Last updated on September 1st, 2023 at 05:59 pm
There are high chances that your home or office is overflowing with documents and photos for which you now don’t have enough space to store. The best chance you have in this situation is to get a portable scanner and create a digital copy of all those things to store them either on your computer or upload them to the cloud. Here are a few portable scanners that you can invest in!
Table of Contents
Why buy a portable scanner?
In this digital world, all our documents need to be on our computers and phones, especially those photos that specifically need a high-quality dedicated scanner. For home users, these scanners come handy if you have a load of old photos stacked in albums just waiting to be scanned. Plus, random document scanning for emailing will also be made a lot easier with a scanner. Most newer products are so compact that they wouldn’t cause any convenience and just sit in one corner of your table.
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Office users will appreciate having a scanner when they see it decluttering their desk that is usually filled with papers scattered all over. You can scan all your documents within seconds either as PDF or JPG and organise them in separate folders where they can live forever now without taking any physical space. Professional photographers almost always need a high-resolution scanner to save a perfect digital copy of their shots.
| No. | Scanner Model | Pros | Cons | Best Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canon ImageFormula P-215II Scanner | – Scans both sides of documents simultaneously – Swift scanning speed – Portable size | – Limited paper size support (A4 and legal) | Amazon |
| 2 | Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i Sheetfed Scanner | – Fast scanning speed – PDF creation and OCR included – Compatible with Windows and Mac | – Relatively expensive – Larger physical size | Amazon |
| 3 | Doxie One Standalone Scanner | – Extremely compact and portable – Simple to use – Powered by AAA batteries | – Manual document feeding | Amazon |
| 4 | Canon ImageFormula P-201 Portable Scanner | – Highly portable – Supports various document sizes – Fast scanning | – Limited thickness for scanning – Longer scan times at higher DPI settings | Amazon |
| 5 | Segolike 900 DPI Handheld Portable Scanner | – Built-in memory card slot for computer-free scanning – Thin and portable – Affordable | – Limited to A4 size paper scanning | Amazon |
| 6 | Microware Valety Mini Wand Portable Scanner | – LCD display for standalone operation – Battery-powered – Supports microSD card – Quick A4 scanning | – Limited to A4 size paper scanning | Amazon |
| 7 | Plustek MobileOffice S400 Portable Scanner | – High optical resolution (600 DPI) – Compact size – Easy to use | – Requires USB cable for power – Questionable after-sales support | Amazon |
| 8 | VuPoint Magic Wand PDSWF-ST47-VP Wireless Portable Scanner | – Wireless capability with companion app – OCR included – MicroSD card support | – Requires manual movement for scanning – Higher price tag | Amazon |
| 9 | IRIScan Book 3 | – Suitable for scanning books and magazines – High resolution (up to 900 DPI) – Battery-operated | – Not efficient for regular-sized papers that other scanners handle easily | Amazon |
| 10 | Docooler Portable Wireless Scanner | – Budget-friendly – LCD display – Multiple color options – Scans thicker books | – No warranty offered (imported unit) | Amazon |
What to look for while buying a portable scanner?
- Size and Design
Many portable scanners themselves are larger than what’d be considered portable. Depending on your need, you might want to buy a product that is truly small to fit inside a bag or if you need mostly for desk job then a tad larger one will also do.
- Scanning Resolution
It is the resolution that determines the quality of the scanned documents and how usable would they be in their digital format. A scanner resolution of at least 600 DPI should be ideal for most, though imaging professionals might want to invest in a much higher-resolution scanner.
- Power Supply
Something cannot be called portable if it needs to be tethered to a power outlet. There are many scanners available in the market that can scan documents without the need for a companion computer and run on batteries to offer portable solutions. Having a memory card will be considered a bonus.
- Speed
Modern scanners will get a normal scan done in a few seconds while the older models may take a few minutes. If your work requires you to scan a huge pile of documents then getting a faster scanner would be wiser as it will save you from a lot of frustration.
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- Extra Features
Features like an LCD display and OCR go a long way in proving the usefulness of a scanner. Especially OCR, which is now kind of a must for newer scanners so that you can convert hard copies of documents directly to editable Word copies. Wireless file transfer also makes managing files a little easier.
- Budget
If you have a tight budget, then you definitely cannot aim for a higher-end scanner that is packed with all the features. Despite that, there are many scanners available on the budget that offer a fantastic list of features without breaking your bank.
Top 10 Best Portable Scanners
Premium Options
1) Canon ImageFormula P-215II Scanner
Pros: Canon has developed a proprietary technology that enables this scanner to scan documents from both the sides simultaneously, thus saving you a lot of time. It is also made to be swift and can scan 15 double-sided black-and-white pages in just a minute while for coloured pages, it can scan up to 10 similar pages in one minute. It is fairly small in size and can be carried around quite easily.
