Top 5 compared
The best printers
Forms, boarding passes, letters and homework printed at home whenever they’re needed.
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The top 5 at a glance
A home printer turns out a few pages at a time, sent from a phone or a laptop, rather than the stacks an office gets through. Colour inkjets print photos as well as text, and most are all-in-ones that scan and copy too. Black-and-white lasers are quicker through pages of text and use toner rather than ink, and some of those scan and copy as well.
Every printer here works over Wi-Fi and prints double-sided by itself, which halves the paper on a long document. What it costs to keep printing comes down to the cartridges: each maker sells its own, along with an optional ink or toner subscription that sends replacements automatically.
What matters
- A document feeder, for scanning or copying a stack of pages.
- Separate cartridges for each colour, not one tri-colour cartridge.
- XL cartridges available, for more pages from each refill.
- A paper tray that holds enough for your longest jobs.
#1Brother HL-L2400DWE Mono Laser Printer
£75–£100
A quick, no-fuss black-and-white laser for letters, forms and homework: up to 30 pages a minute, both sides of the page done automatically, and a 250-sheet tray that rarely needs topping up. Toner is a powder, so it won’t dry out between jobs the way ink can.
What owners say: Owners like the crisp, sharp text and how fast double-sided pages come out, and found wireless setup straightforward. Reliability and the wireless connection are where reviews split.
A closer look: Black and white only, it suits letters, tickets, forms and homework rather than photos. The four-month EcoPro trial is optional: sign up online to have toner delivered automatically, or buy Brother’s TN2510 cartridge, or the higher-yield TN2510XL, as and when it’s needed.
- Automatic two-sided printing
- Toner won’t dry out
- 700-page starter toner
- Dual-band Wi-Fi and USB
Best for: Fast black-and-white pages
- Type
- Mono laser
- Functions
- Print only
- Black print speed
- 30ppm
- Document feeder
- No
- Paper tray
- 250 sheets
- Ink or toner
- TN2510 toner
#2HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw Mono Laser All-in-One
£100–£150
A black-and-white laser that scans and copies too: a 40-sheet document feeder takes a stack of pages in one go, it prints both sides automatically at up to 27 pages a minute, and its Wi-Fi reconnects by itself if the signal drops.
What owners say: Owners rate the sharp output and the speed and found it easy to set up, and printing only in black keeps their running costs down. Wi-Fi drop-outs are the usual complaint, and the scanner does one side of a page at a time.
A closer look: The feeder copies or scans a pile of loose pages, while the flatbed glass takes receipts and pages from a book. It runs on HP’s 135A toner cartridge, and the 150-sheet tray suits a few pages most days rather than big batches.
- Automatic two-sided printing
- Wi-Fi reconnects by itself
- Flatbed glass for books
Best for: Home offices with stacks to scan
- Type
- Mono laser
- Functions
- Print, scan, copy
- Black print speed
- 27ppm
- Document feeder
- 40 sheets
- Paper tray
- 150 sheets
- Ink or toner
- HP 135A toner
#3Canon PIXMA TR4755i All-in-One Printer
£69.99 RRP
Handy for home admin: a 20-sheet document feeder copies and scans a stack of pages without lifting the lid for each one, it prints both sides automatically, and it still sends faxes.
What owners say: Owners say it was quick to get going and copes with thick card as well as everyday paper. Wi-Fi, print quality and how fast it gets through ink all divide them.
Heads up: It joins 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only, so choose the router’s 2.4GHz network during setup if the two bands show up separately.
A closer look: Keep the glass for photos, receipts and pages from a book, and let the feeder take loose sheets. Canon’s optional PIXMA Print Plan sends ink by subscription, and the PG-575 and CL-576 cartridges also come in XL sizes for heavier use.
- Automatic two-sided printing
- Canon PRINT app and AirPrint
- Optional ink subscription
- XL cartridges available
Best for: Paperwork, forms and the odd fax
- Type
- Colour inkjet
- Functions
- Print, scan, copy, fax
- Black print speed
- 8.8ppm
- Document feeder
- 20 sheets
- Paper tray
- 100 sheets
- Ink or toner
- PG-575 + CL-576
#4HP Envy 6120e All-in-One Printer
£50–£75
A tidy all-in-one with a colour touchscreen and dual-band Wi-Fi that reconnects by itself, and it prints borderless photos on both sides, so a photo card can carry a message on the back.
What owners say: Owners mention clear prints when it’s running well, but experiences are mixed: some have had it refuse to print, and setup and the Wi-Fi connection go smoothly for some and not for others.
Heads up: HP designs it to work only with cartridges carrying HP’s own chips, so some third-party cartridges won’t work. Instant Ink, HP’s ink subscription, is optional, and its free months become a monthly fee unless cancelled during the trial.
A closer look: Setting it up with HP+ adds a second year to HP’s warranty, and the HP app’s mobile fax sends documents from a phone. At up to 10 pages a minute it’s steady rather than quick, so it suits occasional letters, forms and photos more than long reports.
- 6.1cm colour touchscreen
- Borderless photo printing
- Automatic two-sided printing
- Wi-Fi reconnects by itself
- Extra warranty year with HP+
Best for: Photos and occasional printing
- Type
- Colour inkjet
- Functions
- Print, scan, copy
- Black print speed
- 10ppm
- Document feeder
- No
- Paper tray
- 100 sheets
- Ink or toner
- HP 308 black + tri-colour
#5Epson Expression Home XP-4200 All-in-One Printer
£50–£75
Each of its four colours has its own cartridge, so only the one that runs dry needs replacing, and the 6.1cm colour screen makes copying without a computer simple. Epson’s name means ‘son of EP’, after the EP-101 of 1968, the first electronic mini-printer.
What owners say: Owners find the Smart Panel app makes printing and scanning from a phone easy day to day. Print quality, the Wi-Fi connection and reliability get mixed reports.
A closer look: The XL version of the 604 black cartridge gives more than three times as many pages as the standard one, which suits anyone printing most weeks. After a few weeks unused, run a nozzle check before an important print, and note that Epson’s ReadyPrint ink subscription is optional.
- 6.1cm colour screen
- Automatic two-sided printing
- Wi-Fi Direct, no router needed
- XL black cartridge available
Best for: Colour pages most weeks
- Type
- Colour inkjet
- Functions
- Print, scan, copy
- Black print speed
- 10ppm
- Document feeder
- No
- Paper tray
- 100 sheets
- Ink or toner
- 604, four separate colours
How they compare
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| Feature | #1Brother HL-L2400DWE | #2HP LaserJet M235sdw | #3Canon PIXMA TR4755i | #4HP Envy 6120e | #5Epson XP-4200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best laser all-in-one | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.1 |
| Price | £75–£100 | £100–£150 | £69.99 RRP | £50–£75 | £50–£75 |
| Type | Mono laser | Mono laser | Colour inkjet | Colour inkjet | Colour inkjet |
| Functions | Print only | Print, scan, copy | Print, scan, copy, fax | Print, scan, copy | Print, scan, copy |
| Black print speed | 30ppm | 27ppm | 8.8ppm | 10ppm | 10ppm |
| Document feeder | No | 40 sheets | 20 sheets | No | No |
| Paper tray | 250 sheets | 150 sheets | 100 sheets | 100 sheets | 100 sheets |
| Ink or toner | TN2510 toner | HP 135A toner | PG-575 + CL-576 | HP 308 black + tri-colour | 604, four separate colours |
| Best for | Fast black-and-white pages | Home offices with stacks to scan | Paperwork, forms and the odd fax | Photos and occasional printing | Colour pages most weeks |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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