Top 5 compared
The best label makers
Jars you can find in a hurry, chargers you can tell apart and files that stay in order.
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The top 5 at a glance
A label maker prints short sticky labels for storage bins, shelves, cords and the switches in the breaker box. Handheld ones fit a drawer and run on batteries; desk-style models have more fonts, frames and templates; and some also print from a phone app for fancier designs.
Every one here has a keyboard and a screen, so a label can be typed, checked and printed on the spot. Most take batteries that aren’t in the box, and many can also run from an AC adapter, sometimes sold separately. Laminated tape is the kind for damp and outdoor jobs; paper, plastic and sticker rolls suit the pantry, files and storage boxes.
What matters
- Half-inch tape for jars and cords; an inch for shelves and boxes.
- Tape refills that are easy to find, in the colors you want.
- An automatic cutter, if you print long runs of labels.
- A screen that’s easy to read, ideally backlit.
#1Brother P-touch PT-H110 Label Maker Bundle (4 tapes)
$50–$75
Brother’s laminated TZe tapes resist water, fading and peeling indoors or out, the kind of label to trust on a toolbox, the garage shelves or the cords behind a desk. This bundle adds three full 26.2 ft rolls to the sample tape, so there’s plenty to start with.
What owners say: It’s quick to pick up, owners say, with tape cartridges that click in easily and labels that come out clear and readable; one uses it to mark ink bottles. Battery life is the one point that divides them.
Heads up: It takes six AAA batteries, which aren’t in the box, so pick up a set of rechargeables with it.
A closer look: TZe tapes come in many colors as well as widths from 3.5 to 1/2 in (12mm), so the garage, the files and each child’s school supplies can each have a color of their own. Labels run to two lines, room for a name and a date on a storage bin, and a cable-labeling setting is made for marking cords.
- Water- and fade-resistant labels
- Prints up to 2 lines
- Cable-labeling setting
- Stores 15 labels
- 3 fonts and 250+ symbols
Best for: Cables, tools and outdoors
- How you type
- QWERTY keyboard
- Label width
- Up to 1/2 in (12mm)
- Power
- 6 × AAA, not included
- Labels
- Laminated TZe tape
- Labels in the box
- 4 TZe tapes, 1/2 in (12mm)
#2Brother P-touch PT-D210 Label Maker Bundle (4 tapes)
$30–$50
A wider, desk-style P-touch with a QWERTY keyboard and one-touch keys for fonts, frames and symbols, plus 27 ready-made templates for quick, good-looking labels. It takes the same laminated TZe tapes as the H110, and this bundle includes four of them.
What owners say: Owners call it painless to get going and say the labels come out crisp and clear every time, all over the house. The screen is the weak spot, hard to read for many, and there’s no AC adapter in the box.
A closer look: Start from one of the templates for file folders or storage bins and change the words, which is quicker than designing from scratch. Brother says its laminated TZe labels can go from the freezer to the microwave to the dishwasher, so leftovers containers and lunch boxes can be labeled too.
- 27 ready-made label templates
- One-touch font and symbol keys
- 14 fonts, 98 frames
- Labels survive freezer and dishwasher
Best for: Home and office labeling
- How you type
- QWERTY keyboard
- Label width
- Up to 1/2 in (12mm)
- Power
- 6 × AAA or adapter, not included
- Labels
- Laminated TZe tape
- Labels in the box
- 4 TZe tapes, 1/2 in (12mm)
#3DYMO LetraTag 100H Plus Label Maker
$30–$50
The classic handheld label maker: type on the ABC keys, check the label on the screen and print. A date stamp is handy for pantry jars and files, and the Plus pack adds a clear plastic tape to the paper one. DYMO started out in California in 1958, making handheld embossing label makers.
What owners say: Easy enough for children as well as adults, owners say, and its tapes cost less to replace than many. Print quality and label grip vary, and a few machines gave out within weeks.
