came to ultraportable scanners, our choice was easy: Only one model, the Brother DSMobile 920W, offered the combination of features we thought most people would be seeking.
How we tested
To begin, we unboxed each scanner, taking notes on their size, weight, and build quality. Did the plastics seem thick and durable? Were the ADF guides sturdy when extended? Did the feeder tray latch solidly when we folded it down for storage? We also checked to see whether the manufacturer bothered to include a USB cable or other extras in the box.
Once the physical setup was complete, we installed the scanners on Mac and Windows computers, plus Android and iOS phones, taking note of any obvious pain points in either finding or using the software. We performed all installations over Wi-Fi, except in the case of our previous pick, the Epson ES-200, which is USB-only. However, we made sure to check that USB scanning also worked without a hitch on the Wi-Fi–enabled scanners.
To evaluate OCR capability, we scanned both an IRS 1099 tax form (PDF) and a simple text document with the same sentence repeated in descending font size from 12 to 4 points, exporting the results as both searchable PDFs and (where possible) editable text files. To check image quality, we scanned several other documents, including a star chart designed for lens sharpness testing, a document from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) meant to mimic a typical office report, and a couple of photos printed on regular copy paper. We compared the 300 dpi scans with both the original prints and scans we made using the flatbed scanner on an average inkjet all-in-one. We don’t recommend using a portable document scanner to archive photos—we suggest using our upgrade pick for that—but we also used each model to scan a glossy color print just to see if the results were good enough for email and social media.
Best Photo Scanners For Mac
To test scan speed, we ran a 20-sheet double-sided business document through each scanner using both simplex and duplex modes, over both USB and (except in the case of the Epson ES-200) Wi-Fi, and at both 300 dpi and 600 dpi resolution. In each case, we recorded how long the scan job took to complete, from pressing the scan button until the results were ready to be saved.
Most document scanners are rated for everything from flimsy copy paper to heavy card stock, but we fed each machine a variety of paper types to make sure it could handle them. We also intentionally jammed each scanner just to see how easy or difficult it was to clear.
Finally, we ran a series of tests to gauge the effect that different power sources had on scanner performance. For instance, we attempted to quantify the effect that scanning via USB power had on laptop battery life, and also to see whether scanning slowed noticeably on USB power. We also checked to see if the machines would operate using a USB battery pack as a power source.
Along the way, we took notes on Wi-Fi reliability and any other glitches we might encounter in daily use.
Our pick: Brother ADS-1250W
Our pick
Brother ADS-1250W
The Brother ADS-1250W is fast, accurate, and reliable, but what really sets it apart from the competition is how easy it is to use.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
The Brother ADS-1250W is the best portable document scanner you can buy because of how easy it is to use compared with its closest rivals. Brother’s software provides ample control and puts the most important settings at your fingertips. The ADS-1250W’s Wi-Fi connection is stable, and it can work over Wi-Fi with third-party scanning apps like Windows Scan and Apple’s Image Capture. OCR performance is excellent, and it scans just as quickly as any other scanner in this category. Although it lacks a battery, a feature some other scanners in this class offer, it can operate via USB power at a slower scan speed. We think that’s an acceptable trade-off for most people.
Installation is simple, regardless of platform. Brother ships the ADS-1250W with a CD containing the install files, but since our test computers didn’t have optical disc drives we downloaded the same software from Brother’s support site. The install process is essentially identical on Windows 10 and macOS Mojave—the only real difference is that Windows users get licenses for two extra programs from Nuance: Power PDF (for PDF editing) and PaperPort (for document organization). Although the ADS-1250W doesn’t have a touchscreen interface like the slightly more expensive ADS-1700W, we found it easy enough to connect via Wi-Fi by following the included instructions.
It also has a dedicated feed slot for plastic ID cards, which you feed from the front.Photo: Rozette Rago
The ADS-1250W features physical buttons for one-touch scanning to USB thumb drives and a connected computer. Photo: Rozette Rago
It also has a dedicated feed slot for plastic ID cards, which you feed from the front.Photo: Rozette Rago
The ADS-1250W features physical buttons for one-touch scanning to USB thumb drives and a connected computer. Photo: Rozette Rago
Brother’s software is much more enjoyable to work with than the apps that come with other scanner brands we tested. The core scanning suite, Brother iPrint&Scan, is simple and straightforward. Once you’ve selected your scanner, you can adjust vital settings such as document size, color settings, resolution, and duplexing before hitting a big, bright green Scan button. The default scanning apps from other brands require you to click through a series of submenus to get to the same options. Once your scan job is finished, iPrint&Scan shows you the results, lets you reorder pages, and invites you to save the resulting document. If you want to save your scan in multiple formats, you can do that without having to rescan the pages for each file type.
