The Canon PIXMA TR150 is a compact inkjet model that's designed to be travel-friendly. It's very small and extremely light, so it should fit into a travel bag easily. It comes with a rechargeable battery so that you can print even when there's no power outlet near you. It has good photo printing quality, and its cost-per-print is very good, especially for color and photo printing. Unfortunately, its page yield for black-only text documents is low, so you may find yourself replacing the black cartridge often. It doesn't have a flatbed scanner or a sheetfed scanner, so you can only use it to print.
Our Verdict
The Canon PIXMA TR150 is mediocre for family use. It lacks a scanner, and it doesn't yield many black or color pages; however, its cost-per-print is very good, especially for color and photo printing. It produces photos with a good amount of detail, with well-defined and somewhat accurate-looking colors.
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Good photo printing quality.
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Passable color accuracy.
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Low cost-per-print.
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Doesn't automatically print double-sided sheets.
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Very slow printing speed.
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No scanner.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 is bad for a small or home office. It's very slow at printing documents, and it has a low page yield for both black and color documents. It also doesn't have a scanner, which isn't ideal for offices.
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Passable color accuracy.
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Low cost-per-print.
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Doesn't automatically print double-sided sheets.
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Very slow printing speed.
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No scanner.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 is alright for students. While it has a low page yield, its cost-per-print for black documents is decent, and it's much better for color prints. You can print via Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi direct, and you can print several different file types from the mobile app. Unfortunately, it doesn't support Bluetooth printing, and it doesn't have a scanner.
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Good photo printing quality.
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Passable color accuracy.
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Low cost-per-print.
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Doesn't automatically print double-sided sheets.
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Very slow printing speed.
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No scanner.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 is bad for black and white printing. While the cost-per-print for black-only text documents is decent, it isn't recommended because it has slow printing speed, a terrible black page yield, and it lacks a scanner.
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Low cost-per-print.
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Doesn't automatically print double-sided sheets.
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Very slow printing speed.
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No scanner.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 is good for casual photos. This fairly well-built model produces good-looking photos with well-defined and somewhat accurate-looking colors. Also, its cost-per-print is low, especially for photos. While it can print 4" x 6" and 5" x 7" sizes, it can't print 2" x 3" photos.
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Good photo printing quality.
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Passable color accuracy.
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Low cost-per-print.
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Very slow printing speed.
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Can't print 2" x 3" photos.
- 6.1 Family
- 4.2 Small/Home Office
- 6.5 Student
- 5.2 Black & White
- 7.1 Photo
- Updated Jul 26, 2024: Added mention of the HP OfficeJet 200 as an alternative with faster printing speeds in the Printing Speed section.
- Updated Jul 15, 2024: Added mention of the Epson WorkForce WF-110 as an alternative that prints better documents in the Document Sample section.
- Updated Jun 30, 2022: We updated this printer to the new test bench, so we adjusted the review's text to match the new Color Accuracy score.
- Updated May 17, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated May 04, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Apr 28, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Apr 20, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Apr 20, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Apr 18, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
- Updated Apr 16, 2021: The product has won our suggestion poll, so we'll buy and test it soon.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Canon PIXMA TR150 is only available in black and has no variants. You can see our unit's label here.
Compared To Other Printers
The Canon PIXMA TR150 is designed to be travel-friendly, so it's very compact. Unlike some other compact printers, like the HP OfficeJet 250 or the HP DeskJet 3755, it doesn't have a sheetfed scanner. However, it has a much lower cost-per-print for photos than other printers in its price range.
For other options, check out our recommendations for the best cheap printers, the best wireless printers, and the best all-in-one printers.
The HP OfficeJet 250 and the Canon PIXMA TR150 are both inkjet printers with batteries. The HP may be a better choice if scanning is a big part of your tasks since it has an automatic document feeder. It prints faster and supports printing off a USB thumb drive. On the other hand, the Canon may be a better choice if you only need to print since it yields slightly more pages and its cartridges cost much less, which results in a much lower cost-per-print. Also, it can automatically print double-sided, which the HP can't.
The HP OfficeJet 200 and the Canon PIXMA TR150 are comparable printers. They're both print-only portable printers with comparable page yields, build quality, and connectivity options. The difference comes down to the use case. The HP offers superior document printing quality, so it's the better choice if you're mostly printing contracts or receipts out on the road. By contrast, the Canon offers better color accuracy and prints nicer-looking photos, although they aren't color-accurate enough for professional use. So, if you want to print photos while on a family road trip, the Canon is the better option.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 and the Epson Expressions ET-2750 are inkjet printers designed for different uses. The Epson is a family printer that isn't meant to be portable like the Canon is. The Epson uses a supertank that yields a much higher number of pages, resulting in a significantly lower cost-per-print than the Canon. Because the Canon is designed to be travel-friendly, it lacks the flatbed scanner that the Epson has, but it takes up much less space, and it comes with a battery so you can print even without an outlet nearby.
The Canon PIXMA iX6820 and the Canon PIXMA TR150 are both inkjet printers with no scanners. Because of its very compact size, the TR150 is ideal for people who need to print documents while traveling. It comes with a battery so you can print even when a power outlet isn't nearby, and it supports printing via several different wireless methods. On the other hand, the iX6820 is larger but yields significantly more pages, resulting in a lower cost-per-print for black and color documents. However, the cost of photo printing is slightly higher than on the TR150.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 is a better portable printer overall than the Epson WorkForce WF-110. Its build quality is much sturdier, its battery last three times as long at 330 prints, and it has more connectivity options including using a USB cable to print from the computer. Print quality is similar overall.
