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To determine the best printer for office use, we considered the range of users and the core features that would most benefit them. We prioritized the following criteria — printer type, multifunctionality, color versus monochrome, page yield, print speed, and size. Most professional print users generally want a printer that completes jobs quickly, offers enhanced multifunctionality and doesn’t need to have the ink or toner replaced frequently. These are some of the basic features of the best printers.
Because of the above considerations, we selected the Brother HL-L2350DW Compact Monochrome Laser Printer. While it only prints in black ink, its small size and modest price make it perfect for home office use. It offers a commendable 32 pages per minute print speed as well as a 3,000-page yield rating. Plus, the remote printing feature that includes proprietary app support and cloud printing on demand from smartphones and tablets helps to solidify our choice.
Not everyone who shops for a laser printer can accommodate a massive printer that takes up an entire table. This is why we’ve picked the Brother HL-L2350DW Compact Monochrome Laser Printer as our Top Pick. This monochrome option offers a small footprint that can easily sit in the corner of a home office or the living room without overwhelming the space.
While it’s limited to just printing and doing so only in black ink, you’ll like that you get 32 pages per minute which are within a very usable range for laser printers, and you can connect to this printer through WiFi and send jobs to it remotely through AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Brother’s proprietary iPrint app. This model supports two-sided printing and can support toners with a maximum page yield of 3,000 pages. You might want to consider the best all in one printer for all of your office needs.
Some businesses find themselves needing to do more than simply print projects. This is why the Brother MFCL2710DW Monochrome Compact All-In-One Laser Printer is our Honorable Mention. In addition to printing, this three-in-one model also copies and scans. Plus, you can print on the go from more places than just your computer. Opt for mobile and tablet printing with cloud-supported services like Google Cloud Print, or use the proprietary iBrother app to manage print and scan jobs.
You’ll like that you get 32 pages per minute speed which is competitive with other models on our list, and the option for automatic two-sided printing to help save paper. There’s also a 50-sheet automatic document feeder. And you’ll appreciate that this Brother model can support toners with a page yield of 3,000 pages which is one of the smaller yield outputs on our list. Plus, the quiet operation measures 50 decibels, so you won’t be disturbed while printing projects. The best printers should be quiet enough to not distract.
If you’ve just started your own business, you might not be ready to upgrade to some of the pricier laser printer models on our list. This is why we’ve selected the HP OfficeJet 3830 All-in-One Wireless Printer as our Best Budget choice. Even though this model has a modest price point, it’s still packed with features that help improve your office’s workflow. This all in one option includes scanning, copying, and faxing. Since it’s a color inkjet, you can also print high-resolution images, thanks to borderless printing.
Print on the go thanks to the wireless connectivity, the HP proprietary app, and cloud-supported remote printing. Or manage jobs directly on the printer with the mono touchscreen. An auto document feeder and two-sided printing support help to improve functionality too. While the print speeds aren’t nearly as fast as with laser printers, within the inkjet category, they’re commendable, with 8.5 pages per minute for black and six pages per minute for color printing. You can also check out the best inkjet printer.
One of the biggest drawbacks with printers is that you need to replace the ink or toner. So, if you’re concerned about blowing your monthly office expenses budget on toner, you’ll appreciate the Brother Business HL-L8360CDWT Color Laser Printer because it offers the second-best page yield in our roundup. When it’s time to replace the toner, you can opt for the 6,500-page yield compatible toners for more longevity.
But this printer was designed with commercial office use in mind. It features a built-in NFC card reader to ensure that print jobs are tracked and that only authorized users can print documents. But this model also supports wireless and remote printing. Plus, the dual paper trays offer a total capacity of 750 pages, potentially adding an optional paper tray for a maximum capacity of 1,300 pages. Automatic duplex printing and a printing speed of 33 pages per minute for both black and color help to round out this model’s top features. Make sure that your printer has the best printer ink as well.
Sometimes it seems like it can be impossible to find a quality laser printer that offers multifunctionality but doesn’t take up too much space — especially if you’re outfitting a home office. The HP Laserjet Pro M148dw All-in-One Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer offers a real solution to this problem if color printing isn’t a priority. This all in one model also supports scanning and copying. And the potential for a 2,800-page yield with replacement toners makes this ideal for home office use.
