A good label maker can save you a lot of time when keeping track of bundles of wires and other small objects you’re working with.
The best label makers print quickly, feature a nice big LCD screen, and produce quality labels that won’t fade.
On the other end of the spectrum – poor-quality label makers have a short battery life, create labels that fade easily, and print frustrating slowly.
We want to make sure you get your hands on the right electricians label maker.
So we’ve reviewed the Best Label Makers For Electricians in 2024:
- Brother PTD600 P-touch Label Maker – Best Overall
- DYMO RhinoPRO 5200 Industrial Label Maker – Premium Choice
- Brother PTD210 P-touch Label Maker – Great Value
- DYMO LabelManager 160 Label Maker
- Brady BMP21-PLUS Handheld Label Maker
- DYMO Rhino 4200 Label Maker
Buy with the confidence that you’re getting one of the best electrician label makers on the market. Let’s jump right into the reviews.
- Backlit display for working in the dark
- Easily connect to computer with included USB cable
- Comes with a 2 year warranty
- Hot Keys to automatically size, space, and format label text
- Fast printing time
- DYMO industrial labels come included
- Portable and lightweight
- More reliable than other budget label makers
- Preview your label before you print
Contents
Best Label Maker for Electricians
Brother PTD600 P-touch Label Maker – Best Overall
- Smart compact design with large keyboard and convenient top loading tape design
- Full color, high resolution display with backlight
- Create labels using the wide easy type keyboard or connect to a PC or MAC for additional functionality
The PTD600 is one of the best label makers on the market, and its features and reasonable price point help make it the best option on this list.
Whether you’re experienced with these machines or it’s your first time using a label maker, the color display and the large keyboard help make the PTD600 extremely user-friendly.
Its backlit display ensures clear visibility in low-light conditions, eliminating the need for additional lighting. For more intricate labeling tasks, the label maker offers PC connectivity, allowing for the creation of detailed labels beyond the capabilities of the onboard keyboard.
Reliability is another strong point of this product, as it can put up with plenty of use on job sites without getting damaged, and if it ends up failing on you, it comes with a two-year warranty. This model is compatible with TZe tape, which is laminated to ensure that your labels are water-resistant.
The PTD600 is also versatile, as it can be powered by either 6 AA batteries, or you can connect it to an AC adapter so that you can use it in your home without wasting batteries. The only thing that let us down was the selection of pictograms, which lack electrician-specific icons.
But overall while not specifically designed for electricians, the Brother PTD600 P-touch Label Maker is a great choice for non-industrial use. Highly recommended cable & wire label maker.
Check Price- Backlit display for working in the dark
- Easily connect to computer with included USB cable
- Choice of power sources
- Uses TZe tape
- Includes 2 year limited warranty and free phone support
- Needs more electrician-specific icons
- Not ideal for industrial use
DYMO RhinoPRO 5200 Industrial Label Maker – Premium Choice
- GREAT FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT: Print Code 39 and Code 128 bar codes on 3/4" (19mm) wide labels
- INDUSTRY COMPLIANT: Meet key ANSI and TIA/EIA-606-A industry labeling standards
- TIME-SAVING FEATURES: Exclusive, one-touch “Hot Keys” to automatically size, space, and format label text for electrical and patch panels, terminal and 110 blocks, wire...
If you’re willing to spend more money on your label maker in exchange for greater functionality and ruggedness, then the DYMO RhinoPRO 5200 Industrial Label Maker is your best option.
Despite being a bit pricier than the Brother PTD600, this label maker more than makes up for it with features like hotkeys and a wide range of label types. It is without a doubt the best industrial label maker.
You can make anything ranging from a label for electrical panels to cable flags, and you also have options for vertical and horizontal wraps. The RhinoPRO 5200 can also save you a lot of time as you work since it prints out labels about 75% faster than competing models.
This model uses DYMO industrial labels, which are more durable than the competition’s, and it comes included with two rolls. To ensure that the label maker stays in one piece on the way to job sites, it also comes included with a hard case that will protect it from scratches and impacts. Perfect for industrial use.
The inclusion of a backlit display ensures that you can work in all lighting conditions, and the unit uses a rechargeable battery, so you won’t have to waste money on disposable ones.
Though slightly above the price range of some alternatives, its robust features make it an ideal choice for electricians tackling industrial or outdoor projects, aligning with the demands of most professionals in the field.
Check Price- Hotkeys improve ease of use
- Fast printing time
- DYMO industrial labels come included
- Rechargeable battery
- Best industrial label maker by far
- Slightly pricey than alternatives (but well worth the price)
Brother PTD210 P-touch Label Maker – Great Value
- Quick access to fonts, frames, symbols and more
- Back-lighting: No, Built-In Handle: No
- One-touch keys -- Quick access to fonts, frames, symbols and more
For those prioritizing bang for their buck, the Brother PTD210 stands out. It’s priced more attractively than its rivals yet doesn’t skimp on features. Its array of one-touch keys simplifies operation, making it a breeze for even beginners to navigate.
Additionally, the PTD210 boasts a convenient quick-access memory bank, capable of storing up to 30 label designs for easy reuse. Its versatility shines with compatibility across a broad spectrum of tape types, from extra-strength to acid-free, catering to all your labeling needs.
