The 9 Best Home Printers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
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After testing 25 home printers, these are our favorites
The Spruce / Henry Wortock
When you need to quickly print documents, photos, or concert tickets, or perhaps scan documents to share digitally, a home printer can simplify the task and deliver high-quality results. But the best option for one home office isn’t necessarily the right printer for other scenarios, which is why we tested a wide range of models on the market. “People's needs will vary,” says Carl Prouty, the resident technologist for ABT Electronics, so it’s important to focus on the specific features you need when you're setting out to purchase a personal printer.
Beyond finding an option that can print clearly and reliably, there are some other printer perks that could make a big difference in your everyday routine. According to Prouty, “Some useful features to look for include: NFC (near field communication) that allows you to tap your phone to the printer to print a document, a scanning function, duplex printing (the ability to print on both sides of a page), and if you print a lot, a large ink capacity.” Wi-Fi Direct is another feature that lets you send documents directly from your phone, and printers that are compatible with ink subscription services can help reduce costs if your print volume is exceptionally high.
In The Lab, we tested 25 printers from all the top manufacturers, examining each model’s ease of setup and use, print speed and quality, and other key features like document scanning and cloud printing. We also took ten of those printers home to see how they hold up to real-world use. Once our testing was complete, we compiled this list of well-performing models so you can find the best home printer for you.
HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e All-in-One Printer
Best Overall
What We Like
High overall print quality
Fast printing and scanning
Excellent page-per-cartridge yields
What We Don’t Like
Capacity of automatic document feeder could be bigger
No near field communication support
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e Wireless Color All-in-One does it all, and does it well, which is why it’s easily our top recommendation for the best home printer. In testing, we found that it offers speedy printing and high-quality results, and it boasts both an automatic document feeder, flatbed scanner, and two huge paper trays. It’s also surprisingly inexpensive to operate due to excellent page-per-cartridge yields, with an option to sign up for HP’s Instant Ink plan to drive those costs down even further if your print volume warrants signing up for such a service.
This all-in-one inkjet is a mild upgrade over its predecessor that came out a few years ago, the OfficeJet Pro 9025, with the main difference being that it’s compatible with the HP+ service. The 9025 is also a great printer, but opting into HP+ while setting up this model doubles the warranty length and scores you six months of free ink. This kind of service isn’t for everyone, but it’s a good option if you go through a lot of ink. For instance, if you work from home or have a home-based business that calls for a lot of printing, this printer can help keep down the ongoing costs of operation.
The OfficeJet Pro 9025e offers great print speeds for an inkjet. During our testing process, we found that it churned through our ten-page monochrome test document in one minute and 19 seconds, and HP reports that it tops out at a blazing 24 pages per minute in ideal conditions. Printed documents come out crisp and clean without any fuzziness or distortion, and it also handles photo prints very well. Our test photos turned out a bit dark, but the contrast was excellent, color reproduction was good, and the photos didn’t smudge at all.
This is a physically large printer, so it demands a space of its own. It takes up a bit too much real estate for most home office desks, but in return it offers some nice features. Our testing found the flatbed scanner turned in excellent quality scans, even when scanning a bulky book. The automatic document feeder (ADF) only holds 35 pages, but it’s capable of auto-duplexing, or scanning both sides of the page, on a single pass through the scanner. That saves both time and effort, as you can set a stack of papers to copy or scan and walk away while the printer does all the work. One minor drawback is that this model doesn’t feature near field communication (NFC), which would allow you to print documents located on your phone by simply touching your phone to an NFC tag located on the printer.
If you’re looking for a powerful all-in-one home printer that handles all of your daily printing, scanning, and copying needs, the OfficeJet Pro 9025e is more than equal to the task. This printer has the specs to run in a small office environment, so it’s also a solid option if you work from home or even if you’re looking for a printer for a shared workspace.