Cons: Along with being on the upper side of the market, this portable scanner from Canon is limited by the size of the paper it can handle. It is designed to scan only A4 and legal paper sheets while anything larger is simply not supported.
Best Buy : Amazon
2) Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i Sheetfed Scanner
Pros: It is a relatively fast scanner that can scan up to 12 double-sided documents within a minute and you can even store 10 documents for it to scan automatically. Features like PDF creation, scanning to editable Word and Excel files, and creation of searchable keywords come built in. it is compatible with both Windows and Mac and can be powered both using a USB port or an AC adapter. Its 600 DPI support means the scanned documents will be as sharp as the physical ones.
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Cons: Being one of the best high-end scanners, it is also quite expensive and isn’t meant for everyone. Besides this, the machine is physically larger than many other scanners that have a smaller footprint.
Best Buy : Amazon
3) Doxie One Standalone Scanner
Pros: This product is definitely one of the smallest document scanners in this price segment and lives true to its portable title. It is simple to use and all you need to do is feed the document from one end and the rest will then be taken care of by the scanner itself.
The companion Doxie app available for computers will organise all the scanned documents and includes a bunch of sharing options. Also, you don’t need to carry a power adapter with this scanner as it is powered by AAA batteries making it truly portable.
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Cons: Since it is a compact device, stacking documents for the machine to scan automatically isn’t possible and you will need to manually feed each paper.
Best Buy : Amazon
Economical Options
4) Canon ImageFormula P-201 Portable Scanner
Pros: If portability is your top priority then this product serves the exact purpose and gives you high-quality scanned documents. At its price, this Cannon scanner is hard to beat given its lengthy list of features.
Most kinds of documents and paper sizes are supported, including smaller ones like business cards, ID cards, etc. Scanning takes not more than 10 seconds on the default settings and it starts automatically when a paper is inserted.
Cons: With its compact size, it comes with the inability to scan anything that is thicker than a few sheets of papers, like a book or journal. While scanning is faster on default settings, if you switch it to 600 DPI, the scanning process will get noticeably longer.
Best Buy : Amazon
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5) Segolike 900 DPI Handheld Portable Scanner
Pros: Scanning without a computer may seem a little absurd but this scanner can get it done with the help of a built-in memory card slot. All the controls are present right on the machine, like changing the scan quality among high, moderate, and low besides changing the file format – JPG or PDF.
It is a really thin machine and comes with its own pouch to easily carry it around. A USB cable is included in the box which can be used for connecting to a computer. This scanner is far cheaper than many other offerings and supports up to 900 DPI.
Cons: It can scan only A4 size paper which will be limiting for many prospective buyers.
Best Buy : Amazon
6) Microware Valety Mini Wand Portable Scanner
Pros: Coming with a baton-like shape, this Microware product is packed with features that are essential for a portable scanner. First off, there is an LCD display on the front console for you to see any required information on the device itself; this is necessary especially since, it doesn’t require a computer to function.
It runs on two AA batteries and supports up to 32GB of microSD card letting you scan on the go. A high-quality A4 scan will take just 3 seconds and it has a built-in OCR software to create an editable Word document.
Cons: Pages only up to A4 size are supported by this machine and people looking for a scanner for anything larger than that may not find it appropriate.
Best Buy : Amazon
7) Plustek MobileOffice S400 Portable Scanner
Pros: Coming with a high optical resolution of 600 DPI, you can scan some quality documents while on the go. As the company states, it is about the size of an aluminium foil, meaning you can easily carry it around inside the provided pouch. On medium setting, the scanning speed would be around 20 seconds for an A4 sheet. It is easy to use with only a couple of buttons to increase the scan flow.
Cons: Unlike many other truly portable scanners, this one doesn’t come with an inbuilt battery or support for AA batteries. You will necessarily have to carry a USB cable to power this machine. After sales support from this company can be an iffy affair.
Best Buy : Amazon
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This content is collaboratively crafted and vetted by Shubham, a Mechanical Engineering specialist. His passion for unraveling the intricacies of machinery and consumer electronics mirrors his avid interest in gaming. With his wealth of expertise, Shubham adeptly navigates readers through the complexities of audio, home appliances, and everyday products, guaranteeing a smooth and enjoyable shopping journey. For every product you read about on this site we do rigorous research and testing behind the scenes to bring you the best value for money options. For any query directly reach out to me at my personal Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shubhamgarg8024/
