If you're constantly printing off multi-page forms or lengthy articles, a laser printer can quickly and efficiently process a high volume of pages. Unlike inkjet printers, these printers use a laser beam to produce text and images. Toner sticks to the areas of the drum unit that the laser traces content onto, then transfers onto a sheet of paper. Finally, the paper passes through fuser rollers which permanently fuse the toner to the paper. In most cases, the result is a higher page yield and a faster print time. Although laser printers are generally expensive to start, they tend to be more economical in the long term as their cartridges need replacing less often.
We've tested over 125 printers, and below are our recommendations for the best laser printers you can buy. Check our picks for the best wireless printers, the best all-in-one printers, and the best home printers.
The best laser printer we've tested is the Brother MFC-L8905CDW, a color laser all-in-one designed for small or home offices. It has a wide range of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet, so it's easy for everyone in an office to access. Its ADF-equipped scanner produces remarkably sharp scans, processes double-sided sheets in a single pass, and supports optical character recognition. Printing-wise, this model produces outstanding quality black and color documents. It warms up quickly and can output an impressive 32 pages per minute.
The toner cartridges yield thousands of prints, which helps reduce maintenance. They're expensive, but since you won't need to replace them often, your running costs will remain low over time. Also, you can get XL cartridges that'll last longer. You'll have to spend extra to replace the drum separately, although the drum is usually good for 30,000 prints, so it's not something you'll have to do regularly.
If you don't need all of the MFC-L8905CDW's bells and whistles, know that many variants in this lineup will give you the same print quality at a lower price. You can get the Brother MFC-L8610CDW if you don't need duplex scanning or NFC support, and there are also the Brother MFC-L8900CDW and the Costco/BJ-exclusive MFC-L8900CDW variants if you don't mind a smaller display.
If you only print black-and-white documents and want to save some money, get the Brother MFC-L2750DW instead. This all-in-one monochrome model has a feature-packed scanner with extendable hinges to accommodate thick items like textbooks and an automatic feeder to process multi-page documents. It can also scan double-sided sheets in a single pass, saving you plenty of time. It produces incredibly sharp documents, doesn't take long to warm up, and prints quickly at 36 pages per minute. The toner cartridge is good for about 2000 prints and is relatively cheap, which helps keep maintenance costs low. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet, and it supports NFC, so you can connect just by tapping your NFC-enabled device against the printer.
Like most printers, this model is only one of many variants in the lineup. If you don't need features like duplex scanning and don't mind slightly slower printing speed, you can save money with the Brother MFC-L2710DW variant. Again, you aren't compromising on print quality. You can also get bundles with a longer-lasting XL toner cartridge, like Brother MFC-L2690DW XL, which might be cheaper than buying the cartridge separately. You can see the differences between the variants in our full review.
Our best budget pick is yet another Brother model, the Brother HL-L2350DW. Yes, Brother makes really good laser printers. This print-only monochrome model is a variant of the Brother HL-L2325DW we tested, which is also a great choice that costs even less but is a little harder to find. The HL-L2350DW produces incredibly sharp and detailed documents and prints up to 32 pages per minute. It also feels very well built and doesn't cost much to maintain, as the toner cartridge yields a large number of prints and is fairly cheap. The main tradeoff is the lack of a scanner, so be sure you won't need to scan anything.
If you're okay with spending a little more, go with the higher-end Brother HL-L2370DW, which has an Ethernet port and slightly faster printing speed. You can also find bundles with a high-yield and super high-yield toner cartridge in the box, like the Brother HL-L2370DW XL. The cheaper Brother HL-L2325DW is almost identical to the HL-L2350DW; it just prints slightly slower.
If you're shopping on a very tight budget and want something for those occasional print jobs, we recommend the Pantum P2502W. Like our budget pick, it's also a monochrome print-only unit, meaning it doesn't have a scanner. It produces high-quality black and white documents and doesn't cost much to maintain as the toner cartridge yields over 2000 prints and is cheap. The drum is built into the cartridge, so you won't need to replace it separately. It takes a while to warm up, but it prints quickly at 25 pages per minute once it gets going.
Unfortunately, this model doesn't support automatic duplex printing, so you'll have to flip the pages manually when printing double-sided. It also tends to push printed pages off the output tray, resulting in out-of-order sheets. It only happens sometimes but is inconvenient, especially during large print jobs. Lastly, while the mobile app is feature-rich, it has many software quirks that make it hard to use. Overall, there are many compromises, which is normal for such an inexpensive model, but it's still a good option if you only print once in a while.
May 31, 2023: Verified that all picks are still valid and available. No change in recommendations.
May 02, 2023: Minor text changes. No change in recommendations.
Apr 06, 2023: Replaced Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw with Brother MFC-L8905CDW as the 'Best Laser Printer' pick. Added Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw and Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw to Notable Mentions.
Mar 08, 2023: Verified accuracy of picks. No change in recommendations.
Feb 10, 2023: Minor text changes to improve clarity and provide more information regarding the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw's variants. No change in recommendations.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best laser printers for most people. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all our laser printer reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no printer is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.