- Top Pick: HP OfficeJet Pro 8135 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Print, Scan, Copy, Fax, ADF, Duplex Printing Best-for-Home-Office, 3 Month Trial of Instant Ink Included, AI-Capable (C2VK1A)
- Best Value: HP Envy 6155 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Print, Scan, Copy, Duplex Printing Best-for-Home, 3 Month Trial of Instant Ink Included, AI-Capable (C2WR7A) Portobello
- Premium Choice: HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw | Color Printer | Wireless | All-in-One | Duplex
For most households the HP Envy 6555e is the practical entry point, a home office that prints daily is better served by the OfficeJet Pro 9125e or the black-and-white LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw, and anyone who wants to stop buying cartridges should look at the Smart Tank line. The right HP depends less on the model name than on how much you print and whether you accept HP’s supply rules, which are the main trade-off in this brand.
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How HP’s lineup is organized
HP sells four families that matter to home and small-office buyers. Envy printers are the budget home range for families and students. OfficeJet Pro printers are faster, sturdier inkjets aimed at home offices. LaserJet printers use toner and suit text-heavy work, with Color LaserJet models for color documents. Smart Tank printers use refillable ink bottles and aim at low cost per page. Roundups from TechRadar, Forbes Vetted and CNN Underscored all draw on these four families, though their individual rankings differ.
Two programs shape the ownership experience. Instant Ink is a subscription that ships cartridges based on the number of pages you expect to print each month, and CNN reports that the Envy 6555e includes three months free. HP+ is a printer-level setup that requires an HP account, an internet connection and the exclusive use of original HP cartridges. HP states that several of its newer printers, including the OfficeJet Pro 9125e and LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw, are intended to work only with cartridges carrying an HP chip and use dynamic security to block others.
At a glance: HP printers compared
| Model | Type | Best for | Stated specs | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP Envy 6555e | Color inkjet all-in-one | Families, students, light use | CNN and Forbes pick it as a top home or value model; recommended monthly volume tops out at 400 pages | Small paper capacity, light-duty |
| HP Envy Inspire 7255e | Color inkjet all-in-one | Homework plus photos | 15 ppm black, 10 ppm color, photo tray, 35-sheet feeder, dual-band Wi-Fi | Small cartridges; HP+ rules |
| HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e | Color inkjet all-in-one | Home office | 22 ppm black, 18 ppm color, duplex, 35-sheet feeder, Ethernet, 250 sheets | HP-chip cartridges only |
| HP OfficeJet Pro 8125e | Color inkjet all-in-one | Smaller home office | Named by two roundups as a home-office pick | Slower and smaller than the 9125e |
| HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw | Mono laser all-in-one | Text-heavy home office | 138A and 138X toner, introductory cartridge about 1,000 pages, Legal size | HP-chip toner only |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw | Color laser all-in-one | Small office color documents | Named best color laser all-in-one in a roundup | Higher upfront outlay |
| HP Smart Tank 7001 and 7301 | Refillable tank | Low cost per page | TechRadar picks the 7001; Forbes picks the 7301 | Larger body, slower than a laser |
Best HP printers for home
Light use: Envy 6555e
CNN Underscored’s top overall printer is the Envy 6555e, which it describes as HP’s flagship for families, and Forbes names it a best-value pick. HP’s guidance caps the recommended monthly volume at 400 pages. That is plenty for school print-outs and the occasional form, but it is not a workhorse. The inexpensive-to-buy, expensive-to-feed pattern of small cartridges applies, which is why the bundled Instant Ink months matter to the first-year cost.
Photos and crafts: Envy Inspire 7255e
The Envy Inspire 7255e uses two cartridges, a black and a tri-color, with a dedicated photo tray and a 35-sheet document feeder. HP lists the 64 black at about 200 pages, the 64XL black at about 600, and the 64XL tri-color at about 415. Because the three color inks share one cartridge, reviewers generally advise that photo-heavy households watch for one color running out before the rest. Photo-focused buyers who print often may prefer a tank or a six-ink model from another brand.
Best HP printers for home office
OfficeJet Pro 9125e and 8125e
Forbes Vetted named the OfficeJet Pro 9125e its best home printer overall, praising fast, reliable printing and an integrated app, and says the 9135e is its successor. Technobezz also ranks the 9125 first among HP printers. HP lists four individual cartridges (936 and the high-yield 936e EvoMore), so you replace only the color that runs out. The in-box setup cartridges are listed at about 800 black and about 420 per color page. The 8125e, picked by Mercury-PC and Of Zen and Computing for smaller offices, trades speed and capacity for a lower outlay. If your work needs 11 by 17 inch output, TechRadar’s roundup points to the OfficeJet Pro 9730.
