The Brother MFC-L2820DW is a monochrome all-in-one laser printer. It uses Brother's TN830 toner cartridge and is compatible with the high-yield TN830XL and TN830V cartridges. It features a 2.5-inch touch-sensitive control panel and an ADF-equipped scanner with fax functionality and built-in optical character recognition. Connectivity options include USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. This printer is also compatible with the Brother Mobile Connect app, which lets you print and scan, monitor ink levels, and manage your ink subscription.
This printer has many variants with slightly different features and performance; see the Differences Between Variants section below for more information.
Our Verdict
The Brother MFC-L2820DW is decent for home use, but its limited versatility is a drawback. This monochrome laser printer isn't suitable for printing color photos or documents, but it's a great option if you only print black-and-white documents. It produces incredibly sharp documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 33 pages per minute. The toner cartridge yields a large number of prints and is relatively cheap, so recurring costs are also low. The scanner features extendable lid hinges to accommodate thicker items, such as textbooks, and includes an automatic feeder to process long, multi-page documents. Finally, with many connectivity options, it's convenient for the whole household.
- Produces sharp documents.
- Fast printing speed.
- High page yield, low cost-per-print.
Excellent scan quality.
Undemanding maintenance requirements.
Bad for photos due to low print resolution and printing pattern.
- Can't print on glossy photo paper.
Can't perform color printing.
The Brother MFC-L2820DW is excellent for small offices that only print in black and white. It produces incredibly sharp documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 33 pages per minute. The toner cartridge yields a large number of prints, and you can get larger-capacity cartridges that'll last even longer. There's a scanner with an automatic feeder, though it's rather slow, as it can only process up to seven pages per minute. It doesn't support duplex scanning; however, you can get a variant that does. Its connectivity options include USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, making it easy for everyone in the office to access. The one limitation is color printing; as a monochrome laser printer, it isn't the right choice for offices that print color documents.
- Produces sharp documents.
- Fast printing speed.
- High page yield, low cost-per-print.
- ADF scanner.
Excellent scan quality.
Undemanding maintenance requirements.
- No duplex scanning.
Can't perform color printing.
The Brother MFC-L2820DW is a remarkable choice if you're looking for a printer that's easy to set up and reliable whenever you need it. It's a laser printer, which means it won't clog even if you don't use it for a long period. The toner cartridge yields a large number of prints and is relatively inexpensive, so you won't have to perform frequent maintenance or spend a lot on replacement toner. You can also get XL cartridges that yield even more prints. It's also very quick, printing up to 33 pages per minute, and supports a variety of connectivity options for easy printing.
- Fast printing speed.
- High page yield, low cost-per-print.
Undemanding maintenance requirements.
The Brother MFC-L2820DW isn't designed for printing photos, as it's a monochrome laser printer that prints only in black and white. It can't print on glossy photo paper, and the photos it produces look grainy with a visible printing pattern.
Bad for photos due to low print resolution and printing pattern.
- Can't print on glossy photo paper.
Can't perform color printing.
The Brother MFC-L2820DW delivers excellent page yields. According to our testing, you can print approximately 1,200 pages with the regular cartridge. This number can be quadrupled with the high-yield options available as well.
- High page yield, low cost-per-print.
The Brother MFC-L2820DW prints very quickly. It can output 32 pages per minute. It also doesn't take very long to warm up compared to most laser printers, as the first page is ready in 13 seconds.
- Fast printing speed.
The monochrome Brother MFC-L2820DW produces outstanding documents. The text looks sharp, and fine elements like graph lines are clear and easy to see. However, it occasionally produces crooked prints, so be aware.
- Produces sharp documents.
The Brother MFC-L2820DW produces very good scans. The text looks sharp, and most fine details are clear and easy to see. The only complaint is that the image processing is a little too aggressive in attempting to remove artifacts and also removes some of the finer background elements. While the scanning features vary by variant, the Brother MFC-L2820DW comes with an ADF-equipped scanner and adjustable hinges on its flatbed scanner, allowing it to accommodate larger items such as magazines or textbooks. This model can't perform automatic duplex scanning, but other variants can.
- ADF scanner.
Excellent scan quality.
- No duplex scanning.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Feb 09, 2026:
We fixed some of the wording throughout the text.
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Updated Dec 16, 2025:
We've updated text throughout the review after converting to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Dec 16, 2025: 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.
