As the world continues to go digital, it is vital for businesses to innovate. Falling behind in the digital age means risking obsolescence. In today's work environment, portability and convenience are key, especially for businesses, schools, and offices that need to be travel-friendly. Plus, with the rise of remote and hybrid work environments, its useful to have digital technology that you can use at home and work.
Portable scanners are a convenient solution for professionals on the go. Their compact size means you can carry them around anywhere, allowing you to stay efficient and productive no matter where you are.
At STPT, our scanning experts have been working with scanning technology since it first appeared on the market. We want to use our knowledge to help you make the smartest buying decision. We’ve gathered the top five portable scanners in 2024, focusing on models with the best price, size, and speed for on-the-go users.
1. Xerox Duplex Travel Scanner
Basic Specifications:
- Scan Speed: Up to 8 pages per minute (ppm)
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 11.5” x 2.6” x 1”
- Weight: 1 lb
- Price: Around $129 at Target
The Xerox Duplex Travel Scanner is an excellent choice for quick business trips. This compact scanner (11.5” x 2.6” x 1”) is designed for ultimate portability, making it perfect for scanning everything from articles to photos to small business cards.
This scanner is thinner and lighter than the Xerox Portable Scanner (featured below), but it also does not support as much scanning volume. It is USB-powered and doesn’t need an external power supply. When installed on a Mac or PC, you get immediate access to software that lets you easily organize and retrieve the information in your scanned documents.
Defining Feature: At around 1 lb, this is the smallest and most portable option on our list, perfect for quick and easy scanning needs during business travel.
2. Canon imageFORMULA R10 (Portable Document Scanner)
Basic Specifications:
- Scan Speed: Up to 12 ppm
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 11.2” x 3.8” x 1.6”
- Weight: 2.2 lb
- Price: Around $150 at Canon and Amazon
The Canon imageFORMULA R10 offers a practical mix of speed and portability, making it suitable for users who need reliable performance on the go. Its compact design (12.2” x 3.8” x 2”) and efficient scanning capabilities ensure you can scan documents quickly and accurately.
With its included CaptureOnTouch Lite software, you can scan images as searchable PDF files and more. With an automatic feeder that can hold up to 20 pages, the imageFormula R10 is designed for professionals who require efficient scanning capabilities in a compact form.
Defining Feature: Combines efficient scanning speed with high-quality image processing, perfect for professionals needing quick and accurate scans.
3. Brother DS940DW (Wireless Mobile Scanner)
Basic Specifications:
- Scan Speed: Up to 16 ppm
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 12.6” x 2.5” x 1.8”
- Weight: 1.5 lb
- Price: Around $200 at Brother and $180 at Amazon
The Brother DS940DW Wireless Mobile Scanner offers simplex and duplex scanning options, making it a versatile mobile scanning solution. With dimensions of 12.6" x 2.5" x 1.8" and weighing around 1.5 lb, it’s easy to carry around.
Unlike some of the other options on this list, the Brother DS940DW uses an SD card for simplified storage. While most scanners rely on drivers to communicate with your computer, the Brother DS940DW uses a combination of battery power and a micro SD card so that you can scan without needing any other devices.
Defining Feature: Wireless scanning capability and SD card storage, allowing you to scan without the need for additional devices.
4. Xerox Duplex Portable Scanner
Basic Specifications:
- Scan Speed: Up to 20 ppm
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 11.78” x 4.1” x 2.93”
- Weight: 3 lb
- Price: Around $220 at Xerox and Amazon
The Xerox Duplex Portable Scanner is designed to scan everything from articles to photos to business cards efficiently. Despite its compact size (11.78” x 4.1” x 2.93”), it offers impressive scan speeds of up to 20 ppm.
This scanner allows you to automatically scan documents and digitize them as PDF or JPG documents for easy sharing and saving. You can power this machine either through USB cables or a provided wall plug, although you can achieve higher performance through AC power. Just like the Xerox Duplex Travel scanner, this scanner comes with bundled software from Visioneer and Abby designed to organize your business-critical information and convert it to searchable and editable data.
Defining Feature: Efficiently scans and digitizes documents into PDF or JPG formats, perfect for quick fieldwork and conference scanning needs.
5. Epson DS-C330 (Desktop Document Scanner)
Basic Specifications:
- Scan Speed: Up to 30 ppm
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 11.7” x 4.2” x 4.9”
- Weight: 4 lb
- Price: Around $260 at Epson and Amazon
If you need a more powerful yet still compact scanner, the Epson DS-C330 is a good choice. While it’s the heaviest of the printers on the list, at 30 ppm, it also has the highest printing speed on this list. It offers duplex scanning, and its 20-page auto document feeder accommodates documents of varying sizes.
While it’s advertised as a desktop scanner, it’s compact and lightweight enough to be portable.
This compact scanner (11.3” x 3.6” x 2.1”) delivers fast, reliable scanning performance, making it ideal for busy professionals who need to digitize documents on the go.
The Epson DS-C330 supports both USB and wireless connectivity, allowing for flexible usage in various environments.
Defining Feature: High-speed scanning with advanced paper handling and wireless connectivity, making it perfect for professionals who need to scan a variety of documents quickly and efficiently.
Choosing the Portable Scanner That’s Right for You
It can be difficult to weigh the pros and cons of size, cost, and speed, but it is important to consider which options best match your needs. Our printer and scanner experts at STPT have put together a quick cheat sheet to help you figure out which of these scanners would work best for you:
- Price-conscious: If price is most important to you and you need a quality option at a low cost, then the Xerox Portable Duplex Scanner would be the best choice.
- Speed and Efficiency: If you want speed and efficiency, then the Epson DS-C330 offers the fastest scanning speeds and advanced paper handling, though it is slightly larger in size and price compared to the other options.
- Compact Size: If you need a scanner that is small enough to fit easily in your purse or briefcase, then the Xerox Travel Duplex Scanner is a good choice. At around 1 lb, it is the smallest scanner on the list.
- All-Around Option: A good all-around option is the Brother DS940DW; it is slightly smaller than the Epson model and slightly faster than the Xerox models—with a price that also reflects its middle-of-the-road offerings.
It’s important to understand your scanning needs before purchasing a portable scanner.
How Can STPT Help You Find the Right Scanner?
Scanners are great options for people who want to transform their business into a digital powerhouse. Portable scanners give you and your employees the mobility you need to work efficiently and effectively.
Scanners, like printers and copiers, have many functions and offerings. Size and utilization are important to consider before purchase. So, how do you choose which portable model is best for you? That depends on your needs and the needs of your group members.
The information in this article can help guide you to your ultimate solution, whether that office solution is Xerox or another brand. The five portable scanners discussed in this article are all quality picks that offer different features and functions for users.
Click on the link below to talk to one of our dedicated team members. We’ll help you learn more about scanner options and how they can transform your business.