In our tests, OCR results from the ADS-1250W were great across the board. When we scanned challenging mixed-format documents like the IRS 1099 form at 300 dpi, it missed only a couple of words, limited to those printed in very small fonts, in particularly squiggly fonts, and on darker backgrounds. Line breaks, especially on multicolumn documents such as the 1099 form, are a problem for any scanner, but the ADS-1250W handled them as well as any other model we’ve tested. With our descending-font document, the ADS-1250W was accurate 100 percent of the time at 6 points and larger, with both serif and sans serif fonts and at both 300 and 600 dpi. Accuracy dropped off with 4-point type but stayed above 90 percent at 300 dpi and above 98 percent at 600 dpi. The ADS-1250W was more accurate than other scanners we tested at almost every font size, in both styles, and at both resolutions (though the differences were not huge).
The scans from the ADS-1250W were cleaner than what we got out of the other document scanners we tested. It did the best job of correcting skew and cropping out dark edges, and its text looked sharp but natural. Generally speaking, the ADS-1250W produced very similar results to what you’d get from a typical all-in-one printer’s document feeder or flatbed scanner.
When scanning our photo, the ADS-1250W produced acceptably crisp results with accurate color and contrast. However, the rollers that pull sheets through the scanner can easily scratch the coating on glossy and matte photo paper, which essentially ruins the originals. If you really want to scan photos, consider a dedicated photo scanner like our upgrade pick; it produces far better results and won’t damage your prints. If you already have an all-in-one printer, the flatbed scanner on that machine will probably produce comparable photo scans and won’t scratch the finish.
In comparison, the Epson ES-300W’s image scans were overly saturated and contrasty.
The Brother ADS-1250W rendered natural-looking colors and contrast when scanning images.
In comparison, the Epson ES-300W’s image scans were overly saturated and contrasty.
The Brother ADS-1250W rendered natural-looking colors and contrast when scanning images.
The ADS-1250W’s Wi-Fi performance was mediocre overall but still better than what we got from its rivals. Its signal was consistently weaker than that of other wireless devices positioned near it (such as our test laptops and phones), but despite showing only one bar, its connection never failed during scanning. We don’t advise trying to use this scanner too far from your router, but within reasonable limits it should prove reliable.
The ADS-1250W isn’t just accurate, it’s also quick—roughly as speedy as the Epson models when scanning via USB and noticeably faster over Wi-Fi when using the manufacturer-provided apps. In our testing, the ADS-1250W took 48 seconds to scan 20 single-sided test pages via USB, which works out to a rate of 25 pages per minute. Over Wi-Fi, on the same task it clocked 52 seconds, or 23 pages per minute. In comparison, the Epson ES-300W managed 25.5 ppm over USB but slowed to 16.5 ppm via Wi-Fi. Since Brother offers an ICA driver, the ADS-1250W can also work over Wi-Fi with third-party scanning apps in macOS—something Epson’s scanners can’t do.
We found that although the ADS-1250W can indeed handle everything from copy paper to heavy card stock and plastic IDs, it will jam if you don’t load your documents in exactly the right way. A large sticker on the document feeder shows you how to do it: Fan the sheets so that the first page goes deepest in the feed slot and the last page is farthest out, and then gently slide them into the slot. It takes a bit of experimentation, but once you have the feel, your jam rate will drop to almost zero. All of the scanners we tested were just as picky, so this issue isn’t limited to our pick.
In addition to scanning to a computer and mobile devices, the ADS-1250W can scan to a USB thumb drive (the scanner has a port on the back side). If you need additional scan-to options, such as FTP and network folders, consider the otherwise similar Brother ADS-1700W.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The ADS-1250W is slightly bigger and heavier than the other scanners we tested at 11.8 by 4.1 by 3.3 inches and 3 pounds. (It’s about the size of a footlong sub and the weight of an old-school MacBook Air.) But we think that’s an acceptable trade-off considering all the things this Brother model does well. If you place a much higher value on portability, you might want to consider other alternatives.
Since the ADS-1250W doesn’t have a battery, you have to operate it via USB or AC power. That means that if you travel with your scanner, you’ll need to carry a USB 3.0 cable (not included) or an AC power brick and cable (included). We don’t think either accessory will weigh you down too much, but these calculations are always very personal. (We tried powering it via a USB battery pack with both 12 W and 18 W outputs, but although the scanner’s power LED turned on, the machine wouldn’t operate.)
When running on USB power, the ADS-1250W’s scanning speed slows significantly: Whereas it took just 49 seconds to scan 20 pages at 300 dpi using AC power, it took 2 minutes, 57 seconds to do the same task using USB power. This is one area where a battery-equipped competitor like the Epson ES-300W has a clear advantage, as in our tests that model completed the same task in 47 seconds on both battery and AC power. When using USB power, the ADS-1250W is also incapable of scanning to a USB drive or scanning long paper such as banners or some longer receipts.
During the course of testing, we changed the Wi-Fi password in our Los Angeles office. Most devices in the office handled the transition just fine, but the ADS-1250W struggled. Since the scanner has no screen, we couldn't update the password on the machine itself, and the default Brother apps didn't provide a way to change it, either. We tried downloading Brother's optional Remote Setup app, but it was also unable to rectify the situation. In the end, we found the most efficient, least frustrating way to set up the scanner on a new network was to redownload and run the full installer package, since it includes a network setup wizard. For this reason, we suggest keeping the installer package somewhere handy on your computer’s hard drive.
