You open a storage bin looking for crayons and find the spare school supplies. A name on the front would help. But do a few box labels really call for a printer that costs over a hundred dollars?
Between these two Brother machines, I’d start with the PT-D220 for basic text labels when budget and printing without another device matter most. It takes TZe tape up to 12mm wide, about half an inch. Its screen has no backlight, though, and you still need to learn the menus. Brother’s D220 specifications.
The P-touch CUBE Plus, model PT-P710BT, becomes worth considering when you need wider tape and want to design labels on a phone or computer. Its limit is 24mm, roughly an inch. You also take on software, connection checks and a rechargeable battery. Owning a phone is not, by itself, a reason to pay the difference.
For budgeting, think roughly $30–$50 for the D220 and $100–$130 for the CUBE Plus, with prices changing by offer. The D220 also needs six AAA batteries or a compatible AC adapter, neither included. Both machines leave some blank tape at the start of printing. The more expensive one does not make that expense disappear.
The quick choice for everyday home labels
If you are choosing between these two, start here.
| If this describes you | Where I’d start |
|---|---|
| Basic text, 12mm tape is enough, and you want a lower price and independent operation | D220, if its screen and menus suit you; budget for power |
| Wider tape and phone or computer design are both useful to you | CUBE Plus, after checking compatibility and accepting charging upkeep |
| Small, unlit screens are difficult to read | Skip D220; reassess your needs before paying for Plus |
| Phone typing is the only extra feature you want | Compare lower-priced phone label makers before choosing Plus |
| One daycare labeling session is the whole project | Consider suitable preprinted or handwritten labels first |
Will 12mm tape fit the labels you actually need?
The D220’s 12mm limit describes the width of the tape going into the machine. The CUBE Plus can take tape up to 24mm wide. Neither number means you can print from edge to edge; the printable area has its own limits. Wider tape also does not establish that every small word or detailed picture will come out clearer.
Think about where you will stand when you read the label. A file tab you hold in your hand asks something different of a label than a storage box you want to identify from several steps away. The size and arrangement of the text matter alongside the strip underneath it. A bigger box alone does not require the wider machine.
Before buying, write down three labels you actually need: perhaps “Art Supplies,” “School Papers” and “Winter Hats.” Look at the available space on each folder, drawer or bin. If the widths are hard to picture, use a ruler to mark blank paper strips 12mm and 24mm wide and hold them against the intended spot. This only shows the strip’s size; it cannot preview either printer’s text or print quality.
Then decide whether you need the extra height of the wider strip. Longer wording may call for more label length or a different arrangement, so do not assume every long name requires 24mm tape. For a short category name that you read close up, I would check whether the narrower size meets your needs before paying for more width.
The stronger case for the Plus is a real set of labels that needs wider tape, with layouts you intend to make on a connected device. For instance, you may want a taller strip on a row of supply boxes, with room to arrange a heading and extra wording. Before buying, check Brother’s software documentation for the layout you want; tape width alone cannot establish that it fits.
For school papers near the kitchen, it also helps to separate forms waiting for a signature from papers to keep. A family command center can help with that part. Buying the wider printer will not decide where tomorrow’s permission slip belongs.
A keyboard or an app: which trade-off suits you?
The D220’s attraction is being able to enter text on the machine itself. You do not need to find a phone, pair it, or connect a laptop to make a label. If you are beside the storage shelf adding one new box, that independence may be exactly what you want.
The screen is the part I would think about twice. Some owners struggle to read the unlit display or find their way through the menus. The D220 also has built-in formatting choices, so it is not restricted to plain letters in a single style. The practical question is whether you are comfortable choosing those settings on its small screen.
I would skip the D220 if reading small, unlit displays is already a problem for you. A physical keyboard is not enough compensation for a screen you struggle to read. That does not automatically make the Plus the right purchase, particularly if your labels need nothing more than a few words.
