- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Updates
- Comparison
- Best Printers
- Conclusion
- Discussions
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is a home electronics brand that focuses on computer-related products, including printers. They make a diverse range of printers like inkjet or laser, color or monochrome, and all-in-one or printer-only. While their selection can be overwhelming, they're separated into several different lineups to better fit your needs.
Each lineup has different pros and cons that align more closely with their specific usages, and they come at several price points, so you can better easily find a printer that works for you.
Updates
- 02/26/2021 HP LaserJet MFP M234dw/M234dwe reviewed
- 02/25/2021 HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e/8035e reviewed
- 02/24/2021 HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e reviewed
- 02/09/2021 HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M555dn reviewed
- 02/05/2021 HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M554dn reviewed
Best HP Printers
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Best HP Printer For Small/Home Office
Type All in OneTechnology InkjetWireless YesColor YesSuperTankNoLooking at the best HP printers for small/home offices, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025 is the best that we've tested. It's made entirely of strong, sturdy plastic, and the user-friendly design allows for easy access to paper jams and ink cartridges. The cartridge system can yield a high number of pages before it runs out of ink, and the overall cost-per-print is outstandingly low, especially with black ink. Likewise, if you often print beyond the cartridge's limits, there are XL cartridges available that should last you longer. It has a flatbed scanner and an automatic document feeder with duplex scanning, which is very useful if you have to scan large manuals or double-sided documents. Although the first page takes a bit of time to come out, the subsequent pages are significantly faster. Not only that, but it can be connected to over Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet.
Unfortunately, while it has remarkable connectivity options, it lacks Bluetooth support, which may be a dealbreaker for some. Likewise, the mobile companion app, HP Smart, can't print Microsoft Office files. Color accuracy is mediocre and isn't recommended for those who work in print media or graphic design, but it should be fine for adding color to a report. That said, this versatile model is one of the best office printers that we've tested.
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Best HP Printer For Printing Photos
Type All in OneTechnology InkjetWireless YesColor YesSuperTankNoThe best HP printer for photos is the HP ENVY Photo 7855. This all-in-one inkjet model has excellent color accuracy and photo printing quality. Colors look vibrant and rich, and there's only a small amount of banding in greens and blues. Also, it has a decently low cost-per-print for photos and color prints. The scanner is fully equipped with a high-resolution flatbed and an automatic document feeder to quickly process multi-page documents, so it should satisfy most of your household needs. The printer offers incredible wired and wireless connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, and it also supports Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print Service, and printing off a USB thumb drive or SD card. It's also compatible with the decent HP Smart mobile app, from where you can print, scan, copy, check ink levels, and manage your ink subscription.
Unfortunately, the first page of a document takes a disappointing amount of time to come out. Also, it has a very low page yield, so you may need to replace the cartridges often, especially if you print a lot. It only has one color cartridge, so you can't replace only the color that runs out. On the bright side, there are high-yield versions of the cartridges available that should last longer, though we haven't tested them. Nevertheless, this is a very good option if you intend to print excellent-looking photos at home.
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Best HP Printer For Family Use
Type All in OneTechnology InkjetWireless YesColor YesSuperTankNoThe HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 is the best HP printer for family use that we've tested. This all-in-one inkjet model feels well-built and sturdy, and it provides easy access to paper jams and ink cartridges. It has outstanding connectivity options since you can print via Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi, directly from a USB key, and from your mobile device via AirPrint or Mopria Print Service. It covers all of your scanning needs with its flatbed scanner for thick books and automatic document feeder to quickly process large, double-sided documents. Its excellently high page yield means you shouldn't need to replace the ink cartridges, making it very cost-effective over time. It also accepts high-yield cartridges that should last even longer, though we haven't tested them. Photos look vibrant and detailed, although some dark areas are less defined. Although this printer is discontinued in the US, it's still currently easier to find in retail stores than its replacement model, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e.
Unfortunately, its color accuracy is only okay, and it may not suit your needs if you rely on exact color reproduction; however, it should still be good enough for art projects or filling up a photobook. It's compatible with the HP Smart companion app, but you can't print off Microsoft Office, text, or webpage files. Overall, this is an excellent family option, and it's among the best HP printers we've tested.
Compared to other brands
- Diverse lineup. They offer a lot of different models that focus on different needs, like photo printing or office use.
- Quick printing speeds. For the most part, both the LaserJet Enterprise/Pro and OfficeJet Pro lineups have pretty quick print speeds for all kinds of documents. Although the ENVY lineup is slow to print black text and color documents, they can print photos fairly quickly.
- Laser printers have affordable cost-per-prints. As their toner cartridges can yield a lot more pages before they need to be replaced, each page you print with their laser printers is affordable.
- Some Iineups have limited scanning features. Depending on the lineup, you may only have access to a flatbed scanner or sheetfed scanner with an automatic document feeder. The LaserJet Pro and LaserJet Enterprise lineups don't typically have any scanning features at all.
- Inkjet printer cartridges have low page yields. Inkjet printers like the HP ENVY Photo 7155 or HP Deskjet 3755 don't yield many pages before their cartridges need to be replaced.
- No Bluetooth support. Most HP printers can't print wirelessly using Bluetooth, except for the HP Envy Photo 7855.
HP tends to make a diverse assortment of printers, each of which is designed for different uses. Their photo printing lineup ENVY, for example, is comparable to Canon's PIXMA lineup, while their LaserJet Pro and LaserJet Enterprise lineups are more similar to Brother's current offering of office printers. As a whole, HPs printers have few similar characteristics between lineups, but most tend to lack Bluetooth support. However, thanks to their variety, their printers come in a lot of different price ranges, so you can find something at a price point that suits your budget.
Lineup
HP offers several different printer lineups to better suit your specific needs. They use the following names:
- DeskJet = Entry-level, compact inkjet printers for home use. They tend to have somewhat limited scanning features.
- ENVY = Inkjet printers meant for printing photos. They focus on rich and detailed photo printing quality as well as more precise color accuracy.
- LaserJet Pro = Laser printers for small/home office use. Some are monochrome, and others use color toners. Unlike the LaserJet Enterprise, they usually support wireless connectivity.
- LaserJet Enterprise = Laser printers designed for small businesses that need to print off a significant amount of pages. They tend to be print-only, and they have a very quick print speed. They're also marketed as more secure as they tend to use wired connections for printing.
- OfficeJet = Inkjet printers that are better suited for home/small office use. They're usually well-rounded printers capable of printing in black as well as color.
- Smart Tank = Supertank inkjet printers. These printers tend to have outstandingly high page yields.
Notable Mentions
- HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw: The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw is an outstanding printer for home or small office use, but its high price tag could set it out of reach of some users. See our review
Recent Updates
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Feb 26, 2021: Verified product availability, and updated text for clarity.
Conclusion
HP is a well-known brand that offers a variety of different kinds of printers at varying price points to better suit your needs. As such, their build quality and performances to shift around depending on the lineup you're looking at. There's even a noticeable difference in their cartridge performances, with their Smart Tank and LaserJet Pros having the highest yields, but this is to be expected in supertank and laser printers. That said, HP's printers can suit most budgets and printing needs while still offering a fairly well-rounded performance.
For other options, you can check our recommendations for the best printers for small offices, the best home printers, and the best photo printers.
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