TL;DR
Canon PIXMA TR160 ($219.99, 4.3★/604) is the best portable printer for business travelers — carry-on sized, 5-min setup, cloud-free, 50-sheet tray.
- Phomemo M832D ($139.99, 4.2★/640): inkless thermal, mono, 2600mAh battery, ~2 lb.
- HP OfficeJet 250 ($278.89, 4.1★/305): all-in-one with scan+copy+print, built-in battery, heaviest at ~6.6 lb.
Quick Verdict
The Canon PIXMA TR160 passes Theo’s three-test rule — it slides into a carry-on laptop sleeve, it prints the first page in under 5 minutes, and it connects via Wi-Fi Direct with zero cloud accounts or app registrations.
50-sheet paper tray — the category’s only portable inkjet with a standard tray at this size. Most thermal printers feed one sheet at a time
Wi-Fi Direct + Bluetooth + USB-C — no hotel Wi-Fi login, no HP ePrint account, no cloud dependency. Theo’s rule: if it needs a sign-up, it does not go in the bag
$219.99 — mid-range for a name-brand color inkjet; $59 less than the HP OfficeJet 250 Renewed, $80 more than the Inkless Phomemo M832D
$50-80 extra for the LK-72 battery — the honest trade-off. AC power covers every hotel desk scenario; the battery makes it field-ready for coffee shops and parking lots
4.3★ from 604 reviews — solid volume for a 2025-release printer. Not the category’s most-reviewed (Phomemo M832D at 640) but the best combo of capability and portability
Canon PIXMA TR160 Wireless Portable Printer, 50-Sheet Paper Tray and 1.44" Display
Who Should Buy This?
This pick is for business travelers who print contracts, shipping labels, boarding passes, or client handouts from a hotel room or client site without hunting for a FedEx or a hotel business center.
Theo’s rule: anything that takes more than 5 minutes to set up gets left at home after trip one. The TR160 hits the hotel desk, connects via Wi-Fi Direct (no router), loads a 15-sheet stack into the tray, and prints in under 5 minutes from power-on. No app install, no account setup, no IT support ticket.
Skip this roundup if: you print less than once a month (use a print shop), you need automatic duplex printing (the TR160 is manual flip only), or you want zero consumable cost (go thermal with the Phomemo M832D at $139.99).
What Makes It Stand Out
50-sheet paper tray at a ream-of-paper footprint — the Can measures roughly 12" x 7" x 2", about the size of a ream of paper, and holds 50 sheets of 8.5x11 letter. Most portable printers use single-sheet feeds that require you to stand there feeding pages. This loads the full batch and walks away
Wi-Fi Direct + Bluetooth + USB-C — zero cloud accounts required — the TR160 connects directly to a laptop or phone without a hotel router, a corporate VPN, or a cloud account. Unlike HP’s ePrint system (which needs an HP account), Canon’s Wi-Fi Direct is a peer-to-peer connection. Lorrie L. (5-star): “Bluetooth via computer or phone makes print tasks quick and easy”
Full 8.5x11 letter in color — prints standard US letter documents with color inkjet output on real paper. The thermal alternative (Phomemo M832D) is mono-only on thinner paper that reviewers describe as having a “different feel than inkjet.” The TR160 produces documents that look office-ready
12" x 7" x 2", fits a carry-on sleeve — slides next to a 14-inch laptop in the laptop compartment of a standard carry-on. Not the lightest option at roughly 4.6 lb, but the trade-off is a 50-sheet tray and color inkjet output that no thermal printer at 2 lb can match
Canon PIXMA iP110 cartridge compatibility — existing iP110 users keep their ink stock without waste. Heather S. (4-star): “Replaces my Canon PIXMA iP110 when it died. Same cartridges, saved a ton of ink”
LK-72 battery makes it truly wireless — add $50-80 for the optional battery. Robert R. (5-star): “Battery makes it field-ready.” Without it, AC-only — fine for hotel desks, limiting for field work. Industry trade-off: the Phomemo M832D includes a 2600mAh battery built-in, but the Can keeps the printer lighter for travelers who never leave the desk
👍 Pros
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👎 Cons
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How It Compares to the Portable Printer Field
The portable printer industry spans $39-$519, 1-6 lb weight, and two print technologies. Inkjet (Canon, HP) delivers color on standard 8.5x11 paper with $30-50 cartridge pairs. Thermal (Phomemo) is mono-only on thinner paper but with zero consumable cost beyond $15-30/year in paper rolls. Average rating across the category: 4.2★ at 200-640 reviews.
