Best Printers for 2025 Can a printer last for 10 years?
Perhaps it's time to adopt a new perspective on printers. If you're like most buyers, you're probably looking for a cheap inkjet model. Although we are aware of the popular belief that "cheap is good," there are actually superior options available for the majority of consumers, according to consumer research and laboratory testing Printers.
What a Printer Should Have in 2025
Since features can vary greatly, even within a certain price range, there are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing a printer.
Our expert assessments reveal that inkjet printers have three main issues. They frequently perform poorly at printing text, which is the main task that people expect them to perform. wireless printers
It's crucial to remember that the majority of contemporary printers typically come with an integrated scanner. As a result, the printer can also serve as a copier, scanner, and occasionally a fax machine. These are referred to as All-In-One printers, or simply AIO. It's important to keep in mind that not all printers are AIOs, so if you need that kind of capability make sure to verify before you buy.
The second decision is between the two primary printing technologies that are now available: inkjet and laserjet. The key distinction between the two is that whereas laserjet printers are often more expensive to operate, inkjet printers are typically less expensive to purchase. Additionally, laserjets are less likely to smear the ink and offer crisper print quality. inkjet printers
The cost per page (CCP), which is the price associated with printing each page, is the next item on the agenda. The cost of the cartridge is multiplied by the expected number of pages produced by the cartridge to arrive at that figure. Remember that this is only an approximate estimate because the amount of ink used can vary significantly depending on what you're printing.
In either case, we'll offer you a ballpark idea of what to anticipate in terms of CCP. However, if you don't print frequently, finding the best printer may not always mean obtaining the lowest CCP possible. It may be preferable to spend a few cents more per page in exchange for faster printing, higher print quality, or just more features. inkjet printers
Along with the aforementioned, you should also take a look at Page Per Minute (PPM), which indicates how many pages the printer can print in a given amount of time. Therefore, 10ppm means that you will receive ten pages in just one minute.
It entirely depends on how much you print and how patient you are as to what you are okay with. The more print per minute (ppm) you can achieve, the better if you typically print a lot. printers with refillable ink
The feature set, and more specifically, the type of connectivity you can have, should be your final consideration. Nowadays, most printers are required to include Ethernet ports and at least Wia Fi connection. Some printers also come equipped with Bluetooth and apps that let you print directly to the printer without a computer, which is fairly convenient. There are certain printers that can be voice operated as well, which is more of a fun little addition. the best home printers
Second, even though they can be inexpensive to purchase, they sometimes come with high ink expenses for pricey replacement cartridges and expensive ink maintenance cycles that are required merely to keep the machine running. The average user may spend up to $70 annually on ink cartridges, which can cause a printer's total cost of ownership to double in as little as two years.
Inkjet printers are not as dependable as laser printers, according to data from our polls of CR members. printers for sale
When you add it all up, it's understandable why inkjet printer user satisfaction, as determined by the same surveys, is so low.
Because of this, we no longer feel comfortable recommending traditional inkjets. An ordinary home printer should use a black-and-white An improved option is typically a laser printer.
That's a lot to consider, but don't worry—the recommendations listed below will take care of all the necessary research for you.
The ideal printer overall HP Envy Pro 6455e
To begin with, this is an all-in-one (AIO) device, so in addition to printing, you can also scan, copy, and even fax—features that are uncommon for these AIOs. Even better, you can print from anywhere without even touching a button because to its voice activation, which works with both Alexa and Google Home Assistant. If you don't want to attach the Envy Pro with a cable to a desktop or laptop, it also has WiFi connectivity.
Print quality is acceptable for a budget inkjet printer, and even somewhat smaller fonts are likely to have high sharp quality.
The photo quality is also excellent, but regrettably, it lacks the same colour gamut as a printer with additional cartridges because it only uses two instead of four or six. However, the quality is not subpar; rather, it is not the greatest in its category.
About 10ppm in colour and 7ppm in monochrome are the print speeds. The Envy Pro's scanner offers a resolution of 1,200 by 1,200 pixels, which is a really respectable quality. Despite not being able to print on both sides of a sheet of paper, it includes an auto-document feeder.
HP ENVY 6455e All-in-One Printer w/ bonus 6 months Instant Ink through HP+
Homework assignments, creative projects, borderless images, mobile home and family documents, colour print, copy, and scan functions
includes more than just Instant Ink for six months; optional printing system HP+
HP+ requires an HP account, the internet, and only original HP products.
Get a 35-page auto document feeder and print, scan, copy, etc. Any device can be set up and connected to receive self-healing Wi-Fi®. [2] Get an extended 2-year warranty[16], 6 free months of Instant Ink[7], and more when you activate the HP+ Smart Printing System.
Families that seek solutions that will integrate smoothly into everything they need to accomplish and will make connecting, printing, and managing things from home easier.
Only cartridges with new or repurposed HP electronic circuitry are meant to work with this printer, and it employs dynamic security mechanisms to disallow cartridges with altered or non-HP circuitry. These precautions will continue to work as intended thanks to periodic firmware updates, which will also stop any previously functional cartridges. The utilization of repurposed, refurbished, and recycled HP electronic circuits
The best cheap printer Epson Expression Home XP-4100
It's crucial to try to strike a balance between low cost and functionality when choosing a budget printer. Thankfully, for just under $100, the Epson Expression XP-4100 accomplishes that task admirably.
