A printer isn't a product you should have to think too much about. Once you've got it set up, you just want a reliable device that spits 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 it 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. Maybe, you’ve got a little office setup that requires an all-in-one situation that copies, scans, and faxes, too.
The point is, there's a printer for just about everything, and we'll help you find the one that's just right for you. We've picked out a wide range of printers and were sure to include key specs, like printing speeds, ink cartridge counts, and resolution. This way, you'll know just what you're in for. Take a look at our favorites below.
TL;DR – These are the Best Home Printers:
- HP Envy Inspire 7955e
- HP Envy 6455e
- Epson Expression Photo XP-8700
- Canon Color imageCLASS MF745Cdw
- Canon MAXIFY GX7020
- HP Laserjet Enterprise MFP M430f
- Epson SureColor T3170
- Canon Pixma TR150
HP Envy Inspire 7955e
Best Home Printer
The best home printer is simple, effective, and capable of handling pretty much all your printing needs. The HP Envy Inspire 7955e is just such a device. Sure, it's not the cheapest home printer, but it's still relatively affordable and ready for extensive printing, copying, and scanning. It recommends 300 to 400 pages per month, which should be plenty for a home office. After the printer is set up, it connects to your devices via Wi-Fi or USB cable, and you get mobile printing through the HP Smart App. Unfortunately, you can’t print from a USB drive or SD card. But you've still got some handy methods for utilizing the machine, making it perfect for the whole family. The Smart App can also do a whole lot more, like printing from or scanning to cloud storage sites and using your phone as a scanner.
The printing on the HP Envy Inspire 7955e is your standard inkjet variety, which is accurate and reliable. But it uses only two ink cartridges, so you’ll often find yourself tossing valuable ink in the tri-color cartridge. Your black and white pages print at a decent clip of 15 ppm, or you can throw in some color with a slight reduction in speed at ten ppm. At 1,200 DPI, you'll get detailed prints, and you can even use that clarity for photos, which you can print in a variety of sizes. Copying and scanning are straightforward, with the scanning being just as sharp as the printing. If you need to do a large job on the printer, the 35-page auto document feeder and two-sided printing will come in handy.
HP Envy 6455e
Best Budget Printer
Sometimes you just want a quality printer that covers all the essentials — copying, scanning, faxing, and of course, printing. That’s where the HP Envy Pro 6455e comes into play, and it’s not going to break the bank either, coming in under $200. This inkjet printer is easy to get started using and can handle all the tasks you throw its way. The dual-band Wi-Fi or Bluetooth support means you can wirelessly print from almost any smart device in your home. And for an interruption-free wired connection, you can always use the USB 2.0 port.
Once connected, you’ll find the HP Envy Pro 6455e manages a respectable 10ppm for black-only prints or seven for color. Now, its focus is definitely on document printing, but you can still print off decent photos thanks to the 1,200 DPI. You can even scan at a reasonably high resolution. Now, this printer totes a two ink cartridge design, combining all three colored inks into one cartridge with a separate black cartridge. This does mean you might end up wasting some of that all too precious ink, though HP offers an Instant Ink subscription to lower running costs. Overall, this is no printing beast, but it’s perfect as an all-in-one option for a home with light printing needs.
Epson Expression Photo XP-8700
Best Inkjet Printer
For a straightforward inkjet printer that gets the job done well, you need to snag the Epson Expression Photo XP-8700. This printer can handle all of your documents, and it’s especially ready to output some quality photos. It can even handle some larger photo prints. All of these prints will benefit from the extra nuances in color, as it uses the four typical CMYK ink cartridges as well as extra Light Cyan and Light Magenta. Also, by using these types of cartridges, you’ll be wasting less ink and saving money in the long run. Churning out print jobs at 9.5 pages per minute in black and 9 pages per minute in color, this machine may not be the fastest, but it’s relatively inexpensive.
Managing each print job on the Epson Expression Photo XP-8700 is a breeze. You get to use a convenient touchscreen display for navigating instead of outdated buttons. There are even separate trays for photo or specialty papers. And, it easily connects to most of your devices wirelessly via Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, or a USB port is available for a wired option. However, for an added convenience, you can also print documents from and scan documents to a USB flash drive or SD card directly on the printer itself.
Canon Color imageCLASS MF745Cdw
Best Laser Printer
At-home printing is essential in this day n’ age, especially if you work remotely and can’t sneak the occasional personal print job at the office. The Canon Color imageCLASS MF745Cdw is the best contender to rival those speedy laser printers used in offices while still hitting a more affordable price point. This printer can handle a hefty workload—spitting out 28 pages per minute from its 300-page capacity paper tray and 75-page output tray. You can even print double-sided, so there’s no need to feed the paper back in if you need something front and back. Just note that you lose out on resolution with that extra speed, so it’s best for documents over photos and graphics.
