If you're looking to improve the quality and speed of your printing, one of the best laser printers may be a good option. Laser printers are a long-time staple in the workplace and classroom since they’re reliable, fast, and cost-effective. This makes them an excellent choice for a home office as well, especially for those who do a lot of document printing.
Laser printers generally outperform inkjet printers when it comes to speed, dependability, and text print quality. They can turn out pages of crisp text in minutes, although they tend to fall behind when it comes to photo printing. If you mainly print text documents like paper drafts, contracts, or worksheets, a good laser printer is an excellent addition to your office setup.
While laser printers tend to have a higher upfront cost, they’re often more cost-friendly than inkjet printers in the long run. With faster print speeds and a lower cost per page than inkjet printers, they’re a worthwhile investment if you spend a lot of time printing. The best laser printer options ahead are reliable, easy to use, and provide excellent print quality. We’ve included budget-friendly print-only picks for printing documents and feature-filled printers for printing, scanning, copying, and faxing so you can find the best pick for your home office.
– Best Overall: HP LaserJet Pro M227fdw – Best Monochrome: Brother MFCL2740DW Wireless Monochrome Printer – Best All-in-One: HP Color LaserJet Pro M283fdw – Best Budget: Canon ImageCLASS MF236n All in One – Best Eco-Friendly: HP Neverstop 1001nw Mono Laser Printer
Printers are notoriously frustrating, but the best laser printers can make printing easier. We researched over 20 printer models to find our top picks, keeping printer performance, user-friendliness, and price in mind. We rated printers based on the following criteria:
Type: To suit different shoppers and budgets, we included a variety of laser printer types, ranging from basic monochrome options to robust, multifunction color printers. We prioritized economical all-in-one printers, since many shoppers prefer a compact printing workhorse that can handle all their office needs.
User-Friendly Features: A finicky printer can negatively affect your productivity and your mood. Ease-of-use was our top priority, so we only included printers with user-friendly operation, backed by good consumer reviews. We considered the printer interface, connection options, and a number of additional features like fast print speeds, duplex printing, auto-document feeding, and convenient touchscreen interfaces. We also included an option with refillable toner cartridges for shoppers looking to reduce waste.
Connectivity: Long gone are the days of rummaging for the printer USB cable. The printers on this list include a range of connectivity options (the more, the better) so you can print from more devices.
Why It Made The Cut: With the ability to monochrome duplex print, scan, copy, and fax, this cost-friendly printer can tackle most work and personal printing needs.
Specs: – Output: Monochrome – Print Speed: 30 PPM – Paper Capacity: 260 sheets
Pros: – All-in-one capabilities – Excellent print quality – Automatic duplex printing
A multifunction printer is a smart choice for many homes and workspaces. The HP LaserJet Pro M227fdw fits a lot of features into a relatively compact and economical printer. Along with monochrome printing, this printer has a scanner, copier, and fax machine built in.
Users can connect to the printer wirelessly using WiFi, AirPrint, or the HP ePrint app. You can use WiFi Direct or NFC (near-field communication) touch-to-print to print wirelessly without a network, or use the front-access USB port to plug storage devices right into the printer. To control direct printing, update settings, and scan directly to email and network folders, use the 2.7-inch color touchscreen for on-board control. To save paper, this printer has the ability to print, scan, copy, and fax double-sided sheets with the 35-sheet auto document feeder. It can speed through 30 pages per minute to maximize efficiency in a home office or small workspace. This printer also won’t disappoint when it comes to print quality: it produces bold blacks, sharp text, and graphics for presentation-ready materials, right off the press.
Why It Made The Cut: This all-in-one monochrome printer prints 32 pages per minute and has a double-sided scanning feature to handle a busy workspace.
Specs: – Output: Monochrome – Print Speed: 32 PPM – Paper Capacity: 250 sheets
Pros: – Good print, scan, copy, and fax speeds – Double-sided scanning – Small footprint
Cons: – Pricey – Lacks color printing
Monochrome printers are a straightforward choice for homes and workplaces that print a lot of text documents. The Brother MFCL2740DW printer offers several convenient features to improve efficiency.