Price at time of publish: $400
Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes
Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer
Best Budget
What We Like
Affordable per-print costs
Decent photo print quality
Fast scanning and color copies
What We Don’t Like
Slow printing
Duplex printing is even slower
Lower print quality when duplexing
Flatbed scanner only; no automatic document feeder
A great budget printer needs to tick a few boxes in terms of quality and features, so simply sporting an affordable price tag won’t cut it. The Canon Pixma MG3620 has that attractive price tag, of course, but it’s also a very competent little all-in-one inkjet printer that can duplex print, print both color documents and photos, scan, and make copies. It also has wireless connectivity that lets you print from your computer or the well-designed mobile app. With all of that functionality, we were astounded that Canon doesn’t charge more for this model.
This is a feature-packed budget printer, which means it can do a little of everything, but it isn’t necessarily the best in every way. One area where this printer struggles is speed, and it actually took about five minutes to print our ten-page test document. Print quality is excellent though, with crisp text and graphics. It also handles printing pretty well, but it only has one paper tray. That means you can’t stock it with both photo paper and standard paper, and you have to manually swap in your glossy photo stock whenever it’s time to run off a few photos. It also lacks an automatic document feeder for effortless scanning, but it does have a flatbed scanner that lets you scan books and other bulky items in addition to single page documents and forms.
Price at time of publish: $80
Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes
Canon Pixma TR4720
Best for Photos
What We Like
Excellent photo print quality
Supports auto-duplex printing
Automatic document feeder and flatbed scanning
What We Don’t Like
Prints slowly
Expensive operation
No SD card or USB drive support
Manual-duplex scanning only
The Canon PIXMA TR4720 is an all-in-one printer that excels at the task of printing photos, which makes it the ideal option if that’s your main goal. In our testing, we observed that printing photos was a bit slow, taking a little over one minute to print our test photo, but the results were undeniably phenomenal. Monochrome and color documents looked great in our tests as well, with colors coming through bright and bold on standard paper, and text appearing crisp and legible. With a small display and a large physical keypad, the control panel design feels dated—still, we found that everything was clearly marked and easy to understand. It also supports Canon’s mobile app, so you can use that if you prefer a more visual interface.
This isn’t just a photo printer, as it also includes a flatbed scanner and an automatic document feeder. The automatic document feeder only supports manual duplex scanning, which means you need to feed each page in manually if you want to scan both sides, but you can scan a whole stack hands-off if you only need to scan one side. Scan quality was decent enough in our tests, but scanned text wasn’t always crystal clear. Photo scans came through better, without much loss in detail or color depth.
Price at time of publish: $100
Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: No | Wireless: Yes
HP DeskJet 3755 Compact All-in-One Printer
Best Basic
What We Like
Compact design
Good photo quality
Mobile printing works well
What We Don’t Like
Expensive to operate
Prints slowly
Must manually feed paper when scanning and copying
The HP DeskJet 3755 is a compact little all-in-one that gets all the basics right without overloading on features that not everyone needs out of a home printer. This color inkjet printer produces crisp monochrome documents and colorful photo prints, copies, and scans, all in a remarkably small footprint. It doesn’t perfectly duplicate all of the functionality of a bigger, more expensive all-in-one, but it has everything you’ll need for basic printing and scanning jobs. We loved the compact size, noting that it’s perfect for small home offices, dorm rooms, bedrooms, and anywhere that space is at a premium.
This isn’t the fastest printer, as it took over five minutes to print out our ten-page test document, but text comes out clear and legible. We also noted that photos came out a bit wet and prone to smearing, but they looked fantastic if left to dry after printing. Another quirk is that while this all-in-one can scan and copy, it doesn’t have an automatic document feeder or a flatbed scanner. Instead, it has a single-page document feeder on the top. That means you have to feed each page manually when scanning or copying, and you can’t scan things like books and other bulky items. It does support both wireless scanning and printing though, including through the mobile app.
Price at time of publish: $105
Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes
Canon TR8620a All-in-One Printer
Best for Home Office
What We Like
Good document and photo print quality
Two paper trays
Automatic document feeder and flatbed scanner
Supports printing from SD cards
What We Don’t Like
Print speed isn’t the best
Automatic document feeder can’t auto-duplex
Expensive to operate
A good home office printer needs to duplicate a lot of the functionality that you’d typically have access to in a professional office or shared workspace—and, based on our thorough testing, the Canon Pixma TR8620a is our recommendation for the work-from-home set. This all-in-one model offers excellent print quality, impressive print speeds, an automatic document feeder and flatbed scanner, and two paper trays so you can load up two different kinds of paper at once. It’s also rated for a 10,000 page per month duty cycle, which is great for most home office settings.