Although the ADS-1250W produces more accurate OCR results than the competition, Brother iPrint&Scan can export those results only as TXT and RTF files. Other scanners, such as the Epson ES-300W, can also export Microsoft Word DOC files with more advanced formatting. However, this is an extremely minor complaint—especially since the formatting in OCR-produced DOC files usually needs so much cleanup that it’s almost easier to paste in the plain text and format it from scratch.
The mobile version of Brother iPrint&Scan gets the job done for basic tasks, but its features are pretty limited. You can change only the document size, color settings, and duplexing. It offers no OCR, so you’re limited to image-only PDFs and JPEGs at 100 to 300 dpi, depending on color and speed settings. You can send these PDFs to a third-party app for OCR or upload them to the cloud and convert them later using PC software, but it would have been nice if Brother had included this functionality in its own app. Unfortunately, leaving OCR out of mobile apps is more or less the industry standard.
Finally, we have to call Brother out for not including a USB cable in the box. If you don’t already have one, grab an inexpensive Micro-USB 3.0 cable with a Micro-B connector like this one.
Runner-up: Brother ADS-1700W
Runner-up
Brother ADS-1700W
Aside from a touchscreen and a few additional scanning destinations, the ADS-1700W is identical to our top pick. Get it if the ADS-1250W is unavailable.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $200.
If our main pick is unavailable, or if you must have a touchscreen, you can go with the Brother ADS-1700W, a model virtually identical to the ADS-1250W. It uses the same software, produces the same scan quality, generates the same OCR results, and scans at the same speed. It also tends to cost more. Why? Well, it has a 2.8-inch color touchscreen LCD, for one thing. For another, it can scan to FTP and email servers, network drives, and cloud storage services in addition to your phone, your computer, and USB thumb drives.
The ADS-1700W’s touchscreen will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used a cheap printer in the past few years. It’s small, low-resolution, and resistive (meaning you have to press hard to get it to recognize touches). It gets the job done, but it’s not exactly fun to use. However, it does allow you to do a few things you can’t do on our top pick, such as upload scans directly to the cloud and log on to your Wi-Fi network via the scanner itself.
If you’re uncomfortable with network setup in general, the ADS-1700W is also capable of Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), which makes getting online as easy as pressing a button on the touchscreen and another on your router. This model is also slightly more future-proofed, since it is compatible with IPv6.
Upgrade pick: Epson FastFoto FF-680W
Upgrade pick
Epson FastFoto FF-680W
The FastFoto FF-680W costs more, weighs more, and takes up more space than our top pick, but it can quickly deliver solid scans of both photos and business documents.
Buying Options
If you want a document scanner that can also handle photos without destroying them, the Epson FastFoto FF-680W is the best choice. Unlike our top pick, it doesn’t bend photos as they pass through the scanner, so it won’t leave scratches and other unsightly marks on the originals. It can produce high-resolution photo scans at a rate of about 1.5 seconds per shot and can scan a wide variety of sizes, including Polaroids. However, it’s much less portable and much more expensive than our top pick, so we recommend it only if you have a large number of photos that need scanning.
Scanners like this are great because they can bring your old photos into the digital age and save you from the mind-numbing labor of manually scanning each one with a flatbed scanner. With its automatic feeder, the FF-680W can scan batches of up to 36 photos, and it accepts photos ranging from wallet-sized to 5 by 7 inches. If you feed them one at a time, it can also handle 8-by-10-inch shots and up to 8.5-by-36-inch panoramas. It also captures the handwritten notes on the backside of photos in a single pass.
At typical price around $600, the FF-680W’s considerable firepower doesn’t come cheap. If you don’t have a huge number of photos and don’t expect to produce more in the future, it would probably be more economical to use one of our recommended photo scanning services to archive your memories. Our numbers suggest you’d need to scan about 1,500 photos for owning the FF-680W to make more sense than outsourcing.
But the FF-680W isn’t just a photo scanner—it’s also a very capable document scanner. In our tests it was much faster than our top pick, chewing through a 20-page two-sided office document in just 29 seconds via USB, or a rate of around 41.5 pages per minute. Its document feeder can handle an impressive 100 sheets of copy paper. And unlike the Epson ES-300W, it also worked with third-party apps over a wireless connection thanks to its built-in ICA driver. However, it’s still saddled with Epson’s ScanSmart software, which we don’t like as much as Brother’s more intuitive and user-friendly iPrint&Scan. If you want a scanner primarily for scanning documents, we suggest going for our top pick. But if you want a scanner mostly for photos and also need to scan documents occasionally, the FF-680W will work well.
Installation is simple through the installer from Epson’s support site. We had no issues getting our test unit onto our office Wi-Fi network, and the USB connection was flawless on both Windows and Mac.
Epson’s FastFoto software both scans and organizes your photos. You can tag each batch with descriptive text and the time period in which the photos were taken, and the app then uses the info to create a template for file names. It can also auto-populate subfolders for each time period, apply automatic image enhancement, and scan back-side notes (saving the second file with a “b” at the end of the name and grouping the fronts and backs together in the app). You can save images as either lossy JPEGs or uncompressed TIFF files, but you have to choose before you scan—you can’t save to both formats in a single pass. And since everybody lives in the cloud now, the FastFoto app can automatically upload new scans to popular storage services such as Dropbox and Google Drive.