A closer look: It runs on four AA batteries, not included, and switches itself off when left alone to save them. Clear plastic tape suits jars and canisters where a white label would look busy, while the paper tape is fine for files and boxes.
- Built-in date stamp
- Clear plastic tape included
- Thermal printing, no ink
- Switches off to save batteries
- Stores 9 labels
Best for: Date-stamping jars and folders
- How you type
- ABC keyboard
- Label width
- 1/2 in (12mm)
- Power
- 4 × AA, not included
- Labels
- LetraTag paper, plastic, fabric
- Labels in the box
- 2 LetraTag tapes
#4SUPVAN E11 Keyboard and Bluetooth Label Maker
$20–$30
Type a quick label on its own keyboard, or open the app for fancier ones with frames and icons: it does both. SUPVAN says a charge lasts up to a month.
What owners say: Owners like how many styles of label it turns out and having Bluetooth as well as the keys. The catches they mention: the print is on the small side, and some have had trouble charging it.
A closer look: The die-cut rolls come as ready-shaped 12 × 40mm labels, neat for jars and spice containers, while the continuous rolls print to whatever length the text needs, for files and cords. Charged over USB-C, it goes from the kitchen to the garage with no outlet to find.
- Ready-shaped or cut-to-length labels
- 30+ fonts and 660+ icons
- 50+ label frames
Best for: Keyboard or phone, both
- How you type
- Keyboard or phone app
- Label width
- Up to 15mm
- Power
- Rechargeable (USB-C)
- Labels
- Thermal label rolls
- Labels in the box
- 4 rolls
#5Brother P-touch PT-D610BT Connected Label Maker
$100–$150
Brother’s business P-touch prints on TZe tape up to 1 in (24mm) wide, about an inch, in up to seven lines, with an automatic cutter and a full-color backlit screen. Design on its keyboard, or send labels from a phone or computer over Bluetooth or USB.
What owners say: Coming from smaller label makers, owners see a real upgrade, with an app that makes designing easy and crisp labels at the full inch width. Bluetooth works smoothly for some and badly for others, and it’s bigger than a few expected.
A closer look: Use the computer software for long runs such as asset tags or shelf labels with barcodes, and the keyboard for one-off labels. The AC adapter in the box suits a desk, and six AA batteries, sold separately, free it to go around a stockroom.
- Automatic cutter
- Full-color backlit screen
- Prints up to seven lines
- Connects by Bluetooth or USB
- 175 label templates
Best for: Wide labels and business use
- How you type
- QWERTY keyboard or app
- Label width
- Up to 1 in (24mm)
- Power
- AC adapter (included) or 6 × AA
- Labels
- Laminated TZe tape
- Labels in the box
- 1 in (24mm) TZe sample tape
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Brother PT-H110 | #2Brother PT-D210 | #3DYMO LetraTag 100H | #4SUPVAN E11 | #5Brother PT-D610BT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Widest labels | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Price | $50–$75 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 | $100–$150 |
| How you type | QWERTY keyboard | QWERTY keyboard | ABC keyboard | Keyboard or phone app | QWERTY keyboard or app |
| Label width | Up to 1/2 in (12mm) | Up to 1/2 in (12mm) | 1/2 in (12mm) | Up to 15mm | Up to 1 in (24mm) |
| Power | 6 × AAA, not included | 6 × AAA or adapter, not included | 4 × AA, not included | Rechargeable (USB-C) | AC adapter (included) or 6 × AA |
| Labels | Laminated TZe tape | Laminated TZe tape | LetraTag paper, plastic, fabric | Thermal label rolls | Laminated TZe tape |
| Labels in the box | 4 TZe tapes, 1/2 in (12mm) | 4 TZe tapes, 1/2 in (12mm) | 2 LetraTag tapes | 4 rolls | 1 in (24mm) TZe sample tape |
| Best for | Cables, tools and outdoors | Home and office labeling | Date-stamping jars and folders | Keyboard or phone, both | Wide labels and business use |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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