The 6 Best Printers For Chromebook - Summer 2023 Reviews

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 quickly, thanks to its automatic feeder with single-pass, double-sided scanning. Its page yield is excellent, so you don't need to replace the toner cartridges often. The drum also doesn't need regular replacement since it's good for about 30,000 prints.

Like most printers, this printer has many variants with slightly different features, so if you don't need features like duplex scanning and NFC support, you can save some money with a cheaper variant like the Brother MFC-L8610CDW. You can see more details about the variants in the full review. Regardless of which variant you choose, the one thing that laser printers don't do well is photo printing, as laser printers tend to have a narrow color range and struggle to reproduce fine details.

If you need to print photos or posters, get the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 instead. It's an all-in-one supertank inkjet model. It prints incredibly detailed and colorful photos and supports paper sizes up to 13" x 19". A full tank gets you thousands of prints, and you can easily refill the tank with bottles of ink, which are very cheap. It has some drawbacks, though, like the lack of an automatic feeder, slower printing speeds, and a higher price tag. You can get the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 variant if you want to save money. It gives you the same print quality as the ET-8550 but doesn't support wide-format paper sizes and has a smaller 8.5" x 11.7" flatbed scanner.

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 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. Cheaper variants are available, like the Canon Color imageCLASS MF654Cdw, which lacks duplex scanning and fax functionality. You can see more details about the variants in our full review.

If you don't need color printing, get the Brother MFC-L2750DW. This monochrome laser all-in-one produces high-quality documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 36 pages per minute. It doesn't cost much to maintain, as it yields a large number of prints, and replacement toner is cheap. Also, there's only one cartridge to replace. The lack of color printing is the main drawback, so you must be sure you won't need to print any color documents. The scanner supports single-pass duplex scanning but is somewhat slow, as it can only process up to seven pages per minute through the feeder. There are less expensive variants without duplex scanning or Ethernet if you want to save more money, and you can also get this printer bundled with high-yield cartridges.

If you need something modest for general home use, get the Brother MFC-J4335DW, an all-in-one inkjet model. It's 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, but expect to pay a little more.

It uses four ink cartridges—the usual cyan, magenta, yellow, and black—and yields around 2000 black and 800 color prints. It 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.

Our best budget pick is the Brother MFC-J1205W, also known as the Brother MFC-J1215 at Walmart. It's a good inkjet all-in-one option if you don't print all that often and only need basic features. It has a sturdy build, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, and a flatbed scanner with extendable lid hinges. It prints 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. It's not bad for photo printing; it prints very detailed pictures but has trouble reproducing bright, saturated colors and darker tones.

This printer yields around 1100 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. Still, it's a good option if you want something affordable and don't mind a few tradeoffs.

Last but not least, the 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 good-looking photos. The main drawback is that it only has a black and tri-color cartridge, yielding about 200 black and color prints. The cost-per-print is still low because the cartridges are cheap; it just needs a lot of maintenance.

Since it only has one color cartridge, you must replace it even if one color runs out. It's a good option if you only need to print one-off projects once in a blue moon; otherwise, get a model with better page yields, like the Brother MFC-J1205W above.

For small places like a dorm or bedroom, the HP DeskJet 3755 is a good option. You may find it under a different model number as it changes depending on the region and retailer, like the HP DeskJet 3772 or 3722; you can see the variants in our full review. It's a super compact all-in-one with Wi-Fi and USB connectivity and a sheetfed scanner. It produces reasonably sharp documents and very detailed photos; it's a little slow, as it can only print up to five black or three color pages per minute. The main drawback is its page yield, as the ink cartridges are only good for about 100 black and 40 color prints.

The cartridges are cheap, but the cost will still add up quickly if you print a lot, so this is best suited for people who only print occasionally. There's no need to install drivers or third-party apps to use the printer; it works fully with Chrome OS devices straight out of the box.