Table of Contents
The best shipping label printer needs to match your needs and your planned uses – though this is easier said than done.
There are loads of options out there that simply don’t deliver what they promise. They constantly fall short of their claims or produce results that aren’t on par with your quality expectations.
I’ve taken the time to go through countless options and have brought them together for you.
I’ll review each of the top 10 printers in-depth – I want you to have a solid grasp and a good idea of what to look in a shipping label printer.
You’ll learn what to keep an eye out for, the important features that matter, and more.
We’ll take a look at what makes each printer unique and how it performs in the real-world. You’ll be able to set realistic expectations and be well-prepared.
We’ll also take a look at the things that I liked and didn’t like about each of the printers.
Bear in mind that there’s no perfect printer out there. There is always a give and take that needs to be weighed up and balanced against the competing units.
I’ve already done the legwork and searched for the models that represent this balance the best. You’ll learn about the shipping label printers that find the sweet spot between price, features, quality, longevity, real-world performance, and much more.
Let’s get into the guide!
Comparison of 10 Best Shipping Label Printer in 2023
Feel free to use this table as an outline and guide to jump to the printer you’re interested in. Here we’ll compare the key features of each printer to the others; so that you can see what stands out according to what you’re looking for!
| Image | Product Name | Features | Price |
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DYMO 1755120 Thermal Label Printer |
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Brother QL-1110NWB Shipping Label Printer |
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ROLLO Shipping Label Printer |
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Zebra GK420d Shipping Label Printing |
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Immuson Thermal Shipping Label Printer |
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Zebra GC420d Thermal Printer |
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MFLABEL Thermal Label Shipping Printer |
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Zebra ZD140 Thermal Label Printer |
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Phomemo Thermal Shipping Label Printer |
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Meihengtong Shipping Label Printer |
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Top 10 Best Shipping Label Printer
This section is where we’ll take a look at each of the shipping label printers. You’ll learn about their most important and unique features, their real-world performance, and what we did and didn’t like about each of them.
1 DYMO 1755120 Thermal Label Printer
- Preset Templates: Yes, 60+
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: Up to 129
- Label Size (W x L): 4” x 6”
- Compatible Software: Yes – DYMO
- Weight: 1.82lbs (825g)
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This is a thermal label printer that is designed for heavy-duty use. The labels put out can hold tons of information ranging from bar codes to shipping locations, dates, contents, and much more.
It’s a very capable handheld printer that’ll be able to put out up to 129 high capacity 4-line stickers per minute.
That’s some serious productivity. You’ll get through your workload in no time.
My favorite feature of this printer was that you have access to the DYMO software. You’ll be able to download it once you have the printer.
This software gives you access to more than 60 preset templates. Not only this, but you’ll also be able to use templates that have been optimized for the major shipping platforms (you know – the one named after the massive rainforest in South America).
It’s pretty lightweight too, coming in at well under 1 kilo. You’ll find this unit pleasant to hold and use for extended periods.
All these features come together to make this a top pick for the best thermal shipping label printer. It might even be the best shipping label printer for small businesses at this price!
- Top of the line productivity and speed
- Lightweight and feels comfortable in your hands
- Access to more than 60 preset themes that are optimized for the major online shipping platforms
- Battery life is decent enough to not have to pay attention to (though they are AA batteries)
- Not the easiest unit to start off with if this is your first time
- Customer support and compatible software usability are average at best
2 Brother QL-1110NWB Shipping Label Printer
- Preset Templates: Yes
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: Up to 69
- Label Size: Up to 4” wide
- Compatible Software: Windows only
- Weight: 3.9lbs(1.76kg)
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Here’s a reliable and cost-effective portable shipping label printer. You’ll be able to consistently and quickly print up to 69 labels per minute.
At this speed, you’ll still get decent DPI. This means that your labels won’t lose readability when you’re under pressure.
There’s an automatic built-in heavy-duty cutter that will leave you with clean looking and professional-grade labels – and save you loads of time.