The Pixma TR8620a turned in solid print speeds during our testing, with our ten-page test document taking less than one minute to print. Photos came out a whole lot slower, at about two minutes each, but that’s less of a concern unless you’re in the business of printing photos. Print quality is excellent for both monochrome documents and photos, and we found that photos in particular came out looking just as good as professional prints. The scanner also turned out good results in our tests, with good text reproduction, although it is important to note that the automatic document feeder only supports manual duplexing. That means you can scan double sided documents, but you need to feed them in one at a time and flip them over to scan both sides.
Price at time of publish: $200
Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes
HP Envy Inspire 7955e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer
Best Value
What We Like
Good print quality
Photo prints look decent
Includes automatic document feeder and flatbed scanner
Decent operating costs with Instant Ink
What We Don’t Like
Slow printing speeds
Can’t print from external storage
Expensive operation without Instant Ink
When looking at the value proposition of a home printer, it should include a lot of great features at a price that beats the competition. The HP Envy Inspire 7955e fits the bill there, as this highly competent all-in-one offers good print quality in both monochrome and color, includes both a flatbed scanner and an automatic document feeder, and pretty attractive operating costs if you opt for an HP Instant Ink subscription. It’s also exceptionally easy to set up, and we had it up and running faster than any of the other printers we tested in The Lab thanks to its big display and simple instructions. “Printers with touch screens built in are typically easier to set up,” says Carl Prouty of Abt Electronics. “In most cases, the instructions will be right on the printer screen rather than having to find them on your computer. The HP Envy Inspire 7955e, for example, is the easiest printer to set up that we carry.”
This is a big printer, which is to be expected out of an all-in-one with this many features. It’s also a little on the slow side, as we found during testing that it took one minute and 45 seconds to churn out our ten-page test document, and about the same amount of time to print a single photo on glossy stock. Overall print quality is excellent though, with crisp blacks and vibrant colors. Copies also come out legible and high quality, although we did note that color scans turned out a bit muted compared to the originals.
Price at time of publish: $270
Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes
Epson Expression Home XP-4100 Small-in-One Printer
Best Connectivity
What We Like
Supports USB, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct
Good print quality
Convenient color display
Borderless printing
What We Don’t Like
Expensive to operate
No automatic document feeder
No SD card or USB drive support
If your ideal printer needs to support the whole gamut of connectivity options, the Epson Expression Home XP-4100 has you covered. What impressed us in our testing was that this printer allows you to connect in three different ways, including USB for single computer connections, Wi-Fi for printing from any device on your local network, and Wi-Fi Direct for direct wireless printing. These connectivity options let you print from a laptop or desktop via a wired connection, print over your home network from any network-connected device, or print straight from your Wi-Fi Direct enabled phone or tablet with no network connection needed. It also supports Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, and Epson Connect, which lets you print via email along with a variety of other options.
The XP-4100 was a bit of a headache to set up during our testing process, because it needed a firmware update right out of the box. Once it was set up, though, it performed flawlessly in terms of print quality. Monochrome prints turned out nice and crisp, though it did exhibit some color accuracy issues when printing photos on glossy photo stock, with browns appearing a bit red. It doesn’t have an automatic document feeder, but we did note that the flatbed scanner was remarkably quiet during operating.
Price at time of publish: $115
Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes
HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw
Best Color
What We Like
Prints sharp, colorful graphics
Easily prints on both sides of paper
Good printing speed
Low cost monochrome printing
Dual band wireless and wired Ethernet
What We Don’t Like
Photo printing quality isn’t the best
Small paper tray capacity
Doesn’t have a scanner
Home office users in need of a reliable color printer need look no further than the HP Color LaserJet Pro M244dw. This single function printer is super fast without sacrificing quality, turning in sharp, colorful graphics alongside crisp, legible text. It’s also capable of printing photos, but it’s much better at handling color documents on standard printer paper. The networking features included with this printer are top notch. It includes an Ethernet port for establishing an optional wired network connection, and it also supports dual band Wi-Fi for circumstances where plugging directly into the router isn’t viable.
