Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.
They’re ideal for quick and easy printing of large, text-based documents.
Though they may be a bit less common than the standard inkjet, laser printers should be on your list of options during your search for the best printer for a home or office. They excel at printing text-based documents faster than many inkjets and with more detail. However, many models are monochrome-only machines, and laser printers with color capabilities will cost more. Nevertheless, a laser printer can save you a lot of money and frustration in the long term thanks to their toner cartridges, which generally dry out much slower than their ink counterparts. Read on for some more buying advice, followed by our reviews of the best laser printers you can buy.
Laser printers use toner cartridges, which have powder that gets transferred onto paper through heat. This method makes them better than ink at printing large batches of text. The toner also doesn’t smudge as much as ink or dry out as fast, so you can save money over time. The main downsides to laser printers are that they tend to be a bit bulkier than inkjets, and many only print in black and white. The color laser printers will also cost much more, though the investment may be worth it for offices and small business that need to print a lot in bulk.
In addition to considering whether you need to print in monochrome or color, you should also consider whether you need an inkjet printer strictly for printing or an all-in-one model that can also scan, copy, and fax documents. Like inkjets, laser printers are available with all four functionalities.
We researched laser printer reviews from six expert sources, including Tech Radar, PC Mag, and Wirecutter, to select these top models. We also considered consumer reviews, written by people who’ve bought and used the printers, on retail sites like Amazon. In addition, we evaluated these laser printers on a wide range of features, including whether they have monochrome or color printing, all-in-one functionality for copying and scanning, and the cost of what you can roughly plan to spend on toner cartridges over time on top of the printers themselves.
• Functions: Print, copy, scan (monochrome)
• Print speed: 21 ppm
• Paper capacity: 150 pages
• Dimensions: 15 x 11 x 11 in.
A top choice for an all-in-one laser printer, the HP Neverstop can print, scan, and copy in black and white at 21 pages per minute (ppm). Its wireless capability makes it easy to quickly connect to your devices, and the 150-sheet paper tray is a great size for those who need to print large documents. Most impressively, this printer is equipped with a refillable toner cartridge, making it a much more eco-friendly option. The included toner will last up to 5,000 pages, which adds up to less than one cent per page.
• Functions: Print (monochrome or color)
• Print speed: 28 ppm
• Paper capacity: 300 pages
• Dimensions: 16 x 18 x 11 in.
Most laser printers aren’t equipped to print in color, so you’ll have to pay a bit of a premium (compared to inkjet printers) for that capability. Despite the HP Color LaserJet Pro’s expense, it’s a worthy investment for small businesses that need fast and economic printing in monochrome or color. The recommended monthly volume is up to 4,000 pages, and you can save paper with automatic two-sided printing. In addition to built-in Wi-Fi, a USB port allows for a wired connection.
• Functions: Print (monochrome)
• Print speed: 32 ppm
• Paper capacity: 250 pages
• Dimensions: 14 x 14 x 7 in.
Wirecutter recommends the Brother HL-L2350DW as “an affordable printer for basic tasks.” Though it can’t scan, copy, or print in color, it’s reliable, with good print quality, consistent Wi-Fi connectivity, and a reasonable cost per page around three cents. In addition to using the built-in Wi-Fi, you can also connect your devices directly through USB. Features like fast 32 ppm printing, automatic two-sided printing, and a large 250-sheet paper capacity also make this printer a good option for most simple jobs.
• Functions: Print (monochrome or color)
• Print speed: 24 ppm
• Paper capacity: 250 pages
• Dimensions: 16 x 15 x 10 in.
Now, our earlier warnings still stand, but there are some reasonably priced laser printers out there that will produce color pages. Take this Lexmark. In addition to printing in monochrome and color, its great print speed and large paper capacity makes it a great value at under $300. Its wireless printing is secure, but it also has built-in Ethernet and USB connectivity. One black toner cartridge can yield 750 pages, and one color cartridge up to 500 pages. So the C3224dw can print a fair amount despite its smaller size, which is more suitable for home office settings.
• Functions: Print (monochrome)
• Print speed: 19 ppm
• Paper capacity: 150 pages
• Dimensions: 14 x 10 x 8 in.
A compact printer that won’t break the bank, the Canon ImageClass is ideal for printing in monochrome for smaller home office spaces. Canon’s Genuine Toner will yield up to 1,600 pages—meaning you won’t be constantly running out to buy ink cartridge replacements. The 150-sheet paper capacity is fairly generous for its compact 14 by 10-inch size. This Canon can handle printing up to 5,000 pages per month, with a decent print speed around 19 pages per minute.
• Functions: Print, scan, copy, fax, email (monochrome or color)
• Print speed: 30 ppm
• Paper capacity: 300-850 pages
• Dimensions: 20 x 16 x 20 in.
Larger offices may need more functionality than HP’s LaserJet Pro (above) can provide. In that case, consider this Xerox WorkCentre designed for two to seven users. It can not only print in color, but also copy, scan, fax, and email. It’s equipped to handle up to 50,000 pages per month and has automatic two-sided printing. Plus, the large touchscreen interface makes for easy operation, whether you print when connected via Wi-Fi or USB.