Portable printers: the best ones for work and photos

portable printer

by Bryony Firth-Bernard |
Updated on

Whether you’re constantly moving around your house now that you’re working from home or you simply want the option to print out photos/documents on the go from your phone, then a portable printer could be just what you need.

What is a portable printer?

Unlike traditional printers which are big, bulky and have to be plugged in, a portable printer is a small wireless device, which you can connect to your laptop or phone via WiFi or Bluetooth and lets you print documents and photos on the go. There are all-in-one portable printers that will do everything a traditional printer can do (such as scan, copy, print and print photos) and there are portable printers specifically made for one purpose, such as printing pictures from your mobile device.

Best portable printer for work and home

This portable printer comes with a rechargeable battery, a full set of ink and lets you print from either your mobile or laptop. It’s also compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices and can complete 9 prints per minute.

Verified customer review: “Really easy to set up. Love the fact I can just print from my phone and it doesn’t take up a lot of space.”

HP OfficeJet 250
Price: £218.90
Alternative retailers
Walmart$399.99View offer
Adorama$399.99View offer
Best Buy$399.99View offer
HP$399.99View offer

Perfect for printing, copying or scanning documents on the go from both your laptop and mobile. This portable printer is compact enough to fit in your backpack, so you can conveniently print anywhere and has been praised in reviews for its quick and easy set up.

Verified customer review: “Great printer, very compact and does the job well. Very easy to set up, quick software install and can very easily update the firmware via apps or on the printer itself if connected to the internet. Pretty quick at printing A4 sheets in B&W, a little slower at printing colour but it’s fast enough. Printer comes with a rechargeable battery so it can be moved around as required.”

Epson WorkForce WF-110W Portable A4 Inkjet Printer
Price: £188.99

A lightweight and compact design makes A4 printing easy on this portable printer, which connects via WiFi. It’s built-in battery (which lets you print up to 50 pages) means you never have to worry about having a pack to hand as you can simply recharge when it’s run out. The Epson iPrint app also lets you print effortlessly from your mobile

Brother PocketJet PJ-773
Price: £549.68

About the size of a small baguette, this portable printer is ideal for if you’re someone who’s on the move for work, as it’s a great size to pop into handbags and backpacks. Unlike some of the other printers, this one requires no ink, all your need is the special thermal paper to go inside it. Connect to your mobile, tablet, desktop or laptop (must be Windows, Mac or Linux based) via the built-in WiFi or USB cable.

Best portable photo printer

HP Sprocket 200
Price: £89.99

This nifty little portable photo printer is seriously cool and would make a perfect gift for your child if they’re a budding photographer, or if you simply want those beautiful snaps from your phone quickly to hand. Just download the Sprocket app to your mobile to customise your photo with filter effects, stickers and borders before printing it out. The photos are 5 x 7.6 cm (about the size of a phone) and the special HP Sprocket Photo Paper can even turn your photos into stickers too.

• No ink required
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Includes 10 pages of HP Zinc Photo Paper

Verified customer review: “I love this and wish I’d bought one sooner. It’s such a smart, neat little device. I love to scrapbook and journal and this is just SOOOO easy to set-up and use. It prints quickly and the quality is great for a pocket printer.”

Pretty in pink, pocket-sized with rechargeable batteries makes this printer perfect for printing memories on the go. The special ZINK photo paper is waterproof, smudge-proof and tear-proof, so your pictures retain optimal quality. Just connect your mobile device Bluetooth, download the Canon app (which has loads of special effects) and print to your heart's content.

• No ink required
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Includes 1 pack of ZINK Photo Paper and 1 smart sheet, Micro USB Charging Cable, Quick Start Guide and Regulation Sheet  

Verified customer review: “Brilliant little thing so pleased with it for my scrapbooking.”

Canon SELPHY SQUARE portable photo printer
Price: £145.05
https://redirect.viglink.com?key=eb32892e8a408657289072c26bd927b5&prodOvrd=PCR&opt=false&u=DRZHQksDHUpPFkMeT1dZWlNKTR5UXQ4dXxJLelNZDQtPYHd0aXo8FTJFRVlEUBpjYAgAGmIMQEIDBlVXGjINDUddFWlADFYVUUIVYVwadFEUc1hcDVdVFg1PW0MbSDdgcBV6WgRKBl1eXxtxTlcVakVVXgpfVxYNVlwaMhcLXUZRV1VICVEEHWFTVEUfaEtZWUZOfl8EARRiVhIAEB5%2BWUBdEExMdUBIG3x5ZnQUfVgdUgcPW1YJBwRSVQ%3D%3D&x=v1&prdId=10619977839&barcode=VVYGBgELC1cJVAMJDwY%3D

If you love polaroid style photos, then you’ll love this photo printer which prints off your photos in the perfect square shape. We love its stylish design, which is also available in pink, mint and white too. Simply download the Selphy photo layout app to start customising and printing your pictures, which are meant to last in quality for 100 years.

• No ink required
• WiFi connectivity
• Includes  paper cassette (72mm x 85mm), user manual kit, USB Micro B connector to USB Type-A connector, battery

Verified customer review: "Good clear prints with natural colours. This is so easy to set up and use, including the additional features such as frames and written headers, that even I can use it proficiently. Well worth the money.

Popular articles to read next

The best beauty deals for mums

The best Kindles for family trips

The best robot vacuum cleaners for busy parents

Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us
How we write our articles and reviews
Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.