Choosing a Portable Laptop Printer

A portable laptop printer is a must-have device for travelers and people who conduct their business from the road. However, choosing the best one can be a confusing prospect. Which one is best? What features do you need? What are the Pros and Cons of each type? These are the questions you should be prepared to answer before you purchase a mobile laptop printer.

Types of Portable Laptop Printers

There are essentially two different types of laptop printers. These include wireless models that enable you to print without being physically connected to the printer, and small portable printers which can be carried during traveling. The difference in price between the two is vast. If you opt for wireless, you’ll need no more than a wireless router and an Ethernet port. However, if you absolutely need a portable printer, you must be willing to shell out the dough.

Price of Laptop Printers

Portable laptop printers range in price from $250 to $400 dollars or more. This is why wisely choosing your features is extremely important. On the lower end of the price range are laptop printers such as the Canon Pixma iP90, which weighs about four lbs and has the ability to print photos and text on paper up to 8x10 inches in size. It comes in at about $250.

On the higher end of the price range are thermal laptop printers such as the Brother MW-140B. This tiny mobile printer can easily fit inside a purse or coat pocket, but can only print pages up to 3x4 inches in size. It comes in at $400, and only has the ability to print 100 pages per charge.

In the middle price range, are several different mobile notebook printers with various features. One of the most highly recommended of these mid-range models is the Pentax PocketJet3. It prints in grey scale only, but prints large 8x10 inch pages. It only weighs about 1.5 pounds, and can easily fit inside a laptop bag. It has a low battery life, but may be the most economical at $350 if you need the smallest printer possible which can print large sizes.

Choosing the Best Portable Laptop Printer

If you need performance over portability, a larger sized but less expensive portable laptop printer fits the bill. The larger size equals larger printed pages, and a longer battery life. However, if you absolutely need portability, you may have to spend more money and sacrifice quite a bit in the way of quality. Smaller mobile printers are easily carried and stored, but they have a short battery life and typically only print in grey scale. Take stock of your needs, and choose the portable laptop printer that works best for your situation.