But in terms of functionality, this HP printer has a lot to offer. Two-sided printing and an auto document feeder help to streamline your routine. And the proprietary HP Smart app supports remote printing from your mobile or tablet as well as scan-to-email functionality. Cloud printing is supported by native connections to services like Dropbox and Google Drive. And WiFi connectivity lets you print from anywhere. For your home needs, check out the best printer for home.
You either love technology, or you don’t. And one thing that people hate about printers that feature wireless connectivity is trying to troubleshoot when the connection fails. The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 All-in-One Wireless Printer takes that headache away with a self-healing WiFi feature. This means the printer is always monitoring your WiFi connection in the background and also overseeing the reconnection process, so you don’t have to. Likewise, you’ll like that Smart Tasks are supported to help you streamline repetitive tasks such as scanning documents or managing expenses.
But this model also comes with standard, enhanced features you would expect from models at this price point. A 35-page auto document feeder and automatic two-sided printing, copying, and scanning help to improve efficiency. While the print speed isn’t competitive with laser printers, it’s within the acceptable range for inkjets at 22 pages per minute for black and 18 pages per minute for color printing. And remote printing and scanning to email are supported by the HP proprietary app, along with cloud printing support. Our best printer for computer list has more great choices.
When you print frequently, the last thing you want to do with your time is standing around a printer waiting for projects to finish or find yourself constantly replacing toner or ink. The solution is to find a speedy printer with a high page yield that can keep up with your office’s demands. The HP LaserJet Pro Multifunction M428fdw Wireless Laser Printer is our choice for offices that are high-volume printers. With 40 pages per minute print speed (the fastest on our list) and compatibility with toners offering a 10,000-page yield, we’re confident it’ll meet your needs.
But this HP model also features a range of value-added functions that you’ll like. This four-in-one model also copies scans and faxes. You’ll like that you can automate select functions to help streamline your workflow. And the optional additional paper tray can help improve efficiency. Dual-sided automatic printing and an auto document feeder round out some of the top features of this HP laser printer. For labels, read our best label printer list. And check out the best 3D printers for a higher-tech creation.
It can be overwhelming when it comes to picking the right printer for your office, home office, or home. So, with all the available options today, we narrowed down the choices by focusing on the following criteria: printer type, multifunctionality, color versus monochrome, page yield, print speed, and size.
Depending on the type of content you print, you may find that you’re better served by an inkjet or a laser printer. So, we highlighted a range of models across both primary printer categories to better understand what to expect when shopping for an inkjet or laser printer. Of the models on our list, the Top Pick, Honorable Mention, #4, #5, and #7 are all laser printers, while our Best Budget and Best Value selections are all-in-one inkjet printers. Laser printers are inherently more expensive than inkjet options, but if your office prints in large volumes, it’s smarter to focus on laser printers to help reduce your long-term toner costs.
We further broke this down with printer type into monochrome versus color. It’s very common to find laser printers that only print in black ink; our list reflects this. Of the five laser printer models on our list, only #4 prints in color. In contrast, both of the inkjet printers — #3, our Best Budget, and #6, our Best Value — print in color.
Next, we considered multifunctionality in terms of “all-in-one” printers. Except for the Top Pick and our #4 selection, all of the other models on our list are all-in-one printers. Within that range, our Best Budget, Best Value, and #7 selection are all four-in-one models that print, scan, copy, and fax. Our Honorable Mention and #5 choices are three-in-one models that lack faxing capabilities.
But multifunctionality also includes enhanced features that make using the printer easier. Except for #7, all of the other models support remote printing beyond a simple wireless connection between your computer and the printer. Picks #1 through #6 all provide a proprietary brand app that supports remote printing, and in some cases, scanning, as well as cloud-supported printing with popular services like Dropbox or Google Drive. Some printers support task automation which helps to streamline repetitive projects like scanning or forwarding expenses. Those features are listed in the #6 Best Value and #7 selections.
Next, we focused on page yield and print speed. By default, laser printers outperform inkjets in these categories. And in some cases, these figures aren’t prominently listed on inkjet models. However, wherever possible, we outlined these figures for each printer. You’ll find that the best-performing printer in these categories was #7, with an impressive 10,000-page yield and a printing speed of 40 pages per minute.
And finally, we looked at the printer size. Home offices or even small businesses in commercial spaces might not be able to dedicate a large amount of space to an oversized laser printer. So, we looked for models across inkjet and laser printers with small footprints that wouldn’t require dedicated tables. In contrast, a commercial office would benefit from a larger printer that’s not only multifunctional but has a larger paper capacity with multiple trays to support that feature.