After Testing 27 Printers, We Found the Best Machines for Photos, Documents, and More (2024)

Our Top Picks

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e 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. It's the latest update of the OfficeJet Pro line that we've liked for a long time (since we initially tested the OfficeJet Pro 9025e, which was our favorite overall printer until it was discontinued in favor of this updated model.)

In testing, we found that the OfficeJet Pro line offers speedy printing and high-quality results. The 9135e boasts an automatic document feeder, flatbed scanner, and two huge paper trays, so it's ready for whatever work you need to get done. 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 (it comes with three months free).

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 several 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.

The OfficeJet Pro 9135e offers great print speeds for an inkjet, too. 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, the color reproduction was good, and the photos didn’t smudge at all. That said, we wouldn't recommend this printer for photos you plan to display, since the muted colors aren't ideal. However, the color printing function is acceptable for basic presentations and other documents.

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, we think the OfficeJet Pro 9135e 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. This is a physically large printer that will likely take up a bit too much real estate for most home office desks, so we would recommend a dedicated space for it.

_{Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes}

The Canon Pixma MG3620 has an attractive price tag, but we think it’s also a competent, 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 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 10-page test document.

Still, we think the print quality is excellent, 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 to scan books and other bulky items in addition to single-page documents and forms.

We're quite pleased with how this compact printer has performed over six months of use at home, too. Although it's not a go-to option for printing high-quality photos, we're still impressed by how well it prints text and graphics on basic printer paper. It's also easy to store this printer in a cabinet when it's not in use.

_{Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes}

The Brother CDP-L2640DW is an all-in-one laser printer that produces impressively clean results, and it prints fast (almost too fast, considering the size of the paper tray.) This printer is a favorite that we tested at home, and it’s part of a lineage that we’ve been using for almost two decades. We even have one around from circa 2008 that still prints flawlessly and was put out to pasture in favor of new connectivity options like Wi-Fi.

We think this printer is a real workhorse, with a laser-fast 36ppm printing rate, a similarly fast scanner, and a 50 page automatic document feeder. The printer supports automatic duplexing (printing on both sides of the page), but the automatic document feeder only scans one side of documents, which can be a pain point when scanning longer items.

We initially decided to try this printer because we were unhappy with the speed and performance of the inkjet printers we had used, and because we needed to print a lot of documents at home. We were impressed with the results in both of those areas, with this printer producing crisp black and white text at a rapid pace, and without the need to constantly replace an ink cartridge.

The toner cartridge will supposedly print about 700 pages, but we’ve seen their starter toner cartridges produce significantly more before needing to be replaced. It is pricey, and you do eventually need to replace the toner cartridge (a dual pack of toner costs almost as much as the printer), but that’s a worthwhile investment when you consider that each cartridge can produce around 3,000 pages.

We also love the connectivity of this printer, which includes wired Ethernet, USB, and Wi-Fi for both wired and wireless options. The Wi-Fi connectivity enables printing over Wi-Fi from any network connected computer, or via Wi-Fi Direct, and there’s also a phone app that lets you print and scan without using a computer at all.

_{Type: All-in-one | Technology: Laser | Color: No | Wireless: Yes}

The Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 produces fantastic photo prints and clean monochrome documents, with multiple paper trays to hold different types of printable media, which is why it’s our favorite color printer. It’s also an all-in-one with a flatbed scanner and an automatic document feeder that supports auto-duplexing, so it’s a good choice for low-volume home offices and typical printing jobs like homework, reports, and photos.

We tested this printer at home and immediately fell in love with the five ink photo printing, which produces strikingly vibrant colors, super dark blacks, and overall results that are indistinguishable from professional prints. It prints up to 8 x 10 inch borderless photos, but it also works well for smaller prints. We like that it has multiple paper trays, so you don’t need to remove your regular paper to print a photo.

In addition to full color documents and high quality photos, this printer also handles monochrome documents very well. It doesn’t provide quite the same precision (or the speed) of something like the Brother CDP-L2640DW (our best laser pick), but the results are impressive for an inkjet printer.

The scanning functionality is also top notch, with both a flatbed scanner and an automatic document feeder. It supports one button copying, and you can also scan to (and print from) the included SD card reader. We like the auto-duplexing feature of the automatic document feeder, because it makes it super easy to scan large documents that have print on both sides.

If you need a color printer that can produce high quality photos and clean monochrome text, in an environment that doesn’t require high volume printing, this is a solid option.

_{Type: All-in-one | Technology: Laser | Color: No | Wireless: Yes}

The HP DeskJet 3755 is a compact all-in-one that gets all the basics right without overloading on features that not everyone needs. This color inkjet printer produces crisp monochrome documents and colorful photo prints, copies, and scans, all in a remarkably small footprint. It won’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 love 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 10-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 or other bulky items. It does support both wireless scanning and printing though, including through the mobile app.

_{Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes}

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 setup. 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 1,000-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 10-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.

_{Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes}

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 the printer did have 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 noted that the flatbed scanner was remarkably quiet during operation.

After six months of usage, we were still impressed with the Expression XP-4100's print quality. However, one major learning for us is that you cannot use third-party ink cartridges, especially after completing a software update. The printer will not recognize the cartridges, so you can expect ink costs to be slightly more expensive with Epson ink being a requirement.

_{Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes}

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 10-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.

To be clear, 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 we love 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. Plus, we're blown away by how well it prints black-and-white materials. It's so quick to print and it's also compact enough to store in a cabinet or under a console table.

_{Type: Single function | Technology: Laser | Color: No | Wireless: Yes}

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, and includes both a flatbed scanner and an automatic document feeder. It also has 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 touchscreens 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 10-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.

_{Type: All-in-one | Technology: Inkjet | Color: Yes | Wireless: Yes}

Final Verdict

Our best overall pick for a home printer is the HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e. It has lightning-fast print speeds without sacrificing quality, a huge paper tray, and excellent print yields. We also love the Brother DCP-L2640DW (our best laser pick) for its crisp text and super fast print times and highly recommend it if you you don't need to print in color and want a bullet-proof option that will last for years.

Testing Home Printers for Settings, Function, and Ease of Use

FAQ

• How many years should a printer last?

  Factors like build quality, how much the printer gets used, and how well the printer is maintained all impact its longevity. According to Prouty, if you do maintain your printer well, it can last several years.

  “In a typical home setting you should expect to get 4 to 5 years of use out of them," he notes. “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.

  “A wired connection is more stable as it's not as susceptible to interference from other wireless devices,” notes Prouty. 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.

Jeremy Laukkonen is an updates writer for The Spruce who has over a decade of experience writing about home office devices and electronics. He has tested and reviewed dozens of printers over the years, including the Epson Expression Premium XP-7100, which became his go-to printer (it even survived a hurricane and kept right on working, after he cleaned out all the pieced of the collapsed ceiling that got inside).

For this piece, Laukkonen analyzed firsthand insights from our testing both in The Lab and at home, to find the best options for you based on key features, printing speeds and qualities, connectivity, and other capabilities.

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