Best Barcode Scanners

The Inateck P6 Wireless barcode scanner tops this list for its excellent decoding abilities, reasonable price, practical design, and ease of use. Currently, it’s one of the most popular products for sale and is a perfect deal for anyone opening a small business or keeping track of a warehouse. Produced by the leading manufacturer in the field of large transmission ranges, the product can scan codes at just about any angle and will also detect not only common barcodes such as EAN, UPC, and Code128 but also less popular ones such as FedEX, Code 32, USPS and VIN, which gives it the upper hand over the competition. What also adds points to it, making it stand out from the peers, is the valid transmission area. Thanks to the PA wireless technology, the Inateck P6's transmission range reaches up to 60 meters, giving you up to 1800 sq.m. coverage area in total, which is fives times longer than the majority of similar scanners in its price range.

Transmission range aside, what distinguishes all Inateck's products is battery endurance. Fitted with a huge 2600mAh battery, along with the most advanced CPU low-energy consuming technology, the product will let you make up to 180,000 scans on a full charge. This totals a minimum one month use even if you use it daily at checkouts or in warehouses. What's more, the Inventory mode can store up to 5,000 car codes in the memory of the device, which is much more than any common barcode scanner.

Barcode scanners can be rather loud and awkward to hold in hand for a long time, making the job of shopkeepers real trouble if they need to be scanning codes all day long. However, this doesn't have to be that hard. With the Tera HW0005 Wireless 2D QR Barcode Scanner equipped with the unique "Tera Magic Diamond " Rapid Aiming System and a handy stand, you will be able to read barcodes at the lighting speed and do that without even holding it in hands. As for the sound, the Tera HW0005 supports vibration alerts, so in situations when any noise becomes detracting you can set it to produce signals in the form of mild vibrations.

When it comes to the power, the Tera HW0005 has a rather large 2000mAh built-in battery, which provides continuous operation time up to 20 hours on a full charge and lasts up to 60 days in a standby mode, which will be more than enough not only for small home business but pretty much any workplace. Furthermore, the unit can scan a whole lot of barcodes, including 1D and 2D QR codes, as well as scan codes from the computer screen and recognize 25 languages, more than most models at this price point.

On the note of compatibility, the scanner works well with Windows and Mac OS, supports most common office programs such as Word, Excel, Novell and QuickBooks, and can be used with pretty much any software. Add to this its more than reasonable price and it's easy to see why so many retailers and owners of businesses tend to choose the Tera HW0005.

For those who have just opened some business, equipping the place with all of the necessary stuff can cost quite a fortune, but this doesn’t mean that if you’re on a budget you should either skimp on something important or choose poor-quality equipment. Barcode scanners from WoneNice are inexpensive, but they can easily outrun many similar models in terms of functionality, durability, and speed. The WN3300 is one such example. Even though this model costs less than 20 bucks, it boasts a robust construction and comes in an anti-shock silicone cover that can withstand drops from up to nine feet, which is two times more than more expensive peers. In addition to that, it is able to handle just as many scans, processing up to 200 barcodes per second, which will add to the efficiency and save you money in the long run.

Speaking of compatibility, the WN3300 is able to decode most common 1D barcodes including Code11, Code39, Code93, Code32, Code128, Coda Bar, UPC-A, as well as UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, JAN.EAN/UPC and supports over 360 configuration options as well, letting you customize/delete/insert prefixes, suffixes and termination strings. Also, it can be used with any OS (Mac, Windows and Linux) and supports pretty much any software that you typically use with barcode scanner systems. So, despite it being a budget model, you get everything you need.

However, the WN3300 is not without flaws too. To specify, it doesn't have a WiFi module, which means you will need to wire it directly from your computer. While for many small businesses, this won't impose any problem at all, this can be a dealbreaker for those who have a lot of computer connectivity. That said, if your warehouse isn't too big and/or you don't have a lot of inventory to keep track of, this issue can be solved.

Before we go deep into details, let's outline from the beginning: the TaoTronics TT-BS003 doesn't read 2D barcode types, also, it'll struggle to read codes from glossy surfaces like computer/smartphone screens so if you need it for this kind of application, it will not suit you. Other than that, the device does its job beautifully.

First things first, this model is designed in compliance with the strictest standards and CE certification requirements. It is a CORH class 2 and FCC class B product, meaning its quality is beyond doubt. Also, it has an ergonomic design with a comfortable grip so you can use it for hours on end without experiencing any fatigue. The body of the scanner is made of high-strength plastic and has been tested by 1.5-meter drop which gives confidence it will not break if it somehow falls down to the ground.

Next, the TaoTronics TT-BS003 offers high compatibility. Given it's a plug-and-play model, installing it won't even need any software - simply plug it into the computer and it will start to work. The scanner seamlessly works with Windows, Mac, and even Linux, so there will be no connectivity issues. The other benefits of this model include the support of over twenty different keyboard country layout and more than 180 configuration options, allowing you to customize prefixes, suffices, and inserting/removing endings.

The standard set of features is included here as well, like an LED indicator and buzzer, so you can see when the device is in work and mute it if you want the device to work quietly.

Right off the bat, the Tera 5100 is not the perfect scanner. It doesn’t read all barcodes, limiting you only to 1D codes, and it might have issues with scanning codes on a computer screen (and most other glossy surfaces too), which can be inconvenient if your inventory is stored on the cloud or google docs. But other than that, this barcode scanner is an awesome device and definitely deserves the spot on this list.

First things first, we find it amazing that a device that costs a little more than 20 bucks has a wireless capability. The installation process takes no more than a minute and is very easy to complete. Just make sure the chosen language of the system is aligned with your computer's keyboard. When it comes to the decoding speed, the Tera 5100 surprises as well, reading up to 300 scans per second, which brings it on par with higher-tier models.

Another perk of the device is that it offers two working modes - instant upload/storage mode and continuous mode. The former allows scanning, storing and instantly uploading barcodes to a computer, laptop, tablet or whatever device you use, while the latter allows for hands-free handling saving you the need to press the trigger switch at all.

Yet, what we find especially great about it is that it offers several pairing modes including one-to-one mode and more-to-one-mode. This means that you can build a barcode scanner system and connect to the receiver a few of these devices, something you may want to do when your business expands.