Best HP LaserJet printers
The LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw is the pick that Of Zen and Computing and Forbes give for mono or mid-range work. It handles Legal paper and uses 138A standard and 138X high-yield toner. For faster offices the LaserJet Pro MFP 4101fdw is listed at 42 pages per minute, and TechRadar names the 4201dw for high-volume color. Lasers keep their toner for long idle stretches, which suits an office that prints in bursts. For color on a laser, the Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw is print-only, whereas the 3301fdw and 3301sdw add scanning and copying.
Best HP color and photo printers
Color quality on HP inkjets is solid for documents and casual photos. For true photo work the Envy Inspire’s photo tray helps, but the cartridge format limits it. Reviewers who care most about photo gamut tend to look at six-ink printers from Canon and Epson, which are covered in other guides. If you want HP and low running cost, the Smart Tank 7001 (TechRadar’s best overall tank pick) and 7301 (Forbes’ best inkjet all-in-one) fill bottles instead of cartridges, so a color or black refill costs less per page than cartridge replacement.
Running cost and the HP+ question
HP’s strongest selling point is the app and the dependable hardware; its main weakness is supply flexibility. If you activate HP+ you agree to use original HP cartridges for the printer’s life and to keep it connected to the internet. A source reviewing the OfficeJet Pro 9125e says HP+ enrollment is optional at setup, while another says original ink and a connection are mandatory after activation, so read the terms on screen carefully during setup. Instant Ink can be cost-effective when your monthly page count is steady, but you pay for the plan tier you choose, and cancelling can leave you reliant on retail cartridges. Tank models and mono lasers give the most predictable per-page cost.
Setup and compatibility
- The HP Smart app sets up Wi-Fi, scans, and manages supplies on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac.
- HP printers generally support AirPrint and Mopria for driverless printing from Apple, Android and ChromeOS devices.
- For Linux, newer HP printers support driverless IPP, while older ones rely on the hplip package, according to Linux buyer guides.
- Ethernet is present on the OfficeJet Pro 9125e and the LaserJet range but not on every Envy.
- Check the paper size you need; the OfficeJet Pro 9730 is the wide-format option, while the 3101sdw prints on Legal.
Pick X if you…
| If you… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Print a little at home | Envy 6555e | Entry price and bundled Instant Ink trial |
| Work from home daily with color needs | OfficeJet Pro 9125e | Duplex, feeder, Ethernet, individual cartridges |
| Print mostly black text | LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw | Toner stays usable, Legal support |
| Want to avoid cartridges | Smart Tank 7001 or 7301 | Refillable bottles |
| Need color documents in a small office | Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw | Color laser with scan and fax |
Alternatives
- Brother HL-L2460DW or MFC-L2820DW: mono lasers with strong value reputations, though Brother’s Refresh toner plan has drawn owner complaints.
- Epson EcoTank ET-4850: tank printer that TechRadar’s reviewer names a favorite home printer.
- Canon MegaTank G3270: budget tank option reviewers like for images.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which HP printer is best for a home office?
Review roundups most often point to the OfficeJet Pro 9125e, with the 8125e as a smaller option. Choose a LaserJet if your work is mostly black text, and an OfficeJet if you need color documents and duplex scanning.
What is HP+ and do I have to use it?
HP+ is an account-based setup that requires original HP cartridges and an internet connection. Sources disagree on whether it is optional at setup for some models, so read the screens during setup and decline if you want to use other supplies.
Is Instant Ink worth it?
It can be if your monthly page count is steady, because the plan is priced by pages rather than cartridges. If you print rarely, or want freedom to buy supplies elsewhere, a tank printer or laser may suit better.
Which HP is best for photos?
The Envy Inspire 7255e has a photo tray, but it uses a shared tri-color cartridge. For serious photo prints, many reviewers look to dedicated six-ink printers from other makers.
Do HP printers work with Mac, iPhone and Chromebook?
Yes, most current models support AirPrint and Mopria, so they print without drivers from Apple devices, Android and ChromeOS. The HP Smart app adds scanning and supply management.
Is a LaserJet or an OfficeJet better?
A LaserJet is better for steady text printing and long idle periods. An OfficeJet is better for color, photos and flexible paper types, at the cost of ink that can dry if the printer sits unused.