Our photo scans from the FF-680W looked very good, with accurate color reproduction and plenty of detail. Hardcore photo enthusiasts will want to stick with their high-end flatbed scanners, but the average shutterbug will be more than pleased with these results. FastFoto’s auto-enhancement feature makes faded photos pop, which is fine for social sharing, but it destroys detail with excessive contrast and sharpening. If you want to preserve your photos for long-term archival, we suggest turning that feature off and using an external editing suite like Photoshop to make your own tweaks. Auto-cropping and de-skew were generally very accurate for us, though they sometimes left white borders on photos with rounded corners and failed to correct skew on the back side of photos.
What about ultraportable scanners?
You might be wondering why we haven’t included an even smaller and lighter scanner without a document feeder. We surveyed the available ultraportable options in the lead-up to testing and found that only one such model, the Brother DSMobile DS-920DW, appeared to have all of the features we considered most desirable: Wi-Fi connectivity, duplex scanning, and a built-in battery.
Unfortunately, we found that despite its promising specs, the DS-920DW was a nightmare to use.
Unfortunately, we found that despite its promising specs, the DS-920DW was a nightmare to use.
The included Brother DSMobileCapture software is ancient (the Windows version is also partially broken in Windows 10), and the Miwand mobile app isn’t much better. (The materials that come with the scanner actually reference a different mobile app that no longer exists.) The bundled OCR software can’t be downloaded; it’s available only on the optical disc that comes with the scanner, which is a real problem in an age when most laptops no longer have disc drives. The DS-920DW produced good-looking scans for us, but we don’t think saving a couple of pounds over our top pick justifies all the headaches.
The competition
Our top pick’s primary competitor is the Epson WorkForce ES-300W. The ES-300W has some real advantages over our pick, such as added power options, speedier performance when not on AC power, and a lighter, more compact design. But it’s also much less reliable and generally less enjoyable to use. The Wi-Fi is flaky, and it doesn’t work with non-Epson apps if you have a Mac. That might be okay if Epson’s own software were great, but it’s not. The default Epson ScanSmart app buries important settings in submenus, and the Epson Scan 2 alternative doesn’t let you review your documents post-scan to rearrange the order or rescan specific pages if something goes wrong. The best mac pro tower 2010 or later for sale.
The Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i offers a comprehensive, well-integrated suite of scanning software, but that is its only real advantage. Its document feeder can handle just half the sheets our top pick can, it scans half as fast (and drops to a truly glacial pace of around 4 pages per minute on USB power), and it uses separate USB cables for data and power, so you’ll have to carry two cables with you. Fujitsu also doesn’t provide TWAIN or ICA drivers, so you’re limited to using the company’s own software. If you already own and are satisfied with the S1300i, upgrading is probably not worthwhile. But if you’re buying your first document scanner, you have better choices.
The Canon ImageFormula P-215II is slower and less accurate than our top pick and doesn’t offer Wi-Fi. You can theoretically buy a separate Wi-Fi adapter and battery pack dongle at the eye-popping price of $170, but it’s out of stock everywhere and brings the total cost of the machine to near $400, which is just outrageous.
We considered but didn’t test the Visioneer Patriot P15 and Xerox XDS-P, which are identical scanners sold under different brand names. They lack Wi-Fi, claim a scan speed of just 15 pages per minute (compared with 25 ppm for our pick), and are slightly bigger than the ADS-1250W, yet cost more.
The Epson WorkForce ES-200 lacks Wi-Fi and a battery, which makes it a little smaller and lighter than the otherwise identical ES-300W. Unfortunately, most of its competitors now offer wireless connectivity, and its $250 list price is higher than our top pick’s. The value just isn’t there anymore.
We dismissed Doxie scanners like the Doxie Q because although they’re cheap, compact, and popular with some of our readers, they don’t offer duplex scanning. That’s a dealbreaker for us, especially since the Q is capable of scanning just 8 pages per minute.
Not everyone wants a printer that takes up loads of space on a desk, so we've put together this list of the best compact printers. The good news? There's now a great selection of portable printers that are incredibly compact and easy to move about, enabling you to quickly and easily print documents and photos. You're not sacrificing print quality either, as some of the best compact printers deliver similar results to their larger siblings.
Looking for something ultra-portable? We've included a selection of compact printers that are battery-powered, with wireless connectivity. They're an incredibly neat solution if you travel regularly.
After thoroughly testing the top compact printers available right now, and analyzing each device’s print quality on hundreds of sheets of paper, we think the HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250 is the best compact printer right now. It offer the widest range of features, while remaining nice and portable.
If you don’t need the extra heft of a scanner or copier, HP also makes the OfficeJet 200. Because both machines are made by HP, their print quality is similar. However, since the OfficeJet 200 has fewer features, it’s less expensive and even easier to carry around. Here's our pick of the best compact printers for all budgets..
1. HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250: Best overall
HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250
This mobile printer has impressive print quality – and lets you print, scan and copy documents on the go
SPECIFICATIONS
Battery life: 500 pages per charge | Dimensions: 15 x 7.8 x 3.6-inches | Weight: 6.3lbs | Print resolution: 4800 x 1200 | Paper capacity: 50 sheets | Scan and copy: Yes | Connectivity: USB, WiFi and Bluetooth
Reasons to Buy
Large paper tray
Reasons to Avoid
Heavy for a compact printer
The HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250 sits at the top of our best compact printer guide because not only does it come with a great set of features – it lets you print, scan and copy documents on the go – but in our tests it performed extremely well too, with very few ink- or feed-related errors. The print quality from this compact printer is truly impressive, rivalling that of many standard-size inkjet models, likely because it has a 4800 x 1200 dpi (dots per inch) resolution.
For a mobile printer, the OfficeJet 250 also printed quickly – eight pages per minute for black-and-white documents and seven pages per minute for color documents. As a bonus, it’s much quieter than other mobile printers as well. The machine uses a tri-color and black cartridge. Printers that use individual cartridges instead of tri-color ones tend to have lower ongoing ink costs, but this HP model also takes high-capacity cartridges, which can keep costs down.
In our tests, the printer’s copier and scanner also reproduced documents faithfully. With a scan and copy resolution of 600 x 600 dpi, text was easy to read. There was also a little color variance from the original documents. The only downside is that the scanner and copier can’t read double-sided sheets.
The HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250 is compact, but isn’t the smallest mobile printer available. However, even with its robust feature set, it only weighs just under 7 pounds with the battery attached and fits in a standard carry-on or backpack. The battery pack comes with the printer and holds enough charge to print 500 pages or to keep it working over a long weekend. You control all the printer functions with a 2.65-inch touchscreen on the front of the device.
You can use USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to send documents to the printer. The machine doesn’t directly support programs like Google Cloud Print or Apple AirPrint, but there’s an app you can download from HP that lets you print from your mobile devices. Overall, the HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250 is easily among the best compact printers you can buy.
You can use USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to send documents to the printer. The machine doesn’t directly support programs like Google Cloud Print or Apple AirPrint, but there’s an app you can download from HP that lets you print from your mobile devices. Overall, the HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250 is easily among the best compact printers you can buy.
- Read the review:HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250
2. HP OfficeJet Mobile 200: Best value
HP OfficeJet Mobile 200
Excellent print quality and very portable, but with less features than our best mobile printer
SPECIFICATIONS
Battery life: 500 pages per charge | Dimensions: 14.3 x 7.3 x 2.7-inches | Weight: 4.85lbs | Print resolution: 4800 x 1200 | Paper capacity: 50 sheets | Scan and copy: No | Connectivity: USB and WiFi
Reasons to Buy
Costs less than our top pick
Reasons to Avoid
Not the lightest or smallest tested
Doesn’t work with Google Cloud Print or Apple AirPrint
The OfficeJet Mobile 200 is the less-expensive sibling of the HP Office Jet All-in-One 250 above (our top pick for the best compact printer). Like the fancier model, it boasts superb print quality for a mobile printer – sharing the same high print resolution (4800 x 1200 dots per inch) and print speed (about seven to eight pages per minute). However, the OfficeJet 200 doesn’t have a heavy copier and scanner weighing it down, which makes this compact printer both cheaper and easier to lug around.
At 14.3 x 73.32 x 2.7 inches, the HP OfficeJet 200 weighs less than five pounds if you use a cable to power it. With the included battery, it’s a little heavier, but it still fits easily into a bag. You can check the battery level anytime, and starting with a full charge, it can print up to 500 pages.
This compact printer has a convenient document feeder so you don’t have to stand nearby to load each page one by one. However, there’s no output tray to catch your documents, so you should use the OfficeJet 200 on a flat surface. When we researched ink prices, we found that each page printed with this machine costs about 21 cents. If you invest upfront in the high-capacity ink cartridges, you can save just over five cents per page.
Bear in mind that rather than having a touchscreen like the OfficeJet 250, the 200 has button controls. And while you can connect to the printer via USB and Wi-Fi, you can’t print over Bluetooth. However, if you can do without the bells and whistles of the 250, and you just want an excellent compact printer, the OfficeJet Mobile 200 is fantastic value and a brilliant choice.
At 14.3 x 73.32 x 2.7 inches, the HP OfficeJet 200 weighs less than five pounds if you use a cable to power it. With the included battery, it’s a little heavier, but it still fits easily into a bag. You can check the battery level anytime, and starting with a full charge, it can print up to 500 pages.
This compact printer has a convenient document feeder so you don’t have to stand nearby to load each page one by one. However, there’s no output tray to catch your documents, so you should use the OfficeJet 200 on a flat surface. When we researched ink prices, we found that each page printed with this machine costs about 21 cents. If you invest upfront in the high-capacity ink cartridges, you can save just over five cents per page.
