The Best Portable Photo Printers of 2021

The Canon Selphy QX10 is the largest model of the six we tested at 5.5 x 4 x 1.25 inches (L x W X H), but it’s still small enough to fit into your back pocket. It weighs just under a pound, making it the heaviest model we tested as well. The printer’s matte finish will hide most scratches, which is pretty important as this, like other portable printers are meant to be used on the go. I wouldn’t hesitate to toss this unit into a backpack or the glove box of a vehicle. It’s without a doubt the most durable we tested.

The Selphy’s 3 x 3 prints were some of our favorites, thanks to their crisp, clear resolution and color reproduction. The printer’s photo paper comes with a slightly sticky backing, making it possible to stick your photos to a wall or locker door. However, if you’d prefer to treat your shots like a traditional photo, leaving the paper’s protective backing will keep the sticky hidden away, Like many of the other printers we tested, photos could be altered and edited through the companion app.

Unlike the other models we tested, the Selphy relies on a Wifi connection to connect to your smartphone. The printer creates its own network which you connect to through the app during the setup stage. Fortunately, the Wifi continues to work even if you leave your house, meaning this printer can still be used on the go.

The Selphy was the one model we tested that required you to load both paper and ink, separately. While it’s not a major issue, it does require you to remember to bring two different consumables on a trip or risk losing the ability to print while on the go.

The Kodak Mini 3 Retro was one of the easiest portable printers to set up and use. Settings were easy to find in the companion app, the battery gauge had an actual percentage, letting us know exactly how much power was left. It was also simple to print multiple copies of photos.

While we had no issues connecting the Kodak Mini 3 Retro to our smartphones through Bluetooth, printing photos wasn’t nearly as easy. The sample print cartridge that the printer came with refused to work, forcing the printer to insist that combination paper and ink cartridge needed to be replaced.

The print cartridge came out easily enough. Replacing it was a different story. The first replacement cartridge we tried refused to be seated inside of the printer: It felt like there was something preventing the cartridge from sliding into the empty compartment. However, we had success with a second replacement cartridge and finally got the printer to function. That said, it felt like there was some sort of resistance when we attempted to swap the cartridge out.

After dealing with our cartridge woes, we discovered another issue. Once the printing process begins, you can’t minimize the Mini 3 Retro’s app to start browsing social media or quickly respond to an email. The moment the app is minimized, the printer will stop printing. The app must remain open at all times or you will have to start the process all over again. This was the only printer where we ran into this issue.

Once the Mini 3 Retro’s photos were printed, they proved quite impressive. From beautiful blues to bold reds, the printer handled colors with ease. We did however notice the printer had issues printing areas with fine detail. Thin tree branches and strands of hair came through slightly pixelated and didn’t reflect the original photos.

We also found the Kodak Mini 3 Retro didn’t have quite as many filters, or stickers to add to your photos as some of the other competitors.

As one of the smallest models we tested, the Fujifilm Instax is perfect for on-the-go fun. Not only does the app allow you to fully customize prints with fun captions and filters, but you can also buy photo paper with designs already printed on it, to add even more character.

This printer stood out as it was the only model where photos developed after they were spat out of the printer, making it feel like your smartphone has been transformed onto a classic Polaroid camera: Blow on the photo. Shake it. Wait. It was a pleasure to watch the photos the Instax produced slowly come to life. That said, Impatient photographers might find this charming bit of photographic nostalgia to be a dealbreaker. Each photo can take up to five minutes before all the colors in the print finish processing. You should know that this pokey method of printing speeds things up in another area. Because the photo develops after leaving the printer, there’s no need to wait for one photo to finish printing before another can be produced. A number of photos can be printed in quick succession, making it possible to share them, quickly, with friends.

We loved that the Instax provides a digital count of how many shots it can print—a feature no other device in this guide offered—before you’ll have to install a new pack of paper. Thanks to this feature, shutterbugs will never be surprised when their printer can no longer be used to print when they’re out and about.

At 4.5 x 3 x 1 inches, the LifePrint 2x3 Hyperprint was by far the smallest we tested and the lightest at 7 ounces. It was also, by far, the fastest, with photos taking around 30 seconds to print. Some of this speed comes from the fact that LifePrint uses Zink (Zero-Ink) technology to print its photos. Since the ink is incorporated into the sheets of paper, you don’t have to worry about loading a bulky two-in-one paper/ink cartridge. You simply have to load paper.
But the resulting 2 x 3 photographs were the worst of any portable photo printer we tested for this guide. The images were very soft, lacking any crisp detail. We noticed subtle artifacts in areas of solid color. The colors were also muted compared to the other printers.

On the positive side, the LifePrint app did have a lot of customization options, including the unique ability to turn a still photo into a short video through augmented reality. While using the app, you can hover your camera over a photo and it will magically come to life for a few seconds. It’s extremely gimmicky, but it is kind of neat the first few times you try it out. This printer also boasts its own social network to share videos and images.

Looking at some of the features, it’s clear LifePrint is aiming at a younger audience and one that may prioritize fun over actual print quality.