Unfortunately, it’s only compatible with Windows and the compatible software has limited functionality. There are a couple of templates you can choose from, but it’s nothing special.
The one feature I particularly liked what the automatic barcode cropping. I didn’t have to worry about spending forever printing outlines of barcodes and then stamping them on. It’s all done automatically for you here.
When you consider all the time that this shipping label printer is going to save you, it’s a top contender for the best printer for shipping labels.
- Works fast, consistently and reliably
- The final result is a very clean cut and professional-looking label
- Great for business due to the cost and time savings
- Very easy to use for first-timers
- You’ll need to connect to a wireless network to use this printer
- The software and unit is only compatible with Windows
3 ROLLO Shipping Label Printer
- Preset Templates: Yes
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: 9m/minute
- Label Size: 1.57” to 4.1” wide
- Compatible Software: Yes
- Weight: 2.2lbs
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What immediately struck me with the printer is how everything is super-easy to use. The whole business model seems to be centered on you!
You’ll be able to print 9 meters of labels per minute. This is almost double that of the nearest competitor at this price point.
Not only this, but you can print up to 4.1” inches wide – with no height restriction. This isn’t very common to find and gives you versatile control over the results you’ll get.
On top of that, the printer is compatible with all the major label rolls on the market, including the free UPS rolls. You don’t need to buy into paying for overpriced paper rolls that competing manufacturers sell.
This level of attention to usability and customer focus is pleasant when so many of the competitors are heading in the opposite direction.
It’s compatible with both Windows and Mac (given that you’re using recent versions). The labels are also optimized and compatible with all the major shipping platforms and online shopping platforms.
Despite all of these features, this printer has remained very affordable! I expected the price to be much higher than I is.
Overall, this might possibly be the best label printer for shipping at this price.
- Excellent value for money
- Fast, reliable and consistent
- Compatible on all major platforms (and Windows and Mac)
- Compatible with most paper label rolls
- Instructions on the website for fixing aren’t clear and quite difficult to understand
- You might struggle to find the right density settings for the text
Also Read: Best Wireless Printers for Home
4 Zebra GK420d Shipping Label Printing
- Preset Templates: Limited
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: 7.5m/minute
- Label Size: 5” max
- Compatible Software: No
- Weight: 5.7lbs (2.6kg)
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Here’s a bigger shipping label printer if you aren’t too concerned too much about portability.
It’s relatively portable, but it’s better used set up somewhere – as opposed to carrying it around.
You’ll get good speed and savings from this printer with up to 7.5m being printed per minute.
It uses the thermal printing process, meaning that you aren’t going to need to bother with ink or lasers. It’s pretty durable and won’t need nearly as much upkeep as many ink printers.
It’s a lesser-known brand – though I found it to be relatively reliable. There were some issues here and there, but nothing serious or worth avoiding the printer over.
Setup is very quick and beginner-friendly, which is always a big plus for these units. This is especially true if you’re using it for business. Less complication = better productivity
You can go to the manufacturer’s website for a comprehensive set of guides, instructions, and manuals you can use. They’re quite easy to understand but could do with some refinement.
While it might not be the best thermal printer for shipping labels, it ticks all the boxes and performs on par with what you’d expect at this price.
- Prints fast and accurate – good for bulk shipping label printing
- Low maintenance requirement with a solid overall build
- Great for mid-volume manufacturers
- Comprehensive instruction and guides available
- Heavy and not designed to be portable
- A little pricey when compared with what some cheaper printers can do
5 Immuson Thermal Shipping Label Printer
- Preset Templates: Limited
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: 6m/minute
- Label Size: Up to 4.1” wide
- Compatible Software: Windows only
- Weight: 5lbs (2.2kg)
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There’s always space in a guide and review for a good performing budget option – this is it!
This thermal shipping label printing costs up to 3 times less than many competitors. Despite this, it still offers you close to the same performance as printers that cost more than double.
It pulls its weight and gives more expensive competitors a run for their money. If you’re looking for an affordable printer that’s capable of medium load printing and is fast enough to keep up with the needs of a small business – seriously consider this one!
