The 5 Best Printers For Chromebook - Fall 2024

The best printer for Chromebook we've tested is the Brother MFC-L8905CDW, a color laser model designed for small or home offices. This all-in-one produces amazingly sharp documents, prints quickly at up to 32 pages per minute, and doesn't need much maintenance. The scanner produces high-quality scans and can process documents rapidly, thanks to its ADF with single-pass duplex scanning. Its page yield is excellent, so you don't need to replace the toner cartridges often. The drum also doesn't require regular replacement since it's good for about 30,000 prints. Cheaper variants are available with fewer features; check out our full review for more details.

If you prefer an inkjet or need to print photos, we have two recommendations: the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 and the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550. The former is a more office-oriented model with faster printing speeds and more features, like an ADF with duplex scanning, while the latter produces higher-quality photos. Both use a refillable ink tank instead of ink cartridges and yield thousands of prints, so you won't have to worry about high ownership costs. The downside is that they're more expensive upfront.

Our best upper mid-range pick is the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw, a color laser all-in-one. It has the same features as the Brother MFC-L8905CDW above and produces documents that look just as good. It yields significantly more color prints and is easier to maintain because its toner cartridges contain the drum, so you don't have to replace it separately. The tradeoff is that it prints slower at 22 pages per minute, and that speed is only achievable via a wired USB or Ethernet connection, which is inconvenient. Scan speed is also slower but pretty respectable at 14 pages per minute. There are cheaper variants in this printer series, like the Canon Color imageCLASS MF654Cdw, which lacks duplex scanning and fax functionality. See more details in our full review.

If you need something modest for general home use, get the Brother MFC-J4335DW, an all-in-one inkjet model. It's much more compact than the laser models we recommend above, so it takes up less space, and you still get plenty of features, like an ADF-equipped scanner and plenty of connectivity options. It's fully compatible with Chrome OS and works straight out of the box without installing drivers or third-party apps. This model only has Wi-Fi and USB connectivity. If you need Ethernet or external storage support (to print off a USB flash drive), you can go with the Brother MFC-J4535DW variant; however, expect to pay a little more.

This printer uses four ink cartridges—the usual cyan, magenta, yellow, and black—and yields around 2,000 black and 800 color prints. This means you won't need to replace the ink cartridges often unless you print a lot, and even then, the cartridges are relatively cheap, so your maintenance cost won't rise too quickly. It produces outstanding black and color documents and is pretty fast, pushing out 17 black or 15 color pages per minute. As for photos, it prints very fine details but struggles to reproduce bright, saturated colors and very light and dark shades.

If you only print the occasional return label and leave your printer sitting for long periods, get the Brother HL-L2460DW or one of its variants. It's a great budget laser model; unlike inkjet printers, there's no risk of clogging if used infrequently. It's well-built, has low recurring costs, and most variants feature many connectivity options, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and USB. It prints significantly faster than our mid-range option, up to 34 pages per minute. There are a couple of downsides. First, it's a print-only unit, so you must ensure you don't need to scan anything when buying this printer. Also, you have to tweak the print settings to get good print quality, as its print quality is mediocre out of the box. See our review for more information.

For people who need to print in color or who need a scanner, get the Brother MFC-J1205W, also sold as the Brother MFC-J1215 at Walmart. It has a sturdy build, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, and a flatbed scanner with extendable lid hinges. It produces high-quality black and color documents, although you'll have to be patient, as it only prints nine black or six color pages per minute. Printed photos look detailed but overly dark, as the printer has trouble reproducing bright, saturated colors. This printer yields around 1,100 black and 700 color prints from a set of ink cartridges, and the cartridges are cheap, so your maintenance cost is exceptionally low. Of course, as it's a budget model, it's missing features like an automatic document feeder and Ethernet connectivity.

Last but not least, there are cheap printers. Our pick is the Canon PIXMA MG3620, a basic inkjet all-in-one model. It isn't super sturdy, lacks a display, and only has a flatbed scanner with no ADF, but it produces sharp documents and decent-looking photos. The main drawback is its poor page yield of around 200 black and color prints. Also, since it uses a tri-color cartridge, you must replace it even if one color runs out, wasting usable ink. If you don't print frequently, the printheads can clog, also wasting ink. The cost-per-print is still low because the cartridges are cheap, but this printer needs a lot of maintenance, and the replacement ink costs can add up. It's a good option if you only need to print frequently but in low volume; otherwise, getting a model with better page yields is best, like the Brother HL-L2460DW above.