The best small printer 2020: for compact offices or wireless printing

Looking for the best small printer to buy? Whether it's for your home office, you need one for a small business, you're after a model fit for home use – printing CVs, important documents etc. – or are looking for something that's great at printing photos, we've found a number of great models that can print on-the-go, are wireless and even double up as scanners and photocopiers. Despite being small in size!

Keep scrolling to find an option that suits both your budget and requirements.

For more advice and information when it comes to home tech, browse our technology hub page. Still considering your options when it comes to printers? You might find our other handy printer buying guides a handy read:

What is the best small printer?

In our opinion, the best small printer currently available comes in the form of the HP OfficeJet 250, which offers everything you need in a handy printer, suitable for day-to-day use. As well as printing, this compact model offers the option to scan and copy, meaning it'll be easier than ever to complete business admin. Plus, it's small enough to pop in a rucksack if you're someone who finds themself regularly requiring a printer while on-the-go.

The best small printers you can buy right now

A small printer isn’t what you need for super quality photo print outs, but for everyday usage and some general colour printing thrown in, the HP OfficeJet 250 is a good option.

What can it do?
This small printer can (obviously) print, as well as scan and copy. You should have no problem carrying out your business admin.

Size
When out visiting clients, you can print on premises, too, as the HP OfficeJet 250 is just about small enough to pop into a rucksack. It’s easy to set up, only takes 90 minutes to charge up, and it’s wireless, so you can easily print from phones and other mobile devices. 

Shop the full range of small printers available from Amazon

The Canon Pixma iP110 is the perfect printer for small businesses, especially if one of you is always travelling and needs to print on the go. 

What can it do?
Thanks to its small size and decent 9600 DPI, you can print really easily from phones or tablets so long as it is hooked up to Wi-Fi. Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print compatibility also makes printing on the go super easy.

Wireless
There’s the option to purchase a rechargeable battery, so you can print out your pictures even when you’re travelling between destinations. All you need is Wi-Fi.

For more small printers, try Canon

So long as you have no need to scan or copy documents, the Epson Workforce is the ideal printer for working on the go. 

What can it do?
Whether it’s a last-minute boarding card print out from the airport lounge or you find your client’s premises has no printer, the trusty Epson Workforce is small enough to be kept by your side for instant use.

Wireless
You can print wirelessly so long as there’s a Wi-Fi connection, and you can even charge the battery up via the USB car adapter in time for your next meeting. 

Quality
The pretty high DPI promises great quality print outs, while the LCD screen allows for easy set up and keeping an eye on ink levels.  

Find more small printers available from John Lewis & Partners

While the DPI is nothing to shout about, the HP Sprocket isn’t marketed towards the professional photography market. For taking on day trips or family holidays, on the other hand, it’s perfect. 

What can it do?
It prints snapshots and stickers using photo paper rather than ink cartridges, which means printing is instant.

Customisable
You can use the HP Sprocket app to customise your photos with emojis, borders and text, making each print out completely personal and a true representation of the moment the photo was taken.

Wireless
Connect the app to your Facebook account or connect the device to your phone via Bluetooth for easy, on the go print outs.  

Shop the full range of small printers available from Currys PC World

For a combination of speed and quality resolution, laser is where it’s at. Specifically, the Brother DCP9020CDW if you're after a small machine that can do it all.

What can it do?
With speeds of up to 18 pages a minute, it can breeze through large documents and heavy text. As with our top pick, this printer copies and scans, although it’s probably a bit too big to lug around. 

Wireless
You can wirelessly print from the cloud if connected to Wi-Fi and you have USB as backup.

Size
It’s easy to use thanks to its LCD touchscreen, and just the right size to place on a desk without taking up too much space.

Shop more small printers available from Ebuyer

When size dominates over all, the HP DeskJet 3720 is the smallest all-in-one printer going. There are some compromises to be made for that, including a slow print speed, double-sided printing is manual and users have reported that it can be a pain to set up. Aside from that, with an RRP of less than £50, you can’t really go wrong.

What can it do?
It can print, scan, and copy from virtually anywhere. You can print from the app and there’s the option of quiet mode so you can print in any room – even in the lounge while the other half watches their favourite box set. 

Find more small printers available at Argos

Printing your snaps on the go has been made easy thanks to the Polaroid Zip Mobile Photo Printer. 

What can it do?
Print photos onto photo paper whilst you're on the go with this hand-sized photo printer. While like the Sprocket, the resolution of the photos printed aren’t going to be anything to write home about, for a bit of fun while you’re out and about you can’t really go wrong.

Customisable
Peel the back off the paper and you can print out a batch of personalised stickers that you can plaster around your room or on your belongings. You can edit pictures using the Polaroid Zip app and easily print from your mobile devices via Bluetooth.

Find more mobile printers available fro Zavvi

How to buy the best small printer

While size is, inevitably, the most important factor on the checklist of those seeking the best small printer, there are a couple more features worth considering if you're determined to get value for money. These include:

Wireless connectivity
While you may assume that all printers produced, nowadays, come with wireless connectivity, this is a feature that certainly shouldn't be taken for granted. If you don't want to deal with the hassle of plugging in your phone, or laptop, every time you need to print, ensure you opt for a wireless solution.

Photocopying and scanning
Consider how you intend on using your printer and whether, on occasion, you may be required to scan and photocopy, too. 

More home office content:

• The best home printers
• The best colour printers
• How to design a home office