Ricoh SnapScan iX2500 review: a conveniently compact desktop scanner for digitizing your paperwork

Ricoh SnapScan iX2500 product image.

I can still remember a lot of buzz around the ‘paperless office’, all the way back in the early 1990s. Here we are 35 years later and there’s still a whole lot of paperwork doing the rounds, not only in the office but also dropping into our physical, real-life mailboxes. Physically filing it all away can be an inconvenient chore so why not just scan it and shred it instead? That’s an idea that certainly isn’t lost on Ricoh. While I was writing this review I noticed the SnapScan iX2500 selling in some world regions, complete with a bundled shredder. Either way, the iX2500 aims to make it as quick and easy as possible to scan all your paperwork and store it on your computer, mobile device or in the cloud.Ricoh itself barely needs an introduction, being one of the leading global manufacturers of office printers and related technology. With my more mainstream Digital Camera World hat on, I have to mention that it’s also the parent company of Pentax digital cameras. Back to the device on test, the SnapScan iX2500 aims to be one of the best scanners for home and small office use.

Although compact, the scanner is well built and has a reassuring heft to it, weighing in at 3.5kg / 7.7lb. It’s a real space-saver when the paper trays are retracted but, as usual, the physical size grows somewhat when you extend them for active duty. (Image credit: Matthew Richards)