From Convenient to Mission Critical

When most people think of label makers—or label printers, labeling systems, barcode printers, or whatever each manufacturer calls its wares—those little handheld devices with small keyboards and one-line monochrome LCDs come to mind. Well, even though many of those are still available, at this point they are yesterday’s technology.

In fact, these days, there are many types and levels of label printers (in terms of price, label quality, and volume) available—from inexpensive and convenient consumer-grade models for labeling containers and other articles around home, to the mission-critical machines for printing shipping labels, warnings (Stop, Caution, Fragile, and so on), barcodes, product labels, and so much more.

Read the entire review at PCMag

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PROS
Relatively fast print speeds. Good output quality. PC, network, and mobile connectivity options. Top-drawer label design, print software, and mobile apps. Low running costs.

CONS
No charging gear in the box. Pricey.

BOTTOM LINE
The Brother RJ-2150 is a capable, if expensive, 2-inch portable label and receipt printer designed for heavy-duty, on-the-fly use.

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The Brother RuggedJet RJ-2150 ($995) is designed to churn out relatively high volumes of labels and receipts in mobile on-demand applications. It’s built to operate in environments—including warehouses, fulfillment desks, showrooms, and elsewhere—where dust, moisture, and other factors might damage more conventional label makers. It’s similar in many ways to its sibling, the RJ-2050. Choosing between them comes down to how many labels you plan on printing: The RJ-2150 can use a higher-capacity label roll, making it somewhat larger and $300 more expensive than the RJ-2050.

Read the entire review at PCMag

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The flagship model of Brother’s QL series of portable, pro-grade label printers, the QL-1110NWB ($279.99) is a step up from the Editors’ Choice QL-820NWB. These two label printers have very similar feature lists and capacities, except that the QL-1110NWB can print to wider labels (4 inches wide, versus 2.4 inches). However, the smaller version offers the option for an internal battery (making it truly portable) and a few other features missing on the QL-1110NWB—enough to keep this latest QL model from taking the place of the QL-820NWB as a PCMag top choice. That said, if your work routine calls for wider labels than the QL-820NWB can produce, the QL-1110NWB will serve as an excellent, networkable label printer for your home office, small office, or warehouse.

Read the entire review at PCMag

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[amazon_link asins=’B00EUN90SG’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’95883b47-09d4-11e8-b92a-4524e0042018′]At the lower end of Zebra Technologies’ somewhat extensive stable of label/barcode printers, the Zebra GK420d Direct Thermal Printer ($595) [amazon_link asins=’B00EUN90SG’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a0648968-09d4-11e8-a92d-1ba6c73ba849′] is small and relatively low-priced as industrial-strength label printers go. Though the GK420d is big and beefy, compared with the combination consumer-grade/small business professional label makers we’ve reviewed recently, such as the Editors’ Choice Brother QL-820NWB,[amazon_link asins=’B01MTYE0X6′ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b235d858-09d4-11e8-91e3-cdf636de9f00′] it’s more than capable of printing a wide range of label types from your team’s PCs, as well as some tablets and smartphones. It’s a great choice for mid-volume, industrial-strength labeling in near-limitless settings, from warehouses to medical facilities and beyond.Read the entire review at PCMag

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PROS

[amazon_link asins=’B0725W4BHR’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6f2c34f8-ed89-11e7-88a3-09106fa8372a’]xThe newest Dymo desktop label printer, the Dymo LabelWriter Wireless ($149.99) [amazon_link asins=’B0725W4BHR’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b189f43f-ed89-11e7-9aa1-e7ab7544f1ee’], is comparable in price and features to Brother’s QL-810W,[amazon_link asins=’B01MTWGMRR’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e5304db6-ed89-11e7-a1c4-b1421334aa32′] which itself is a step down from our Editors’ Choice, the QL-820NWB.[amazon_link asins=’B01MTYE0X6′ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’2143a3ae-ed8a-11e7-9fe6-8baeab147145′] The LabelWriter Wireless is much like the Brother QL-810W in that they both have adept label design and print software for PCs and mobile devices, and you can connect to either via Wi-Fi or USB. However, the Brother model is somewhat slicker in a few key ways: It comes with an automatic cutter, as well as support for an optional battery that makes the printer functional where power is unavailable. Even so, the LabelWriter Wireless is a highly capable, networkable label design and print system, making it a decent alternative to the Brother QL-810W as a home-based or small office labeling solution.

