The HP OfficeJet 250 Mobile Printer is a portable all-in-one inkjet printer. It uses a two-cartridge system with HP 62 Black and HP 62 Tri-Color ink cartridges; it's also compatible with the high-yield HP 62XL High Yield Black and HP 62XL High Yield Tri-Color cartridges. While it doesn't have a flatbed scanner, it does have an ADF scanner. Its connectivity options include USB, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct, printing directly from external USB devices like hard drives, as well as support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. Finally, it's compatible with the HP Smart App, which lets you perform tasks like printing or scanning, adjust color and contrast settings for scans, and order more ink for your device.
Our Verdict
The HP OfficeJet 250 is decent for home use, even if it's not exactly the target use. It's very compact, which can be practical if you don't have a lot of space for it. It prints excellent-looking black and color documents. It also has an ADF scanner; unfortunately, scans turn out tilted as the paper guide doesn't properly feed sheets into the scanner, and it can't automatically scan or print double-sided pages. Page yields are low, so you'll have to change the ink cartridges frequently if you print often. There's a risk of clogging if you don't print regularly, which entails further maintenance. Finally, there are many connectivity options, including support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service.
- Decent photo quality.
- Great connectivity options.
- Battery lasts for many prints.
- Cheap ink cartridges.
- Printer produces vibrant colors.
- Low page yield.
- Slow printing speed.
- No flatbed scanner.
- Produces tilted scans.
Can clog if it's left unused.
The HP OfficeJet 250 is bad for small offices. It's a portable printer, so it's not designed for offices with a large print workload. While its print quality is excellent, it's very slow at printing documents and has a disappointing page yield. It does have an automatic document feeder, but again, it's slow and can't perform duplex scanning, which isn't ideal if you frequently deal with double-sided documents. Scans are also tilted, as the paper guide doesn't properly feed paper through the scanner.
- Automatic document feeder.
- Great connectivity options.
- Battery lasts for many prints.
- Low page yield.
- Slow printing speed.
- No duplex printing or scanning.
- No flatbed scanner.
- Produces tilted scans.
The HP OfficeJet 250 is a poor choice if you're looking for a printer that you'd simply set and expect to work with minimal maintenance. It is an inkjet printer that can clog, and its limited flush volume means you may run out of ink before you manage to clear the clog. That said, since the printheads are built into the cartridges, replacing the cartridge resolves any stubborn blockages, which makes this issue straightforward to manage. The page yield is quite low; you'll have to change the cartridge frequently if you print often. On the plus side, high-yield cartridges are available, which helps somewhat alleviate this issue. This printer also supports Wi-Fi and USB connections, as well as major printing protocols, making it easy to print from most devices.
- Great connectivity options.
- Low page yield.
- Slow printing speed.
Can clog if it's left unused.
The HP OfficeJet 250 is okay for casual photos. It excels at reproducing small details, and while its color accuracy isn't the best, it's still suitable for casual use, such as printing the occasional photo at home or on the go. There's some graining in color transitions, however. It's decently affordable to print photos, but with low page yields, replacing the color cartridge can become expensive, especially if you plan on printing in color frequently. Unfortunately, it can't print 2" x 3" photos.
- Decent photo quality.
- Printer produces vibrant colors.
Great at reproducing small details.
- Low page yield.
- Doesn't print 2" x 3" photos.
- Color accuracy for prints isn't good enough for professional use.
The HP OfficeJet 250 has poor page yields. Its cartridges are inexpensive, but they only last for about 150 pages before needing replacement. If you print often, you will likely have to replace them frequently.
- Low page yield.
The HP OfficeJet 250 is a very slow printer. It can only push three black and six color pages per minute when plugged in and one black and color page per minute when using battery power.
- Slow printing speed.
The HP OfficeJet 250 produces excellent documents. Text is clear, and charts and graphs are easy to read. Fine details are present, but they appear slightly grainy.
Excellent quality documents.
The HP OfficeJet 250's ADF scanner is alright. It only has an ADF scanner, and unfortunately, the scans are crooked because the paper guide doesn't correctly feed sheets into the scanner. The scan quality is okay; it has aggressive image processing that removes lots of background and fine details, so know that your scans will appear different from the source material.
- Automatic document feeder.
- No flatbed scanner.
- Produces tilted scans.
Performance Usages
Changelog
-
Updated Dec 16, 2025:
We've updated text throughout the review after converting to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Dec 16, 2025: We've updated the review to Test Bench 1.3, which adds a number of test boxes including Risk of Clogging and Ease of Unclogging. We also updated the Usage and Performance boxes at the top of the review to better integrate the new aspects covered. See the changelog.
-
Updated Feb 11, 2025:
We've rewritten the Introduction, verdict boxes, and the 'Compared To Other Printers' box to bring them in line with our current standards for printer reviews.
- Updated Jul 26, 2024: Added mention of the HP OfficeJet 200 as an alternative with faster printing speeds in the Printing Speed section.
Check Price
Popular Printer Comparisons
The HP OfficeJet 250 Mobile Printer is an all-in-one portable inkjet printer. Although its features are fairly limited and it has a low page yield, this printer excels compared to other portable printers in terms of print and scan quality. It has an ADF scanner that produces decent (albeit tilted) scans, and it also prints excellent black and color documents. Just know it's very slow at printing. Its battery life is solid; you'll likely run out of ink before you run out of battery.
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 Canon PIXMA iX6820 and the HP OfficeJet 250 are both compact printers. If you need to print only and don't need a scanner, the Canon is a better choice due to its significantly higher page yield and excellent cost-per-print. On the other hand, if you often need to print when on the go, the HP has a rechargeable battery. Also, it has a sheetfed scanner and more connectivity options, including Wi-Fi Direct and Mopria Print Service.
The HP DeskJet 3755/3772 and the HP OfficeJet 250 are both compact printers with sheetfed scanners, but the OfficeJet 250 performs slightly better for most uses. It has a higher page yield, a lower cost-per-print, and a rechargeable battery. Also, it can print directly from a USB thumb drive. However, the DeskJet 3755 is better for casual photo printing since it produces better-looking pictures and more accurate colors.
The Epson Expression Home XP-4100 and the HP OfficeJet 250 are two all-in-one printers designed for different uses. The Epson is made to stay on your desk and plug into a wall. It has a flatbed scanner with higher resolution, so it's a better choice for scanning photos. On the other hand, the HP has a rechargeable battery, so you can still use it even when you don't have a power outlet near you.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
