Best Shipping Label Printer [2024] Thermal for Small Business

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In business, you need the right equipment. You can’t open a coffee shop without an espresso machine – and you can’t flip items without a shipping label printer.

But you don’t want junk that’ll break right away or an inkjet printer that’ll cost a fortune. 

Did you know the price of ink has increased 34% in the past 10 years? 1 Hot dang! 

Note to self: Only Costco hot dogs stay the same price. Got it! I’ll invent a way to squish Costco hot dogs into printer ink! I’m gonna be soooooo rich.

The key is to buy a high-quality thermal printer for your shipping labels.

I’ll share the best shipping label printer, along with awesome alternatives. 

Best Shipping Label Printer

  • DYMO LabelWriter 5XL Label Printer – Best Value
  • Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer – Best Beginner-Friendly Option

Brother QL-1110NWB Label Printer

The Brother QL-1110NWB (I love the catchy name) is a wide-format label printer that can produce labels up to 4 inches wide – making it perfect for shipping labels. It’s also a high-speed machine that can print up to 69 shipping labels in a minute.

So you know how, with some printers, you can practically take a nap while the thing takes forever to print? That won’t be an issue here. That’s what makes the Brother QL-1110NWB the best shipping label printer.

📽️ Check out this video to see the best label printer for shipping, the Brother QL-1110NWB, in action:

The Brother QL-1110NWB also gives you several ways to connect the printer to your devices.

You can connect through:

  • Wireless
  • Bluetooth
  • Ethernet

That flexibility is another reason why the Brother QL-1110NWB is the best thermal printer for shipping labels. If one connection method isn’t working, you can move to another – without slowing down your business.

(New to the flipping game? Welcome! Read my article on what flips.)

And I’m not the only one who thinks the Brother QL-1110NWB is the best shipping label printer for small business owners. The product has 4.4 stars on Amazon, which means a lot of entrepreneurs seem to agree.

For such a high-quality machine (easily the best thermal label printer), the Brother QL-1110NWB is reasonably priced. Right now, it’s listed on the Brother website at $309.99. And on Amazon, you can sometimes get it for just $299.

But why is a thermal shipping label printer so important? 

You might be wondering, “Is it worth selling on eBay?” Well, it won’t be if you’re spending a gazillion dollars on ink! A thermal printer might seem a bit expensive, but since you won’t have to buy ink, it should save you money in the long run.

The Brother QL-1110NWB is the best thermal shipping label printer overall.
The Brother QL-1110NWB is hands-down the best shipping label printer for small business owners. And it looks like a robot head that can slice a ham.

ProsCons
Connects through wireless, ethernet, and BluetoothAuto crop function only available on Windows devices
High speed (up to 69 labels per minute)Pricier than other models
Graphics and text are crisp (300×300 DPI print resolution)Users report connectivity issues and “bugginess”
Auto crop function makes it easy to print from letter-size templates
Easy to change rolls

Check out the Brother QL-1110NWB here.

Looking to source generic products cheaply? Then, download the free Temu app if you haven’t already.

If you’re selling physical products, be sure to take advantage of how to make money on Facebook.

DYMO LabelWriter 5XL Label Printer

The DYMO LabelWriter 5XL might not be the absolute best shipping label printer, but it’s a close second. 

You could even claim it is the best thermal printer for shipping labels. Why? It’s a reliable machine that can print labels directly from e-commerce platforms like eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, and Poshmark.

📽️ Here’s a video of the DYMO LabelWriter 5XL doing its thing: Printing high-quality shipping labels! 

But why even worry about the DYMO LabelWriter 5XL if we’ve already established a different product (the Brother QL-1110NWB) is the best shipping label printer for small business owners? 

Well, you never know when a shipping label printer might crap out on you. And, as someone flipping products, a broken label printer can leave you totally screwed. That’s why my advice is to buy a backup. That’s what makes a budget option like this DYMO printer so appealing.

The DYMO LabelWriter 5XL prints 4”x 6” shipping labels for major mail carriers like UPS, DHL, FedEx, and USPS. And to connect it to your Windows or Mac computer, you can use either a USB cord or LAN connectivity.

Unfortunately, the DYMO LabelWriter 5XL only works with DYMO labels. That’s the kind of thing that really annoys people – but in this case, there’s a good reason for it. The printer reduces misprints and defects through its “Automatic Label Recognition” technology, which only works with DYMO labels. This should give you (according to DYMO) 65% less label waste.

The Automatic Label Recognition technology can also prevent jams. Nothing stresses you out like a printer jam, right? So a machine that doesn’t jam could save your money and your sanity!

Okay, so the DYMO LabelWriter 5XL is a contender for the best thermal printer for shipping labels – but how much does it cost?