Read the entire review at PCMag

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• PROS

  Good print quality. Comprehensive, easy-to-use label design and print mobile app. Strong selection of label types in several color schemes, including fabric iron-on labels. Runs on AC or battery power. Good value for the price.

• CONS

  Cannot use with Windows or Mac PCs. Requires replaceable (rather than rechargeable) batteries.

• BOTTOM LINE

  With excellent design and comprehensive print software, the reasonably priced Brother P-touch Cube prints several sizes and colors of good-quality plastic (laminated) labels from your iOS or Android mobile device.

[amazon_link asins=’B071RSC7ZH’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c8af9af2-c3e8-11e7-882f-2db2d6b035f3′]Most professional- and consumer-grade label printers (such as our Editors’ Choice Brother QL-820NWB [amazon_link asins=’B01MTYE0X6′ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ed947d16-c3e8-11e7-b581-8b86718209bc’] and the Dymo MobileLabeler [amazon_link asins=’B01M9DNPYE’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ff736187-c3e8-11e7-90f0-6321223be119′], respectively) let you design and print labels from your computer and/or mobile device, but the Brother P-touch Cube ($59.99) [amazon_link asins=’B071RSC7ZH’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’0e6278a3-c3e9-11e7-98a2-a996e50c1665′] is the first one that we’ve reviewed that cannot be tethered to a PC or a Mac via a USB cable. In other words, its only mode of operation is connecting wirelessly to your iPhone, iPad, or Android mobile device. The good news is that the bundled Brother P-touch Design&Print app is simple to use, allowing you to produce a variety of good-looking plastic labels for your kitchen, garage, bedrooms, office, and schoolroom, making the P-touch Cube an easy top pick as an entry-level label printer for families, small workplaces, and classrooms.

Read the entire review at PCMag

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• PROS

  Fast output. Good print quality. Excellent label design, print software, and mobile apps. Prints two-color, black/red labels. Good selection of label types. Good value for the price.

• CONS

  Per-label media cost is somewhat high. Ability to print in red limited to one label type.

• BOTTOM LINE

  The prints several sizes of high-quality label types from your PC, Mac, or Android mobile device via USB, making it an excellent value for its relatively low price.

 [amazon_textlink asin=’B01N49R9KP’ text=’Brother QL-800′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’104ac4b1-c42c-11e7-b438-7773138e77cc’]Like its higher-end QL-810W [amazon_link asins=’B01MTWGMRR’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’32c0f1fe-c42c-11e7-ae61-151caa512527′] and QL-820NWB [amazon_link asins=’B01MTYE0X6′ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’46ec3691-c42c-11e7-af19-dbf9e130b603′] siblings, the Brother QL-800 ($99.99) is a reasonably fast label printer that churns out good-looking labels in several different types and sizes, ranging from small one-line barcodes, to address labels, and everything in between. It can print labels up to about 0.5 inch wide by 1 inch long to 2.4 inches wide by 36 inches long.

Read entire review at PCMag

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[amazon_link asins=’B01MTWGMRR’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ab855b47-c42f-11e7-bf11-ade532a3015b’]The Brother QL-810W ($149.99) [amazon_link asins=’B01MTWGMRR’ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c4eec9e2-c42f-11e7-a1a5-e9d1fca83d48′] label printer is a step down from the recent Editors’ Choice QL-820NWB.[amazon_link asins=’B01MTYE0X6′ template=’CopyOf-PriceLink’ store=’store-1′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d6d50178-c42f-11e7-a3d7-e7ef58f37cf8′] Although these two labelers essentially print the same types of labels at the same speeds over wireless networks or from mobile devices, what you give up feature-wise for the $50 list price difference between them is significant. With the QL-810W, for instance, you forgo a few different types of connectivity options, as well as the ability to use the label maker apart from a computing device. Overall, though, the Q-810W is a versatile and capable option, well worth considering for designing and printing many types of business labels via Wi-Fi, or from your team’s tablets and smartphones.

Read the entire review at PCMag

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