One thing that makes this a great color printer for home office use is the automatic duplex feature. That allows it to print on both sides of the paper, which is extremely useful when printing things like flyers. Color charts and other graphics come out bold and dark, perfectly suitable for brochures, hand-outs, and reports. We did notice that the paper tray is a bit on the small side during testing though, which could be a source of annoyance if you have a lot of especially big printing jobs. Color photos printed on glossy photo paper come out well enough, if viewed from a distance, but the results are more middling when inspected up close. The quality isn’t as good as a dedicated photo printer, but the results are decent enough. Since it’s a single-function model, it doesn’t have an on-board scanner or copying—but you do have the option of scanning documents using your phone and sending them to the printer to print.
Price at time of publish: $399
Type: Single function | Technology: Laser | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes
Brother HLL2350DW Monochrome Compact Laser Printer
Best Monochrome
What We Like
Fast printing speeds
Reliable printing quality
Low operating costs
Small profile
What We Don’t Like
No Ethernet port, SD card, or USB drive support
Tiny display screen
Doesn’t have a scanner
The Brother HL-L2350DW is a monochrome laser printer that prints fast without sacrificing quality. It also offers exceptionally low operating costs due to how many pages you can get out of one toner cartridge, and Brother offers a subscription service to further drive down operating costs. It supports automatic duplexing for printing on both sides of the page, includes a USB connection for hooking up to a single computer, and also supports Wi-Fi for wireless printing. All of those factors help make this printer the ideal choice for anyone who needs to print black and white documents, and doesn’t require color printing, scanning, or any other additional functionality.
This is a single function printer, but it performs that single function exceptionally well. It turned in excellent print times and quality in The Lab, churning through our ten-page test document in just 32 seconds. We found the print quality to be sharp and clean, even when printing on both sides of the page. It doesn’t have an Ethernet port, you can’t print directly from an SD card or USB drive, and the display screen is quite small, but that allows it to have an exceptionally small profile, and our testing team loved how compact it is. It doesn’t feature a built-in scanner but, unlike a lot of other printers, this one is really small enough to fit on most desks.
Price at time of publish: $150
Type: Single function | Technology: Laser | Color: No | Wireless: Yes
We found that the best printer for most scenarios is the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e. It has lightning fast printing speeds without sacrificing quality, a huge paper tray, and excellent print yields, which makes it quite affordable to operate. If you’re looking to save some cash up front, our “best budget” pick is the Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer, which clocks in at under $100. This all-in-one printer can reliably print, scan, and copy documents, but it skips out on perks like an automatic document feeder, which can make scanning multiple pages easier.
How We Tested the Home Printers
The Spruce tested 25 home printers in The Lab, following a thorough testing methodology. We observed how easy it was to unbox and set up the printer, using a timer to measure how long it took to install printer cartridges, load paper into the tray, print an alignment page, and connect to Wi-Fi, if applicable.
Next, we tested each model’s effectiveness and speed when printing single documents, multiple pages, and photos. We evaluated the print quality on both plain paper and photo paper. For printers equipped with a scanner, we scanned single and multi-page documents, then a single page from a book to see how well the printer could accommodate a spine. For printers with a copier, we compared the quality of the copied document with the original. For models equipped with phone-to-printer technology, we tested how intuitive it was to print a sample document from a phone using Bluetooth. For models equipped with smart features, we walked through the process of scanning a single document page and choosing Google Drive as the destination for the file.
Throughout our testing, we evaluated the design of each printer, noting if the paper tray and controls were easy to access and read, and if the included power cord or cables were an appropriate length. We also noted the ease of use of the digital display or control pad, determining whether the controls were easy to view and navigate or if we had to refer to the manual to troubleshoot issues. We tested each printer’s ability to resolve errors by emptying the paper tray before attempting to print a document. Finally, we took out the ink or toner cartridge from each printer and evaluated how easy it was to remove and replace.
At the end of the testing process, we gave each printer a value rating by comparing its price and available features to the median average price of and features offered by all the printers we tested.
