A printer isn't a product you should have to think too much about. Once you've got it set up, you should just be able to rely on it to spit out documents, homework, party invitations, or photos whenever the need arises. Whether you've got simple needs or heavy needs from a printer, you really just need to do its thing without being too slow or constantly needing to have its ink replaced.
Fortunately, there are some really powerful and flexible printers on the market that are up to the task. From laser printers focused on quickly churning through massive black-and-white print demands to multifunction printers that can handle photography and documents alike. Some models even use multiple types of black ink for different purposes.
The point is, there's a printer for just about everything, and we'll help you find the printer that's just right for you. We've picked out a wide range of printers and included key specs like printing speeds, ink cartridge counts and types, as well as the resolution they can print and scan at. This way, you'll know just what you're in for.
TL;DR – These are the Best Home Printers:
- HP Envy Pro 6475
- HP Envy Pro 6455
- Epson Expression Photo XP-8600
- Canon Color imageCLASS LBP623Cdw
- Canon MAXIFY GX6020
- HP LaserJet Pro M404dn
- Epson SureColor T2170
- Canon Pixma TR150
1. HP Envy Pro 6475
Best Home Printer
The best home printer is something that's simple, effective, and capable of handling pretty much all your needs. The HP Envy Pro 6475 is just such a device. It's not the cheapest home printer, but it's ready for extensive printing, copying, scanning, and even faxing. And, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, you've got some handy, wireless methods for using this machine.
The printing on the HP Envy Pro 6475 is your standard inkjet variety, which is accurate and reliable if you don't leave the printer dormant too long. It can handle black and white prints at a decent clip of 10 ppm or even throw in some color with only a slight reduction in speed. At 1,200 DPI, you'll get detailed prints, and you can even use that clarity for photos. Copying and scanning are straightforward, and scanning is just as sharp as printing. If you need to do a large job on the printer, the 35-page auto document feeder will come in handy. And, you'll get free mobile faxing for two years using the HP Smart app.
2. HP Envy Pro 6455
Best Budget Printer
For a simple printer that'll cover all the essential features, the HP Envy Pro 6455 is a winner. This inkjet printer can handle your printing, scanning, copying, and faxing. With a design that combines all three colored inks into one cartridge, the focus is definitely document printing, but you can still print off clear graphics and even photos on HP's photo paper. It also supports a decent range of paper sizes from 3x5 inches up to 8.5x14 inches.
The HP Envy Pro 6455 isn't a printing beast, but it manages a respectable 10 pages per minute for black-only prints, so you can get through the 35-page auto document feeder fairly quickly. It can also scan at a reasonably high resolution. And, with Wi-Fi connectivity, it's easier to use for the wide variety of devices you might want to print from in the modern digital age.
3. Epson Expression Photo XP-8600
Best Inkjet Printer
For a straightforward inkjet printer that can get the job done, you need look no further than the Epson Expression Photo XP-8600. This lean printer can handle your documents and photos alike. It’s not the fastest at just 9.5 ppm (pages per minute) in black and 9 ppm in color, but it also isn’t overly expensive.
The Epson Expression Photo XP-8600 can hold 100 sheets of standard letter paper, letting you keep it stocked up for spur-of-the-moment prints. It can also churn out some larger photo prints, with up to 8 x 10-inch borderless photos. All of your prints can benefit from a little extra nuance in color, as the printer uses four typical CMYK ink cartridges as well as extra Light Cyan and Light Magenta cartridges. And, as you manage each print job, you’ll get to use a more modern touchscreen display to navigate instead of outdated buttons that can make it hard to work with.
4. Canon Color imageCLASS LBP623Cdw
Best Laser Printer
Speed is the name of the game with the Canon Color imageClass LBP623Cdw. This laser printer is the machine you’ll want if you’re going to be spitting out lengthy documents on the regular. It can churn out 22 pages of monochrome, letter-size documents every minute. With a 250-sheet paper tray and space in its output tray for 75-sheets, you’ve got solid printing capacity. It can even handle two-sided printing automatically, so you can give it a 150-page document, press print, and let it do all the work.
The Canon Color imageClass LBP623Cdw isn’t only doing black-and-white jobs, though. It can also print in color, and it conveniently uses separate toner cartridges for cyan, yellow, and magenta rather than a single cartridge for all three. This means you don’t need to waste toner when just one color runs low. With Wi-Fi connectivity and the ability to print pictures and PDFs directly from USB, the Canon Color imageClass LBP623Cdw also provides easy ways to get your printing done.