Inside the Canon Color imageCLASS MF745Cdw, you’ll find one black toner cartridge, and given the name of this printer, three cartridges of the glorious colors of the rainbow. Best of all, if one runs low, you only have to replace that one, as they’re all separate cartridges. Ink is expensive, so that's a definite perk. To put that ink to good use, you can connect over Wi-Fi to print, and the printer can create its own hotspot, making it even easier. There is always a wired option, too. Of course, this highly capable printer can scan, copy, and fax, with all that being relatively simple thanks to the 5-inch color touch screen giving you access to an application library.
Canon MAXIFY GX7020
Best Home Office Printer
If you've got a full-on office at home, odds are you're doing more printing than the average 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. With all that printing, you don’t want to settle for a small printer. That’s where the Canon MAXIFY GX7020 steps in. It’s a true home office champion, and though it costs a pretty penny up front, it’s an investment that will pay for itself in the long run. Once connected via Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or USB, you can print, scan, and copy to your heart's content.
This inkjet printer is a beast with speeds that rival some laser printers. We’re talking 24 ppm in black and 15.5 ppm for color, so you’ll no longer be waiting eons for your large docs to print. Between the dual 250-sheet bottom cassettes and 100-sheet rear tray, it's easy to keep this printer fed with paper for your large print jobs. There’s even a 50-sheet auto document feeder to take the work out of scanning and copying lengthy documents. Plus, you won’t feel guilty about your bigger print jobs, as the high-yield ink is more cost-efficient. You can print out 6,000 monochrome or 14,000 color pages before needing more ink. And, refilling is simple thanks to easy to view ink levels and refillable tanks in place of common cartridges.
HP Laserjet Enterprise MFP M430f
Best High-Output Printer
Do you find you’re often only printing off loads of basic documents without any need for color prints? Then, the HP Laserjet Enterprise MFP M430f is for you. This laser printer is the speediest on the list, spitting out 40 ppm in black and white. Those pages a fed from a 50-page auto document feeder and two input trays, one with a 100-page capacity and the other with a 250-page capacity, while a 150-page output bin keeps those duplex prints safe.
All that speediness and high volume potential come at a cost; there’s only one toner cartridge, and it’s black. But if you’re cool with only monochrome prints, this printer is perfect for a small office or a home with heavy printing needs. The machine even comes with a 4.3-inch color touchscreen, making it easy to fax, scan, copy, and check system vitals. Plus, printing from various devices is made simple using either a USB or ethernet, or you can opt for wireless printing via HP ePrint, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria.
Epson SureColor T3170
Best High-End Photo Printer
When it comes to printing photos, most at-home printers just don’t cut it, as the the quality always seems to be off. But with the Epson SureColor T3170, your photos are sure to shine. This high-end inkjet printer uses Epson's UltraChrome XD2 ink for brilliant color and crisp lines. This system utlizes four separate ink cartridges, so you can get better precision, save money, and waste less when one color gets low, which shouldn’t be often, as they are high capacity—80ML for black and 50ML for color. Thanks to the ink and PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead, all your pictures and documents will be on point, toting a 2,400 DPI resolution.
Now, the Epson SureColor T3170 prints out a whole lot more than smaller photos and documents. It can actually deliver 11 x 17-inch sheets from its auto sheet feeder, but that's just a start. This machine even prints on paper up to 24 inches wide, and that paper can be as long as you want because the printer supports paper rolls. Epson makes it simple to do all of this as well with a 4.3-inch color LCD screen and support for wireless printing and Wi-Fi direct—you get an ethernet or USB for a wired connection.
Canon Pixma TR150
Best Portable Printer
Just because it’s a home printer doesn't mean it needs to live exclusively 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’s only slightly heavier than a laptop, and it won't take up much more space than a large textbook. You can also leave the USB cord at home with the support of wireless printing. Heck, leave the power cord behind, too. If you pick up the optional battery, it gives you power for up to 330 prints.
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, at a resectable 9ppm in black and 5.5 ppm in color. With support for up to Legal paper size, most print jobs will be covered, and the rear tray even has room for 50 sheets of paper. Beyond that, you get a printing resolution that matches many other home printers at 1,200 DPI.
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.
Inkjet printers work best for people looking to print off loads of images and graphics with high resolutions. These also tote color, and many come with the ability to scan, copy, and fax. 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.
Danielle Abraham is a freelance writer and unpaid music historian.
