![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW]](https://i.rtings.com/assets/products/1rHShTlA/brother-mfc-l8905cdw-mfc-l8895cdw-mfc-l8900cdw/design-medium.jpg?format=auto)
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW is an all-in-one color laser printer designed for office use. It uses Brother's TN431 toner cartridges and is compatible with the TN433 high-yield, TN436 super high-yield, and TN437 ultra high-yield cartridges. It features an 8.5" x 14" flatbed scanner and an ADF with single-pass duplex scanning. Connectivity options include Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and USB connectivity, allowing you to print directly from external storage devices, such as USB flash drives. There's also support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. You can use this printer with the Brother Mobile Connect app, which allows you to perform tasks such as printing and scanning, monitor ink levels, and manage your ink subscription.
This printer has a few variants with different features; see the Differences Between Variants section below for more information.
Our Verdict
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW is decent for home use, but it's clearly not its intended use. It produces very sharp and detailed documents, but like most color laser printers, it isn't ideal for photo printing, as printed pictures look flat and dull. It's also very large, which can make storing it quite a hassle. The scanner produces very detailed scans, but colored areas look grainy, which can be bothersome when digitizing photos. The toner cartridges last a long time, making this printer cost-effective to maintain over time and requiring minimal maintenance. It offers numerous connectivity options, making it easy for the whole family to access.
- Produces very sharp documents.
- High page yield, low cost per print.
- Wide connectivity options.
- Low maintenance.
Outstanding scan quality.
- Narrow color range and poor color accuracy.
- Can't reproduce fine details in photos.
- Takes up a lot of space.
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW is an outstanding printer for small offices. It produces incredibly sharp documents, prints quickly at up to 32 pages per minute, and requires minimal maintenance. The ADF-equipped scanner can quickly process multi-page and double-sided documents, and it offers numerous wired and wireless connectivity options, making it convenient to use regardless of your office configuration.
- Produces very sharp documents.
- Fast printing speeds.
- High page yield, low cost per print.
- Wide connectivity options.
- ADF with automatic duplex scanning.
- Low maintenance.
Outstanding scan quality.
- Takes up a lot of space.
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW is an outstanding choice if you want a printer that's easy to live with and always ready for your next job. It's a laser printer, which means it won't clog even if left unused for an extended period. It produces high-quality documents and prints at a rate of up to 32 pages per minute. Additionally, its toner cartridges last a long time, resulting in low recurring costs and little maintenance. You'll be able to print thousands of pages before needing to replace your toner cartridges. This printer also supports a variety of connectivity options, making it easy to print from virtually any device.
- Fast printing speeds.
- High page yield, low cost per print.
- Wide connectivity options.
- Low maintenance.
Like most color laser printers, the Brother MFC-L8905CDW is bad for photo printing. Photos look awful because they print at a low resolution, and the printer can only produce a narrow range of colors. Additionally, like most laser printers, the printing pattern is highly visible, resulting in further loss of detail. It doesn't support borderless printing and can't print on glossy paper.
- Narrow color range and poor color accuracy.
- Can't reproduce fine details in photos.
- Can't print on glossy paper.
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW has outstanding page yields. You can print thousands of pages per cartridge. You even have the option to get high-yield cartridges, which can more than double this already amazing result. This is an excellent choice if you have very large printing needs.
- High page yield, low cost per print.
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW produces outstanding-quality scans. Text looks sharp, and fine elements like lines on a graph are present and easy to see; some colored areas look a tad grainy, though. Moreover, this printer has a feature-rich scanner. Its ADF performs single-pass duplex scanning, so you can easily and quickly process multi- and double-sided documents. The flatbed scanner's hinges are also extendable so it can accommodate thicker items like textbooks and magazines.
- ADF with automatic duplex scanning.
Outstanding scan quality.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Jul 02, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.4, which adds new usages and performance usages, as well as reorganizes several other tests throughout the review. You can read more about the changes in detail in the Changelog.
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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 Nov 05, 2025:
Added a reference to the Canon Color imageCLASS MF665Cdw in the Dimensions section as an alternative for people looking for a smaller printer with similar performance.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Brother MFC-L8905CDW printer. There are a few variants with slightly different features; you can see them in the table below.
| Model | Display Size | ADF Capacity | Scanner Glass Length | Duplex Scanning | NFC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother MFC-L8610CDW | 3.7" | 50 | 11.8" | N | N | - |
| Brother MFC-L8895CDW | 5.0" | 70 | 14" | Y | Y | Same printer as MFC-L8900CDW - Costco/BJs exclusive |
| Brother MFC-L8900CDW | 5.0" | 70 | 14" | Y | Y | - |
| Brother MFC-L8905CDW | 7.0" | 70 | 14" | Y | Y | - |
See our unit's label.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW is among the best small office laser printers on the market. It stands out for its sturdy build and wide range of features, as well as for its outstanding print quality and fast printing speeds. Like most color laser printers, it's not suitable for photo printing.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best laser printers, the best office printers, and the best all-in-one printers.
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW and the Brother MFC-L3770CDW Laser are both color laser printers with identical features. Performance-wise, the MFC-L8905CDW is better. It produces higher-quality color documents and scans, and it prints and scans faster.
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW is slightly better than the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw for the most part. The Brother prints and scans faster than the HP, offers better scan quality, and has a higher page yield. The only other notable difference is that the HP has the drum built into the cartridge, while the Brother's drum is a separate unit. The HP's built-in drum makes maintenance more convenient but increases maintenance costs. This is because cartridges with a built-in drum are more expensive, and that extra expense adds up over time, resulting in higher maintenance costs than a printer with a separate drum.
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW and the Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw are very similar overall. The Brother prints and scans faster than the Canon, but the Canon yields more prints. The only other notable difference is that the Canon has the drum built into the cartridge, while the Brother's drum is a separate unit. The Canon's built-in drum makes maintenance more convenient but increases your maintenance cost. This is because the cartridges are more expensive, and that can add up over time, resulting in higher maintenance costs than a printer with a separate drum.
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW and the Xerox VersaLink C500/DN are both color laser printers. The Brother is better feature-wise because it has a scanner and more connectivity options. However, the Xerox model prints much faster and yields significantly more prints.
Test Results
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Build Quality Close Up Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/build-quality-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] ISO View Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/size-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] In Use Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/in-use-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Display Screen Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/controls-small.jpg?format=auto)
for pictures & test results
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Cartridge Picture In The Printer Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/cartridge-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] In the Box Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/in-the-box-small.jpg?format=auto)
for pictures & test results
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Printer Total Cost Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/cost-graph-small.jpg?format=auto)
for videos & test results
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Printing Speed Video Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/printing-speed-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] B&W Document Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/black-white-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Color Document Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/color-small.jpg?format=auto)
for pictures & test results
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Scanner Flatbed Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/scanner-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Scan Quality Photo Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/scanner-sample-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Parrots Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/parrots-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Color Range Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/color-gamut-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Friends Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/friends-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Color dE Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/color-de-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Color dE Graph Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/de-bargraph-small.jpg?format=auto)
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Small Details Photo Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/tokyo-small.jpg?format=auto)
for pictures & test results
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] Inputs Picture Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/inputs-small.jpg?format=auto)
for pictures & test results
![Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] App Printscreen Sample](https://i.rtings.com/assets/sample-images/printer/app-printscreen-small.jpg?format=auto)