Bear in mind that rather than having a touchscreen like the OfficeJet 250, the 200 has button controls. And while you can connect to the printer via USB and Wi-Fi, you can’t print over Bluetooth. However, if you can do without the bells and whistles of the 250, and you just want an excellent compact printer, the OfficeJet Mobile 200 is fantastic value and a brilliant choice.
- Read the review:HP OfficeJet Mobile 200
3. Brother PocketJet 7 PJ723: Most portable
Brother PocketJet 7 PJ723
This highly portable printer sacrifices some features to be ultra-light
SPECIFICATIONS
Battery life: 600 pages per charge | Dimensions: 10 x 2.2 x 1.5-inches | Weight: 1.34lbs | Print resolution: 300 x 203 | Paper capacity: Varies | Scan and copy: No | Connectivity: USB
Reasons to Buy
Printed text is sharp and clean
Reasons to Avoid
Only prints in black and white
Easily the most portable printer we tested, the PocketJet 7 PJ723 sacrifices some features to be ultra-light. Weighing just over a pound and with dimensions of 10.04 x 2.17 x 1.53, it can fit into a large pocket. Rather than having inkjet technology, which requires moving parts, the PocketJet 7 uses thermal technology to print. While this means you don’t have to purchase replacement ink, you can’t print in color with this device.
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Also, it can be hard to get your hands on the specialty paper it requires, which is similar to the receipt paper most stores use. You need to carefully select between long-lasting and regular thermal paper, depending on how long you want to archive documents, and it may be worth buying the kind that you can write on – because the surface is slippery, it can be difficult to write on normal thermal paper.
It's important to note that the battery isn’t included with the PocketJet 7 PJ723, but if you choose to buy one, it allows you to print up to 600 pages on a single charge. You can also by accessories, such as a car charger, that give you some additional flexibility. This thermal printer produces documents more slowly than our top picks, reaching speeds of about five pages a minute. You also have hand-feed the documents through the printer unless you invest in a roll or a fan-fold stack of paper.
The PocketJet 7 creates very sharp text, even with its low 300 x 203 dpi resolution. Because the device doesn’t use the most common printing technology you’re likely used to, you may find that your documents have a slightly odd smell.
This compact printer doesn’t have as many connectivity options as our top picks. You can only print from a laptop, and you can’t do so wirelessly. Because of these limitations, we don’t recommend this mobile printer for everyday use, unless you plan to print invoices for clients or have a similar use in mind. But if you're looking for a highly portable compact printer that's easy to carry with you, the PocketJet 7 PJ723 is well worth considering.
It's important to note that the battery isn’t included with the PocketJet 7 PJ723, but if you choose to buy one, it allows you to print up to 600 pages on a single charge. You can also by accessories, such as a car charger, that give you some additional flexibility. This thermal printer produces documents more slowly than our top picks, reaching speeds of about five pages a minute. You also have hand-feed the documents through the printer unless you invest in a roll or a fan-fold stack of paper.
The PocketJet 7 creates very sharp text, even with its low 300 x 203 dpi resolution. Because the device doesn’t use the most common printing technology you’re likely used to, you may find that your documents have a slightly odd smell.
This compact printer doesn’t have as many connectivity options as our top picks. You can only print from a laptop, and you can’t do so wirelessly. Because of these limitations, we don’t recommend this mobile printer for everyday use, unless you plan to print invoices for clients or have a similar use in mind. But if you're looking for a highly portable compact printer that's easy to carry with you, the PocketJet 7 PJ723 is well worth considering.
- Read the review:Brother PocketJet 7 PJ723
4. HP DeskJet 3755: Best scan and copy
HP DeskJet 3755
A cheaper compact printer that scans and copies but isn't portable
SPECIFICATIONS
Battery life: Mains power only | Dimensions: 15.9 x 7 x 5.5-inches | Weight: 5.1lbs | Print resolution: 4800 x 1200 | Paper capacity: 60 sheets | Scan and copy: Yes | Connectivity: USB and WiFi
Reasons to Buy
More affordable than others
Reasons to Avoid
Not portable
The HP DeskJet 3755 isn’t a mobile or portable printer. Instead, it has the all-in-one features, including a scanner and copier, you need for a permanent addition to an apartment or dorm room. Still, at 5.5 pounds, it’s easier to move and stash than other all-in-one inkjets, which can weigh up to 40 pounds.
The DeskJet 3755 also has a larger paper tray than many of the compact printers we tested, so you don’t have to reload it as often. During testing, we noticed it created a few more print errors than our top pick, but it’s much more affordable.
The scanner and copier work just fine, but because of the printer’s size, you feed documents through the machine instead of using a traditional flatbed scanner. If you need a compact printer that can scan and copy, the HP Deskjet 3755 is a solid pick.
- Read the review:HP DeskJet 3755
5. Epson WF-100: Best for business
Epson WorkForce WF-100
Cheaper, with great print quality and lots of connectivity options for professionals on the moved
SPECIFICATIONS
Battery life: 100 pages per charge | Dimensions: 12.2 x 6.1 x 2.4-inches | Weight: 3.5lbs | Print resolution: 5760 x 1440 | Paper capacity: 20 sheets | Scan and copy: Yes | Connectivity: USB and WiFi
Reasons to Buy
Many connectivity options
Reasons to Avoid
The Epson WF-100 can print up to 100 sheets per battery charge. Our best compact printer can print up to five times more pages per charge – but the Epson WF-100 costs significantly less. And unlike some printers, its battery is included in the initial purchase, which saves you money.
