The Brother HL-L3280CDW is a print-only color laser printer. It replaces the Brother HL-L3270CDW Laser. This standalone unit uses Brother's TN229 toner cartridges, and it's compatible with the TN229XL high-yield cartridges and eligible to enroll in Brother's Refresh ink/toner subscription service. Connectivity options include USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, and there's support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. It has a few variants with slightly different features and performance; you can see them in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The Brother HL-L3280CDW is okay for family use. Its wide variety of connectivity options make it easy for all household members to access, and thanks to its high page yield and relatively inexpensive toner cartridges, it doesn't cost much to maintain over time. It produces very sharp documents and prints quickly; however, it isn't ideal for photo printing because it has a narrow color range, and its printing pattern is clearly visible in printed photos. Also, the lack of a scanner might be a dealbreaker for some.
- Produces incredibly sharp documents.
- Fast printing speeds.
- Wide connectivity options.
- No scanner.
- Not ideal for photo printing due to low print resolution and printing pattern.
- Narrow color range and poor accuracy.
The Brother HL-L3280CDW is a good office printer. It produces incredibly sharp documents, doesn't take long to warm up, and prints quickly at up to 28 pages per minute. It has many connectivity options, including Wi-Fi and Ethernet, making it easy for everyone in the office to access. The regular toner cartridges yield a large number of prints, and you can get XL cartridges that'll last even longer. Replacement toner is relatively cheap, so you won't have to worry about high running costs. Unfortunately, the lack of a scanner might be a dealbreaker for some offices.
- Produces incredibly sharp documents.
- Fast printing speeds.
- Wide connectivity options.
- No scanner.
If you want a printer that's easy to maintain and always ready, the Brother HL-L3280CDW is a great pick. Since it's a laser printer, it won't clog after long periods of inactivity. It produces high-quality documents at speeds of up to 28 pages per minute. The toner cartridges last a long time, allowing you to print over 1,200 pages before replacing them, and high-yield options push that even further. It also supports a wide range of connectivity options, making it easy to print from almost any device.
- Fast printing speeds.
- High page yield, low cost-per-print.
- Wide connectivity options.
Low maintenance.
The Brother HL-L3280CDW is bad for photo printing. Printed pictures look awful because this model prints at a low resolution and can only produce a narrow range of colors. Also, like most laser printers, the printing pattern is very visible, causing further loss of detail.
- Not ideal for photo printing due to low print resolution and printing pattern.
- Narrow color range and poor accuracy.
Brother HL-L3280CDW has superb page yields. Even with the standard cartridges, you'll be able to print more than a thousand black and white or color document pages. Borther also offers a wide range of high-yield cartridges that can greatly increase this number.
- High page yield, low cost-per-print.
The Brother HL-L3280CDW delivers excellent printing speed. It can print more than 28 black and white and color document pages per minute. It can also print a single page in about 12 seconds, which is a good result. This is ideal if you're looking for a speedy printer.
- Fast printing speeds.
The Brother HL-L3280CDW document quality is exceptional. Text looks sharp, and all fine details come through clearly. Even the more challenging scenarios, such as small text on a colored background, are clearly rendered.
- Produces incredibly sharp documents.
The Brother HL-L3280CDW is a print-only printer.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Jan 12, 2026:
We've updated text throughout the review after converting to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Jan 05, 2026: We've updated the review to Test Bench 1.3, which adds a number of test boxes including Risk of Clogging and Ease of Unclogging. We also updated the Usage and Performance boxes at the top of the review to better integrate the new aspects covered. See the changelog.
- Updated Mar 15, 2024: Review published.
- Updated Mar 12, 2024: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Brother HL-L3280CDW. There are a few variants with slightly different features and performance; you can see them in the table below.
| Model | Display | Advert. Print Speed | Connectivity | Paper Input |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HL-L3220CDW | 1-line monochrome LCD | 19 PPM | Wi-Fi, USB | 1-sheet multi-purpose tray |
| HL-L3240CDW | 1-line monochrome LCD | 27 PPM | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet | 1-sheet multi-purpose tray |
| HL-L3280CDW | 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen | 27 PPM | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet | 1-sheet multi-purpose tray |
| HL-L3295CDW | 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen | 31 PPM | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet, External Storage (USB), NFC | 30-sheet multi-purpose tray, supports optional 250-sheet input tray |
See our unit's label here.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The Brother HL-L3280CDW is a great color laser printer. It stands out for its sturdy build, outstanding print quality, and fast printing speeds. That said, the lack of a scanner might be a dealbreaker for many.
See our recommendations for the best laser printers, the best office printers, and the best printers for small businesses.
The Brother HL-L2380CDW and the Brother MFC-L3780CDW are very similar regarding print quality and yield; however, the former is a print-only unit, while the latter is an all-in-one with a scanner. The MFC-L3780CDW technically prints black-and-white documents faster, but only when using a wired USB connection, as its printing speed drops considerably when printing over Wi-Fi. The MFC-L3780CDW has more connectivity options, including support for NFC and external storage drives (USB), though you can get a variant of HL-L3280CDW with the same features.
The Brother HL-L3280CDW is a newer version of the Brother HL-L3270CDW Laser. They have identical features and perform similarly in print quality. The HL-L3280CDW prints slightly faster but doesn't yield as many color prints as the older HL-L3270CDW. The biggest difference is that the HL-L3270CDW requires more maintenance because its drum unit wears out much faster.
The Brother HL-L3280CDW and the HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw are very similar print-only color laser printers. The Brother produces higher-quality documents and prints faster but doesn't yield as many prints as the HP. It's worth noting that the HP uses cartridges with an integrated drum, while the Brother has a separate drum unit. An integrated drum makes maintenance less of a hassle since you don't have to replace the drum separately; however, it's also more wasteful because drums typically last much longer than the toner, and you'd have to discard the entire cartridge if the drum gets damaged.
The Brother HL-L3280CDW and the Xerox VersaLink C500/DN are both print-only color laser printers. The Xerox prints much faster, up to 45 pages per minute, and its input tray can hold a lot of paper, making it a better option for high-volume printing. Although the Xerox printer's toner cartridges cost significantly more than the Brother's, they yield considerably more prints, resulting in a lower cost-per-print. However, the Xerox model's connectivity is more of a hassle because you have to buy the wireless adapter separately to use Wi-Fi.
Test Results
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