Scanners are explicitly made for use in mind. Some are long range. Some are short range, middle range, etc. It certainly is not the case that dearer scanner is the best one for you to use in all circumstances.
I have seen scanners that can read a bar code as close as few centimetres away and some that need at least 300 cm to scan the same barcode.
So when you are ordering a scanner, you need to specify to the seller (like us) exactly how far away a typical barcode will be read.
What I suggest you do is make a fist with your hand, grasping a long ruler at the 10 cm line and imagine that this 10 cm point is the barcode len. Now with the other hand put some typical items and measure out what to you is a convenient distance to read the barcode. This is what this new scanner will need to scan a barcode. It is not an advantage to have too much range as what you tend to get then is misreading from other barcodes that are nearby.
If you require some long range scanners, then it is not as simple as a ruler. This video will show you how to measure the distance.
Then tell us the range you require.
Otherwise, there can be problems.