The list price is technically $288.99, but you can expect to pay around $189 for the DYMO LabelWriter 5XL on Amazon. At Office Depot, it goes for $213.99.

So, the DYMO LabelWriter 5XL isn’t just a candidate for the best shipping label printer. It’s also an incredible deal! 

To learn about another incredible deal, check out my article on Redbubble’s print-on-demand service: Is Redbubble legit? 

The DYMO LabelWriter 5XL is the best value thermal shipping label printer.
The DYMO LabelWriter 5XL has special anti-jamming technology, which is why it makes the list of the best thermal label printers.

ProsCons
Contains anti-jamming and anti-waste technologyYou have to use DYMO-branded labels
Connects with PCs and MacsUsers often complain about the software being limited
Prints labels for UPS, DHL, FedEx, and USPSCannot connect via Bluetooth
Prints directly from eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, Poshmark, ShipStation, Stamps.com, USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, PayPal, Shipwire, Easyship, XPS, Easypost, Shippo, ShippingEasy, Ordoro, and Endicia 
Less expensive than similar printers

Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer

The Rollo Wireless option is probably the best thermal shipping label printer for beginners. 

It’s compatible with a variety of devices, including:

  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • Android
  • Mac
  • Windows
  • Chromebook
  • Linux
  • Nintendo 64 (just kidding, probably)

There’s also no need to install a special driver. So, if you want an option that’s basically plug-and-play, the Rollo Wireless is definitely the best shipping label printer.

Want another reason why this might be the best label printer for shipping, especially for beginners? It comes with a free pack of 500 4×6 shipping labels! 

For first-time users, getting the right labels for a certain printer can be a fiasco. We all know that sinking feeling when you go to insert a part into a machine and realize, “Noooo! It’s the wrong size!” Thanks to Rollo’s generosity, that won’t happen here. 

The Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer also gets incredible reviews. It has 5 stars on the Rollo website. “Sure,” you say, “on the Rollo website, they probably wrote those reviews themselves!” Well, how about this: The printer also gets 4.3 stars on Amazon. So, it’s pretty clear that, in general, people like the product.

It’s a great product (maybe the best shipping label printer, depending on who you talk to) – but how much does the Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer cost? 

You can expect to pay $260 to $280 for a brand-new printer, depending on where you shop. 

But there’s one more reason why the Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer is the best thermal shipping label printer for newbies. You can save money by getting a refurbished product! 

Rollo offers a used (but totally functional) wireless printer for $230 – which is $30 less than the new one. 

Making money as an online seller takes a lot of effort, but it’s doable. Buying the best label printer for shipping is an early step. Next, you can look for ways to market your business using the best email marketing software. 

The Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer is the best thermal shipping label printer for beginners.
The Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer comes with 500 free labels, and it’s the best shipping label printer for beginners.

ProsCons
Comes with 500 free labelsThere are fewer “bells and whistles”
You don’t need to install a special driverUsers commonly report reliability issues
Compatible with iPhones, iPads, Androids, Macs, Windows, Chromebooks, and Linux
Prints quickly (1 label per second)
Compatible with e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and Shopify 

📽️ Check out this video on how to set up your Rollo Wireless Label Printer: 

Flipping items is just one of my favorite ways how to make money fast. Check out:

Commonly Asked Questions About The Best Shipping Label Printer

What Printer Should I Use For Shipping Labels? / What Printer is Better For Labels?

Here are 3 products that are considered to be the best thermal shipping label printer:

What Is The Best Way To Print Shipping Labels?

The best way to print shipping labels is by using a thermal label printer. 

You can connect the printer right to your device, and you’ll save a lot of money by not having to buy ink. 

Try buying the Brother QL-1110NWB. It’s the best thermal label printer.

Selling and shipping items make my list of hobbies to make money and how to make money online for beginners.

Best Shipping Label Printer 

  • DYMO LabelWriter 5XL Label Printer – Best Value 
  • Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer – Best Beginner-Friendly Option

Best Shipping Label Printer For Small Business? 

  • DYMO LabelWriter 5XL Label Printer – Best Value for small business
  • Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer – Best Beginner-Friendly Option for small business

Best Shipping Label Printer For Shopify? 

  • DYMO LabelWriter 5XL Label Printer – Best Value for Shopify
  • Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer – Best Beginner-Friendly Option for Shopify

Not completely happy with Shopify? Check out my comparisons:

I also rundown other online sales funnels:

Best Shipping Label Printer For eBay?

  • DYMO LabelWriter 5XL Label Printer – Best Value for eBay
  • Rollo Wireless Thermal Label Printer – Best Beginner-Friendly Option for eBay

Related:

Sources:

1 – https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCU325910325910