The Spruce / Henry Wortock
What to Look for in a Home Printer
Type
Finding the right home printer is a big part of setting up a workable home office, and the top option for you will depend heavily on how you plan to use your printer. The two main types of printers are single function and all-in-one. Single function printers don’t do anything but print, so they’re good if that’s all you need to do. If you also need to scan and copy documents from time to time, then you will need an all-in-one printer. Our “best for home offices” recommendation, the Canon TR8620a, is an all-in-one option that features an automatic document feeder, flatbed scanner, auto duplex printing, and even includes FAX functionality, because home office users typically require those features.
Printer Size
Printers range in size from portable models and small desktop units to bulky, heavy office printers. Size isn’t always a huge concern, unless you’re specifically looking for a mobile printer, because most people set up their printer and then just leave it in place without ever moving it around. If you have space constraints, or there’s a very specific place in your home office where you plan to put your printer, size will be a bigger consideration. Single function printers tend to be smaller than all-in-ones, and all-in-one printers with automatic document feeders and multiple paper trays tend to have the largest footprints.
Print Speed
According to Carl Prouty, “Laser printers typically print faster than inkjet models, but unless you're printing out an abundance of pages the speed won't be much of a factor.” Home printers can put out anywhere from about three pages per minute to a blistering 30 pages per minute or more, but even printers at the low end of that range are fine for home use. “Any printer you purchase now will print relatively quickly,” says Prouty.
If you have a fairly large print volume to handle on a daily basis, or you often print very long documents, you may want to pick a printer that’s on the faster side. Our “best connectivity” pick, the Epson Expression Home XP-4100, performed very well in our print speed tests if you’re looking for an especially fast printer. It ran through a ten-page test document in 21 seconds, which works out to about 28 pages per minute.
Intended Use
One of the most important considerations when buying a printer is what you plan on using the printer for. If you only need to print basic documents every once in a while, then an inexpensive black and white inkjet will do the job. If you’re printing every day and your print jobs are pretty big, then you’ll appreciate the speed of a laser printer. If you scan or copy a lot of documents in addition to printing, then you’ll want to select an all-in-one that has a duplexing automatic document feeder. If you need to print photos, then look for a full bleed color printer that can print all the way to the edge of your photo paper instead of leaving a big border.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is better: an inkjet or laser printer?
Inkjet and laser printers each have their own benefits and drawbacks. Laser printers print faster, but they also tend to be more expensive. Inkjet printers are typically more affordable and can offer excellent document and photo print quality, but the ink can be expensive. “Consider a laser printer if you're only using the printer occasionally,” recommends Prouty. “You don't need to worry about ink drying up, they print quickly, and although they may cost a bit more upfront, they tend to last longer and will normally have a lower operating cost per page.”
How many years should a printer last?
Factors like build quality, how much it gets used, and how well it’s maintained all impact the longevity of a printer. According to Carl Prouty, “Printers can last several years as long as they're maintained well.”
Prouty elaborates that, “In a typical home setting you should expect to get 4-5 years of use out of them.” He also offers some advice that can help you keep your printer running as long as possible. “Many times a problem can be fixed by simply replacing the toner or ink cartridge, cleaning the printer's head contacts, or blowing the dust out of the printer using canned air or a blow dryer.”
Does a wireless printer have to be plugged into the router?
Wireless printers don’t have to be plugged into a router, because they connect via Wi-Fi. That does mean you need a wireless router though. That said, you may want to consider using a wired connection whenever possible. While Wi-Fi is more convenient, it’s also more prone to connection errors.
According to Prouty, “A wired connection is more stable as it's not as susceptible to interference from other wireless devices.” Some wireless printers do have features, like self-healing Wi-Fi, that help fix printing errors that can occur due to wireless interference, but wired connections will always be more reliable.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Jeremy Laukkonen, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce. Laukkonen has tested and reviewed dozens of printers over the years, with his reviews of printers and other electronics appearing in outlets like Lifewire and Digital Trends in addition to The Spruce.
For this piece, Laukkonen analyzed firsthand insights from our team of product testers, who evaluated the printers both in The Lab and at home. Laukkonen also performed in-depth research of key features, printing speeds and qualities, connectivity, and other capabilities, and interviewed Carl Prouty, resident technologist at Abt Electronics, for his expert insights on the subject.
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