- Top Pick: HP DeskJet 2923 Color Inkjet Printer | Wireless | All-in-One | Easy Home Printing | Color Documents | Mobile Compatibility | Print, Scan & Copy | Ideal Home Use
- Best Value: Canon PIXMA TS4320 – Wireless Color Inkjet Printer with Print, Copy, Scan | Cost Efficient Multi-Function Photo Printer, Copier, Scanner for Home Use, Compact Design, Easy Setup
- Premium Choice: HP OfficeJet Pro 8125 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Print, Scan, Copy, ADF, Duplex Printing Best-for-Home Office, 3 Month Trial of Instant Ink Included, AI-Capable (C2VJ4A)
For most households, a compact black-and-white laser such as the Brother HL-L2460DW suits people who mostly print text, while a refillable-tank inkjet such as the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 or Canon PIXMA G3270 suits families who want colour pages and photos at a low cost per page. A budget cartridge inkjet like the HP Envy 6555e only makes sense when printing is occasional and the purchase price matters more than running costs. This guide sorts current models by who they fit, what the makers state about speed, supplies and connectivity, and where each one falls short. It also covers the questions behind searches such as best printers for home, best household printers, best personal printers and best computer printers for home.
- The three printer types and what they mean for a home
- At a glance: current home printers compared
- Brother HL-L2460DW: the simple document printer
- Brother DCP-L2640DW: when you also need to scan
- Epson EcoTank ET-2800 and ET-2850: colour at a low cost per page
- Canon PIXMA MegaTank G3270: Canon’s tank alternative
- HP Envy 6555e: low entry cost, with conditions
- Brother HL-L3280CDW: when you need colour from a laser
- Running cost by use
- Setup, fit and compatibility
- Pick X if…
- Alternatives worth a look
- Frequently Asked Questions
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
The three printer types and what they mean for a home
Almost every home printer falls into one of three groups, and picking the group matters more than picking a brand.
- Monochrome laser: prints text quickly, does not dry out when left idle for weeks, and has a low cost per page. It cannot print colour. Reviewers at several outlets point to this type for students, remote workers and anyone who prints forms and documents.
- Refillable-tank inkjet (EcoTank, MegaTank, Smart Tank): ink goes in from bottles instead of small cartridges. Purchase cost is higher than a basic inkjet, but the cost per page is far lower, and colour and photo output is good for the class.
- Cartridge inkjet: the cheapest to buy and the most expensive to feed. Small cartridges have yields measured in a hundred or so pages, so a light user can be fine while a regular user will keep re-buying ink.
Colour laser is a fourth option, worth considering if you print slides, brochures or school projects and also want laser durability, but it is larger and heavier than the others.
At a glance: current home printers compared
| Model | Type | Best for | Key stated specs | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother HL-L2460DW | Mono laser, print only | Documents, forms, school work | Up to 36 ppm; auto duplex; dual-band Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB; 250-sheet tray; starter toner about 700 pages | No scanner, no colour |
| Brother DCP-L2640DW | Mono laser all-in-one | Print plus copy and scan | Up to 36 ppm; 50-page document feeder; auto duplex; dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet | Larger and heavier; no colour |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | Tank inkjet all-in-one | Colour, photos, light to moderate volume | 10 ISO ppm black, 5 colour; bottles rated 4,500 black and 7,500 colour pages; manual duplex | 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only per reviewers; no document feeder |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2850 | Tank inkjet all-in-one | Same, with two-sided printing | Auto duplex; the maker lists 7,500 black and 6,000 colour pages per bottle set; up to two years of ink in the box | No document feeder |
| Canon PIXMA MegaTank G3270 | Tank inkjet all-in-one | Colour printing on a tank system | Up to 6,000 black and 7,700 colour pages; 11 ipm black, 6 colour; Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz | Single-sided only; 100-sheet tray |
| HP Envy 6555e | Cartridge inkjet all-in-one | Occasional printing, low entry cost | ISO speeds up to 10 ppm black and 7 colour; auto duplex; 35-sheet document feeder; HP 68 cartridges | Tied to HP+ and online use; small cartridges |
| Brother HL-L3280CDW | Colour laser, print only | Colour documents with laser durability | Up to 27 ppm; auto duplex; Gigabit Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi; starter toners about 1,000 pages each | Around 34 lb; larger footprint |
Brother HL-L2460DW: the simple document printer
The maker lists this printer at up to 36 pages per minute with first page out in about 8.5 seconds, automatic two-sided printing, dual-band wireless, Ethernet and USB 2.0. It holds 250 sheets, and Brother states a monthly duty cycle of up to 35,000 pages, though it recommends staying around 2,500. Dimensions are listed as about 14 by 14.2 by 7.2 inches and it weighs about 15.6 pounds, which is small enough for a bookshelf.