The Brother MFC-J995DW and the Canon PIXMA TR150 are both inkjet printers but are designed for different purposes. The Canon is designed to be travel-friendly, so it's very compact and comes with a rechargeable battery. Because of its slim size, it lacks the flatbed scanner and automatic document feeder that the Brother has. On the other hand, the Brother is an all-in-one model that's great for a lot of printing since it has a high page yield and a very low cost-per-print. It also prints much faster than the Canon, and its photo printing quality is much better, making it a better choice for pictures.
The Epson EcoTank ET-3760 and the Canon PIXMA TR150 are both inkjet printers, but they're for different purposes. The Canon is designed to be travel-friendly, so it's very compact and comes with a rechargeable battery. Because it's so slim, there's no sheetfed scanner or flatbed scanner. On the other hand, the Epson is an all-in-one with a flatbed scanner and a larger input tray. Instead of using disposable cartridges like the Canon, it uses four refillable ink tanks, which yield a significantly higher number of pages at a much lower cost-per-print. This makes it a better choice if you intend to print a lot.
The HP DeskJet 3755/3772 and the Canon PIXMA TR150 are both very compact inkjet printers. Because the Canon is designed to be travel-friendly, it's significantly smaller and comes with a rechargeable battery if you need to print without a power outlet around. The Canon has a much higher page yield and a lower cost-per-print than the HP, making it a better option if you print frequently. However, it lacks the sheetfed scanner that the HP has.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 and the HP Tango X are both very compact printer-only models, but the Canon is much smaller. It comes with a rechargeable battery, meaning you can keep printing even without a power outlet. It yields slightly more pages, giving it a much lower cost-per-print. On the other hand, the HP prints faster overall. Also, it comes with a linen cover to hide the printer when not in use and to keep dust out.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 and the Canon SELPHY Square QX10 are both compact battery-powered printers. The PIXMA is a traditional inkjet printer for printing black-only text and color documents when traveling. It accepts many different paper sizes, including letter and legal, and it has a much higher page yield. That said, if you're looking for a pocket-size printer to instantly print small photos taken with your phone, the SELPHY is a better choice since it's for exactly that.
Test Results
The Canon TR150 feels fairly well-built. You can easily access paper jams and ink cartridges by lifting the main top cover. The power cable and adapter are removable, making the printer easier to travel with; however, because they're separate from the printer, you may forget to bring them with you when traveling. The two LED lights on the cartridge tray indicate the status of each cartridge, and there's a battery level indicator on the battery, which connects to the rear of the printer. The top cover doubles as the input tray, which has a width slider to adjust to different paper sizes. Unfortunately, the hinges are made of plastic that may not hold up over time. Note that the printer needs to be on to change the ink cartridges.
If you want a model with a linen dust cover, check out the HP Tango X.
Since it's designed with travel in mind, the Canon TR150 is a very compact printer that should fit well in backpacks and shouldn't take up much space on a desk. Note that the depth is 8" (20.5 cm) with the battery attached to the rear.
If you want something even more compact that prints photos on the go, check out the Canon IVY Mini Photo Printer or the Canon SELPHY Square QX10.
It has an okay display screen. It's quite small, and the panel can't tilt, but the screen has great visibility from every angle. It has nine physical buttons to its right: Power, Cancel, Back, OK, Pairing button, and arrow keys for up, down, right, and left. The screen displays the black and color ink levels.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 has a very low black page yield, so you may need to replace the cartridge often. However, the color page yield is better, so the cartridge may last you longer than the black cartridge, depending on your use. Since there's only one color cartridge, you can't replace only the color running low, which may feel wasteful if you tend to use one color more than others. While the printer accepts third-party cartridges, using them may void the warranty.
- Setup CD and Manual
- Power cord and adapter
- USB-C to USB-A cable
- Battery
- Battery cover
- Print head (not pictured)
- PGI-35 BK cartridge
- CLI-36 CL
The Canon PIXMA TR150 has a very good cost-per-print, especially for color and photo printing. While it has a very low page yield, its cartridges are relatively inexpensive, which helps keep the cost low. However, if you print often, the overall cost can quickly surpass the initial price of the printer.
Keep in mind that even if you print only in black, most inkjet printers continue using the color cartridge for servicing tasks, so you may still need to replace it eventually.
The HP OfficeJet 250's printing speed is bad. It prints black-only text documents and color prints very slowly. Also, it doesn't automatically print double-sided documents, so you need to flip over each page yourself. If you want a portable printer with faster printing speeds, check out the HP OfficeJet 200.
If you want a portable printer that produces sharper documents, consider the Epson WorkForce WF-110.
The Canon TR150 has good photo printing quality. The colors are well-defined, and there's only a bit of graininess present. However, some color shows up in gray areas.
The scanned images provided above are for reference only. They look worse than the physical photos due to the scanning and uploading process. The score is based on the actual physical photos.
The Canon PIXMA TR150's color accuracy is passable enough for casual color prints. Most colors print a bit inaccurately, with browns, greens, and blues being the worst. While it isn't ideal for photos, it's good enough if you're just adding a pop of color to a spreadsheet or document.
The Canon PIXMA TR150 has decent connectivity options, including wireless and wired methods. Note that Canon states the USB-A port at the back is used for "enhanced functionality," but they don't specify what this means. We tried to connect a USB thumb drive to print a PDF, but the printer doesn't recognize it. Also, it's compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa, and IFTTT, but we don't test these.
Using the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app, you can print documents and photos, check ink levels, order ink, and copy a photo using your mobile device camera. To use the "Create Photo Items" feature, you need to use the Easy-PhotoPrint Editor app.