The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is an inkjet printer suitable for a wide range of uses. It uses a supertank cartridge system with four refillable ink tanks instead of traditional ink cartridges. Thanks to this system, the printer has outstanding page yields and an exceptionally low cost-per-print regardless of if you print in black and white or in color. Unfortunately, while it does have a high-resolution flatbed, it lacks an automatic document feeder, so you need to manually place all pages of a document onto the flatbed, which can be time-consuming. Also, its photo quality is decent enough for adding graphics to assignments or reports, but the colors are very inaccurate, so it's not suitable if you're looking for exact color reproduction.
Our Verdict
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is decent for family use. Its page yields are outstanding, and its cost-per-print is exceptionally low, but it lacks an automatic document feeder for quickly scanning multi-page documents. While it produces decent-quality photos that are good enough to hang on a fridge, there's a bit of banding in grayscale areas, and yellows lack vibrancy. Unfortunately, we also encountered a clogging issue, which took several attempts to fix before we could print again, so this printer does require a fair amount of consistent maintenance to keep it from clogging.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
- Only has a flatbed scanner.
- Printheads tend to clog.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is mediocre for home office use. While it has exceptional page yields for black-only and color documents, it has a poor print speed and takes a while to produce long black-only text documents. Also, it lacks an automatic document feeder, so scanning multi-page documents will get tedious as you'll have to place each page manually onto the scanner. Unfortunately, it requires a fair amount of consistent maintenance as our unit clogged after a month of inactivity.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
- Only has a flatbed scanner.
- Printheads tend to clog.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is a great printer for students. Its compact size fits easily in a small desk without getting in the way, and it has outstanding page yields for black-only text documents and an exceptional cost-per-print. You can connect to the printer wirelessly with a Wi-Fi connection, Wi-Fi Direct, or use Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print Service, or Epson's companion app to print using a smart device. Unfortunately, it doesn't have ports for external storage devices like a USB key or an SD card, and it also doesn't support a Bluetooth connection.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
- No Bluetooth or external storage support.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is a decent black and white printer. It has outstanding page yields for black-only text documents and an exceptional cost-per-print. However, it prints text documents very slowly, so you'll have to wait a while for a long print job to complete. It doesn't feel very well-built, accessing paper jams is hard, and it requires consistent maintenance or the printheads may clog.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
- Only has a flatbed scanner.
- Printheads tend to clog.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is satisfactory for photo printing. It produces decent-looking photos, though there's some banding in the grayscale, and colors, especially yellow, don't look super vibrant. It can also produce a wide range of colors, and gradients come out smooth-looking. Unfortunately, its color accuracy is terrible, so it's not a good choice if you require exact color reproduction for professional use.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
- Disappointing color accuracy.
- Printheads tend to clog.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
- Exceptionally low cost-per-print.
- Small, lightweight design.
- High black and color page yield.
- Very slow printing speeds for all document types.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Dec 04, 2023: We've changed the result in the 'Duplex Printing' in the 'Printing Speed' section of the review from 'No' to 'Manual' to reflect the fact that you can manually reinsert pages to print double-sided sheets.
- Updated Jan 12, 2023: We've retested the printer's Color Gamut and Color Accuracy, as the original tests were performed using older ink. The Color Gamut score remains the same. Color Accuracy improved slightly, from a dE of 12.6 to 12.36. We've adjusted the score accordingly.
- Updated Nov 24, 2022: We mistakenly posted the printer's weight as 5.7kg (12 lbs). The actual weight is 4.3kg (9.4 lbs). This change doesn't affect the score.
- Updated Nov 17, 2022: We mistakenly posted the maximum paper weight as 90g/m² in the Document Printing Sizes section. The maximum supported weight is 297g/m². This change doesn't affect the score.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
While we tested the white version, the Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is also available in black.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The Epson ET-2720 sets itself apart thanks to its exceptional supertank system that yields an incredible number of black and color pages. Accordingly, its cost-per-print is among the lowest we’ve tested, whether you’re printing in black only, in color, or photos. However, its printing speed is really bad and unusually slow compared to other printers we’ve tested.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best all-in-one printers, the best home printers, and the best inkjet printers.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 and the Epson Expression ET-2750 are similar printers, but the ET-2750 is slightly better-performing overall. The ET-2750 can print black-text documents quicker, and it has duplex printing and external storage support. On the other hand, although it's still sub-par, the ET-2720 yields more color pages before needing to refill it, though the ET-2750 yields more black pages.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800/ET-2803 and the Epson EcoTank ET-2720 are both inkjets with supertank ink systems, but the ET-2800 is a newer model that performs a bit better. The ET-2800 yields more black pages, prints slightly faster, and supports duplex printing, albeit you need to manually flip the pages over. Also, the ET-2800 prints much better-quality photos, with deeper blacks and more accurate colors. On the other hand, the ET-2720 has a wider color gamut, meaning it can produce more vibrant colors. It doesn't support automatic or manual duplex printing, though, so the printer doesn't prompt you to turn over the sheets or your document at all if you want to print on both sides.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 and the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 are very similar supertanks. They perform similarly, but the ET-2850 is newer and better overall. It yields more black pages, so you won't have to refill the tank as frequently if you print a lot, and it prints a bit faster. It can print double-sided sheets automatically, meaning you don't need to run two print jobs to print on the second side like you do with the ET-2720. Also, it can print on much heavier paper, like light cardstock or heat transfer paper, making it a better choice for crafts.
