The best home printers
Choosing the right home printer determines to a large extent our autonomy to perform some office tasks without having to leave the house. Although their performance and cost per print do not always match that of office printers, they are also much more affordable.
The best home printers offer an acceptable cost per print, good print resolution, fairly fast print speeds and different types of connectivity for ease of use. In addition, they can be multifunctional and support various types of paper.
Below you’ll find the best home printers in 2024, analysed and compared against each other. And then you can find several rabbits on what you should consider when choosing the right home printer for you.
Top 5 Best Home Printers of 2024
HP Envy Photo 6230
- Functions: Printer, scanner, copier
- Printing technology: Inkjet
- Printer output: Colour, B/W
- Connectivity: Wifi, USB
Last price update on 2023-05-11. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best home printer
The HP Envy Photo 6230 is an all-in-one wireless home printer that can scan, copy and print at remarkable quality and very good speed. All this for a very reasonable price, making it the best printer for home.
In terms of operation, the instructions are a bit confusing, but the touchscreen is fairly easy to understand, so you figure out how it works without too much trouble.
Although it is not the highest resolution printer and its photo print quality does not match that of the Epson Expression Photo XP-8600, its overall print quality is very good.
In terms of connections, it works well with both HP ePrint and other technologies, such as Airprint.
If we go into details, it is capable of printing at a remarkable resolution: 1200×1200 dpi when using black ink only, and 4800×1200 when using colour. On most types of photos, it achieves vivid and vibrant colours. And with the right photo paper, it is capable of borderless printing.
However, achieving this quality of colour printing consumes quite a lot of ink, so if your idea is to print several photos each month, it’s best to opt for an office printer, such as the HP OfficeJet, which I’ll show you later.
In any case, with HP’s InstaInk service, your printer can automatically order new cartridges to be delivered to your home if it detects that you are running low.
The best black and white printer
When we print in black and white, it’s usually to print documents, and then there are two key aspects to consider: quality, definition and speed. The HP Envy 6230 excels in all of these.
Text and lines come out crisp and sharp, with smooth, even edges. It is also capable of printing up to 13 pages per minute, making it the second fastest on this list, after the HP OfficeJet Pro 8022e, reviewed below.
Is the HP Envy 6230 worth it?
The HP Envy 6230 is a good printer that excels remarkably in almost everything, including its photo printing capabilities, making it a very attractive printer to have at home.
View on AmazonHP DeskJet 3762
- Functions: Printer, scanner, copier
- Printing technology: Inkjet
- Printer output: Colour, B/W
- Connectivity: Wifi, Wifi Direct, USB, HP Smart, HP ePrint App, Apple AirPrint, Mopria
Last price update on 2023-05-11. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best value for money home printer
The HP DeskJet 3762 is an all-in-one colour home printer with a very affordable price and very good print quality. In addition, it can also scan and copy in high resolution.
It is a printer with similar characteristics to the HP Envy Photo 6230, only with a slower print speed, especially in black and white. In this respect, the HP Envy Photo 6230 is capable of printing 22 sheets per minute, while the HP Envy Photo 6230 is capable of only 8 sheets per minute.
But if speed is not an issue for you, this printer is capable of a remarkable print resolution: 1200×1200 dpi in black and white and 4800×1200 dpi in colour, achieving outstanding results in colour photo printing.
Photo printing uses a lot of ink, but don’t worry. If you subscribe to HP’s Insta Ink, the printer automatically orders cartridges before they run out, so new ones can be sent straight to your home.
In terms of connections, you can connect the printer via cable or use it wirelessly. So you can print images and documents directly from your smartphone, tablet or laptop via your WiFi network.
On the other hand, the scanner is a bit tricky to operate. As it is not a flatbed scanner, but the sheets are placed in the input tray, the captures are not always as well aligned as one would like, especially with paper formats smaller than A4.
This also makes it impossible, or at least inadvisable, to scan ID cards which could damage the mechanism and damage the printer.
