HP's portable photobooth with instant printing is my favorite gadget at CES 2024

If there’s one thing about me, I’ll always stop to use a photobooth. More than once, I’ve even fashioned makeshift photobooths of my own for birthday parties or big gatherings out of a ring light, wobbly tripod and instant photo printer. But now there’s a cohesive — and surprisingly portable — product that I can use to take any event to the next level, and it just debuted at CES 2024.

The HP Sprocket Photobooth builds on the existing HP Sprocket ink free photo printer collection, but unlike printers that you pair to your phone to get physical copies of your pictures, this gadget is a fully integrated solution. You choose your filters, snap your photo, and print your photos all from the device.

The best part? HP's Sprocket Photobooth is about the size of a coffee maker and features a built in stand. That means you can take the device with you just about anywhere. I tried using the HP Sprocket Photobooth myself, starting with stepping into the camera frame. I swiped through some optional borders, including ones that HP loaded onto the interface specifically for CES.

Then I selected a filer and hit print. Within a minute, I had a photo printed on 3.5 × 4.25 inch sticky backed ZINK paper that will make for an excellent memento of my time at the trade show. I mean, imagine this: you’re hosting a party that requires a guest book, and you set up the HP Sprocket Photobooth on a stool or high top table.

Ask your guests to take their photos, peel back the sticky paper and adhere the pics to a physical book that you’ll take home as a keepsake. Bonus points if they add a nice little note. From weddings and family reunions to graduation parties and birthday dinners, I could totally see myself making this photobooth part of the festivities.

At the very least, it would be a conversation starter. Now, at $449, the HP Sprocket Photobooth is a bit of an investment compared to other portable instant photo printers. The idea is that it’s still a better value than renting a full size photobooth for your next event, and you’re not limited by the amount of time (or amount of events) you use it for.

You’ll just need to stock up on HP’s printer paper. A 50 pack of the pre cut paper goes for $40 on Amazon . HP is aiming to launch the Sprocket Photobooth in Q3 of 2024. Check out our CES 2024 hub for all the latest news from the show as it happens. Follow the Tom’s Guide team in Las Vegas as we cover everything AI, as well as the best new TVs, laptops, fitness gear, wearables and smart home gadgets at the show.

And be sure to check out the Tom's Guide TikTok channel for all the newest videos from CES!.