This label maker also features a portable design that you can slip into a larger pocket, and it’s light enough not to notice that it’s even there. As with the other label maker from Brother, this one is compatible with an optional AC adaptor for desktop use or 6 AA batteries for use on the go.
The TZe laminated tapes used to create labels with this model are resistant to the elements, so you’ll be able to create them without having to worry about water or humidity.
The only things that we didn’t like about this label maker is that (a) it has a maximum of two print lines per label and (b) it’s not made for industrial use.
So if you’ll be in non-industrial environments when labelling your wires and cables – and are looking for a bargain – then this is the label maker for you.
Check Price- Portable and lightweight
- More reliable than other budget label makers
- Quick-access memory
- One-touch keys
- Preview your label before you print
- Two print lines for each label
- Not ideal for industrial use
DYMO LabelManager 160 Label Maker
- PORTABLE LABEL MAKER: Compact and lightweight for portability, making it easy to label just about anything, anywhere
- TYPE QUICKLY AND EASILY: Label maker lets you quickly type text on the familiar computer style QWERTY keyboard, edit with one touch fast formatting keys and print perfect,...
- PRINTS CUSTOM LABELS: Customize your label with 20 plus ways to format text and 200 plus symbols and clip art. USB Connection-No
The DYMO LabelManager 160 is another one of the more affordable products on our list, but there are a few key differences between it and the PTD210. While the keyboard is a little more compact than on other models, it features a standard QWERTY layout flanked by fast formatting keys.
Portability is a huge advantage of this label maker, because it’s not as wide as many of the other products in its price range, allowing it to slip into a relatively small pocket with ease. There are over 20 formatting options, and you can use over 200 symbols to create a wide range of labels.
The label maker also has an automatic shutoff feature to save battery life, which is rare for products in its price range. The LabelManager 160 runs on six AA batteries, but if you’re working at your desk or near a power outlet, you can also use the optional AC adapter.
Despite its strengths, the product falls short in user-friendliness compared to the PTD210, primarily due to the cumbersome process of navigating separate menus for symbol access and its limitation of remembering only one label at a time.
Check Price- Affordable price point
- Optional AC adapter
- Fast formatting keys
- Separate symbols menu
- Only remembers the previous label
Brady BMP21-PLUS Handheld Label Maker
- Handheld printer with keyboard creates multi line labels for clear identification of wires, panels, circuit boards, and other industrial items, and has a tough exterior with...
- Keyboard contains letters A to Z and numbers 0 to 9, and the text displays on the LCD screen as it is typed
- Text prints in a single color and in 6 font sizes (6 to 40 point)
Brady’s entry on our list is one of the pricier options available, but it makes up for its cost with its rugged design that can withstand nearly anything you can throw at it. This model features rubberized edges and a durable exterior so that it can be used on hectic work sites where tools may end up damaged.
There are six font sizes available, ranging from 6 to 40 point, and the text is displayed on the LCD screen as you type it, to give you an idea of what the label will look like. This device is typically powered by six AA batteries, but you can also purchase a rechargeable lithium-ion cell separately.
The tape itself features a hardy adhesive that can stick to nearly anything, and it is also resistant to chemicals that could break it down over time. The machine supports continuous labels so that you can create ones of varying width, up to a maximum of 0.75”.
The BMP21-PLUS also features a label grabber that will hold onto anything that is printed, making it much easier to use with one hand. One of the only issues that we had with this tool is that it features an ABC keyboard instead of a QWERTY one, making it harder to type with.
Check Price- Continuous tape allows for labels of different widths
- Extremely durable construction
- Label grabber
- ABC keyboard
- Slightly pricey
DYMO Rhino 4200 Label Maker
- FAST TYPING: Easily enter text with a familiar computer-style, QWERTY, keyboard
- TIME-SAVING FEATURES: Uses convenient one-touch “Hot Keys” to access shortcuts for creating and formatting wire/cable wraps, flags, Code 39 and Code 128 bar codes,...
- CONVENIENT MEMORY RECALL: Quickly access your most commonly used labels, symbols and terms with the “Favorites” key
The final model that we’re looking at is the Rhino 4200 from DYMO, which combines a mid-range price point with a few features that make it suitable for industrial use. The first thing you’ll notice about this product is its ruggedized exterior with rubber bumpers and a hard plastic shell.
One of our favorite things about this label maker is that it has hotkeys that are specifically made for electricians. There are presets like Breaker, Code 39 bar codes, and Wire/Cable, meaning that you can spend less time creating labels and more time getting the job done.
There is even a favorites button that lets you access labels which you frequently use, making this product even more convenient when you’re in a hurry.
This machine uses DYMO’s industrial labels, which are a lot more durable and versatile than the tape types used by other products.
This model is also lighter than you would expect based on its looks, and it features a QWERTY keyboard that will make it easier to type with. Unfortunately, this label maker suffers because of the difficulty of typing symbols, which are hidden away in a menu. The label cutter is also poorly positioned, making it harder to use.
Check Price- Durable housing
- Convenient hotkeys
- DYMO industrial labels
- QWERTY keyboard
- Symbols are hard to access
- Poor label cutter