The Epson WF-100 is also smaller and lighter than many compact printers we tested, weighing only 3.5 pounds. It includes all the connectivity options business travelers need, and our testing revealed it has better-than-average print quality, though it prints slower than other compact printers. Both its print tray and cartridge capacity are functional, but we would’ve liked to see higher capacities for both features. However, those limited capacity increase the portability of this compact printer.
- Read the review: Epson WF-100
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How we found the best compact printers
Because portability is important to consider when choosing a mobile printer, we used hands-on tests to evaluate each machine’s weight and size, then assigned it a score. In addition, we researched each printer’s battery life and checked to see if the battery was included or had to be purchased separately, which affects the device’s value. Batteries that print a lot of documents on a single charge fared better in our comparison.
We examined hundreds of sample documents, dozens printed with each device we reviewed. During our tests, we printed the same samples on each machine and compared their output quality, looking for frequency of printing errors such as spotting, streaking or bleeding. In addition, we compared the machines’ print resolution side by side.
After looking at the machines' output quality, we assigned each one a grade based on its performance. Printers that produced readable test with some noticeable errors received a C grade, while with B grades performed about average with only a few errors. We reserved A grades for printers that create easy-to-read text with few to no errors. Most users won't be satisfied with a printer that earned a grade lower than a C.
Ongoing ink or thermal paper costs are important to consider when buying a compact printer, so we noted which ones require specialty paper and which use standard 8.5 x 11 printer paper. We also compared the cost of ink for each printer we reviewed – we broke this information down to how much it costs per page to print with each machine so it’s easy to compare the long-term expense of owning each one.
Finally, we looked at the rest of the printer’s features, noting if it includes Wi-Fi and other connectivity options like USB or Bluetooth. Online support is essential for printers these days, and some printers connect to mobile devices with popular cloud programs, while others use proprietary apps.
How much does a compact printer cost?
Compact printers tend to be pricier than all-in-one models because of their size and how portable they are as well as their batteries.
The compact printers we tested range from around $75 to just under $400, and the average price of a compact printer is around $250 – a little more than double the cost of an average all-in-one model. However, the priciest compact printers aren’t necessarily the best investment. You can get great print quality and functionality without paying a premium. For the best value, look at models that cost around $200.
Key features to look for when buying a compact printer
Printer design
Generally, the lighter a mobile printer is the better. However, we looked for models that balance features and quality with their compact size. As you look at a mobile printer, check its dimensions to see if it’ll fit inside of the carrier you typically use, like a laptop bag or backpack.
Generally, the lighter a mobile printer is the better. However, we looked for models that balance features and quality with their compact size. As you look at a mobile printer, check its dimensions to see if it’ll fit inside of the carrier you typically use, like a laptop bag or backpack.
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Another important consideration is the battery life. Check to see how many documents you can print or days you can go before you need to recharge the battery. If you have to plug the battery in regularly, it impacts the printer’s overall portability.
Output
Print quality is one of the most important considerations when buying any kind of printer, so we looked at documents printed by each machine under high magnification. Since you likely won’t compare sample documents side by side in person as you choose a printer, we suggest comparing their print resolutions, which is a good indicator of how much detail a printer can recreate in images. The higher the numbers, the better the resolution. Smaller, high-resolution printers usually cost more. So, you may have to compromise on resolution and portability to find something in your price range.
Print quality is one of the most important considerations when buying any kind of printer, so we looked at documents printed by each machine under high magnification. Since you likely won’t compare sample documents side by side in person as you choose a printer, we suggest comparing their print resolutions, which is a good indicator of how much detail a printer can recreate in images. The higher the numbers, the better the resolution. Smaller, high-resolution printers usually cost more. So, you may have to compromise on resolution and portability to find something in your price range.
We looked for printers that can standard-size, 8.5 x 11 documents, but the more flexibility you have in your paper choice the better. While all the printers we considered handle standard-size paper, watch for special paper requirements. For example, the Brother PocketJet PJ723 uses thermal paper.
Manufacturers list printer speed in the machines’ specs, but we timed the models we reviewed to approximate their speed in real-world conditions. Based on what you’re using the printer for, speed may be important to consider.
Ink & media
You want to check to see what types of cartridges your inkjet compact printer uses. If it takes high-yield cartridges, you can usually shave off a few cents per page. Or you might consider a printer that uses thermal print technology like the PocketJet PJ723, though the specialty paper these machines use comes at its own expense.
You want to check to see what types of cartridges your inkjet compact printer uses. If it takes high-yield cartridges, you can usually shave off a few cents per page. Or you might consider a printer that uses thermal print technology like the PocketJet PJ723, though the specialty paper these machines use comes at its own expense.
