Canon Selphy QX10 vs Polaroid Zip

When you’re looking for a photo printer, you’re likely to find the Canon Selphy range and the Polaroid Zip mentioned a lot. It really depends on exactly what kind of printer you’re looking for, as each of these two models have their own benefits and also negatives too.

These models are thought to be two of the best portable photo printers. So if you’re looking to pick one of these two printers, then what are the differences? Well, we’re going to compare them to one another so it makes your purchasing decision a little easier.

Canon Selphy QX10 vs Polaroid Zip

The main difference between the two is that the Polaroid Zip is a small and lightweight photo printer, designed to producing mini photos. The Selphy QX10 is a more robust and heavy printer, which manages to produce higher quality prints.

As the QX10 is the heavier and larger of the two, it’s also the most expensive. To be fair, it is slightly better overall than the Polaroid Zip. But for many people looking for something small and easy to use, the Zip is going to be the better choice.

These are the big differences between the two, but they’re not the only ways that they are different. Let’s look at them in a closer detail. Check out this guide if you want to see more photo printers.

Canon Selphy QX10

The first difference to notice between these two different printers is that the QX10 prints using a different technique to most small printers out there. Whilst the Zip is a Zink printer, the QX10 uses dye sublimation technology to create its prints. This means that it tends to produce much better colours than the Zip, and the overall printing quality is much better too.

The QX10 weighs around 750 grams, making it too big to be considered as a truly portable printer, although it’s still light enough to be moved around the house when you need to. In terms of the actual prints themselves, it can print at two different sizes. You can print at both 6×4 inches and also 2.1 x 3.4 inches too, giving it more versatility than the Zip.

Out of the two printers, it’s definitely the better choice if you’re looking to create higher quality prints. but, it’s more expensive and to be honest, I think both of these models target different markets.

Pros

The overall print quality of the QX10 is actually really good, and better than most other competitors similar to it.
With the QX10, you’re going to have the ability to print larger images too, with it having two different sizes of capability which are larger than the Zip.
The QX10 has an acceptable battery life, and should last for as long as you need to get all of your prints done. It’s better than the Zip, but it’s still not amazing.

Cons

Out of the two, the Canon Selphy feels a lot clunkier than the Polaroid Zip, and it isn’t as portable.
For the most part, unless you can find it when it’s on sale then the Selphy will be a lot more expensive than the Zip – it’s almost double the price in some online stores.
Even though it’s a bigger design, you still can’t connect to the device with your laptop (Windows or Mac), which is a bit frustrating.

Polaroid Zip

The Polaroid Zip is one of the most popular printers for those looking to create nice prints. These prints are 2×3 inches in size, making them suitable for those looking for something relatively small.

Another of one the key differences between these two photo printers is that the Zip is the better choice if you’re looking for something to travel with, or take out with you on a day out. It weighs less than 200 grams, and it around a quarter of the weight of the much heavier QX10.

Although they are both photo printers, it’s a little unfair to compare these two together. The QX10 is meant for bigger prints, whilst the Zip is a cheaper solution to creating smaller polaroids for teenagers.

Pros

The Polaroid Zip is one of the most portable photo printers out there, due to its lightweight design and small size.
The Zip is a more casual photo printer, which gives it a much more affordable price than the QX10.
All you need is the Zink Paper from Polaroid and you can get started printing out photos straight away.

Cons

The battery life of the Zip isn’t as good as the QX10, and it won’t last anywhere near as long, which makes the portability of this printer less useful than it could be.
The Zip’s print quality is perfectly acceptable, but it’s not much more than average.
Although the initial cost for the Zip is much lower than the Selphy, the actually cost per print is going to be higher, with the Zip costing almost 50% more per print on average.

Conclusion

Overall, I think it’s pretty easy to divide these two models and say which one of them would be the better choice for you. If you’re just looking for a fun printer to get some cute prints out of, then opt for the lightweight and affordable Polaroid Zip.

But, if you’re looking for something more substantial with better print quality, then the Selphy proves to be a better choice. They’re both pretty good, and are similar to the HP Sprocket printer, which is another pretty good choice too.

Avatar of Jon
About Jon

Hey, I'm Jon. I'm an engineer by trade, so it makes sense that I'm obsessed with anything technology related! On the weekends, you can find me playing around with my computers or fixing something around the house. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to get in touch.

Leave a Comment

Previous

Wireless printer not showing up in Windows 10 – Troubleshooting

A1 vs A2 vs A3 vs A4 vs A5 | Paper Sizes Explained [European]

Next