While it doesn’t have the full spectrum of preset formats and layout, it’ll work with a windows desktop and put out labels that are compatible with many online shipping platforms.
It’s a little on the heavy side, though it wasn’t really designed to be carried around everywhere.
You’ll be able to keep it in the office without having to worry about the noise distraction. It’s surprisingly quiet.
Don’t worry about the quality of the labels you’ll be getting. Even when printing at the max speed of 6m per minute, the text stays sharp and highly readable.
You might have some minor issues with the cropping of the bar codes, but there are several workarounds for this.
All in all, I think it’s possibly the best affordable shipping label printer you’ll find with these features and this performance.
- Excellent value for money while still performing on par with much more expensive printers
- Good print resolution considering the speed and the price
- Runs really quietly – great for the office
- Can put out labels compatible with many international shipping platforms
- Bulky and might not have the most durable design – you’ll need to take care of it
- No labels are included in the original purchase
6 Zebra GC420d Thermal Printer
- Preset Templates: Limited
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: 6m/minute
- Label Size: Up to 4”
- Compatible Software: Yes
- Weight: 5.7lbs (2.6kg)
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This is more affordable than most of the printers we’ve covered in this guide, though I wouldn’t quite class it as a budget printer.
You’re getting a good mix of higher-end features such as speed and Windows/Mac compatibility along with some more budget features.
This helps to keep the price lower than you’d expect for a printer of this quality.
It’s really reliable, despite falling into the grey class of semi-budget printers where you can’t be sure how reliable it will be in the long run.
It’s not the easiest shipping label printer in the world to get started with. You’re better off having a little experience before diving into using this printer.
You’re able to connect with both Windows and Mac devices, making this quite a versatile choice for small offices and businesses.
You’ll be able to print up the standard requirements of the major shipping platforms. It’s a comfortable printer to use and will last you a long time.
I think it’s a smart investment if you’re willing to take a little risk and save quite a bit of money in the long run.
It’s definitely one of the better thermal shipping label printer models I’ve used in a while – especially considering the price.
- More affordable despite offering the same features and performance as more expensive label printers
- Reliable with a better-than-expected build quality
- Does well with printing barcodes and cropping them to save to some cash
- Compatible with both Mac and Windows and is a USPS shipping label printer
- It’s quite a noise and could get distracting inside a small office
- Takes more maintenance and care than competitors’ printers
7 MFLABEL Thermal Label Shipping Printer
- Preset Templates: Limited
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: 6m/minute
- Label Size: Up to 4.25”
- Compatible Software: Yes
- Weight: 5.2lbs (2.4kg)
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Here’s another very affordable option. I’ve included it to compete with the other budget option we looked at – a little competition always goes a long way!
This unit makes a couple of cuts to the number of preset templates you have access to. In my opinion, though, this isn’t always a bad thing. A lot of the templates that are offered by many of these printers are generally useless.
This printer cuts away the fluff to leave you with ones that are useful. There are a couple that I’d to see, but can live without.
When you consider the price you’re paying, this is more than fair enough.
This is not a wireless shipping label printer. I don’t think this is much of a big deal either as it’s not designed to be carried around. You’ll most likely set it up in the office.
It prints faster than almost all other printers at its price range and is relatively reliable.
I do have to say that I was impressed with the consistency of the print quality; I didn’t notice any issues at all.
- Consistent in terms of print quality and speed
- Value for money makes it a very tempting
- Good for printing for USPS, FedEx, and UPS
- Very easy for beginners without technical experience to set up and start using
- Doesn’t have the greatest long term durability
- Not compatible with Mac
You may love to read: Best Printers under $50 for Unbelievable Value
8 Zebra ZD140 Thermal Label Printer
- Preset Templates: Yes
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: 7.5m/minute
- Label Size: Max 5”
- Compatible Software: Yes
- Weight: 2.2lbs (1kg)
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Here’s a neat little shipping label printer that will fit nicely into small spaces. It’s ideal for use as a handheld printer to go around the shop with you.