To start, this monochrome printer is an all-in-one printer, with printing, scanning, copying, and faxing capabilities. It has a 32 page-per-minute print speed, so it can churn out documents relatively quickly. With a 35-page automatic document feed and automatic duplex printing, scanning, copying, and faxing, users don’t need to manually flip the paper for double-sided tasks. When copying and scanning, this printer quickly scans both sides of the page in a single pass, unlike most printers which scan one side at a time. Paired with the high-speed faxing feature, this printer is an excellent pick for workplace productivity. Users can connect to the printer in a variety of ways, including via WiFi, WiFi Direct, Airprint, Cortado Workplace, or the Brother iPrint & Scan app. The color touchscreen display is useful for connecting to popular web services for direct printing from and scanning to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Evernote, and more. All of these features come in a compact printer with a small footprint, making it ideal for the corner of a desk or a small office counter.
Why It Made The Cut: This all-in-one printer offers high-quality color printing (for a laser printer), as well as scanning, copying, and faxing to cover all your printing needs.
Specs: – Output: Color – Print Speed: 22 PPM – Paper Capacity: 250 sheets
Pros: – High-quality color printing – 50-page automatic document feeder – Robust app functions
Cons: – Slower printing speed than comparable options
With the ability to create high-quality color prints, this all-in-one printer is a true office powerhouse. Besides printing excellent text prints and good quality color prints, it can also copy, scan, and fax, with several user-friendly options to get any job done.
This printer is an efficient choice, with automatic duplex printing and a 50-page automatic document feeder, which is larger than average to accommodate more pages. Users can take advantage of all these features via the USB cable or a USB drive, or wirelessly using WiFi or WiFi Direct connection. Any on-board controls can be accessed using the 2.7-inch color touchscreen.
The HP Smart App adds even more capabilities at the tap of a finger, allowing users to print and scan remotely, manage print jobs, set printer shortcuts, and monitor toner levels. The printer shortcuts can be used to simplify your most common tasks, like auto-saving scans to a cloud service or printing copies of certain documents.
Why It Made The Cut: Get all-in-one features for a budget-friendly price with this Canon ImageCLASS printer.
Specs: – Output: Monochrome – Print Speed: 24 PPM – Paper Capacity: 250 sheets
Pros: – Economical price – All-in-one device – Tiltable, touch LCD control panel
Cons: – Lacks wireless connectivity – No color printing
Laser printers have a pricey reputation compared to inkjet printers, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be affordable. For shoppers that want the benefits of a laser printer without the sticker shock, consider the Canon ImageCLASS MF236n.
This Canon ImageCLASS all-in-one printer packs in pretty much all the functions you’ll need for a home office, all for an economical price. It can monochrome print at a decent 24 pages per minute, as well as scan, copy, and fax.
With a small footprint, it’s designed for small workspaces, home offices, and dorm rooms, and it has an entry-level price tag to match. A range of user-friendly control options make this printer an excellent option for at-home use. It features an Energy Saver mode so you can also save on energy costs. Users can navigate on-board features using the tiltable, touch LCD screen.
One common feature this printer lacks is wireless networking; it can only connect to the web using an Ethernet cable. But once connected, users can take advantage of printing on-the-go using Apple Airprint, Mopria Print Service, or the Canon PRINT Business app.
Why It Made The Cut: With a refillable, cartridge-free toner tank, this printer is an environmentally-conscious option.
Specs: – Output: Monochrome – Print Speed: 21 PPM – Paper Capacity: 150 sheets
Pros: – Reloadable toner system – Low operating costs – Eco-friendly and Energy Star certified
Cons: – Lower print speeds than comparably-priced printers – Lacks duplex printing and automatic document feeder
Printers are a necessity in many workplaces and homes, but with all the paper waste and cartridges, they aren’t always eco-friendly. With a reloadable toner system, the HP Neverstop 1001nw Mono Laser Printer cuts down on cartridge waste.
Instead of replaceable cartridges, this monochrome printer runs on a toner system, and users can buy affordable refills when the toner runs low. A toner level indicator on the front helps you monitor when a refill is needed. The mess-free reloading process is easy: just insert the refill and plunge the toner into the system. This system gives the printer a smaller environmental footprint compared to some other models. It’s also ENERGY STAR-certified, meaning it satisfies the Environmental Protection Agency or Department of Energy’s energy efficiency regulations. Besides its eco-friendly benefits, this printer is also affordable. With up to 5,000 pages of toner included in the printer, printing costs come out to less than one cent per page. It includes WiFi or WiFi Direct connectivity options, and users can also take advantage of the HP Smart app for remote operation and simplified setup.