The Brother MFC-J4335DW is a better printer overall compared to the Epson EcoTank ET-2720. The Brother prints faster, supports automatic duplex printing, and produces far more accurate colors. It also feels better built, has a better display and physical keypad, built-in fax, and an automatic document feeder. On the other hand, the Epson uses a supertank ink system for far better page yields and a cheaper cost-per-print, and aside from the disappointing color accuracy, produces much better-looking photos.
Test Results
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 has a mediocre build quality. The output tray is flimsy, and if you have a paper jam, there isn't any rear access. There's a door underneath the display screen, but it can be hard to get at paper jams from there if you have larger hands. Also, it's hard to scan bulkier items like books as the scanner lid can't extend to accommodate them. On the bright side, it's easy to load the paper and access the ink tanks.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is a compact and lightweight printer. Although the supertank slightly juts out, the footprint should be small enough for most home offices or student dorms.
Like all inkjet printers, the Epson ET-2720 requires maintenance to reduce the risk of clogging. It has useful maintenance tasks built-in like printhead cleaning, printhead alignment, and power cleaning.
When we first got the printer, we set up the Wi-Fi and filled up the ink tanks, then left it for a month. Once we started testing it again, the printheads had clogged, and we had to do four cleanings before the ink was properly printing on paper.
During our re-test, we encountered clogging again. We ran the printhead cleaning task six times, but this didn't fix the issue. However, we performed a deep cleaning task, which takes about seven minutes to perform and uses quite a bit of ink to finish. After this task, the printheads were no longer clogged, and we could print as normal.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720's screen is passable. The display console tilts upwards to allow you to see the screen better, and it has good visibility whether you're seated or standing. While there isn't a touch screen, there are push buttons around the screen, though you may need to press them several times to get to the command you're looking for.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 has an exceptional supertank system. It uses four high-capacity ink tanks that you refill yourself and yields many black and color pages before you need to refill the tank again. There's also a pop-up message on PC to periodically check your ink levels, which is great if you aren't keeping a close eye on your ink tanks. If you're looking for a similar printer with much higher page yields, check out the Epson EcoTank ET-3850.
While it's technically possible to fill the supertank with any third-party ink, we didn't try it and don't recommend doing so as low-quality ink can damage the printheads and, unlike regular cartridges, you can't remove them if there's a problem. Using third-party ink could also void your warranty.
The Epson ET-2720's scanning features are disappointing. It only has a flatbed scanner, so documents have to be scanned page by page, and if you need to scan double-sided documents, you have to flip the pages manually, which is time-consuming. You can save files as searchable PDFs using the Epson Scan 2 software, letting you easily search words or passages that would otherwise be cumbersome to look for manually. The Epson EcoTank ET-4760 is a similar printer with a sheetfed scanner and a fax.
The high scanning resolution and color depth are great for capturing minute details in photos and fine print in scanned documents.
- User manual
- Epson EcoTank 522 ink bottles
- 1x Cyan
- 1x Magenta
- 1x Yellow
- 1x Black
- Installation CD
- Power cable
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 has an exceptional cost-per-print. Black, color, and photo printing are all extremely cost-effective. If you need to refill the tanks, you can purchase a multipack ink package or each ink bottle separately. If you want a supertank printer with a lower cost-per-print for photos, check out the Canon PIXMA G2260.
The Epson ET-2720 has poor printing speed. Although the first page doesn't take too long to print, additional black text pages aren't much quicker. It doesn't automatically print double-sided, so you must flip pages manually. Color pages are slow to print; it takes almost a minute and a half to print off one 4" x 6" photo.
The Epson ET-2720 has one adjustable input feed in the back of the printer, and it supports most popular paper sizes. You can also print custom sizes, from 2.12" x 3.39" to 8.5" x 47.24". It doesn't print tabloid-size paper, but if that's important to you, check out the Epson EcoTank ET-15000.
This printer can reproduce a large range of colors, but it struggles with replicating bright greens, as they come out darker than they should be. There's also a fair amount of graininess, which adds a lot of noise to the colors and makes gradients come out less smoothly.
The color accuracy is poor. While it may be okay for the occasional pop of color on an assignment or office document, it isn't ideal for work that requires accurate color reproduction. If you want better color accuracy, check out the Canon PIXMA G1220.
The Epson ET-2720 has decent connectivity. You can hook it up wirelessly by using your Wi-Fi via your router, or you can use Wi-Fi Direct. If using a mobile device, you can also use Apple AirPrint or Mopria Print Service. Unfortunately, you can't use an Ethernet cable with it, and it lacks any external storage support. If you want a similar printer with external storage support, check out the Epson EcoTank ET-2760.
The Epson iPrint app is outstanding. It's accessible on Android and iOS devices, and you can print, scan, and copy photos directly from the app. However, while the most common file types work on the Android version of the app, a few of them don't work on the iOS version. The formatting for both Microsoft Office and TXT files don't get converted properly.