A corded scanner will thether the worker to the workstation for the duration of use., whereas a cordless scanner allows the user to roam up to a 50 feet radius, by transmitting the scanned information to its cradle, via Bluetooth or wireless, which in turn is connected directly to the workstation.
When choosing a scanner it is important to know if your employees will need to scan on the go or if they will just be doing all their scanning from a fixed point.