Best Address Label Printer 2024: Top Picks for Shipping Labels

If you run an e-commerce or shipping business on any scale, investing in the best printer for shipping labels is highly recommended. Correctly printed address labels ensure that your package is correctly transported and processed at every stage of the journey, for easy delivery from you to your clientele. But as shipping labels vary and change from region to region, it can be difficult knowing which printers are suitable for you.

We’ve compiled a selection of address label printers for you to choose from, factoring in different price points and use cases. No matter the scale of shipping you need, these printers are certain to serve you well.

How We Picked the Best Address Label Printer

Printing shipping labels is fairly straightforward if you have the right printer. Whilst most shipping companies allow you to print rudimentary address labels on any standard laser printer, these will be printed on plain paper and are likely to be damaged in transit. For the best results, we recommend using thermal printers and specialist label paper – for more wear-resistant and easily-applied labels. As such, our choices today are an array of such printers, with us having assessed various factors contributing to their overall value such as print speed, print size and the ease of connectivity.

We settled on five products, across a range of budgets, that are all top address label printers. Whether you’re looking to level with Amazon or simply want an easier way to send your small business goods to customers, these shipping label printers are certain to help you out.

Taking our top spot today is the Dymo LabelWriter 5XL, the premium arm of what Dymo label printers are capable of. Portable yet capable, this unit is ideal for commercial-grade shipping requirements. We were somewhat underwhelmed by the previous model in our LabelWriter 4XL review, but the 5XL changes plenty to be worthy of consideration.

Able to print 4″ x 6″ shipping labels, the LabelWriter 5XL far exceeds the traditional needs of smaller label makers – but as such is perfect for address label printing. With a print resolution of 300 DPI, labels are easily legible and any barcodes or graphics are easy to point out. What’s more, you can even customize your labels to suit your needs via the printer’s companion software, meaning you have versatile options for your customers.

If we had to pick a flaw in the 5XL, it would have to be it’s bulk. Even as a portable unit, the 5XL lives up to the “XL” in its name. It’s a small issue to overcome, however, and we still recommend this as a top address label printer.

MUNBYN RW941

Specifications

• Printer Output: Monochrome
• Printer Type: Thermal
• Connectivity Technology: USB
• Duplex Printing: No

What We Think

Highly productive, the RW941 is a fast and versatile shipping label printer for businesses sending orders off in bulk.

Reasons to Buy

• Fast print speeds – at 150mm/s, the RW941 is a productivity powerhouse.
• Easy to use – with a simple and intuitive layout, this address label printer maximises ease-of-use.

Reasons to Avoid

• Poor driver software – many users struggle with the native software that comes with the RW941.

• Shop on Amazon

Easy to use yet fast to print, we’re big fans of the Munbyn RW941, a highly productive address label printer. Boasting incredible print speeds and a gamut of other useful features, this unit is well worth its lower investment than the 5XL.

Boasting a print speed of 150mm/s, the RW941 is able to churn out labels with impressive promptness. And with a maximum print size of 4″ x 6″, it matches the accommodating dimensions of the 5XL. Though thermal printers are prone to overheating, this unit packs an automated cooling system to prevent internal damages. Whilst the device itself is fairly rudimentary, the controls are easy to use and can be operated via USB connection to a PC.

Your choice of how you run the printer from there, however, can cause issues. Many find that the native printer driver that installs with the RW941 is cumbersome to operate, and much prefer the optional browser extension available for Google Chrome. The fact that even the problems have their own solutions highlights Munbyn’s product support, and we’re confident in endorsing this address label printer.

Zebra manufactures a diverse array of address label printers, but the ZD421 takes the spot as our favorite. At the median of price, speed, and quality; this compact unit is still immensely capable in all fields.

With a print speed of 8″/s, labels are ready in no time with the ZD421. Capable of a maximum print size of 5″ x 4.25″, the print size is only slightly smaller than the 5XL. The ZD421’s thermal printing technology makes for high-resolution prints at 203DPI – ideal for most conventional shipping labels. Coming with Zebra’s “Jet Set” label software, you have plenty of room to customize your products before printing. Would you believe us if we said this isn’t even the best address label printer?

Well, it isn’t. Despite costing more than other top address label printers on our list, it’s one of the lower-end offerings from Zebra. We think it matches price and quality perfectly, however, and are happy calling this fast address label printer one of the best on the market.

POLONO P31S

Specifications

• Printer Output: Monochrome
• Printer Type: Thermal
• Connectivity Technology: USB
• Duplex Printing: No

What We Think

Affordable and reliable, this budget address label printer is great for small to medium-sized businesses and sole traders.

Reasons to Buy

• Great value – often retailing under $100, this address printer is an easy investment.
• Highly automated – the Polono label printer still maintains a gamut of useful automated features despite a lower price.

Reasons to Avoid

• Poor print quality – despite having the same 203DPI print resolution as the RealWriter 941, the quality is noticeably poorer on the P31S.

• Shop on Amazon

For all the versatility of the above two choices at a budget-friendly price, consider the Polono P31S. Affordable yet versatile, this address label printer is well worth its low cost.

Despite it’s low price, this address label printer manages to retain a great many of the features we praised other printers on this list for. From automated label alignment and a fast 150mm/s print speed, productivity isn’t the issue with Polono’s print offering. Setup is quick and easy, involving a printer driver and a simple USB connection. This medley of great features coupled with a low cost makes for tremendous value.

That said, the final results are somewhat underwhelming. In spite of it rivaling the RealWriter 941 in print resolution, the overall quality on Polono’s model isn’t as impressive. But for affordable rapid-fire address label printing, there’s few options that offer better value.

When we reviewed the Munbyn RW401AP, we sung the praises of this address label printer’s quality and versatility. Rated for over 4,800 prints per hour, this wireless label printer is a great option for high-yield businesses.

The wireless functionality of this print unit can’t be understated: seamlessly connecting over WiFi – and once connected, the RW401AP remembers the network in question for easy reconnection. Prints are both high quality and high-speed, with a 4″ x 6″ print being complete in under 10 seconds at 300DPI. And with its compact design (though roll-feed and paper jutting from the top adds slightly to the heft), this unit is easy to move.

That said, the overall value of this wireless address label printer is lessened somewhat by the overall economies of scale for printing: bulk-printing labels leads to increased speeds and reduced quality, which is somewhat disappointing. It still earns its spot, however, as one of our top address label printers.

Features and Considerations

Looking at a different address label printer for your business? Here are some factors to consider beforehand:

Print Speed

Depending on your business needs, a fast print speed may not be an absolute essential – especially if it sacrifices quality to achieve it. Consider how rapidly and frequently you need prints, and factor that into your printer choice.

Print Quality

Unlike photos or art prints, you don’t necessarily need the best resolution possible for address labels. Most thermal printers only have an effective resolution of 300DPI, which is perfectly acceptable. So long as barcodes and text are legible, you don’t need microscopic precision.

Connectivity

Most thermal printers connect via a USB to a PC or laptop, allowing for easy importing of files to print. The few that offer WiFi connectivity are valuable alternatives, however: freeing you from needing close proximity to your printer. Factor in this ease-of-use to your purchase.

Longevity

Unlike other printer types, thermal printers eventually run dry and require an expensive printhead replacement – rather than replacing ink or toner. Check the longevity of your printer’s thermal printhead, as a cheap printer often means a cheap printhead.

FAQs

Verdict

Though it’s not the cheapest option on the market, the Dymo LabelWriter 5XL makes for stunning address label prints, and is easily one of the best address label printers for small to medium-sized businesses.

Need a more traditional print solution for your business? Check out our guide on the best office printers available today.