Some laser printers are very simple, offering only black-and-white printing, while others are jam-packed with useful functions and convenient connectivity features. The best laser printer for you will depend on your day-to-day needs.
Basic laser printers only offer printing, often for a very budget-friendly price. All-in-one or multifunctional models offer scanning, copying, and/or faxing on top of printing. When buying for a home office, most shoppers will opt for a multifunction printer: they are cheaper and take up less space than buying separate devices. Laser printers can also include other user-friendly functions, like double-sided printing and scanning (duplexing), touchscreen displays, and high-capacity paper trays (a useful feature for high-volume printing).
Since laser printers are primarily chosen for document printing, monochrome-only printers are widely available. These are a cost-friendly choice for those who only print text. Color laser printers tend to be pricier, but they provide more flexibility. Laser printer toner cartridges are filled with an ultra-fine powder instead of liquid ink, which means they won’t clog or dry out. So even if you don’t use color printing frequently, it doesn’t hurt to have a color option.
Laser printers don’t have the best reputation for printing photos, but some newer models can create medium-quality prints. While they won’t turn out gallery-quality displays, a good color laser printer can help print some memories to fill a family scrapbook.
Like other devices, new laser printers are more connected than ever. Nearly every new printer offers several connectivity options, so you can print without cumbersome cables (although many will still include a USB cable, just in case).
Wireless printing is common in new printers, with most offering WiFi and cloud printing capabilities. These features can enable printing from another room — or even from a completely different location with remote printing options. Smart laser printers can connect to a voice assistant, so you can control the printer using voice commands.
Other wireless options include WiFi Direct and Bluetooth connectivity, which can give users the choice to print directly from a range of devices, including computers, tablets, phones, and some cameras without connecting to a WiFi network.
Many printers also allow you to forgo using a computer altogether. With USB or microSD slots, users can print directly from a memory card, hard drive, or USB stick. If you want to take advantage of these on-board features, also consider the printer interface. A user-friendly menu and a touchscreen display can make it easier to print directly from a storage device.
If you’re printing pages upon pages of contracts or worksheets, print speed matters. Print speed is measured in pages per minute (PPM). Many laser printers can print out more pages per minute than comparable inkjet options, which gives them their speedy reputation. Expect consumer laser printers to print out around 20 to 50 pages per minute (for black and white printing). Manufacturers sometimes share a second PPM rating for color printing.
Laser printers have a few disadvantages compared to inkjet printers. First, they often have a higher upfront cost for both the printer and replacement cartridges (although they tend to have a lower price per page over time). Laser printers also don’t print photos as well as inkjet printers do. The printers themselves are generally bigger and bulkier, so they can be hard to squeeze into a small home office space. Plus, since they use heat to print, they can’t print on some heat-sensitive papers.
Expect to spend between $200 and $500 for a good laser printer. Some monochrome laser printers may run a bit cheaper, while feature-packed laser prints with color printing, scanning, copying, fax, and duplexing features can have a higher price tag.
Instead of pricey replacement cartridges, the HP Neverstop 1001nw Mono Laser Printer boasts a refillable toner system. The toner refills aren’t only affordable, they’re also more eco-friendly — so it’s better on your wallet and the environment
Don’t let the higher upfront cost fool you; laser printer toner cartridges are pricey, but can last a very long time. Most will offer a lower cost per page than inkjet printers in the long run. Many laser printer toner cartridges can print well over a thousand pages, which puts their higher upfront price into perspective.
It depends on your print volume and frequency. Many laser toner cartridges share their approximate cartridge yield, or the number of pages they can print. Average cartridge yield ranges between 1,000 to 5,000 pages.
If the printer is still in working condition, consider selling it or donating it. If the printer is broken or outdated, there are several options for recycling. Your local recycling facility may take electronic waste like old printers. Some big box retailers (like Staples and Best Buy) also take old printers and other electronics to save them from the trash heap.
The HP LaserJet Pro M227fdw is an excellent entry-level printer for small workplaces and home offices. It offers monochrome double-sided printing, scanning, copying, and faxing through wired, wireless, and USB connections. For those looking for an eco-friendly print-only option, consider the HP Neverstop 1001nw Mono Laser Printer, which boasts a refillable toner system.
This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurism’s owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.