This all-in-one machine has a surprisingly compact footprint and is excellent if you don't have a lot of areas to work with, similar to our top overall printer. Similar to the Envy Pro 6455e, the scan resolution is 1,200 DPI, and the colour and black print speeds are 4 and 7 pages per minute, respectively. Despite the poor print speed, don't be put off by it.
Regarding print pricing, it's a little disappointing to learn that black pages cost roughly 11 cents and coloured pages cost nearly 17 cents each. Again, though, if you just seldom print things, the cost per page won't be as important. Additionally, this assumes you purchase the cartridges at the $20 MSRP; if you can get them for less, the cost per page decreases.
optimum home office printer HP Color LaserJet Pro Multifunction M479fdn
Although the name of the printer, the HP Color Laserjet Pro Multifunction, is a mouthful, the printer has numerous functions that make it ideal for a home office or a small business.
The 300-page paper tray and 50-page feeder on this HP printer, for starters, eliminate the need for constant supervision as it prints or copies. Additionally, auto-duplex printing saves time by eliminating the need to refeed paper for double-sided documents. Because it's a colour laser printer, it's also fairly quick, and when combined with the big capacity, you can print a lot more.
The Laserjet Pro has some outstanding connectivity options, including USB, Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth, which are uncommon. You can also use a range of third-party applications, including Mopria, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, and HP Smart App with HP ePrint. Additionally, it has some solid encryption and security features. In addition, the LaserJet Pro features permission controls if you wish to restrict who can print in colour.
The Laserjet Pro performs as one would anticipate for the money. Black print speed is approximately 28 ppm, and colour print speed is roughly 17 ppm, which is about average for its class.
As you would anticipate from a laserjet, the print quality is excellent. Because the text is clear and cannot smear, it is ideal for business documents. Although you shouldn't count on it for printing precise images, photo quality is still excellent for charts and presentations.
The truth about operational costs, which also depend on how much you print, might be painful. Expect to pay 2.2 cents for monochrome pages and 14.2 cents for coloured ones. If you print tens of thousands of pages each month, the cost can build up quickly.
Optimal Photo Printer Epson Expression Photo XP-970
The Epson Expression XP-970 excels in both colour accuracy and range, which are the two factors that matter most when printing photos.
It chooses to use five colours of ink, making a total of six colours when black is included, which aids in achieving that goal. Unless you want to spend four or even five times as much money, the colour spectrum you get is simply impossible to better.
Since there are so many various ink kinds and printing sizes available, the question of cost is a little more complicated. When you calculate the CPP, you're potentially looking at up to 4.5 cents for black and up to 14 cents for colour on each page.
What do you think about that price range? Realistically, it falls into this printer class' typical range, which is impressive given its superior colour fidelity.
The XP-970 is average for the price when it comes to other features, though. You receive the normal set of connectivity options, including WiFi Direct, USB 2.0, and support for the majority of SD and Micro SD cards. Additionally, you get compatibility for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa as well as voice-command functionality, which is rather good.
Despite all of this, the printer's main drawback is that it is a little slow, which is made worse by the fact that it can only hold one sheet of paper at once. This implies that you will need to watch it carefully, which can be problematic if you print in large quantities.
But the printer's outstanding photo printing quality more than makes up for those drawbacks.
Optimal Portable Printer Canon Pixma TR150
There will come a day when the size of a portable printer is compared to its print capabilities and output quality. Rarely will something portable provide the same level of performance as a full-sized printer. Fortunately, the Canon Pixma TR150 offers a good compromise.
When closed, the TR150 measures just 12.7 by 7.3 by 2.6 inches and weighs 4.5 pounds, making it tiny enough to slip into a briefcase or a small bag. If you want a printer that can be used anywhere, the small weight gain with the optional battery pack is worthwhile.
Despite its diminutive size, the Pixma can print on paper up to the industry standard 8.5 x 11 size. You may print anything with its two ink cartridges, from straightforward text documents to sharp, glossy photographs. Although the print rates for a portable printer are only 9ppm for black and white and 5.5ppm for color, they are nonetheless respectable.
Through the Canon Print app, the TR150 is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Apple AirPrint is also compatible with it. Although the printer has a tiny OLED display next to the control buttons, changing printer settings on the app is simpler than attempting to do so on a 1.44-inch screen.
Although not the smallest portable printer on the market, the Canon Pixma TR150 is still tiny enough to be taken around without making too many feature sacrifices. The TR150 is a fantastic option if you want wireless, high-quality printing while you're on the move that won't break the bank.
Optimal Ink Tank Printer Canon Maxify GX6021
Long-term, ink tank printers will enable you to print at a significantly lower cost. Individual black and white or color cartridges can be discarded without wasting any ink.
Canon's Maxify GX6021 ink tank printer is our top pick. Although this is a somewhat pricey alternative, if you print a lot, you will start to save money from it quickly. With the $649 price tag, you also get a full-featured scanner and copier in addition to a printer that can print up to 14000 pages on a single set of full tanks.
It features four tanks that can each carry between 132 and 167 ml of ink, which may not seem like much until you consider that a regular ink bottle holds 8 ml.
Although the Maxify GX6021 is not a tiny printer, it is small enough to fit without taking up too much room in a small office or home office. 100 A4 sheets can also fit in the paper tray. Although it decreases to 15.5 ppm when printing in color, the maximum print speed of 24 ppm is still extremely impressive