Top pick
This printer creates film-like, credit-card-sized images that are vibrant and fun. It’s about the size of a small hard drive, so you can take it with you just about anywhere.
Buying Instax Mini film in twin packs helps you get the best price.
In our testing, prints from the Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3 had the most consistent image quality from one photo to the next, and its mobile app was easy to set up and use. And because the Mini Link 3 is one of the smallest and lightest printers we tested—measuring 3.5 by 4.9 by 1.5 inches (WDH) and weighing 7.4 ounces without film or 8.7 ounces with a new film pack—it’s easy to toss in a purse or backpack for hangouts or events.
The images we printed with the Instax Mini Link 3 were not the sharpest or the most color accurate among the printers we tested, but prints from each portable printer all had their own set of quirks. On the whole, the Mini Link 3’s prints exhibited pleasing contrast and film-like colors.
The cost of each 3.4-by-2.1-inch print (consisting of a 2.5-by-2-inch image area with a white border) works out to around 70¢ when you buy a twin-pack of Fujifilm Instax Mini Film; it isn’t the cheapest option, but it is less than half the price of Polaroid film.
Best for
This printer produces the same bold and beautiful look as the Mini Link, but on film that’s about twice the width. Though the printer itself is a tad larger, it’s still small enough to tote around.
Fujifilm’s twin-packs typically give you the best price on Instax Wide film.
The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide delivers the same film-like image quality as the Mini Link 3 does but in a slightly larger, horizontal format that more closely resembles classic Polaroids. If you like to shoot landscapes or group shots with friends, this is the instant printer for you.
The Link Wide prints 4.3-by-3.4-inch photographs with a 2.4-by-3.9-inch image area and a white border. Those images cost about 95¢ each in a twin-pack of Fujifilm Instax Wide Film.
The printer measures 5.6 by 5 by 1.3 inches (WDH) and weighs 14 ounces with film. It’s a bit larger than the Mini Link 3, but it’s still quite portable.
Best for
This printer produces larger, 4-by-6-inch images with surprisingly good color and sharpness for a portable printer.
Canon’s refill bundle has enough ink and paper for 108 prints.
The Canon Selphy CP1500 produced the largest, sharpest, most color-accurate prints of any portable photo printer we tested. It prints on 4-by-6-inch glossy paper, and unlike Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link 3 and Link Wide, it lets you print directly from an SD card or from a computer via USB in addition to Wi-Fi, using the Canon Print app (iOS and Android).
The printer measures 7.1 by 12 by 2.5 inches (WDH) with its paper tray and weighs 2.4 pounds, so it isn’t as portable as our other picks. But you can separate the paper tray (which adds 7 inches to the depth of the printer when attached), and Canon offers an optional, rechargeable battery, making the printer easier to tote.
Canon’s Selphy supply packs aren’t as widely available as Fujifilm’s Instax film, but they include enough ribbon and paper for 108 prints for about $31 at this writing or 29¢ each—40¢ less than prints from our top pick.
