Editor
As more and more companies are branching out into selling things online, there are also legions of people who are selling crafts, old belongings and other items from home. Whether you’re selling through your company website, eBay, Amazon or Etsy, you need a way to package what you’re selling; many companies now offer packaging at very competitive prices. But what about all those delivery labels? Thermal label printing machines are a cost-effective and simple solution, able to produce all the labels you need with very little effort. We’ve looked across the market and evaluated lots of machines to find you the best thermal printer for shipping labels in 2022.
Product Comparison Table: Best Thermal Printer for Shipping Labels
| Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
 | Phomemo PM-246S Thermal Label Printer | $$ | 4.0 stars | Best for home | Amazon |
 | POLONO Pl60 Commercial Direct Label Printer | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best for eCommerce | Amazon |
 | iDPRT SP410 Thermal Shipping Label Printer | $$ | 4.5 stars | Best portable | Amazon |
 | Jiose J500-KTN Thermal Printer | $ | 4 stars | Best value | Amazon |
 | LOSRECAL Shipping Label Printer | $ | 4.5 stars | Best overall | Amazon |
Phomemo PM-246S Thermal Label Printer
When you need to print thousands of labels a day, having a thermal printer that supports high-speed printing can save you a lot of time. The Phomemo PM-246S commercial-grade direct thermal label printer can print up to 60 labels per minute (150mm/s), which is 3x more efficient than a traditional label printer. At the same time, the PM-246S small printer can also work continuously for up to 12 hours, while maintaining professional quality. With a resolution of 203dpi, it can produce crystal clear images and easy-to-read barcodes so it can widely be used in retail, logistics and warehouses. You can even use the free label software Labelife to customise and print barcode labels from your desktop.
Pros
- Fast printing (1 label per second)
- Free label making software
- High resolution for clear prints
- Easy to use
Cons
- Some difficulty installing on Macs
Verdict
The Phomemo PM-246S commercial-grade direct thermal label printer is our top pick for home use, handling the necessary tasks with ease. We can imagine somebody with a kitchen-table business getting excellent results with this model. The labels printed were clear and precise, with no streaks or runs. We did have some difficulty in installing and using the software on Apple Macs, however, so this could cause some problems if you prefer this operating system.
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POLONO Pl60 Commercial Direct Label Printer
The POLONO PI60 Commercial Direct Label Printer is great for handling very large amounts of labels – as you’d need to do if you were running an eCommerce business on a larger scale. This machine supports high-speed printing at 72 labels per minute, reducing unnecessary time wastage. With the intelligent paper return function, the printer can automatically catch and feed labels of widths ranging from 1.57” (40mm）to 4.65″ (118mm), suitable for shipping and warehouses. Labels made by this machine are also compatible with all major shipping and eCommerce platforms, including FedEx, USPS, DHL, Amazon, Etsy, eBay and Shopify. It’s durable too; the customized print head can stably print 160,000 standard labels. Direct thermal technology means all you need is thermal paper – no inks, toners or ribbons.
Pros
- Very fast printing speed
- Paper return function prevents jams
- Compatible with most eCommerce platforms
- Durable and long lasting
Cons
- Large and bulky
- More expensive than others
Verdict
The POLONO PI60 Commercial Direct Label Printer is our number one option for eCommerce. If you’re running an online shop, boutique or other sales business, this is the machine for you. The compatibility with all major platforms is a huge plus. Best of all, the durability and speed means you’ll be guaranteed a professional standard of efficiency and convenience. It is the most expensive on this list, however, making it a large investment for some smaller companies.
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iDPRT SP410 Thermal Shipping Label Printer
The iDPRT SP410 Thermal Shipping Label Printer is not designed just to sit on a desktop; small and compact, this machine has its adapter built-in to prevent the bulk and mess of external charging leads. This also saves you plugging it in and out, making it safer and easier to move. Despite its diminutive size, the iDPRT SP410 label printer has all the features of other larger models. Supported by 5.9inches/s (150mm/s) high-speed printing technology, it can print 72 sheets of 4×6 labels per minute, improving your working efficiency considerably. Working at a width of 2”(50mm) to 4.25”(108mm) and a length of 1”(25mm) to 11.81”(300mm), it is easily able to meet the needs of various platforms including UPS, USPS, eBay, Amazon and Shopify. It also has intelligent paper return, and automatic induction positioning to prevent misprints.
Pros
- Small and portable
- Fast printing speed
- Paper return and positioning technology
Cons
- Some darkness and clarity issues
Verdict
As the smallest thermal label printer we reviewed, the iDPRT SP410 Thermal Shipping Label Printer is perfect for small workspaces or working on the go. The fact it manages to keep a lot of features from a larger machine – plus special adaptations to make it more portable – is very commendable. However, we did have some issues with prints coming out light or less clear than those made by other printers we reviewed.
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Jiose J500-KTN Thermal Printer
Coming at the lowest price on this list, the Jiose J500-KTN Thermal Shipping Label Printer still produces the fastest speed at 86 labels per minute. It can consistently print up to 300,000 standard labels at 203dpi resolution. It also has automatic label identification technology; the printer will automatically catch the first label, detect the size, gap and characteristics of it, and position it at the tear-off line. This means no piece of label paper is wasted. Suitable for any thermal direct labels from 1.57″ – 4.25″ wide, it can print address labels, food labels, storage labels and more, and is compatible with practically all transportation and e-commerce platforms. Customer service is also available by contacting the Jiose team live chat, if you have any issues after purchase.
Pros
- Very fast printing speed
- Automatic label identification technology
- Customer service
Cons
- Not compatible with some operating systems
Verdict
The Jiose J500-KTN Thermal Shipping Label Printer is the best value thermal shipping label printer we could find. The technology, speed and reliability were on par with much more expensive models, meaning this is probably the best machine you can get on a budget. Yet we did have some issues with certain operating systems: although it’s compatible with Windows and Mac computers, it doesn’t support ChromeOS, Surface tablets or iPads.
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LOSRECAL Shipping Label Printer
The LOSRECAL Thermal Shipping Label Printer has a high printing speed of 152 mm/s, enough for 80 sheets of 4×6 labels per minute. Printing 300,000 labels without ink or toner, it is also totally silent, so it’ll keep your work efficient and undisturbed. It is compatible with all thermal shipping labels, as well as couriers including UPS, UPSP and more. Automatic label identification also features; it detects the size of label from 1.57” to 4.3” width, and adjusts its printing accordingly, meaning you can use it across multiple products and enterprises. Best of all, the LOSRECAL Label Printer comes with a unique U-disk for easy driver setup, taking as little as one minute to complete. If anything happens with your thermal printer, you can also ask for help via live chat, phone calls, or by sending an email to LORESCAL for free lifetime customer support. The machine is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux.
Pros
- Fast printing speed
- Automatic label identification
- Durable and long-lasting
- Linux compatibility
- Easy setup
- Customer service
Verdict
If you want a great all-rounder, this is the thermal label printer for you. The LOSRECAL Thermal Shipping Label Printer outperforms other models in a lot of our key areas: speed, customer service, longevity, label handling and compatibility. The Linux compatibility also definitely benefits small businesses particularly. This is our top pick for the best thermal printer for shipping labels in 2022.
