Our top 3, compared on the specs that matter.
Thex’s quick pickBrother P-touch Cube Plus PT-P710BT Label Printer. Best all-rounder. Best for shipping and mailing: the DYMO. Best for busy offices: the Brother PT-D610BT.
Brother
Label anything from your phone. It prints laminated tapes from 3.5 to 24 mm over Bluetooth or USB, so it handles shelves, cables, files and stock bins. The rechargeable battery makes it portable, and Brother gives a 3-year warranty.
DYMO
The desk workhorse for address, shipping and barcode labels. Direct thermal printing means no ink or toner, and it tells you which labels are loaded and how many are left. It needs a computer and only takes DYMO-branded label rolls.
Brother
Type labels straight on the keyboard, or send them from a phone or PC. At 30 mm/sec with an automatic cutter it is the fastest Brother here, and it takes the same 3.5 to 24 mm tapes. Plugs into the wall, so it stays on a desk.
Side by side
| Spec | #1 Brother | #2 DYMO | #3 Brother |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Best all-rounder | Best for shipping and mailing | Best for busy offices |
| Connects | Bluetooth, USB | USB to PC or Mac | Keyboard, Bluetooth, USB |
| Tape widths | 3.5 to 24 mm (TZe) | — | 3.5 to 24 mm (TZe) |
| Speed | 20 mm/sec | — | 30 mm/sec |
| Power | Rechargeable Li-ion | — | — |
| Warranty | 3 years | — | 3 years |
| Type | — | Direct thermal, no ink | — |
| Labels | — | DYMO LabelWriter rolls only | — |
| Extras | — | Shows labels left | Colour LCD, auto cutter |
| Buy | See today's price at Amazon | See today's price at Amazon | See today's price at Amazon |
The details
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Buying guide
Label printers fall into two types: tape printers for filing, cables and shelves, and thermal printers for shipping and address labels.
Tape printers like the Brother P-touch range print durable laminated labels from 3.5 to 24 mm wide.
Direct thermal printers like the DYMO LabelWriter 550 need no ink, which keeps running costs down for address and shipping labels.
Bluetooth models print from a phone app. A built-in keyboard, like the PT-D610BT's, lets you print without any device.
Each printer uses its own label type. Factor the ongoing label cost into your choice.
Our top pick is the Brother P-touch Cube Plus (PT-P710BT). It prints from your phone over Bluetooth or USB, takes 3.5 to 24 mm TZe tapes and has a 3-year warranty.
The DYMO LabelWriter 550. It is direct thermal, so it never needs ink, and it shows how many labels are left.
The Brother PT-D610BT. It has a keyboard, a colour LCD and an auto cutter, and prints at 30 mm/sec.
Tape and thermal label printers don't use ink cartridges. Tape printers use laminated tape cassettes; thermal printers use heat-sensitive labels.
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How we pick
Every spec comes from the maker or a major retailer, and each one shows where it came from and when.
Prices are checked and dated, and refreshed or removed when they go stale. Amazon shows today’s price on its own page.
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