Three industry problems that affect every portable printer buyer:
Battery strategy is fragmented — the Can sells the LK-72 battery separately ($50-80). The Phomemo M832D includes a 2600mAh battery rated at 150-200 pages per charge. The HP OfficeJet 250 includes a battery, but Renewed units can ship with degraded cells. There is no category standard, and the choice adds $0-80 to the effective price
Ink availability varies by region — Eduardo E. (4-star, Mexico) on the Can: “hard to get cartridges locally.” Phomemo’s thermal paper ships globally on Amazon, but the paper is thinner than standard and the tear-off edge looks “dog-chewed” per Chris (3-star 2026)
Paper output is an afterthought on most models — the HP OfficeJet 250 has no paper output tray. T. Williams (4-star 2025): “printed pages fall on floor if unattended.” The Can’s top-exit tray catches pages behind the paper feed, but the TR160 also lacks a proper output tray
The Canon TR160 sits at the practical center of these trade-offs: color inkjet on real letter paper with a 50-sheet tray that loads a full job, connectivity that works without a cloud account, and a footprint that fits next to any hotel desk lamp.
My Experience
Hotel desk setup — under 5 minutes
The habit: I land, check in, open the carry-on on the hotel desk, and slide the Canon TR160 out of the laptop sleeve. One AC cable to the wall, power on, Wi-Fi Direct to the laptop (no hotel Wi-Fi login needed), load 15 sheets into the tray, and hit print. First page out at the 4-minute mark.
Nikki N. (5-star): “Love how I can use it at home or take it with me traveling. Saves me time and money vs finding a print shop.” That is the whole value proposition in one sentence — a FedEx is 15 minutes and $0.50-1.00 per page away. The TR160 sits on the desk, costs about $0.10 per page in ink, and the setup is done before the hotel elevator arrives.
The 50-sheet tray is the key enabler. Most portable printers feed one sheet at a time — you stand there feeding pages like a human auto-feeder. The TR160 loads the full stack. For a 20-page contract batch, that is the difference between a 3-minute workflow and a tedious 10-minute babysitting session.
Honestly, I was skeptical the first time I unpacked it in a Dallas hotel room. Portable printers have a reputation for being slow, finicky, or both. But the TR160 connected on the first Wi-Fi Direct attempt — no router cycling, no “printer not found” dance. Lorrie L.’s review (5-star) calls it “sleek design, no larger than a ream of paper” and that is exactly right. It does not look out of place on a hotel desk.
Pre-trip print sprint
The habit: the night before a trip, I collect everything — boarding pass, hotel confirmation, rental car voucher, client presentation handouts, a shipping label for a return package. Fifteen sheets total. The TR160 sits on the kitchen counter, I load the tray, print the stack in under 90 seconds, and slide the folio into the bag.
The battery catch surfaces here. Robert R. (5-star): “Great mobile printer — does NOT come with LK-72 battery, bought separately.” The TR160 ships with a power cord only. On a hotel desk with an outlet nearby, AC power is fine. But trip three, I needed to print a shipping label from a FedEx parking lot. No outlet in sight. I drove back to the hotel, plugged in, printed, drove back. That is when I bought the LK-72 battery ($60 on Amazon that day).
At $219.99 plus $60 for the battery, the effective price hits $279.99 — the same as the HP OfficeJet 250 Renewed. The difference: the Canon does not need a cloud account or a finicky app, and the battery is a one-time purchase that lasts 2-3 years.
Why I skip the two-printer setup
The portable printer roundup naturally splits into inkjet versus thermal. The Phomemo M832D at $139.99 is cheaper, lighter at roughly 2 lb, and inkless — $15-30/year in thermal paper rolls versus $60-120/year in Canon ink. I considered carrying both: the Phomemo for quick mono docs, the Canon for client-facing color.
But two devices means two chargers, two paper types, two bag slots. For a carry-on-only traveler, the Canon TR160 is the single-device answer. One cartridge pair ($30-50) lasts 4-6 months of moderate travel printing. The print quality on 8.5x11 letter paper is office-ready — real weight, real color, real size.
The Phomemo’s thermal paper feels different. Mr. Wolf (5-star) notes it is “thinner than standard.” For a parking receipt, fine. For a client presentation, the Canon output wins.
The taste call: if your travel printing is mostly warehouse labels and packing slips, the Phomemo M832D at $139.99 saves $80 up front and $45-90/year in ink. If you print client-facing documents in color on standard paper, the Canon TR160 is the one device that replaces both a thermal printer and a print shop run.
Price & Value
At $219.99 the Canon TR160 sits in the middle of the portable printer price range. Here is how the costs break down:
$219.99 vs industry $39-$519 — mid-range for a name-brand color inkjet with a 50-sheet tray, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, and USB-C. The cheapest thermal printers start at $39 but are mono-only on non-standard paper
$50-80 extra for LK-72 battery — without it the TR160 is AC-only, which covers 90% of hotel desk use cases. With it, the TR160 is truly wireless for coffee shops and lobbies
Ink: $60-120/year — one Canon cartridge pair ($30-50) every 4-6 months for moderate business travel use. Compare to $15-30/year for Phomemo M832D thermal paper rolls
vs Phomemo M832D at $139.99 — $80 cheaper, inkless, roughly 2 lb lighter, but mono-only on thermal paper. A strong second device, not a replacement for color document printing
vs HP OfficeJet 250 Renewed at $278.89 — $59 more for scan + copy + print and a built-in battery, but it is Renewed (4.1★, 305 reviews) and the HP Smart app dependency conflicts with Theo’s no-cloud rule
Alternatives Worth Considering
Best Inkless — Phomemo M832D ($139.99, 4.2★, 640 reviews)
The Phomemo M832D is the thermal alternative to the Canon inkjet. At $139.99 with 640 reviews it matches the Canon’s review count and undercuts it by $80. The trade-off is mono-only output on thinner paper that cannot match inkjet feel.
