The Best Portable Scanners of 2023

One of the challenges of working from the road is when the modern digital world intersects with the traditional physical one. While a lot can be done with a laptop these days, boring business tasks like scanning documents remains a challenge.

Relying on print shops or business centers isn’t always convenient or cheap, and while you can use your phone in a pinch, the end result just isn’t as good.

If you find yourself needing to scan documents regularly, you’re better off investing in a portable scanner. These light, compact devices allow you to digitize documents and photos on the go. Most are battery-powered, and they can often transfer files directly to your smartphone.

Just like choosing a portable monitor or printer, though, the big differences in specs and features between models can make the process challenging. That’s why we’ve put together our recommendations for the best portable scanners you can buy to complete your mobile office setup in a variety of situations.

Best Portable Scanner: EPSON Workforce ES-300W

The Epson Workforce ES-300W is everything you’ll ever want in a portable scanner, with impressive speed and portability and resolution high enough to handle most business requirements.

This powerhouse scans up to 25 pages per minute, a rate that few other portable scanners can match. Combined with a 20-page automatic document feeder that works in duplex mode, this is one of the fastest scanners in its class, letting you power through a large number of documents quickly and efficiently.

The scanner’s 600 dpi resolution is enough to scan photos with acceptable quality, and it has a card slot that accepts thicker media like credit cards or ID cards. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) using the bundled ABBYY software can automatically convert documents into an editable and searchable PDF. 

Portability-wise, the ES-300W is a little bulky compared to some of the other models on this list, due mainly to that automatic document feeder. On the upside, it’s flexible when it comes to power and connectivity.

You can charge the internal battery via either the AC adapter or USB 3.0 cable, and either plug the scanner directly into your computer over USB or connect wirelessly from your phone, tablet, or computer

The only caveat with the ES-300W is that the Epson Scan bundled software isn’t up to par. Most of its features are unpolished, it has poor OCR output, and simple scanning tasks can be annoyingly difficult to do. Thankfully, you have the included ABBYY software that’s easier to use and delivers better OCR, but it’s still a surprising misstep from Epson.

The scanner also uses software to detect the edges of a page. That’s usually not a problem, but it can misfire and end scanning prematurely when it encounters pure black or white areas on the page.

Despite these minor flaws, though, the fast scanning speed, quality, and versatility still makes the Epson Workforce ES-300W our top portable scanner pick overall.

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Runner-Up, Best Portable Scanner: Doxie Go SE

If you don’t need the document feeder of our top pick, and would prefer to save a little weight and money instead, take a look at the Doxie Go SE.

The 600dpi resolution is standard for a good portable scanner, and you can expect clear photos and crisp text even from your images, even down to the small font sizes found on business cards and checkout receipts.

You have a couple of options when it comes to getting your scans onto another device, which is more than we usually see. As well as the standard USB cable for desktop computers, you can also use the included SD card.

The accompanying Windows and macOS apps are better than many. You’ll get a range of automatic and manual adjustments for improving image quality, searchable and multi-page PDF creation, and the ability to save scans to cloud services like Dropbox and iCloud.

At 1.3 pounds, the Doxie Go slots into the middle of the pack in terms of weight. It’s a little heavy for a portable scanner without a document feeder, but that’s mainly due to the inbuilt rechargeable battery. Most of the lighter models use disposables instead, which are much less convenient.

You’ll get up to 400 pages from a single charge, which is plenty for all but the biggest jobs. A single page takes as little as eight seconds to scan at 600dpi, and you can store up to 8000 pages on the SD card before needing to offload them onto a different device.

In short, this is a useful and high-quality portable scanner, with hardware and software features that lift it ahead of the competition. While we still prefer the Epson ES-300W for big jobs thanks to its document feeder and high speeds, the Doxie Go SE is a great alternative for smaller or less frequent use.

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Best Portable Document Scanner: Epson DS-80W

The Epson DS-80W is the more portable and compact brother of our top pick, the ES-300W At 1.8 x 10.7 x 1.3 inches and under 11 ounces, this exceptionally light and tiny scanner is barely wider than the sheets of paper it’s scanning. 

Despite that small size, the DS-80W can still scan documents relatively fast, in as little as 4 seconds per page. OCR software is included, allowing this scanner to output searchable PDF files.