5. Canon MAXIFY GX6020
Best Home Office Printer
If you've got an office at home, odds are you're doing more printing than the regular family. You've got taxes to file, invoices to send, and likely more than a few financial records that it'd be worth having a hard copy of – and that's just the print you do. With all that printing, you won't want to settle for a small printer that needs to be re-filled frequently or that will cost a fortune in ink cartridge replacements every time one color gets low. The Canon Maxify GX6020 is a home office champion, and though it costs a pretty penny up front, it can make up for it in the long run.
The Canon Maxify GX6020 is a beast. It can print with speeds that rival some laser printers, and its color printing speeds even exceed the black printing speeds of other inkjet printers. With high-yield ink, it can also print out 6,000 monochrome or 14,000 color prints before needing more ink. And, refilling is simple thanks to refillable ink tanks in place of the common cartridges. Between the 230-sheet bottom cassette and 100-sheet rear tray, it's easy to keep this printer fed with paper for large print jobs, and a 50-sheet ADF takes the work out of scanning and copying lengthy documents.
6. HP LaserJet Pro M404dn
Best High-Output Printer
If you’re one of those people who never has a major need to print color, then the HP LaserJet Pro M404dn is worth it for you. It’s yet another laser printer and arguably the fastest one on this list. It’s pretty simple too. There is one toner cartridge and it’s black. You can print with it connected to your computer or you can use AirPrint or CloudPrint (though the latter will be going away by the end of 2020). Quite honestly, those are your best bets as it’s otherwise got a fairly old USB port connectivity option.
7. Epson SureColor T2170
Best High-End Photo Printer
A lot of home printers are only cut out for small jobs. Letter-size paper is all well and good for documents and the occasional photo, but the Epson SureColor T2170 can go so much larger. This printer is capable of printing out 11 x 17-inch sheets from its auto sheet feeder, but that's just a start. It can actually print on paper up to 24 inches wide, and that paper can be about as long as you want it. That's because the Epson SureColor T2170 supports paper rolls. So you can print some serious landscapes.
It wouldn't mean too much if the print quality was off, but this is a high-end inkjet printer that should have no trouble making your photos shine with Epson's UltraChrome XD2 ink. The system uses four separate ink cartridges as well, and it can support 80mL black cartridges and 50mL color cartridges.
8. Canon Pixma TR150
Best Portable Printer
Your home printer doesn't have to live strictly at home. The Canon Pixma TR150 is compact and lightweight, making it far more portable than your typical printer. Weighing in at a little under five pounds, it doesn't weigh much more than laptop, and it won't take up much more space than a large textbook.
Despite its compact nature, you're still getting the functionality you'd expect out of a quality printer. the Pixma TR150 can print in both color and monochrome, and it can support up to Legal paper size and has room for 50 sheets of paper in its rear tray. It's printing resolution also matches that of many other home printers. You do miss out on copying, scanning, and faxing, but Canon has at least included support for wireless printing, so you can leave the USB cables at home. You can leave the power cable at home as well if you pick up the optional battery, which will give you power for up to 330 prints.
What to Look For in a Home Printer
When you’re looking for a printer, you should really ask yourself about what features you’re going to need. Some printers are better for home business owners while others make more sense for families.
Laser printers are usually best for the folks who mostly print text documents and don’t have any major reason to print in color. So an accountant printing tax documents have a bigger need for a laser printer than a Real Estate agent for example.
Realtors prefer to put color photos to accompany their listings in the window of their offices to attract those who don’t spend their money on avocado toast. For that reason, Realty companies could make the most of an inkjet printer. Plus, there are lots of connectivity options.
The cool thing about modern printers is that printer manufacturers realize folks are printing less and less across the board. This goes for both the photo space and the work environment. So while the market has been shrinking, printer manufacturers are trying their damndest to get you to buy their products. There’s a lot of innovation happening right now and the consumer ultimately benefits from the strongest surviving options.
Chris Gampat is a level 75 Author Bard with over a decade of experience. Most of his focus has been on tech, photography and men's lifestyle. He eats nutella from the jar like a real grown up.
Mark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