Running cost is where a laser earns its place. The starter toner is only about 700 pages, but replacement TN830 cartridges come in standard and high-yield versions, and one roundup cites about 4,200 pages for the largest. The drum is rated separately at about 15,000 pages. Forbes Vetted and other outlets treat it as a dependable pick for occasional to regular use. The trade-offs are plain: no scanner, no colour, and no photo printing.
Brother DCP-L2640DW: when you also need to scan
Brother lists the same 36 ppm engine, dual-band wireless and Ethernet, and adds a 50-page automatic document feeder and flatbed copy and scan. It measures about 16.1 by 15.7 by 12.5 inches and weighs about 25 pounds. For tax paperwork, signed forms and school documents, being able to scan a stack without standing at the glass is a real convenience. One retailer-affiliated review site prefers this model for households that copy and scan. The step up in size and cost over the print-only version is the price of that flexibility. A fax-equipped sibling, the MFC-L2820DW, is Brother’s stated replacement for the older MFC-L2750DW, which the maker lists as discontinued.
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 and ET-2850: colour at a low cost per page
The ET-2800 is rated by Epson at 10 ISO ppm in black and 5 in colour, with a 65 mL black bottle yielding 4,500 pages and each colour bottle 7,500 pages under the ISO test pattern. Consumer Reports lists it at about 8.8 pounds. It connects over USB, Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi Direct, and a reviewer notes it handles only 2.4 GHz networks. Duplex is manual and there is no document feeder.
The ET-2850 is the version with automatic duplex. Epson says each ink bottle set equals about 80 individual cartridges, lists 7,500 black and 6,000 colour pages per replacement bottle set, and states the box includes up to two years of ink at typical home use. Epson also states the flatbed scanner has no document feeder. TechRadar and other outlets favour EcoTanks for people who print every week, because a tank printer avoids the small cartridges that drive up cost on cheap inkjets. A printer left idle can still need maintenance cleaning on any inkjet, so a laser is the safer choice if weeks pass between jobs and you only print black.
Canon PIXMA MegaTank G3270: Canon’s tank alternative
Canon rates the G3270 at up to 6,000 black and 7,700 colour pages in default mode, with a full bottle set equivalent to 30 standard black and 30 standard colour cartridges. It prints at 11 images per minute black and 6 colour, supports Wi-Fi on 2.4 and 5 GHz, AirPrint and Mopria, and has a 100-sheet rear tray. It is single-sided only and the duty cycle is listed at up to 3,000 pages per month. One reviewer measured lower colour yields than the maker states, so treat the official figures as ideal-case numbers. It fits a home that wants colour and low ink costs and does not need duplex.
HP Envy 6555e: low entry cost, with conditions
This is a common budget pick in 2026 roundups. HP lists ISO speeds up to 10 ppm black and 7 colour, automatic duplex, a 35-sheet document feeder, dual-band Wi-Fi and a 2.4-inch touchscreen. It uses HP 68 cartridges. The catch is HP+: retailer listings say it ships with a few months of Instant Ink on activation, and third-party guides report the HP+ programme expects original HP ink and an internet connection. Read HP’s terms before buying if you plan to use third-party supplies. Cartridge printers of this class suit people who print a handful of pages a month.