It’s pretty versatile considering that you’ll be able to use for more than just label printing. You can also use it to print brochures and cards (but to a smaller maximum width).
This makes it a handy little printer to have around with you. Depending on your needs, you’ll also be able to print waterproof labels and cards with this printer.
It’s not beginner-friendly at all – it’s a challenge to get set upright. You’ll need some technical experience and know-how to manually install the right drivers.
The instructions on the website aren’t great either. I didn’t have much of an issue with this as I already know what I’m doing, though if you are a total beginner, I’d suggest you get a different printer.
The price is good considering the printing speed, build quality, and versatility you’re getting. There are many more expensive printers that don’t match up to the features of this one.
Overall, it’s a solid cheap shipping label printer that can give you what you need at a relatively low price.
- It prints out labels and other items pretty fast
- Small, compact and lightweight
- Compatible with Windows and Mac (at least Windows 10 is required)
- Versatile – can print other types such as cards, brochures, etc.
- Very hard to install – not beginner-friendly at all
- The price is a little high
9 Phomemo Thermal Shipping Label Printer
- Preset Templates: Limited
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: 7.5m/minute
- Label Size: Up to 4.72”
- Compatible Software: Yes
- Weight: 2.65lbs (1.2kg)
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This printer is designed for efficiency. It’s a top contender for the best shipping label printer for small businesses. On top of this, it’s also an excellent cheap shipping label printer.
My favorite feature was the automatic label detector. The printer will detect what label is being fed into it and automatically print it out.
The printer puts labels out faster than you’d expect while still making sure the quality is fantastic.
You’ll be able to print labels that comply with what you’ll need for shipping on all the major shipping platforms.
The adjustable paper guides give you control over your printing that few other printers can give you.
All this is done at a price that’s far lower than what you’d usually pay for this combination of features.
The unit itself doesn’t feel that solid, so I don’t know how well it’ll hold up in the long term. If you take care of it, clean it regularly, and use it fairly, you’ll get good longevity from it.
- Lightweight and clean design
- Prints faster than you’d expect and offers great value for money
- Compatible with major shipping platforms
- Can work continuously for more than 12 hours without a break
- Not easy to use for beginners and even a slight struggle for intermediate users
- The print quality could be better, especially when printing at max speed
10 Meihengtong Shipping Label Printer
- Preset Templates: Yes
- Thermal: Yes
- Labels per Minute: 7.5m/minute
- Label Size: Up to 4.25”
- Compatible Software: Yes
- Weight: 2.43lbs (1.1kg)
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If you want the absolute best value and attention to detail for the lowest possible price, then this shipping label printer might be right for you.
Just by features along, it should cost about 3 times more than it does! This is combined with excellent compatibility across several operating systems and versions of Windows.
The resolution is good enough to stay sharp and highly readable regardless of the speed you’re printing at. The print speed of 7.5m per minute is common with much more expensive printers – certainly not ones at this price point.
The unit is compact, lightweight, and mobile – this makes it perfect for use on large premises where there’s a big demand for labels.
It’s excellent for the long term as you’ll be able to manually replace the print head and other parts. This keeps maintenance costs low – even if you plan on using the label printer for years.
I think this is the best shipping label printer if you’re on a budget but don’t want to sacrifice too much on the quality.
- Excellent value for money
- Features that match much more expensive printers
- Compatible across all versions of Windows
- Clean build and easy to self-maintain
- Not very easy for beginners to get the hang of
- The quality of the print could be better
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Final Thoughts
You should be ready now to get the shipping label printer that meets your needs.
Don’t stress if the installation is a daunting task, it’ll take a little time and practice to get right. There are often instructions that come along with the printer.
Take the time you need to get familiar with how your printer works before putting it to work. Some printers are more beginner-friendly than others.
You have all the information you need to make the right choice.
Having the best shipping label printer will enhance the potential of your business and carry you safely through new opportunities!
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