- Top Pick: Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Printer, Copy, Scan, Duplex, Mobile Printing
- Best Value: Epson EcoTank ET-2988 Wireless All-in-One Color Supertank Printer with up to 3 Years of Ink, Refillable Tanks, Perfect for Home, 15 PPM, 1.44" Color Screen, Auto 2-Sided Printing (Renewed)
- Premium Choice: Brother HL-L2460DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex, Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
If you mostly print black-and-white documents, the Brother HL-L2460DW is the simple automatic duplex pick, the Brother MFC-L2900DW is the one to buy if you also need to scan or copy both sides, and the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 is the choice for colour work with a two-sided feeder at a low ink cost. Duplex simply means two-sided, but there are three separate abilities hiding behind that word, and many buyers confuse them.
- Three Kinds of Duplex: Print, Scan and Copy
- At a Glance: Duplex Printers Compared
- Brother HL-L2460DW: The Straightforward Pick
- Brother MFC-L2820DW and MFC-L2900DW: When You Also Scan
- Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850: Colour with an Ink Tank
- HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e: Colour Inkjet for Office Work
- HP LaserJet Pro 4001dw and Brother HL-L5210DN
- Features to Check Before Buying
- Running Cost and Paper Savings
- Setup and Compatibility
- Pick X If… Decision Table
- Alternatives to Consider
- Choosing by Workload
- Frequently Asked Questions
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Three Kinds of Duplex: Print, Scan and Copy
Automatic duplex printing means the printer flips the sheet itself and prints both sides without you reloading paper. Duplex scanning means an automatic document feeder (ADF) can capture both sides of an original. Duplex copying combines the two. Many affordable printers offer the first but not the others. Brother lists its MFC-L2820DW as printing duplex automatically while listing duplex scanning, copying and faxing as unavailable, and lists the MFC-L2900DW as supporting all of them with a single-pass ADF. When searching for a printer with an automatic document feeder or a double-sided scanning printer, check which of the three you are getting.
There are also two feeder designs. A single-pass ADF reads both sides at once and is fast. A dual-pass ADF scans one side, flips the page and scans again, taking roughly twice as long. HP’s datasheet lists the OfficeJet Pro 9125e as a dual-pass two-sided ADF, for example.
At a Glance: Duplex Printers Compared
| Model | Best for | Key stated specs | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brother HL-L2460DW | Compact mono duplex printing | Brother lists up to 36 ppm, automatic duplex, 250-sheet tray, TN830 toner | Print only, no scanner |
| Brother MFC-L2820DW | Cheap mono MFP with ADF | 34 ppm, 50-sheet ADF, duplex printing | No duplex scanning or copying |
| Brother MFC-L2900DW | Two-sided scan, copy and print | 36 ppm, 50-sheet single-pass duplex ADF, 250-sheet tray | Black and white only |
| Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 | Colour duplex with a low ink cost | 25 ppm simplex, 21 ppm duplex rated, 50-sheet ADF scans both sides, two 250-sheet trays | Tom’s Guide measured duplex speeds well below the rating |
| HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e | Colour duplex office inkjet | 22 ppm black, 35-sheet dual-pass duplex ADF, 250 sheets, HP 936 cartridges | Slow duplex scanning because of the dual-pass design |
| HP LaserJet Pro 4001dw | Fast mono duplex for a busy desk | Mono laser with automatic duplex | Print only, light on features |
| Brother HL-L5210DN | Wired office duplex printing | Mono laser with duplex, Ethernet | Wired focus, no scanner |
Brother HL-L2460DW: The Straightforward Pick
Brother lists this compact mono laser at up to 36 ppm with automatic duplex on letter and legal paper, a 250-sheet tray and dual-band Wi-Fi, with Ethernet and USB also available. It uses TN830 toner. Retail listings give the starter cartridge at about 700 pages, the standard TN830 at about 1,200 pages and the TN830XL high yield at about 3,000 pages, with a DR830 drum rated near 15,000 pages. If you only need to print, it is small, quick and easy to set up, and the duplex function is on by default so you save paper without changing settings.
Brother MFC-L2820DW and MFC-L2900DW: When You Also Scan
The MFC-L2820DW has a 50-sheet ADF and prints at up to 34 ppm with automatic duplex. Its ADF scans one side at a time. The MFC-L2900DW lists up to 36 ppm, a 50-sheet ADF with single-pass duplex scanning, and a flatbed that reaches 1200 dpi while the ADF tops out at 600 dpi. Brother lists a duty cycle up to 35,000 pages monthly and a recommended volume up to 2,500. If your work includes double-sided contracts, receipts or school forms, the L2900DW is the one that actually turns a double-sided original into a double-sided copy.
Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850: Colour with an Ink Tank
Epson lists the ET-5850 at 25 ppm simplex and 21 ppm two-sided, with a 50-sheet ADF that scans and copies both sides, two 250-sheet trays, a 4.3 inch touchscreen and Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB and NFC. Digital Trends calls it a nearly flawless inkjet, while Tom’s Guide measured two-sided speeds of roughly 14.5 ppm for text and 9.5 ppm for colour, well below the rating. Note that one retailer listing disagrees on duplex scanning, while the maker and several reviewers confirm it, so read the maker’s specification before ordering. Pigment ink and refillable tanks make it a good fit for a home business that prints colour documents.
HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e: Colour Inkjet for Office Work
HP lists 22 ppm black and 18 ppm colour, automatic two-sided printing and a 35-sheet two-sided ADF. The datasheet describes the feeder as dual-pass, so double-sided scanning is slower. It uses HP 936 cartridges and lists a duty cycle of 25,000 pages. It suits someone who wants an office-style inkjet with duplex and a reasonable feeder, accepting that supplies are cartridges rather than tanks.
HP LaserJet Pro 4001dw and Brother HL-L5210DN
For a pure print queue, the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dw is a quick mono laser with automatic duplex, and the Brother HL-L5210DN is a wired option aimed at shared offices. Both are print-only and focus on speed and durability. Choose these if a printer sits at the end of a network and nobody needs to scan.
Features to Check Before Buying
- Paper sizes in duplex mode: many printers duplex only letter, legal or A4, not every size.
- Duplex default: some drivers turn it on automatically, and others require a setting each time.
- ADF capacity: 35 to 50 sheets is typical for home offices.
- Speed ratings: duplex ratings are often higher than real-world results, as the Epson example shows.
- Paper weight: thick card and labels should go through the manual feed and not through the duplex path.
Running Cost and Paper Savings
Duplex printing saves roughly half the paper on long documents, though the supplies bill depends on the printer type. Mono lasers use toner that lasts for thousands of pages and does not dry out. Tank inkjets keep colour pages cheap. Cartridge inkjets cost the most per page. Also consider consumables beyond the toner, such as drums and waste boxes. Third-party supplies may be limited by firmware on some models, so read the maker’s terms.
Setup and Compatibility
- Windows and macOS drivers are available for all models, and most support AirPrint and Mopria for phones.
- Set duplex as the default in the print dialog to avoid accidental single-sided runs.
- Pick the long-edge or short-edge binding option to match how you will bind or staple the pages.
- Keep paper dry and flat, because curled paper is the most common cause of duplex jams.
Pick X If… Decision Table
| If you… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Only print black-and-white documents | Brother HL-L2460DW | Compact, automatic duplex, simple setup |
| Need to copy and scan two-sided originals | Brother MFC-L2900DW | Single-pass duplex ADF |
| Want a cheap mono MFP with ADF | Brother MFC-L2820DW | ADF and duplex print, one-sided scan |
| Need colour and a low ink cost | Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 | Tank ink and a duplex ADF |
| Want an office-style colour inkjet | HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e | Duplex print and 35-sheet ADF |
| Print only, high volume, wired | Brother HL-L5210DN | Ethernet-focused mono laser |
Alternatives to Consider
- Brother MFC-L3780CDW, a colour laser MFP with duplex and an ADF.
- Canon imageCLASS MF455dw, a faster mono MFP aimed at home offices.
- Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-T780DW, if you want a duplex tank inkjet.
Choosing by Workload
A student or home worker printing essays, handouts and forms gets nearly all the benefit from a compact mono laser with automatic duplex, because the savings in paper show up immediately and toner stays usable between sessions. A freelancer who scans signed contracts or receipts should treat the feeder as the main decision, and pay for single-pass duplex scanning if volume is regular. A household that prints colour school projects alongside documents is better off with a tank inkjet such as the ET-5850, even though two-sided speeds are slower than the rated figures. For occasional users who print a handful of pages a month, duplex is a convenience, not a requirement, and a simpler printer with cheap supplies may be the smarter purchase.
Whichever route you take, read the maker’s manual for the duplex paper-size list, because that is where unexpected limits usually hide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best duplex printer for home use?
For black-and-white work, the Brother HL-L2460DW is the straightforward choice, and the MFC-L2900DW adds scanning and copying. For colour, the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 is a sensible tank inkjet option.
Does automatic duplex mean it can scan both sides?
No. Automatic duplex usually refers to printing only. Scanning both sides needs a duplex-capable ADF, and Brother’s MFC-L2820DW is an example of a printer that prints duplex but does not scan duplex.
What is the difference between single-pass and dual-pass?
A single-pass ADF scans both sides in one trip, while a dual-pass model scans one side, flips and scans again. Dual-pass designs, like the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e’s, are slower for two-sided documents.
Why is my duplex printing slow?
The printer has to print one side, draw the sheet back and reprint, so duplex speeds are lower than simplex. Reviewers have measured two-sided speeds well under the rated figures.
Can I print duplex on any paper?
Standard plain paper works, but heavy stock, labels and envelopes usually do not. Check the maker’s list of supported media for duplex mode.
Is duplex worth it for a home printer?
If you print long documents or school work, it saves paper and keeps stacks tidy. If you rarely print, the feature will matter much less than supply cost.