Brother HL-L3280CDW: when you need colour from a laser
Brother lists 27 ppm in both colour and black, a 13.5-second first page, Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, a 250-sheet tray and a 40,000-page maximum duty cycle, with 3,000 pages a month recommended. It weighs about 34 pounds and measures roughly 15.7 by 15.7 by 10.8 inches. It suits home offices and families with steady colour documents; it is overkill for someone printing a few pages a week.
Running cost by use
- A few pages a month: a laser stays ready indefinitely, and a cartridge inkjet costs little to buy. Avoid a cheap inkjet if the print heads will sit unused for long stretches.
- Weekly mixed printing: a tank inkjet is the usual reviewer recommendation, because replacement bottles last thousands of pages.
- Heavy black-text printing: a mono laser with high-yield toner has the lowest cost per page in most comparisons.
- Photos: tank printers with photo-oriented inks do better than lasers. Outlets also point to higher-tier models such as the Epson ET-4950 for combined document and photo duties.
Setup, fit and compatibility
- Space: the print-only Brother laser is the most compact of the group; the tank inkjets are light but need clearance for the output tray; colour lasers need a sturdy surface.
- Wi-Fi band: if your router has a combined or 5 GHz-only setup, confirm the printer supports it. The ET-2800 is 2.4 GHz only per reviewers.
- Phones and computers: AirPrint and Mopria support is listed on the Brother and Canon models above; Brother also offers its own mobile app.
Pick X if…
| Pick this | If you… |
|---|---|
| Brother HL-L2460DW | print mostly text, want dependable, low-cost pages and do not need a scanner |
| Brother DCP-L2640DW | want laser speed plus scanning and copying with a document feeder |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2850 | print colour regularly and want two-sided printing and low ink cost |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | want the same ink system and can flip pages by hand |
| Canon PIXMA G3270 | want a tank printer with dual-band Wi-Fi and do not need duplex |
| HP Envy 6555e | print rarely, want a document feeder and duplex, and accept HP’s programme terms |
| Brother HL-L3280CDW | need colour documents with laser durability and have room |
Alternatives worth a look
- Epson EcoTank ET-4950: named by TechRadar and Forbes Vetted as a strong home all-in-one, with a higher tier of features than the ET-2800.
- HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e: Forbes Vetted’s overall pick, aimed at faster, busier households and home offices.
- Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II: Tom’s Guide’s pick for a fast colour laser all-in-one, better suited to home offices than light home use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a laser or inkjet better for a home printer?
A laser is better if you print mostly black text and sometimes go weeks without printing. An inkjet, especially a refillable-tank model, is better if you need colour or photos. Many households find that one of each reflects how they actually print.
Are tank printers worth the higher price?
For regular printing they usually are, because replacement bottles are rated in the thousands of pages and the cost per page is much lower than with small cartridges. For very light use the savings may never catch up with the higher purchase price.
Do I need a printer with a document feeder?
Only if you scan or copy multi-page documents often. A flatbed is fine for single pages and photos. The Brother DCP-L2640DW and HP Envy 6555e list feeders, while the Epson and Canon tank models here do not.
What does HP+ mean for a buyer?
HP+ ties certain HP printers to the maker’s ink programme and expects original HP cartridges and an internet connection. If you want freedom to use other supplies or print offline, read the terms for any HP+ model before you buy.
How long will a printer last?
The makers rate duty cycles rather than lifespans. Brother, for example, lists a maximum monthly duty cycle far above its recommended volume. Staying near the recommended volume and following the manual’s care instructions is the safest approach.
Which printer is easiest to set up?
Models with a touchscreen and a manufacturer app, such as the Brother and HP units above, guide you through Wi-Fi setup. If setup fails, the maker’s support pages and a router restart usually solve it, and USB remains a fallback on all of these printers.