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Updated Feb 12, 2025:
We've rewritten the Introduction, verdict boxes, and the 'Compared To Other Printers' box to bring them in line with our current standards for printer reviews.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Brother MFC-L2820DW all-in-one monochrome laser printer. It has many variants with different features and performance; see them in the table below.
| Model | Display | Scanner | Duplex Scanning | Advert. Print Speed | Ethernet | NFC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HL-L2464DW | 2-line LCD | Flatbed | N | Up to 30 PPM | N | N | - |
| HL-L2465DW | 2-line LCD | Flatbed | N | Up to 30 PPM | N | N | - |
| DCP-L2605DW | 2-line LCD | Flatbed | N | Up to 32 PPM | Y | N | - |
| DCP-L2640DW | 2-line LCD | Flatbed + ADF | N | Up to 36 PPM | Y | N | - |
| HL-L2480DW | 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen | Flatbed | N | Up to 36 PPM | Y | N | - |
| DCP-L2680DW | 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen | Flatbed | N | Up to 36 PPM | Y | N | - |
| MFC-L2760DW | 2-line LCD | Flatbed + ADF | N | Up to 30 PPM | N | N | - |
| MFC-L2800DW | 2-line LCD | Flatbed + ADF | N | Up to 34 PPM | Y | N | - |
| MFC-L2805DW | 2-line LCD | Flatbed + ADF | N | Up to 36 PPM | Y | N | - |
| MFC-L2807DW | 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen | Flatbed + ADF | N | Up to 34 PPM | Y | N | - |
| MFC-L2820DW | 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen | Flatbed + ADF | N | Up to 34 PPM | Y | N | - |
| MFC-L2820DWXL | 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen | Flatbed + ADF | N | Up to 34 PPM | Y | N | MFC-L2820DW + additional toner (estimated yield of 4,200 pages) |
| MFC-L2880DW | 3.5-inch Color Touchscreen | Flatbed + ADF | Y | Up to 36 PPM | Y | N | - |
| MFC-L2880DWXL | 3.5-inch Color Touchscreen | Flatbed + ADF | Y | Up to 36 PPM | Y | N | MFC-L2880DW + additional toner (estimated yield of 5,000 pages) |
| MFC-L2885DW | 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen | Flatbed + ADF | Y | Up to 36 PPM | Y | Y | - |
| MFC-L2920DW | 3.5-inch Color Touchscreen | Flatbed + ADF | Y | Up to 36 PPM | Y | Y | - |
See our unit's label.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The Brother MFC-L2820DW is an excellent all-in-one monochrome laser printer, best suited for small-office use. It stands out for its sturdy build, outstanding print quality, fast printing speed, and low cost per print. The ADF-equipped scanner produces detailed scans, though it's on the slower side for processing documents. Additionally, the lack of duplex scanning may be a limitation for some offices, although a variant that supports it is available.
See our recommendations for the best laser printers, the best office printers, and the best black and white printers.
The Brother MFC-L2820DW and the Brother HL-L2390DW/HL-L2395DW are both all-in-one monochrome laser printers with similar print quality, print speed, and yield. The most notable difference is that the HL-L2390DW/HL-L2395DW only has a flatbed scanner, while the MFC-L2820DW has a flatbed and an automatic feeder.
The Brother MFC-L2820DW is better than the HP LaserJet M209dwe for most uses. The Brother has a sturdier build, a better display, superior print quality, and faster printing speed. It also has an ADF-equipped scanner with fax functionality and optical character recognition, whereas the HP doesn't have a scanner. The HP yields more prints, so it won't cost as much in replacement toner; however, its drum is integrated into the cartridge, which can be a hassle, as you would have to throw out the whole cartridge if the drum gets damaged, potentially wasting toner.
The Brother MFC-L2820DW and the Brother MFC-L2750DW are very similar overall. While the MFC-L2750DW has a few more features, like automatic duplex scanning and NFC support, you can find variants of the MFC-L2820DW that support them. The only differences are the control panel and page yield; the MFC-L2820DW has a nicer display with fewer physical buttons, while the MFC-L2750DW has a slightly higher page yield.
Although the Brother MFC-L2820DW and the HP LaserJet Pro M15w are both monochrome laser printers, the Brother is an all-in-one, while the HP is a print-only unit. The Brother is better overall; it has a sturdier build, a better display, faster printing speed, and automatic duplex printing capability. However, the HP yields more prints, making its cost-per-print slightly lower. The HP's drum is integrated into the cartridge, which makes maintenance easier, but it can end up costing more because you would have to discard any remaining toner if the drum gets damaged.
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