RFID Readers & Scanners for Business
Handheld, fixed and mobile UHF RFID hardware for inventory, asset tracking, warehousing, retail, manufacturing and logistics.
RFID allows compatible tagged products and assets to be identified using radio-frequency technology without requiring every individual item to be positioned directly in front of a barcode scanner.
Tek Direkt supplies professional RFID hardware including handheld RFID readers, rugged RFID sleds, fixed RFID readers, RFID-enabled mobile computers and RFID printing technology.
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Which Type of RFID Reader Do You Need?
Start with the workflow. The best RFID reader depends on where the tags are, how they move and who needs to capture them.
Handheld RFID Readers
For employees moving around a warehouse, shop, stockroom or site to count, locate and identify RFID-tagged items.
Best for: stock counts, item finding, inventory and asset audits.
Explore Handheld RFID →Fixed RFID Readers
Installed at known read points where tagged items move through the reader zone automatically.
Best for: dock doors, portals, production lines and goods movement.
Explore Fixed RFID →RFID Mobile Computers
Enterprise mobile devices with integrated RFID capability or compatible RFID accessories.
Best for: combined RFID, barcode scanning and mobile application workflows.
Explore Integrated RFID →RFID Printers
Print human-readable information and barcodes while encoding compatible RFID labels and tags.
Best for: creating the RFID labels used within the system.
Explore RFID Printing →How an RFID System Works
An RFID reader is one part of a complete system. The reader, tags, antennas and software all need to work together.
1
RFID Tag
A compatible RFID tag is attached to or incorporated into the product, asset, container or other item being identified.
2
RFID Reader
The handheld or fixed reader communicates with compatible tags using radio-frequency technology.
3
Antenna
The antenna and reader configuration help define the RFID read zone. Handheld readers normally integrate the antenna into the device.
4
Software
Captured tag information is passed to the application responsible for inventory, asset tracking or the wider business process.
Handheld UHF RFID Readers
Handheld RFID allows the worker to take the read point directly to the inventory or assets. This makes it particularly useful for stock counts, cycle counting, item finding and asset audits.
Zebra RFD40
Versatile everyday UHF RFID.
The RFD40 family is designed to add fast RFID tag-reading capability to compatible mobile devices for retail, inventory, warehousing and asset tracking.
Standard RFD40 configurations can deliver more than 1,300 tag reads per second, with a nominal read range of approximately 6 metres depending on the configuration, tag and environment.
Choose RFD40 for: mainstream inventory, retail stocktaking, stockrooms and asset tracking.
Explore Zebra RFD40 →Zebra RFD90
Ultra-rugged RFID for demanding environments.
The RFD90 family combines high-speed UHF RFID reading with tougher industrial construction.
RFD9030 provides standard-range RFID while the RFD9090 extends the family into long-range applications.
Choose RFD90 for: warehouses, manufacturing, logistics, yards and environments where ruggedness or extended range matters.
Explore Zebra RFD90 →Honeywell IH45
Bluetooth and USB UHF RFID reader.
The Honeywell IH45 provides a handheld RFID option for warehouse, logistics and manufacturing applications and can be paired with compatible mobile computing workflows.
The EU Bluetooth/USB configuration includes MPN IH45-0-N001S00OK.
Choose IH45 for: Honeywell-oriented mobile deployments requiring handheld UHF RFID data capture.
Zebra RFD40 or RFD90?
| Requirement | RFD40 | RFD90 |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday Inventory | Excellent fit | Suitable, but may be more rugged than required |
| Retail Stocktaking | Strong choice | Usually consider RFD40 first |
| Warehouse | General warehouse RFID | More demanding warehouse environments |
| Manufacturing | General applications | Strong fit for tougher environments |
| Long-Range RFID | Standard-range applications | RFD9090 where extended range is required |
| Sealing | IP54 on standard RFD40 | IP65 / IP67 |
| Nominal Read Rate | 1,300+ tags/sec | 1,300+ tags/sec |
What Can You Do with a Handheld RFID Reader?
Cycle Counting
Move through a stockroom or warehouse and capture compatible tagged inventory without individually aligning every item with a barcode scanner.
Item Finding
Use RFID information to help locate tagged products, tools, equipment and other assets.
Asset Audits
Identify RFID-tagged IT equipment, tools, reusable assets and business equipment.
Goods Receiving
Use RFID as part of the process for verifying compatible tagged goods entering a facility.
Retail Stocktaking
Capture tagged stock throughout a shop floor or back-of-store environment.
Inventory Verification
Check tagged stock against the information held within the business application.
Equipment Tracking
Identify tagged tools and operational equipment across storage and working areas.
Reusable Assets
Track suitable tagged containers, cases, equipment and other reusable business assets.
Fixed RFID Readers
Fixed RFID is designed for applications where tagged items move through a defined read zone rather than an employee carrying the reader to each location.
Dock Doors
Capture tagged goods or assets as they move through suitable receiving and dispatch points.
RFID Portals
Create defined read zones around suitable doorways and movement points using readers and antennas.
Production Lines
Capture tagged materials or products at specific stages of a manufacturing process.