Pay attention to the printer’s regular output specifications, including the maximum number of pages the manufacturer suggests printing per month, called the monthly duty cycle. Regularly printing above this number can wear the machine down faster and cause damage, so make sure the duty cycle matches up with your needs.
Connectivity
Printers that connect to a variety of online storage and cloud systems are more useful, especially now that so much is stored digitally. Check to make sure you’re preferred cloud storage program is supported by your printer.
Printers that connect to a variety of online storage and cloud systems are more useful, especially now that so much is stored digitally. Check to make sure you’re preferred cloud storage program is supported by your printer.
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HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250
The HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250 combines the best in print quality with the most features. It fits in a standard backpack and, despite its size, makes copies and scans documents.
Best ValueHP OfficeJet Mobile 200
The HP OfficeJet Mobile 200 is a slimmer, trimmer version of the HP 250, and while you can’t copy or scan documents, you get the same high-quality print results.
Most PortableBrother PocketJet 7 PJ723
The PocketJet 7 PJ723 uses special thermal printing technology, which makes it incredibly compact. Weighing in at just over a pound, it’s the lightest printer we tested in our lab.
Product | Price | Overall Rating | Design | Output | Ink & Media | Features | Help & Support | Portability Score | Battery Life (Pages Per Charge) | Battery Power Option | Dimensions (WHD) | Weight (Pounds) | Print Quality | Black Print Speed | Color Print Speed | Photo Capable | Print Resolution | Max. Document Size | Print Technology | Cost Per Page (Standard) | Cost Per Page (High Capacity) | Paper Capacity | Scan & Copy | Connectivity | OS Support | Mobile Support - Apple | Mobile Support - Android | Mobile Support - Other | Print from Camera | Warranty | Phone | Live Chat | Social Media | Online Manual | Troubleshooting Guide | FAQs | Forums | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HP OfficeJet All-in-One 250 | View Deal | 4/5 | 8.8 | 9.3 | 8.3 | 5.8 | 10 | A- | 500 | ✓ | 14.96 x 7.8 x 3.6 | 6.73 | A | 8.57 | 7.35 | ✓ | 4800 x 1200 | 8.5 x 14 | Inkjet | 0.21 | 0.16 | 50 | ✓ | USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Windows, Mac, Linux | - | - | HP ePrint app | - | 1 year | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
HP OfficeJet Mobile 200 | View Deal | 4/5 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 8.3 | 3.3 | 10 | A | 500 | ✓ | 14.3 x 7.32 x 2.7 | 4.85 | A | 8.82 | 7.35 | ✓ | 4800 x 1200 | 8.5 x 14 | Inkjet | 0.21 | 0.16 | 50 | - | USB, Wi-Fi | Windows, Mac, Linux | - | - | HP ePrint app | - | 1 year | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Canon PIXMA iP 110 | View Deal | 4/5 | 9 | 8 | 5.8 | 8 | 7.5 | A | 290 | $ | 12.7 x 7.3 x 2.5 | 4.3 | B | 7.14 | 4.04 | ✓ | 9600 x 2400 | 8.5 x 14 | Inkjet | 0.15 | - | 50 | - | USB, Wi-Fi | Windows, Mac | ✓ | ✓ | Canon PRINT app | ✓ | 1 year | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Epson WF 100 | View Deal | 4/5 | 9.3 | 8 | 5 | 6.3 | 5 | A | 100 | ✓ | 12.2 x 6.1 x 2.4 | 3.5 | A- | 5.36 | 2.88 | ✓ | 5760 x 1440 | 8.5 x 14 | Inkjet | 0.18 | - | 20 | - | USB, Wi-Fi | Windows, Mac | ✓ | ✓ | Epson iPrint Mobile App | - | 1 year | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - |
HP DeskJet 3755 | View Deal | 3.5/5 | 6.3 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 8 | 10 | B+ | - | - | 15.86 x 6.97 x 5.55 | 5.13 | B | 7.89 | 3.75 | ✓ | 4800 x 1200 | 8.5 x 14 | Inkjet | 0.25 | 0.19 | 60 | ✓ | USB, Wi-Fi | Windows, Mac | ✓ | ✓ | HP ePrint app | - | 1 year | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Brother PocketJet 7 | View Deal | 3.5/5 | 10 | 3.5 | 10 | 2.5 | 7.5 | A+ | 600 | $ | 10.04 x 2.17 x 1.53 | 1.34 | D- | 5.0 | - | - | 300 x 203 | 8.5 x 14 | Thermal | 0.14 | 0.07 | Varies | - | USB | Windows, Mac, Linux | - | - | - | - | 1 year | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - |
Primera Trio | View Deal | 3/5 | 9.3 | 4 | 1.3 | 3.5 | 6.3 | A | 350 | $ | 11.4 x 6.5 x 1.8 | 2.8 | C- | 1.48 | 1.64 | - | 4800 x 1200 | 8.5 x 14 | Inkjet | Black - 0.26, Color - 0.53 | Black - 0.27, Color - 0.21 | 10 | ✓ | USB | Windows, Mac | - | - | - | - | 1 year | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - |