Barcode-Scanner-Kaufratgeber: 1D-Laser vs 2D-Imager, kabelgebunden vs kabellos, handgeführt vs freihändig

A barcode scanner spec sheet lists a dozen options, but two questions settle most of the decision: do you need to scan phone screens? (if yes, you need a 2D imager) and is the counter busy enough to want hands-free? (if yes, lean presentation). Everything else — connection, durability, interface — refines from there.

Scan technology is the first fork. The three you’ll see, and what each can read:

Form factor is the second fork — how the scanner is operated. Match it to how your staff actually work:

Once type and form are set, choose the connection. This one’s about whether you need to move with the scanner:

Put the forks together — most retail choices fall out of a short decision path:

Before you order, run this final checklist — a scanner that reads everything but won’t talk to your POS, or can’t survive the counter, is the wrong buy:

Browse scanners and reader parts in our card readers & scanners category, interface cables in cables & connectors, and complete tills in POS terminals. If an existing scanner has stopped reading, see our scanner troubleshooting guide; for how scanners connect to the POS, the interface & connectivity guide. Tell us what you scan and your POS, and we’ll recommend the right scanner.