Asset Control Points
Identify compatible tagged equipment moving through known locations.
Zebra FX9600 Fixed RFID Reader
For fixed RFID infrastructure, Zebra's portfolio includes the FX9600 fixed UHF RFID reader. It is designed for high-volume fixed RFID applications such as warehouse portals, dock doors and suitable automated tracking environments.
Warehouse Portals
Use a fixed reader and suitable antennas to create defined RFID capture areas around goods movement.
Manufacturing
Integrate RFID capture into suitable production and work-in-progress tracking points.
Automated Identification
Capture tagged items at known locations without requiring an employee to operate a handheld reader for every read.
Important: a fixed RFID reader alone does not make a complete portal. Antennas, cables, mounting, tags, software and the physical environment all need to be considered.
Handheld vs Fixed RFID
| Workflow | Usually Consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouse stock count | Handheld RFID | The employee moves through the inventory |
| Finding a tagged asset | Handheld RFID | The reader can be taken around the site |
| Retail cycle counting | Handheld RFID | Employees move through shelves and stockrooms |
| Dock-door monitoring | Fixed RFID | Goods move through a known location |
| Production checkpoint | Fixed RFID | Items pass through a defined process stage |
| Mixed warehouse operation | Both | Fixed infrastructure and mobile stocktaking can complement each other |
Mobile Computers with RFID
Some modern enterprise mobile computers incorporate RFID capability directly, while others can be paired with an RFID sled or accessory.
This can reduce the number of separate devices required in workflows where workers need to read RFID tags, scan barcodes, use business applications and communicate wirelessly.
RFID Capture
Read compatible RFID tags as part of the mobile workflow.
Barcode Scanning
Use enterprise 1D/2D barcode scanning for products and locations that still use conventional barcodes.
Business Apps
Access inventory, warehouse, asset-management and other enterprise applications on the same device.
Wireless Data
Synchronise captured information with suitable business systems using the device's available connectivity.
Check the exact MPN. RFID functionality can vary significantly between configurations within the same mobile-computer family. Never assume every version of a device includes the same RFID capability.
RFID Applications by Industry
Warehousing
Inventory counts, goods receiving, dispatch, pallet identification, asset tracking and reusable-container management.
Retail
Stocktaking, backroom inventory, item finding, replenishment and stock visibility.
Manufacturing
Work-in-progress, tools, components, assets, reusable containers and production visibility.
Logistics
Tagged goods, containers, equipment, movements and suitable supply-chain workflows.
Asset Tracking
IT equipment, tools, machinery, test equipment and other tagged physical assets.
Asset Tracking Hardware →Healthcare
Suitable RFID applications can include equipment and asset identification within controlled workflows.
Field Operations
Identify suitable tagged equipment and reusable assets away from a fixed workstation.
Multi-Site Operations
Standardise RFID hardware across locations where inventory or asset processes need to be repeated consistently.
RFID or Barcode Scanning?
RFID does not automatically replace barcodes. Many businesses use both technologies because they solve different identification problems.
Barcode Scanning
A barcode is normally deliberately presented to the scanner. It is established, cost-effective and ideal for huge numbers of individual identification workflows.
Consider barcode when: items are easy to access, individual confirmation is useful and line-of-sight scanning is not a problem.
Warehouse Barcode Scanners →RFID
RFID uses radio-frequency communication with compatible tags and can identify tagged items without the same direct visual alignment required by conventional barcode scanning.
Consider RFID when: faster inventory capture, item finding, bulk reads or automated identification at known locations would improve the workflow.
RFID Read Range: Don't Buy on One Number
RFID reader specifications often quote impressive maximum ranges, but there is no single guaranteed RFID read distance.
The Tag
Different RFID tag designs and antenna characteristics can produce very different results.
Tag Placement
Where the tag is positioned on the product or asset can significantly affect performance.
The Environment
Shelving, machinery, walls and other surrounding objects can affect radio-frequency behaviour.
Reader Configuration
Reader power, antennas, software settings and orientation can all influence real-world performance.
For business-critical RFID deployments, test the intended reader and tags in the actual operating environment.
RFID Around Metal & Liquids
RFID performance can be affected by the materials surrounding the tag. Metal and liquids deserve particular attention when an RFID system is being designed.
Metal Assets
Tools, machinery, IT equipment and other metal assets may require tags specifically designed for use on or around metal and careful tag positioning.
Liquids
Products and containers containing significant amounts of liquid can affect UHF RFID behaviour and should be tested as part of the proposed application.
These environments do not automatically rule out RFID, but they make tag selection, positioning and real-world testing more important.
RFID Tags Matter as Much as the Reader
Buying a high-performance RFID reader does not compensate for using an unsuitable RFID tag.
What Is Being Tagged?
A cardboard carton, metal tool, garment and reusable plastic container can all have different tagging requirements.
Where Is the Tag?
Tag location and orientation can affect whether it can be read reliably in the intended workflow.
How Far Away?
The required read distance influences tag, reader and antenna selection.
What Environment?
