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Whether you need to convert paper documents to editable text, create and maintain a database of business-card contacts, or put together an expense report with digitized receipts, a portable scanner will come in handy. You’ll see mobile scanners with different features or capabilities. They also differ in how portable they are from one scanner to another.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the best portable document scanners based upon extensive testing that evaluated features like scan speed, OCR accuracy, and battery duration.
Table of contents
- What Is a Portable Scanner?
- Epson ES-300W Review: Best Portable Document Scanner for Wi-Fi & OCR
- Brother DS-640 Review: Lightweight USB Portable Scanner for Documents and IDs
- Canon Document Scanner Review: Portable Double-Sided Scanner with ADF
- Plustek OpticSlim 1680 Review: Best A3 Flatbed Scanner for Large Documents
- MUNBYN Portable Scanner: Best Handheld Scanner
- Ready to Buy Your New Portable Document Scanner?
- FAQs
What Is a Portable Scanner?
A portable scanner is a small, lighter version of a desktop document scanner. Portable scanners are impressive for travel, business, or for a small office with limited space, and they allow for scanning of all sizes of papers, including:
- Receipts
- Contracts
- Reports
- Invoices
- Key business documents
Portable scanners can impact businesses by converting hard copies into digital files along with better organization and storage of documents through scanning.
Epson ES-300W Review: Best Portable Document Scanner for Wi-Fi & OCR
Price on Amazon: US$299.95
If you want a high-quality, portable, wireless document scanner, the Epson ES-300W is a great candidate. This portable scanner provides typical scan speeds found in larger desktop scanners and excellent text recognition accuracy. Having built-in Wi-Fi and battery power allows you to scan documents anywhere using your laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
The primary reason to buy a portable scanner like the Epson ES-300W is organization. If you have stacks of papers piling up in your space, scanning documents is a great way to both free up physical storage and allow you to make files easy to search later. Both Windows and macOS allow for searching the content within searchable PDF documents, which saves time when searching for specific information.
For busy professionals and remote workers, this scanner has duplex (double-sided) scanning capabilities and integrates well with cloud services, so you can scan directly into your preferred platform without a computer, which is a big efficiency gain.
Key Features
- Wireless, battery-powered
- Duplex scanning
- High-speed scanning with OCR support
Best For: Mobile professionals, remote workers, digital organizers
Brother DS-640 Review: Lightweight USB Portable Scanner for Documents and IDs
Price on Amazon: US$104.99
The Brother DS-640 is one of the best professional-oriented USB-powered portable scanners available for users who require a lightweight, portable, and reliable scanning option. The unit weighs just over 1 pound, and its small footprint means you do not need to carry extra power cords to connect it, as it is powered directly from the USB connection.
This scanner can scan documents of up to 72 inches in length; smaller items such as ID cards or business cards can also be scanned. It supports scanning to multiple destinations, including email, cloud, image, and OCR formats. The Brother DS-640 offers users great flexibility, whether they are archiving a stack of receipts or scanning client forms and notes.
In terms of performance and speed, it offers a decent scan speed of up to 16 pages per minute. However, this model does not support automatic duplex scanning, so you will need to flip over double-sided pages. You should also note that several users have reported intermittent issues with receipt scanning and connectivity.
Key Features
- Compact design, USB-powered
- Scans long documents and small items
- Multiple scan destinations, including OCR
Best For: Mobile teams, freelancers, traveling professionals
Canon Document Scanner Review: Portable Double-Sided Scanner with ADF
Price on Amazon: US$207.06
If you regularly scan two-sided documents, the Canon Document Scanner is a smart option that is portable as well. With an Auto Document Feeder (ADF), it stands out as a better option that holds 20 sheets and can do two-sided copying in one pass, so there is no need to flip anything.
Scanning speed clocks in at around 12 pages per minute, but the added convenience of auto duplexing and an ADF make it well-suited for light office scanning use. It is powered by USB, so you need to operate it with either a laptop or desktop, but it is somewhat compact and can be stored in a briefcase.
On the downside, newer Apple device users may need an adapter, and photo scanning quality is lower than with documents. But overall, it’s a solid product for scanning contracts, forms, and multi-page reports.
Key Features
- 20-sheet ADF
- Auto duplex scanning
- Compact and USB-powered
Best For: Business travelers, contract management, office professionals
Plustek OpticSlim 1680 Review: Best A3 Flatbed Scanner for Large Documents
Price on Amazon: $518.60 USD
If you need to scan oversized documents or artwork, the Plustek OpticSlim 1680 is the best A3 flatbed scanner available. This scanner can scan documents with lengths up to 11.7 x 17 inches—perfect for engineers, designers, and artists who want to scan at high resolution.
The scanner offers a scan speed of 3 seconds per page and offers up to 1,200 x 1,200 dpi resolution, which is ideal for fine detail. There are not many recent reviews, but generally, Plustek is reputable in the scanner community, and there is an improvement to the 1680 model over the 1180 model, especially with respect to speed and build quality.
Note: A3 scanners are large and noisy. This scanner is close to the size of two reams of A3 paper side by side, and it uses a strong motor, so you will hear it too.
Key Features
- Supports A3 document size
- High-speed scanning
- Up to 1,200 dpi resolution
Best For: Architects, designers, print professionals
MUNBYN Portable Scanner: Best Handheld Scanner
Price on Amazon: US$59.89
For those needing to digitize pages from books or irregular documents, the MUNBYN Portable Scanner is an excellent choice. This handheld wand scanner allows you to swipe the writing device on the flat surface (excellent for scanning bound work because it won’t fit in a sheet-fed scanner).
This scanner takes 2 AA batteries, and the scanned documents are stored on a microSD card. Later, the files can be transferred to a computer or phone via USB. The MUNBYN scanner can scan at 900 dpi, but 600 dpi is great for documents. This device is extremely lightweight, and doesn’t require a computer to function.
The main downside of the MUNBYN scanner is the quality of the scans and the battery life. Sometimes, the photos don’t come out very sharp, and the battery needs to be changed after only a couple of scans.
Key Features
- Wand-style scanning
- Portable and battery-powered
- Saves to SD card
Best For: Book lovers, researchers, travelers
Ready to Buy Your New Portable Document Scanner?
Choosing the best portable document scanner depends on your individual needs.
If you want speed, wireless flexibility, and quality OCR and can live without the advanced features of the competitive models, check out the Epson ES-300W.
For ultra-light, uncomplicated portability, the Brother DS-640 does the job on the go.
If you need automatic double-sided scans, the Canon Document Scanner does that.
If you are surveying or processing oversized documents, it is hard to argue with the Plustek OpticSlim 1680.
Finally, if you are digitizing books or any fragile paper format, the MUNBYN Portable Scanner provides challenging flexibility you can’t get with other models.
All the options we have covered are good scanners. The right portable scanner could allow you to turn your pile of paper into organized digital assets that you can share and search through.
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FAQs
- What is the best portable document scanner for travel?
The Epson ES-300W is ideal for travel thanks to its wireless capabilities, built-in battery, and compact design—perfect for scanning on the go.
- Can portable scanners handle double-sided documents?
Yes, models like the Canon Document Scanner offer duplex scanning with an automatic document feeder (ADF) to scan both sides in one pass.
- Do portable scanners work with smartphones or tablets?
Many portable scanners, such as the Epson ES-300W and MUNBYN handheld scanner, can connect to mobile devices via Wi-Fi or USB adapters for easy scanning.
- Are portable scanners good for receipts and business cards?
Yes, scanners like the Brother DS-640 are optimized for scanning small items like receipts, ID cards, and business cards with reliable OCR functionality.
