The 5 Best Home Printers - Fall 2024

The best home printer we've tested is the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500, an all-in-one inkjet model that produces beautiful, vibrant photos. It's a cheaper variant of the flagship Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550. They're both excellent printers; the difference is that the ET-8550 has a larger 8.5x14 flatbed scanner and supports wide format paper up to 13x19, which is only relevant to a limited subset of people. As such, the cheaper ET-8500 is a better option for most households. Regardless of the variant, remember that this is a photo printer first. So, if you plan on mostly printing documents, you can easily find more affordable models that are just as good, like the printers we recommend below.

Printing-wise, it produces sharp, high-quality documents and incredibly detailed photos. It warms up quickly and prints up to 15 black or 10 color pages per minute. As you may have guessed from the model name, this is a supertank printer with a refillable ink tank instead of cartridges. A full tank gets you thousands of prints, and replacement ink is cheap, so you don't have to worry about high ownership costs. Also, refilling the tank is easy—even less tech-savvy people can do it without help. The flatbed scanner is great for digitizing photos, as it captures even the tiniest details; however, there's no automatic feeder, so you must scan each page manually when processing multi-page documents.

If your household has a large print load but only prints documents, get the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw. This color laser all-in-one produces amazingly sharp documents and yields thousands of prints, making it cheap to maintain. Plus, unlike inkjet printers, you don't have to worry about printheads clogging if you don't print for a long time. As for the drum, this model uses cartridges with a built-in drum, meaning you don't have to replace the drum separately. Unfortunately, like most laser printers, the MF656Cdw isn't ideal for photo printing, as prints look dull and lack detail.

Its printing speed is decent; it can print up to 22 pages per minute, albeit only via a wired USB or Ethernet connection, which is inconvenient if you don't have space near your computer or router to place the printer. It prints 10 black or 12 color pages over Wi-Fi. The scanner produces high-quality scans and quickly processes multi-page and double-sided documents through its automatic feeder. This rich feature set makes it one of the best home office printers we've tested. If you don't need an ADF, duplex scanning, or fax functionality, you can save money with one of its cheaper variants, like the Canon Color imageCLASS MF654Cdw.

Some households may only print in black-and-white but still need the functionality of an all-in-one device; in that case, consider the Brother MFC-L2820DW. It produces high-quality documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 33 pages per minute. It costs little to maintain, as it yields a large number of prints, and replacement toner is cheaper than the Canon. The scan quality is also excellent, although the MFC-L2820DW lacks duplex scanning; higher-end variants, like the Brother MFC-L2885DW, support duplex scanning, but they're hard to find.

The Brother MFC-J4335DW is the best printer for your home if you need a device that can handle a moderate print load and perform many tasks well but not break the bank. This all-in-one inkjet model can output up to 2,200 black and 800 color pages with a set of full cartridges, and you can get XL high-yield cartridges that'll last even longer. Of course, it'll never match the page yield or cost-per-print of a supertank printer, but its page yield is very impressive for a more conventional cartridge-based printer. It produces high-quality black and color documents, and although it doesn't have the best color accuracy or widest color gamut, printed photos still look very detailed and are good enough for at-home use.

As for printing speed, it doesn't take long to initialize and get a single page out, and for longer documents, it churns out 17 black or 15 color pages per minute. The scanner processes up to 20 pages per minute through its automatic feeder, but it doesn't support duplex scanning, so you'll have to scan double-sided sheets manually. If you need Ethernet connectivity or NFC support, you can get the Brother MFC-J4535DW variant; just expect to pay more. For the price increase, you also get an additional 250-sheet input tray and a larger touch-sensitive display.

Many people only need a printer that can take care of return labels or is ready to use once or twice a year for important documents. If this sounds like you, we recommend the Brother HL-L2460DW or one of its variants. Each variant offers slightly different specifications, so depending on your budget and needs, you can choose a model with more or fewer features. These print-only monochrome laser printers get the first page out quickly and offer fast print speeds, between 32 and 34 pages per minute. Connectivity options can include USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, and more expensive variants have features like automatic duplex printing.

The main advantage of monochrome laser printers is their low maintenance requirements and costs. Their cartridges yield a high number of pages before needing replacement, and unlike inkjet printers, you don't have to worry about printhead clogging. But there are some trade-offs. These printers are more expensive upfront than cheap inkjet printers, like the Canon PIXMA MG3620 we recommend below. Also, as print-only units, you must be sure you won't need to scan anything. Finally, the out-of-the-box printing quality for these models isn't what you would expect from a Brother laser printer, although you can still produce sharp-looking documents if you tweak a couple of printer settings.

If you want to spend as little as possible upfront, we recommend the Canon PIXMA MG3620. While it prints sharp documents and colorful, detailed photos, printers at this price point come with more compromises. It's a slow printer that can only print up to nine black or three color pages per minute. Also, unlike the models above, it yields significantly fewer prints, meaning you'll have to replace the ink cartridges far more frequently. And while you can get XL high-yield cartridges, they'll still yield fewer prints than our other picks. Finally, since it uses a tri-color cartridge, you must replace the entire cartridge if one color runs out, which is wasteful.

On the upside, the cost-per-print is still low because the ink cartridges are relatively cheap. Moreover, it supports automatic double-sided printing, which is nice to have in this price range. It also has a good range of connectivity options, including USB and Wi-Fi, as well as support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service; it's compatible with Canon's mobile app. The scanner performs decently; scans are detailed but look a little washed out.