Here's why a handheld portable scanner may be a wise addition to your work or home life.
Office work is no longer done exclusively in the office, and it's time to invest in take-anywhere solutions that let workers be productive wherever it works best for them. With 63% of high-growth companies adopting a "productivity anywhere" workforce model, the demand has never been greater for devices that are just as functional and flexible as the modern employees who use them.
Don't let stacks of paper documents make your hybrid work experience inefficient. Investing in a handheld portable scanner frees workers up to digitize documents on the spot, making them just as helpful for home office days as they are for work trips. Here's what you need to know about choosing a handheld portable document scanner, and why one may be the right choice to boost your productivity.
Need to brush up on portable scanning fundamentals? Check out our helpful guide, "Portable Scanners: What You Need to Know to Scan on the Go"
What to look for in a handheld portable document scanner
Handheld scanners come in a variety of form factors and price points. Before you invest in one, make sure you consider these key features that will significantly impact day-to-day performance.
- True wireless support: To get the most from a handheld document digitization device, you should look for a wireless portable scanner. Prioritize devices that can run off internal batteries for power and communicate with other devices or cloud services through Wi-Fi, rather than requiring inconvenient USB or power connections.
- Versatility: The best handheld portable scanner will be able to digitize a wide assortment of document types, from standard letter pages to business cards to photographs, justifying its space in your bag.
- Speed and quality: A smaller device such as a handheld portable scanner can still produce superior results in minimal time: aim for 300 dpi scans or better, ideally taking well under 10 seconds for each document.
5 benefits of opting for a wireless portable scanner
You probably already have some thoughts for how a handheld portable scanner could make your work easier. However, a few of the benefits may still surprise you. Here are some of the benefits you can look forward to when you find the right model for your needs.
Did You Know? For workers who travel frequently, a handheld portable scanner can be a great complement to a dedicated desktop scanner.
Scanning from more places
Without wires cluttering your workspace, you can spread out and get to work wherever it feels best. If your scanner supports direct uploads to cloud services, you don't even need to worry about syncing files up with a laptop — all you need is a Wi-Fi connection to get your paper documents digitized safely into the cloud.
No more packing paper documents
We're in the third decade of the third millennium, and it feels absurd to load down your travel bags with paper documents. But if you're traveling to make an important business deal or collect some key information, chances are you'll still end up with stacks of documents. Bringing along a handheld portable document scanner could mean significantly lighter bags at the end of the day, especially if you look for a model that weighs less than a pound.
Great for home office and personal use
Outfitting workers with multiple devices for home and office use is expensive and potentially wasteful, but a portable solution lets them take their one device with them wherever they go. Meanwhile, if you're planning on picking up a wireless portable scanner for your own use, you may find it's just as handy to have while working as it is in your off-hours; for instance, you could pack it along to your next family together and digitize old photo albums to share memories.
High quality at a lower price
Dedicated office scanners can cost thousands of dollars, a price justified by their purpose-built hardware and efficient output. However, if you only ever need to digitize a handful of documents in a given day, you don't need to spend anywhere near that price. An effective solution that will fit in your messenger bag may cost a fraction of the price you'd pay for a larger machine.
Rounds out existing scanner fleets
If you already have a number of scanners available to your organization but find employees are taking too long to travel to use them, adding a handheld portable scanner or two at key points could make the difference — especially if employees are empowered to check them out and use the scanners when and where they need them.
Did You Know? PCMagazine called the ScanSnap iX100 “an exceptional-value portable scanner" in its review. Click here to read the full article.
Our recommendation: ScanSnap iX100
We know you have no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a handheld portable document scanner. We pride ourselves on having spent the last 50+ years designing and developing some of the most beloved electronics in the world, including our line of award-winning, easy to use, one touch ScanSnap scanners.
The ScanSnap iX100 is a truly wireless device, with a rechargeable battery that supports up to 260 document scans on a full charge, and built-in Wi-Fi support for connecting to devices or cloud services. Its one-button operation makes it easy to scan a document at 300 dpi in just over 5 seconds, and it's just as easy to scan multiple in one batch thanks to continuous document feeding. Click here to learn more and shop the full line of ScanSnap scanners.