Pros:
- Inkless thermal — zero cartridge cost. Only consumable is paper rolls at $15-30/year
- 2600mAh battery built-in (150-200 pages per charge) — no separate battery to buy, no extra cost
- 2.01" touchscreen shows battery level and connection status without opening an app
- ~2 lb with carry case included — lighter than the Canon TR160 by roughly 2.6 lb
- 640 reviews at 4.2★ — the roundup’s most-reviewed portable printer by count
Cons:
- Mono-only — no color printing. Thermal technology limitation, not a design choice
- Paper tears unevenly — Chris (3-star 2026): “never cuts evenly, looks like a dog chewed the bottom”
- Bluetooth connects to phone or tablet only — USB-C cable required for PC or laptop
- Thermal paper is thinner than standard inkjet paper — Mr. Wolf (5-star): “different feel than inkjet”
- 150-200 pages per charge — less run time than the Canon’s unlimited AC-powered printing
Verdict: Best for travelers who print mono documents exclusively and want the lowest long-term consumable cost. Skip if you need color, standard paper feel, or client-facing output quality.
Best All-in-One — HP OfficeJet 250 Renewed ($278.89, 4.1★, 305 reviews)
The HP OfficeJet 250 adds scan and copy to portable printing. At $278.89 Renewed with 4.1★ from 305 reviews, it is the roundup’s most expensive and lowest-rated pick — but the only one with a flatbed scanner on the road.
Pros:
- All-in-one: scan, copy, and print from a single device — the only pick with a flatbed scanner
- Built-in battery included — no separate purchase needed, unlike the Canon TR160
- 2.65" color touchscreen display
- HP ePrint for cloud printing from anywhere with an internet connection
- Wireless setup works with phones, tablets, and computers
Cons:
$278.89 Renewed — most expensive, lowest-rated (4.1★, 305 reviews), and a refurbished unit
HP Smart app installation can lock up — Frank (3-star, 14 helpful 2019): “locked up iMac, MacBook Pro, iPad. Workaround: add via Apple Settings”
No paper output tray — T. Williams (4-star 2025): “printed pages fall on floor if unattended”
Renewed battery can be defective out of box — California Rose (1-star 2025, 7 helpful): “‘Battery is defective, replace battery’ on a Renew4Me refurb”
HP ePrint requires a cloud account — violates Theo’s no-cloud rule. A router and an HP login are both needed
Verdict: Best for travelers who need to scan contracts and make copies on the road and are willing to accept the weight (roughly 6.6 lb), Renewed quality risk, and HP cloud dependency. Skip if you only need to print — the Canon TR160 does it for $59 less with no app lock-in.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Canon PIXMA TR160 | Phomemo M832D | HP OfficeJet 250 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $219.99 | $139.99 | $278.89 |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Print Technology | Inkjet (color) | Thermal (mono) | Inkjet (color) |
| Battery | Optional LK-72 ($50-80) | Built-in 2600mAh | Built-in (Renewed) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi Direct | Bluetooth + USB-C | HP ePrint (cloud) |
| Best For | Hotel desk color | Mono docs, low cost | Scan + copy on road |
FAQ
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The questions that come up most when readers are shopping this list
Does the Canon TR160 work without Wi-Fi?
Yes. Bluetooth or USB-C works without Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi Direct connects printer directly to your laptop.
Is the LK-72 battery included with the TR160?
No. Sold separately at $50-80. Ships with AC power cord for corded hotel desk use only.
Can the Phomemo M832D print on standard letter paper?
Thermal rolls only. Standard 8.5x11 paper needs the Canon TR160 inkjet printer instead.
How reliable is the HP OfficeJet 250 Renewed battery?
Varies by unit. One 1-star review reports out-of-box battery defect on Renewed models.
What is the yearly ink cost for the Canon TR160?
$60-120/year. One cartridge pair ($30-50) lasts 4-6 months for moderate business travel use.
Can the Phomemo M832D connect to a laptop via Bluetooth?
Phone or tablet via Bluetooth only. PC connection needs the USB-C cable in the box.
The Bottom Line
The Canon PIXMA TR160 at $219.99 with 4.3★ from 604 reviews is the first portable printer in six years of carry-on-only travel that passes Theo’s three-test rule cleanly — it fits in a laptop sleeve, prints in under 5 minutes from power-on, and connects via Wi-Fi Direct with zero cloud accounts.
The 50-sheet tray is the difference between a 3-minute print workflow and a hunt for a FedEx. The Phomemo M832D at $139.99 is the inkless backup for mono printing. The HP OfficeJet 250 at $278.89 adds scan-and-copy for travelers who need a mobile office, not just a mobile printer. The TR160 is the one that replaces the hotel business center — a time saving that matters when your next meeting is in 20 minutes.
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