As expected with the smaller size, it can only accept one sheet at a time, so scanning large stacks of documents with it can be tedious. It’s really aimed at digitizing essential short documents on the go when you don’t have access to a desktop scanner with a feeder.

The scanner runs on either battery or USB power, and connects to your computer wirelessly or via the USB cable. It works with iOS and Android devices, so there’s no need to drag out your laptop just to quickly scan a document. The LCD screen is a nice touch, displaying wireless connection and battery level information.

The DS-80W does have a less expensive version, the ES-60W. Both have identical features, but the DS-80W has a three-year warranty. Given the price difference is usually relatively small, we believe that the longer warranty makes the DS-80W a better choice, but you can save a bit of money with the ES-60W if you’d prefer.

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Best Portable Scanner Printer Combination: HP OfficeJet 250

The HP OfficeJet 250 is, hands down, the best mobile all-in-one document solution available. It’s a scanner, printer, and copier rolled into one portable package.

The scanner has a 10-page automatic document feeder, and can scan up to nine pages per minute for black and white and 3.6 pages per minute for color. That’s not the fastest on this list, so if super-quick scanning is important to you, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Fortunately, its other capabilities will likely make up for the slower speeds for most users.

The printing quality of the OfficeJet 250 is fantastic for a portable printer. It has better output than many desk-bound inkjets, which says a lot. It supports wireless connectivity (both Bluetooth and W-Fi) and has a rechargeable battery for portability so that you can use it without needing wires.

There’s a handy 2.65″ color touchscreen for controlling the device and viewing its current status, and the ability to print directly from a USB stick comes in very handy when you’re in a hurry. You can scan to iOS and Android mobile devices using the HP Smart app.

Unsurprisingly, the OfficeJet 250 is bulkier than dedicated portable scanners. It’s very reasonable for an all-in-one device, though, and is an unbeatable option for taking your office on the road.

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Best Portable Book Scanner: CZUR Aura-B

The CZUR Aura-B is an excellent alternative for scanning things that can’t fit into or are too fragile for a scanner feeder, such as old documents, magazines, and books.

You simply lay the book or document below the Aura-B, and the three built-in lasers get to work. Using AI technology and a proprietary algorithm, the scanner software can digitally “flatten” the book by taking the page curvature into account. Scanning speed is roughly two seconds per page, which is impressive.

The Aura-B also doubles as a reading light when not in use, giving it added utility beyond just being a scanner. There’s an important caveat, though: at 300dpi, the scanned output isn’t as clear and accurate as some of the other portable scanners on this list, and the device isn’t as compact or portable either.

As a result, we’d recommend the CZUR Aura-B specifically for those who need to regularly scan things like books and magazines that typical portable scanners struggle with, rather than for general document scanning. It’s easier to use and has better output than most wand-type scanners, and gets the nod from us as a result.

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Best Budget Portable Scanner: Brother DS-740D

The Brother DS-740D is one of the most inexpensive portable scanners you can buy, and at less than a foot long, one of the most compact on this list. It’s comparable in size to the Epson DS-80W mentioned above.

The DS-740D has a scanning speed of 16 pages per minute, coupled with duplex printing, OCR software support, and a dedicated slot for card scanning – all impressive features at that price point. The 600 dpi resolution also ensures decent quality output.

The biggest trade-off, and the one thing that limits the portability of the DS-740D, is the need to always have it plugged into your computer via USB when you’re using it. That’s because it doesn’t support wireless connections, nor does it have a built-in battery for standalone operation.

As a result, this scanner is only appropriate for laptop or desktop computer users, not those who want to scan to a mobile device. At such a low price, however, the DS-740D is still a steal for what it offers.

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Wrapping It Up

For the best portable option that combines features and performance, you won’t regret getting the Epson Workforce ES-300W. The 20-page automatic document feeder, duplex scanning, and fast 25 ppm speed put it at the top of our list.

If portability is the biggest concern, then the Epson DS-80W or Doxie Go SE are your best options.

Budget-conscious entrepreneurs will find that the Brother DS-740D gives excellent value for money, and finally, if you’re looking for the best all-in-one solution for your mobile office, we highly recommend the HP OfficeJet 250 printer/scanner combination.

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Main image via Vlarvixof/Shutterstock.com, product images via Amazon