HP Sprocket Select Review: A Portable Printer for Larger Sticky-Back Photos

This HP Sprocket Select review looks at a portable photo printer for turning phone and social media images into larger sticky-back prints.

Its appeal is simple: print from an iOS or Android device, then use the adhesive-backed photos for journals, albums, or travel keepsakes.

Sprocket Select Review Summary

The quick verdict

HP Sprocket Select

A phone-connected printer for buyers who want portable, larger-than-pocket snapshots they can stick into journals, planners, or albums.

• Prints photos from iOS and Android devices over Bluetooth 5.1.
• Uses ZINK sticky-back photo paper with colors embedded in the paper.
• Provides a 2.3 by 3.4-inch photo format for larger small-format keepsakes.
• The HP app offers frames, filters, augmented-reality features, and doodle scanning for custom stickers.

Check Price on Amazon

✓ Pros

• Sticky-backed ZINK paper combines printing and page attachment in one consumable.
• Zero-ink printing avoids toner or ribbon replacement needs.

− Consider before buying

• The adhesive-backed format is less suitable for buyers who want loose prints to hand out or frame without sticky backing.
• The 2.3 by 3.4-inch output remains a small keepsake format rather than a full-size photo print.

Read the full review summary

The Sprocket Select suits buyers who want phone-based printing in a portable format, especially for journaling, scrapbooks, or sharing small keepsakes.

Its ZINK paper uses embedded color and sticky backing, so prints can go directly onto a page without a separate adhesive step.

The key tradeoff is print format: it is aimed at buyers who want a larger pocket-printer photo than a compact two-by-three-inch snapshot.

App-based editing adds creative options before printing, while portable rechargeable operation supports use away from a desk; buyers should still consider whether the consumable paper format fits their routine.

Editorial scores reflect listed features and buyer fit; they are not laboratory measurements or customer ratings.

Key Features and Specifications of Sprocket Select

• Prints photos from iOS and Android devices over Bluetooth 5.1.
• Uses ZINK sticky-back photo paper with colors embedded in the paper.
• Provides a 2.3 by 3.4-inch photo format for larger small-format keepsakes.
• The HP app offers frames, filters, augmented-reality features, and doodle scanning for custom stickers.
• Hashtag a photo on Instagram and other social media for quick printing in the HP app.
• Portable rechargeable design includes a soft-touch base, removable magnetic lid, and Micro USB port.

Pros and Cons of Sprocket Select

Who Should Buy Sprocket Select?

Good fit

Buy the Sprocket Select if you want to print phone photos for journals, albums, travel pages, or casual sharing, and value an adhesive backing that makes decorating quick.

The mobile connection and HP app tools keep the workflow centered on a phone.

It is also a good fit for buyers who prefer a compact printer that avoids toner and ribbon replacement, and who like adding frames, filters, or custom doodle stickers before printing.

The portable rechargeable build supports carrying it for trips or home use away from a printer station.

Who should skip it

Skip it if your priority is full-size prints for framing or loose photos without adhesive backing. Its small sticky-back format is designed for compact keepsakes and creative projects.

Sprocket Select Review Analysis

A print size for paper projects

The 2.3 by 3.4-inch format gives buyers more room than a tiny mini snapshot while staying compact enough for notebooks and albums.

It is a practical scale for captions, small collages, and travel pages, though it does not replace a conventional photo printer when larger wall or frame prints are the goal.

ZINK keeps the workflow compact

ZINK embeds color in the sticky-back paper and does not need toner or ribbon replacements.

That trims one part of ownership and suits occasional printing, but the dedicated paper remains the essential supply to keep on hand for spontaneous photo projects.

Editing and social sharing

The HP app adds frames and filters, plus augmented-reality features and doodle scanning for custom stickers.

Tag-to-print can help retrieve social images without scrolling through a camera roll, making the printer more useful for buyers who already organize and share photos through social apps.

Portable, with practical setup details

A pocket-sized rechargeable body with a magnetic lid and soft-touch base supports carrying and storing the printer.

Micro USB is the charging or connection detail to account for when packing accessories, particularly if the rest of a buyer's everyday devices use a different cable type.

Alternatives to Sprocket Select

Sticker-print alternative

HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer (2nd Edition)

Choose the HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer (2nd Edition) if you prefer its 2x3-inch format or want several devices to send prints at the same time; choose the Sprocket Select when the larger 2.3 by 3.4-inch format matters more.

• The HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer (2nd Edition) prints 2x3-inch sticky-backed photos and can connect multiple devices for simultaneous printing.
• The Sprocket Select prints 2.3 by 3.4-inch photos from phones on sticky-backed ZINK paper.

Check Price on Amazon

Laminated-print alternative

KODAK Mini 2 Retro 2x3 Portable Photo Printer

Choose the KODAK Mini 2 Retro if you prefer dye-sublimation prints with a clear protective finish and are comfortable keeping cartridges and paper as supplies.

The Sprocket Select better fits buyers who want adhesive-backed ZINK prints without toner or ribbon replacements.

• The KODAK Mini 2 Retro uses 4PASS dye sublimation and gives each photo a clear protective lamination layer; its bundle includes cartridges and photo paper.
• The Sprocket Select uses ZINK sticky-back photo paper for small prints with adhesive backing.

Check Price on Amazon

Is Sprocket Select Worth It?

The HP Sprocket Select is worth considering for buyers who want portable phone printing on sticky-backed paper, a larger small-format image, and app-based editing without toner or ribbon replacements.

Its strongest fit is casual creative use—travel pages, journals, albums, and quick keepsakes.

Choose it when adhesive-backed compact prints match how you want to use photos. Pass if you need larger conventional prints or loose paper photos; the Sprocket Select's design is centered on portable sticky-back keepsakes.

Your review at a glance

HP Sprocket Select

A phone-connected printer for buyers who want portable, larger-than-pocket snapshots they can stick into journals, planners, or albums.

• Prints photos from iOS and Android devices over Bluetooth 5.1.
• Uses ZINK sticky-back photo paper with colors embedded in the paper.
• Provides a 2.3 by 3.4-inch photo format for larger small-format keepsakes.
• The HP app offers frames, filters, augmented-reality features, and doodle scanning for custom stickers.

Check Price on Amazon