On the CUBE Plus, you create the label in a phone app or computer software. There is no onboard keyboard for typing a quick replacement label. If you like arranging text on your usual device, that may suit you, but printing still depends on getting that device and the printer working together.
The connection details are worth checking before the box arrives: phones use Bluetooth; computers print over USB. Brother’s US manual explicitly says the PT-P710BT does not support Bluetooth connections to computers. Planning to keep it on a shelf and print wirelessly from a laptop would leave you with the wrong expectation. Brother’s US user guide.
Check your operating system on Brother’s current support page as well. As of September 18, 2026, Brother lists no drivers for Windows computers using ARM processors. Do not assume that a laptop running Windows is automatically covered. Mac and mobile users should also check their current system and software requirements before ordering. Current downloads and system restrictions.
Owner complaints about the Plus include pairing difficulties, software installation problems and charging or battery failures. Some D220 owners also report units that stopped working. If a printer that will not connect or charge would put you off using it, factor that in. These reports cannot tell us how often either model fails or which lasts longer.
If your plan is to print two folder names after the children are in bed, take those extra steps seriously. You may enjoy designing a coordinated set of labels. You may also want to type “School Papers” and put everything away. Decide which description fits your actual evenings before paying for more design options.
What else will you need to buy and maintain?
Before ordering the D220, I would check how I’m going to power it. Brother includes a black-on-white sample tape, but neither the six AAA batteries nor the AC adapter. If you plan to use an adapter, check the specified compatibility instead of assuming a cable from the household drawer will work.
The CUBE Plus comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a USB cable and two starter tapes. A USB wall adapter is not included. Check the charging instructions and what you already own, so the first session does not turn into a search for a suitable power source. Having the battery included is useful, but you still need to keep it charged.
For either printer, look up the refill tape you would actually buy. Check its width, type and compatibility, rather than judging ongoing cost from the cheapest cartridge that appears in search. A decorative tape you like in the starter pack may not be the tape you want to keep purchasing for ordinary filing labels.
Keep the shopping list short at first. For a handful of household names, I would choose one suitable tape and see how often the machine gets used before building a drawer of colors. Compare the machine, any missing power accessories and the refill you expect to buy.
Both models also have an initial blank section of tape. That can feel particularly wasteful when the printed word is short. Paying for the Plus does not remove it, and I would not use reduced tape waste as the reason to upgrade.
Printing several labels consecutively can change how much blank tape is used. The D220 has a Chain Print option, and the Plus has relevant settings in its printing software. Follow the instructions for your particular method; on the D220, the final feed before cutting matters. If you are labeling several drawers, gather the names before starting and learn the batch-printing steps instead of guessing at the cut point. Brother’s D220 tape-saving instructions.
Check tape suitability separately from the printer choice. This comparison is for household identification, such as folders and the outside of storage bins. It does not establish that every TZe tape suits a bottle, clothing or a sterilizer. Keep labels away from food-contact and mouthing areas, and keep the machine, batteries and loose tape scraps out of young children’s reach. An adult should handle the cutter.
For basic labels and independent operation, check the PT-D220 price on Amazon. If you need wider tape and connected design, check the CUBE Plus PT-P710BT price on Amazon.
When I’d skip the upgrade—or the label maker
If all you need is one set of names for daycare, I would start with the labels themselves. Our guide to labels for daycare gear covers the surface and care questions that matter there. A suitable preprinted or handwritten option may finish the task without adding a machine to maintain.
I would also pass on the Plus for very occasional use if keeping another device charged already sounds annoying. A wider label that you might want someday is a weak reason to accept that responsibility now. And if a working label maker already produces the labels you need, there is no urgency to replace it.
If phone input is your only wish, lower-priced phone label makers exist. You can keep looking if the D220’s screen rules it out; you do not have to jump straight to the Plus. Spend more when the wider tape and connected design solve a need you can point to.
Before you order, look at the few labels you wrote down. If a wider strip would help, check the design and device requirements. If a simple strip will do, keep the purchase small. The rest of the house can stay unlabeled for now.