Indoor warehouse, retail store, manufacturing line and outdoor yard applications can have very different requirements.
RFID Label Printing & Encoding
If your business needs to create its own RFID labels, an RFID-enabled printer can print text and barcodes while encoding compatible RFID inlays.
Add human-readable product, asset or logistics information to the label.
Barcode
Include a conventional barcode so the same label can support barcode and RFID workflows where appropriate.
Encode RFID
Write the required information to compatible RFID media using an appropriate RFID printer configuration.
Zebra's current RFID printing portfolio includes specialist configurations such as the ZT411 RFID for industrial RFID label printing.
RFID Reader Connectivity
How the RFID reader communicates with your existing systems is just as important as how quickly it reads tags.
Bluetooth
Common on handheld RFID devices that communicate with compatible mobile computers and tablets.
USB
Available on suitable readers for direct device or workstation connectivity.
Ethernet
Important for many fixed RFID installations connected to business network infrastructure.
Wi-Fi & Mobile
Available on appropriate mobile platforms where workers require wireless application access throughout the operation.
How to Choose an RFID Reader
Before comparing product prices, answer these questions about the application.
1. What Are You Reading?
Products, assets, pallets, containers, tools or another type of tagged item?
2. Which RFID Technology?
Confirm the RFID technology and tags already in use or proposed for the project.
3. Handheld or Fixed?
Does the employee move to the items, or do the items move through a known read point?
4. Required Range?
How close can the reader realistically get to the tagged items?
5. What Environment?
Retail, office, warehouse, factory, outdoor yard or another working environment?
6. Metal or Liquids?
Make these part of the evaluation from the beginning rather than after hardware has been purchased.
7. Which Software?
Establish which application will receive and process the RFID data.
8. Barcode Too?
Determine whether employees also need conventional 1D/2D barcode scanning in the same workflow.
Build the Complete RFID Solution
RFID projects often involve more than the reader itself.
RFID Readers
Handheld or fixed hardware for capturing compatible RFID tags.
RFID Tags
Tags appropriate for the item, environment and required read performance.
RFID Printers
Print and encode RFID labels where tags need to be created internally.
Antennas
Suitable antenna hardware for fixed RFID read zones and portals.
Mobile Computers
Enterprise devices for running inventory, warehouse and asset-management applications.
Barcode Scanners
Support products and processes that continue to use conventional barcodes.
Accessories
Batteries, charging equipment, cradles, cables and mounting hardware where required.
Software
The business application responsible for turning captured RFID data into a useful operational process.
Quick RFID Reader Guide
| Requirement | Hardware to Consider |
|---|---|
| Retail stocktaking | Zebra RFD40 or suitable handheld UHF RFID reader |
| General warehouse inventory | RFD40 or appropriate handheld RFID solution |
| Rugged industrial RFID | Zebra RFD90 family |
| Long-range handheld RFID | Zebra RFD9090 where its extended range suits the application |
| Honeywell mobile deployment | Honeywell IH45 |
| Dock door / portal | Fixed UHF RFID reader such as Zebra FX9600 plus suitable antennas and infrastructure |
| RFID + mobile apps + barcode | Integrated RFID mobile computer or compatible mobile computer + RFID sled |
| Print and encode RFID labels | RFID-enabled printer such as an appropriate Zebra ZT411 RFID configuration |
RFID Reader FAQs
What is an RFID reader?
An RFID reader communicates with compatible RFID tags using radio-frequency technology and passes captured tag information to the relevant system or application.
What's the difference between RFID and a barcode scanner?
Barcode scanning normally requires the printed code to be visible to the scanner. RFID can communicate with compatible tags without requiring the same direct visual alignment.
Can an RFID reader read multiple tags?
Suitable UHF RFID systems can capture multiple compatible tags rapidly, although actual performance depends on the reader, tags, environment and application.
How far can RFID read?
There is no universal RFID read distance. Reader hardware, tags, antennas, materials, positioning and the physical environment all influence real-world range.
Do I need a handheld or fixed reader?
Use handheld RFID where employees move around to count or locate items. Consider fixed RFID where tagged items move through known read points.
Can RFID work on metal?
Yes, but metal can affect RFID performance. Suitable tags designed for the application and careful placement may be required.
Can I use RFID and barcodes together?
Yes. Many businesses use both, selecting the identification technology that best fits each stage of the workflow.
Do I need RFID software?
The reader captures tag data, but an application normally needs to process that information for inventory, asset tracking or the wider business workflow.
Buy RFID Readers from Tek Direkt
Handheld RFID
RFID sleds and mobile reader hardware for inventory, asset and stock-management applications.
Fixed RFID
Reader hardware for suitable portals, dock doors, production areas and automated identification points.
RFID & Barcode
Source RFID alongside barcode scanners, mobile computers and label-printing hardware.
Business Pricing
Already know the reader you need? Send the exact manufacturer part number and quantity for another price to compare.
Need an RFID Reader?
If you already know the hardware required, send us the manufacturer part number and quantity.
If you're still choosing, tell us what you're tagging, whether the workflow is handheld or fixed, the required read range and the software being used.
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