Best Barcode Scanners for Amazon FBA Bookselling

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If you’re new to Amazon FBA Bookselling make sure to read my introductory guide to Amazon FBA bookselling before reading on about the best Bluetooth barcode scanners.

When I started Amazon FBA Bookselling, I used the Amazon Seller app with my phone’s camera to look up books. I would pick up a book, select the camera icon, get the camera to focus until it finally scanned the ISBN barcode. It was all very slow. I used to spend more time looking up books than making buying decisions.

But I continued sourcing books this way for a few more months then invested in a barcode scanner. I decided to invest in a refurbished KDC 200i. A great decision as it reduced time wasted looking up books manually and increase my productivity big time.

I found the KDC 200i barcode scanner so helpful that I bought three more. 

These barcode scanners connect to your phone through Bluetooth and read barcodes with a click of a button. And they’re even more powerful when used with a pricing database. Basically, an application that allows you to download Amazon’s entire database and look up items without needing internet.

If you’re serious about FBA bookselling and plan on sourcing, say, more than 50 books a day, I would recommend getting a Bluetooth barcode scanner with a database pricing application. Even a barcode scanner with the Amazon Seller app would give you an advantage.

Best Bluetooth Barcode Scanners for Amazon FBA Bookselling

Here are the most popular Bluetooth barcode scanners in the bookselling community. Which I’ve curated based on my experience and research.

  1. KDC 200i from Koamtac
  2. OPN-2006 from Optican
  3. SocketScan S800 from Socket Mobile
  4. Eyoyo Barcode Scanner from Eyoyo

Below, is the list in more detail.

KDC 200i 

Designed for inventory management, the KDC 200i is small, lightweight and durable, perfect if you don’t want attention when scanning during your book sourcing trips.

This scanner is the most popular in the reselling community due to its size and speed of reading barcodes but it’s also the most expensive – which is why most resellers buy refurbished instead.

Features

✓ Small and lightweight
✓ 8,000 scans per full charge
✓ Easy-to-replace rechargeable battery
✓ USB charger cable
✓ Compatible with all technologies – Android, iOS, Windows
✓ Stores barcodes

Dimensions (w x h x d): 35mm x 62mm x 15mm  / 1.37″ x 2.44″ x 0.59″
Weight: 34 g / 1.2 oz

Pros

 Easy to install and use
 Very good support material from the reselling community
 Excellent battery life
 Can be used to list inventory on Amazon
 Plenty of refurbished on the market

Cons

 Expensive, even for a refurbished

Summary

This is a high-quality barcode scanner that scans barcodes instantaneously but isn’t cheap. In fact, it’s too expensive which is why people in the bookselling community buy a refurbished one instead.

OPN-2006 by Opticon

The OPN-2006 is also popular among resellers due to its durability, size and its speed of scanning barcodes. It’s a reliable and efficient scanner from a reputable brand called Opticon, one of the leading companies in the barcode scanning solutions world, in the USA.

Features

✓ Small and lightweight
✓ 3,500 scans per full charge
✓ Compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows mobile devices
✓ USB charger cable included along with a lanyard

Dimensions (w x h x d): 32 x 62 x 16 mm / 1.26″ x 2.44″ x 0.63″
Weight: 29 g / 1.0 oz

Pros

 Easy to install and pair with your phone
 Online support material (due to large reseller community)
 Good battery life
 Can be used to list inventory on Amazon
 Affordable

Cons

 Battery not replaceable

Summary

The OPN-2006 is popular because it’s low priced and is as small and as efficient at reading barcodes as the KDC 200i. But even though it’s a lot cheaper than KDC 200i, many people still prefer buying used.

Socket Mobile SocketScan S800

The SocketScan S800 is a high-quality barcode scanner but preferred by some resellers. It’s as expensive as the KDC 200i but a lot slimmer, even better if you don’t want to be noticed when scanning books I suppose.

The scanner is designed and engineered by Socket Mobile.

Features

✓ One of the smallest and lightest  barcode scanners available on the market
✓compatible with all technologies including Android, iOS, and Windows
✓ 10,000 scans per full charge
✓ Universal Clip included so that you can attach it your phone

Dimensions (w x h x d): 54 x 87 x 13.5mm  / 2.12″ x 3.42″ x 0.53″
Weight: 34 g / 1.76 oz

Pros

 Easy to install and use
 Superior battery life
 Very slim compared to the OPN-2006 and KDC 200i
 Can be used to list items on Amazon

Cons

 Expensive
 Small reseller community

Summary

This is a great scanner that feels higher-end than most barcode scanners due to its size and weight. In fact, it’s slimmest barcode scanner used in the reselling community, perfect if you don’t want any distractions.

Eyoyo

The Eyoyo barcode scanner is an inexpensive scanner, ideal for beginners wanting to test bookselling out. Be warned though: it’s bulkier than the other scanners reviewed but it does the job. It’s small enough to be attached to your phone, though.

Features

✓ Lightweight and durable
✓ Compatible with all smartphones (Android, iOS, Windows)
✓ USB charger cable included

Dimensions (w x h x d): 42 x 95 x 22mm  / 1.65″ x 3.74″ x 0.87″
Weight: 49.9 g / 1.76 oz

Pros

 Does the job, reads most barcodes
 Cheaper than the other scanners mentioned
 Good battery life
 Can be used to list items on Amazon

Cons

 Bulkier than the other scanners reviewed
 Tricky installation but easy to use
 Difficult silencing the scanning noise
 Small reseller community, so limited support resources online

Summary

This is a good scanner to take with you on your sourcing trips. It does the job and is available at a very affordable price. And it has garnered a lot of positive reviews in spite of being bigger than the scanners reviewed.

Conclusion

A Bluetooth barcode scanner is not essential. The Amazon Seller app and your phone’s camera are enough. Especially if you’re new to Amazon FBA Bookselling and figuring out if Amazon FBA Bookselling for you.

But if you feel it’s for you and you’re serious, I would highly recommend investing in a decent scanner. In fact, I believe it’s essential that you do. It will increase your productivity and cut a lot of time wasted looking up books.

I would recommend getting a refurbished KDC200i Bluetooth barcode scanner.

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