Have you ever needed to scan something, but you don’t have a scanner nearby? You’re stuck using an app on your phone that doesn’t work well or trying to find a print shop nearby. It doesn’t need to be this way.
In this list, we are going to break down the best portable scanners of 2023, so you can easily find what works for you. Let’s get to our first pick.
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Our Choice for the Best portable scanner of 2023
The Good
- Micro USB 3.0 Connectivity
- Versatile Use
- Works without software
The Bad
- only works with lightweight paper
- jams frequently
The Bottom Line:
We love the Brother ADS-1250W! This is a great portable scanner, and we’ll tell you why.
The Brother ADS-1250W works for scanning documents on the go. It also is able to scan without installing software and it can scan to multiple file types. It’s a great portable scanner for almost anyone, and that’s why it’s our choice for the best portable scanner of 2023.
Want to skip our list? Here are all the scanners that made our list of the best portable scanners of 2023.
- best portable scanner of 2023 | Brother ADS-1250W
- best cheap portable scanner of 2023 | Brother DS-640
- best portable photo scanner of 2023 | Fujitsu – ScanSnap S1300i
- best portable document printer of 2023 | Epson WorkForce ES-50
- Best Portable Flatbed Scanner of 2023 | Doxie Flip
- Best Precise Portable Scanner of 2023 | Brother DS-720D
- Doxie Go SE
- Canon ImageFORMULA P-215II
- VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand
- Neat Receipts Mobile Scanner
Best portable scanners of 2023 | Some Quick Background Info
How do portable scanners work?
Portable scanners usually scan directly to your laptop computer or to a memory card. This allows you to scan a document or photo on the go and access the file later.
Do all portable scanners have batteries?
No, but many do. Some portable scanners are powered by USB power, which means they need to be connected to your pc. Others need to be plugged in. Be sure your scanner has a battery if you are going to be using it somewhere without electricity available.
Are Portable scanners expensive?
No. Portable scanners tend to cost about the same as normal home scanners for home. They are also very popular and easy to find at electronics stores.
Top 10 Best portable scanners of 2023 | Here's Our List
Now that we’ve got the background out of the way, we are ready to jump into our list of the top 10 best portable scanners of 2023. We hope you find something that works for you!
best portable scanner of 2023
The Good
- Micro USB 3.0 Connectivity
- Versatile Use
- Works without software
The Bad
- only works with lightweight paper
- jams frequently
The Bottom Line:
As we said above, the Brother ADS-1250W is a fantastic portable scanner. This portable scanner can scan to multiple file types. It also connects via lightning-fast USB 3.0 and it works for scanning documents on the go. It’s just a great portable scanner. That’s why we chose the Brother ADS-1250W as the best portable scanner of 2023. We highly recommend you go and check it out.
best cheap portable scanner of 2023
The Good
- USB Powered
- Compact
- Simple
The Bad
- sensitive paper feed
- won't work with cardstock
The Bottom Line:
The Brother DS-640 is a great portable scanner. It is simple to operate. This portable scanner also is powered by a USB port. While it doesn’t work with heavyweight paper, this portable scanner is great at what it is made for. It is super portable and it also is pretty affordable. Give it a look!
best portable photo scanner of 2023
The Good
- versatile scan sizes
- affordable
- decent speed
The Bad
- frequent jamming
- low resolution
- very sensitive
The Bottom Line:
If you are looking for the best portable photo scanner, then the Fujitsu – ScanSnap S1300i is exactly what you are looking for. This portable scanner is simple to operate, and it is rather affordable. Even though the Fujitsu – ScanSnap S1300i doesn’t have very high resolution, it’s still a great option, and it’s our choice for the best portable photo scanner.
best portable document printer of 2023
The Good
- Small
- super basic
- super portable
The Bad
- lack of features
- not durable
- bad software
The Bottom Line:
The Epson WorkForce ES-50 is an awesome portable scanner. It is simple to use and it is hyper-mobile. The Epson WorkForce ES-50 is the best portable document printer, and it’s well worth your time to give it a look.
Best Portable Flatbed Scanner of 2023
The Good
- lightweight
- portable flatbed option
- versatile
The Bad
- buggy software
- frequently unavailable
- not durable
The Bottom Line:
Our choice for the Best Portable Flatbed Scanner is the Doxie Flip. Here’s why.
The Doxie Flip is a portable flatbed scanner. It also is easy to use and is very light. While the Doxie Flip is hard to find in stock, it’s still a great portable scanner. That’s why it’s our choice for the Best Portable Flatbed Scanner of 2023.
Best Precise Portable Scanner of 2023
The Good
- quick mobile scanning
- includes software suite
- TWAIN compatible
The Bad
- poor scan quality
- cheap components
- unreliable paper feed
The Bottom Line:
If you are looking for the Best Precise Portable Scanner, then you’ve found it. The Brother DS-720D is a great portable scanner. It is small. While it doesn’t have the best scan quality, the Brother DS-720D is lightweight and comes with a full software suite. It’s a fantastic option for anyone looking for a portable scanner in 2023.
Best portable scanners of 2023 | Other Great Options
The Good
- Rechargeable Battery
- 8-second scans
- stores up to 4000 files
The Bad
- single page scans
- large file sizes
- weak software
The Bottom Line:
If you need the best portable scanner, then we recommend you check out the Doxie Go SE. This portable scanner includes a rechargeable battery and is quick. It has abnormally large file sizes, and it uses a clunky software, but it’s still a great option for most people.
The Good
- Mobile
- Affordable
- 20-sheet paper feed
The Bad
- double feeds
- scans blank pages
- sometimes jams
The Bottom Line:
No list of the best portable scanners of 2023 would be complete without mentioning the Canon ImageFORMULA P-215II. This portable scanner is very mobile. It also is a more affordable option and still has a 20 sheet paper feed. While it sometimes picks up two pages at once, the Canon ImageFORMULA P-215II is still a great option for anyone looking for the best portable scanners of 2023.
The Good
- handheld scanning
- includes battery
- affordable
The Bad
- cheap
- not very accurate
- poor paper feed
The Bottom Line:
When we were testing the best portable scanners of 2023, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we liked the VuPoint Solutions Magic Wand.
This portable scanner is affordable and is simple to use. There are definitely better options on this list, but this just might be the right portable scanner for you.
The Good
- affordable
- organizes file types
- works with bookkeeping and tax software
The Bad
- discontinued support
- subscription-based software
- unreliable
The Bottom Line:
While the Neat Receipts Mobile Scanner is no longer supported, it’s still a good portable scanner. This portable scanner has a long history of customer satisfaction and basically invented file-organizing scanners. That’s why it got the final spot on our list of the best portable scanners of 2023.
Top 10 Best portable scanners of 2023 | Final Thoughts
That was our list of the best portable scanners of 2023. We hope you liked it! Our top choice was the Brother ADS-1250W, but all of these portable scanners are great options. We hope you found one that works for you.
If you liked this list, let us know in the comments. Also, be sure to check out our other articles like this one!
