The 4 Best Portable Printers - Winter 2025

The best portable printer we've tested is the HP OfficeJet 250. This all-in-one inkjet printer is a one-stop shop for your printing and scanning needs on the go. Printing-wise, it produces very sharp and detailed black and color documents. Its sheetfed scanner produces high-quality scans and has an optical character recognition (OCR) feature that allows you to save scans as text-searchable PDFs. You can connect to the printer via Wi-Fi or USB, and there's support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, making it easy to print from your smartphone or tablet. This printer is also compatible with the HP Smart App, which allows you to initiate prints, use your device's camera for scanning, and access pre-made content like birthday cards, worksheets, etc.

The downside of this model is that it's slow, even for a portable printer, as it only prints three black or six color pages per minute. Also, its ink cartridges run out quickly, so you might need to carry a few extra cartridges. The cost-per-print is decent as the cartridges are relatively cheap, although color printing can still get expensive if you print a lot. You can get XL cartridges that'll last longer, and the printer also accepts third-party ink, which can help save some money. Finally, while this printer is small compared to its desktop counterparts, it's still the largest model on our list. If you only need to print documents and would prefer a slightly thinner device, check out our next pick below, the HP OfficeJet 200.

For anyone willing to trade scanning capabilities for a lower price tag, consider the HP OfficeJet 200. This inkjet printer is the smaller sibling to our top pick, the HP OfficeJet 250; the 200 is often on sale, and its best value is at or below $300 USD to make up for the lack scanning capabilities. There are a lot of similarities between these two printers. They use the same ink and produce comparable documents. That said, the 200 outperforms its bigger sibling in a few ways. It prints faster, pushing six black and four color pages per minute to the 250's one black or color page. Color ink yields are also significantly better on the cheaper model, although they're still low compared to desktop models, so consider getting XL cartridges if you print a lot.

Beyond this, connectivity is the same; you can connect to the printer via Wi-Fi or USB, and there's support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. You also get access to the HP Smart App, allowing you to print, scan, and access templates for things like birthday cards right from your smartphone. One area this printer struggles with is photo printing. While photos are detailed, they look noticeably different than their originals due to the printer's sub-par color accuracy and narrow color gamut. But don't worry! If you need a portable inkjet printer that produces great photos, check out our next pick, the Canon PIXMA TR150, for that usage.

If you're looking for the best printer for printing photos on the go, check out the Canon PIXMA TR150, a portable print-only inkjet model with a built-in rechargeable battery. It has USB and Wi-Fi connectivity and supports Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. Printed photos look detailed and colorful, albeit slightly grainy. You'll have to replace the ink cartridges often if you print frequently or in high volume, as they only yield around 190 color prints; however, they're relatively cheap, resulting in the lowest cost-per-print of our recommendations in this article. The battery life is also the best on this list, lasting around 330 prints, and the battery only takes about two hours to charge fully. If you only need to print photos and want an option you can easily carry in a purse or bag, check out our next pick, the Polaroid Hi-Print Generation 2.

The Polaroid Hi-Print Generation 2 is our recommendation if you're looking for the best portable photo printer that's compact. Right off the bat, adjusting your expectations is important; this printer produces nicely detailed photos, but it can't match portable inkjet printers, like the Canon PIXMA TR150 above, for color or photo quality. But if you want guests to be able to print photos during a special occasion or want to capture the moment for a night out on the town, this printer is the best. It produces 2x3 portraits using Polaroid's proprietary Hi-Print Generation 2 photo paper. Plus, thanks to its small size and light weight, it easily fits in a bag or purse.

Regarding connectivity, this printer only works with Android and iOS smartphones or with Chrome OS devices via a Bluetooth connection and its Hi-Print mobile app. You can get the printer on its own or in a bundle with packs of photo paper. Unfortunately, its photo paper is very expensive, so know that the recurring costs will quickly add up if you print a lot. Also, its battery life lasts just 20 prints, so you'll want to keep the charging cable close.