Is the HP DeskJet 3762 worth it?
If you are not going to use the scanner too much and what matters to you is to have a quality printer, that takes up little space and for a good price, this is the best option today.
View on AmazonHP DeskJet 2720e
- Functions: Printer, scanner, copier
- Printing technology: Inkjet
- Printer output: Colour, B/W
- Connectivity: Wifi, Wifi Direct, USB, HP Smart, Apple AirPrint
Last price update on 2023-05-11. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best budget home printer
The HP Deskjet 2720e is a home printer with colour and black and white printing capabilities, plus scan and copy functions, making it the best value printer on the market.
Let’s start with printing. In soft black mode, it is capable of printing 7.5 pages per minute at 1200 x 1200 dpi.
However, when printing in colour, you can count on 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution which is pretty good, albeit at a speed of 5.5 ppm, making it slower than the HP Envy Photo 6230.
Otherwise, it uses the same cartridge system as the HP DeskJet 3762: one black and one tri-colour ink cartridge, which includes magenta, yellow and cyan.
As it only uses a single colour cartridge its durability is quite short, so it is a printer that is recommended for those who print mainly in black and white and only print in colour very occasionally.
However, you can subscribe to HP Instant Ink if you never want to run out of cartridges. The printer itself will order them for you before they run out.
This is a printer that basically works via WiFi. You can print from your PC or from your mobile with the HP Smart app without any cables. In fact, the printer doesn’t even come with a cable to connect to your computer, although it does have a USB port in case you want to connect one.
So you can leave up to 60 sheets in the input tray and print from anywhere when you need to, as long as WiFi is connected. The output tray holds up to 25 sheets before overflowing, so consider that before sending a huge PDF.
Is the HP DeskJet 2720e worth it?
If you’re looking for an inexpensive printer capable of meeting the printing, scanning and copying needs of your home or small office, this is a good choice. It doesn’t excel at anything, but it does everything well.
View on AmazonEpson Expression Photo XP-8600
- Functions: Printer, scanner, copier
- Printing technology: Inkjet
- Printer output: Colour, B/W
- Connectivity: Wifi, Wifi Direct, USB
Last price update on 2023-05-11. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best printer for printing photos
Designed for family and office use, the Epson Expression Photo XP-8600 is an all-in-one photo printer, which excels in colour photo printing, where it can print in 6 inks and achieves a resolution of 5,760 x 1,440 dpi.
The XP-8600 is smaller and lighter than the previous Epson XP-7100, so it is easier to find a place for it in small offices or at home. But at the same time, this reduction in size means that it only has a flatbed scanner, so copying sheets cannot be automated through the input tray, as in the previous model.
When it comes to colour printing, its 6 ink cartridges allow for a wider printable colour gamut to achieve more natural colour gradients and reduce graininess in photographs than any other printer on this list.
If you want to print photos, stickers, labels or cards with good quality and true to your designs, this printer will give you excellent results. It can also print double-sided, so you can save paper when printing documents and expand your creative possibilities when you need to.
In terms of speed, it is capable of printing up to 9.5 pages per minute in black and white and slows down to 4 ppm when printing in colour, making it one of the slowest, although the excellent quality of the output makes up for the wait.
The best wireless printer
It is also very easy to operate, with a 4.8-inch colour touch screen, which covers the entire control panel and is very easy to operate. Alternatively, if you prefer, you can operate it from your mobile phone, with or without WiFi, as it is capable of generating its own signal, which you can link to from your mobile devices using the Epson Connect ecosystem apps.
Is the Epson Expression Photo XP-8600 worth it?
As far as home printers for photo, sticker and label printing are concerned, the Epson Expression Photo XP-8600 is the best on the market. No other printer offers as much quality and definition for the price and size as this one.
View on AmazonHP OfficeJet Pro 8022e
- Functions: Printer, scanner, copier
- Printing technology: Inkjet
- Printer output: Colour, B/W
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi Direct, HP Smart App, USB 2.0, Apple AirPrint
Last price update on 2023-05-11. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The best multifunction home printer
The HP OfficeJet Pro 8022e is an office printer, as its name suggests, although its size, price and features make it an excellent choice if you need an efficient multifunction printer for the home, as it copies, scans, prints and even faxes.
Added to this is good connectivity, allowing you to use it wired, but also wirelessly via WiFi, using HP Smart or Apple AirPrint. You can therefore send documents or photos to print from a smartphone or tablet, in addition to your computer, without the need for cables of any kind.
The input tray is designed for small offices and this is reflected in the volume of sheets it holds. You can fit up to 225 sheets of plain paper in the input tray, 60 sheets of photo paper, 60 cards and 10 envelopes. This is very convenient, as you don’t have to constantly stop to load the printer.
Another aspect in which it stands out from the home printers on this list is that you can schedule multi-sheet scanning or copying in the inbox and it will run automatically while you are busy with other tasks.
However, you can also use the flatbed scanner if you wish. This is more practical for scanning or copying small, stapled documents or documents that are not flexible and therefore cannot be fed through the inbox.
Another of its great advantages is the speed at which it prints, 20 sheets per minute in black and white and 10 sheets per minute in colour. This speed is very similar to that of the HP Envy Photo 6230 in black and white (20 vs. 22) and even faster in colour printing (5 vs. 10).
As for ink, it comes with 4 separate cartridges: black, cyan, yellow and magenta and you can subscribe to HP InstaInk so your printer automatically orders new cartridges when it needs them, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Is the HP OfficeJet Pro 8022e worth it?
If what you are looking for in a printer is quality, efficiency and speed for a volume of printing typical of a freelancer or small business, this printer offers it, and with a very good price-performance balance.
View on AmazonTop 5 best-selling home printers of 2024
Last price update on 2022-11-28. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
How to choose a home printer: 8 things to consider
Today’s home printers have so many features and offer so many functions that it can be a difficult task to assess them properly. Add offers or subscriptions to the equation and it can get really complicated.
When printers were more basic, price per printed page was a good benchmark, but nowadays, factors such as print speed, connectivity and size can be just as relevant. In addition, many home printers are multifunctional, so a good understanding of their features and what they can do for you will help you to more accurately assess the utility and price of each printer.
Printing technology
The printing technology a printer uses determines the printing and refill system the printer uses and the corresponding costs. There are 3 printing technologies: inkjet, laser and ink tanks and their cost-effectiveness depends mainly on your printing volume and needs.
Inkjet
Inkjet technology is the most affordable technology and therefore inkjet printers tend to be cheaper, even if they offer the same functionalities as laser or ink tank printers.
Even so, you need to be careful that the initial price savings are not lost in maintenance. Pay attention to the following aspects when choosing an inkjet printer:
- Number of cartridges included: Some printers include the first cartridges for free. This can save you considerable money compared to other printers that do not include them.
- Cartridge supply subscription plans: Confirm if the printer you buy gives you free months of cartridge refill subscription. Some brands give between 3 months and a year of free refills, depending on the printer model you buy.
- Cartridge yield: Some printers use up to 6 different ink cartridges and others use only 2 cartridges, one black and one tri-colour (magenta, cyan and yellow) of less capacity. Consider your usage habits to refill the cartridges as few times as possible but don’t overdo it, because the cartridges may dry out due to lack of use.
- Cartridge prices: Each brand and model of printer has different prices so don’t think that all cartridges of a brand cost the same. I recommend you take a look at them before buying a printer if you don’t want to be surprised later.
- Compatible cartridges: Compatible cartridges are available for some printer brands and models, but not for all. Some printer models have a chip that does not allow you to print anything unless it detects original cartridges of the brand. If you plan to save on refills by using compatible cartridges, make sure that they can be used with your printer model first.
Laser printing
Laser technology is generally intended for high-volume office printers, as it offers a lower cost per page than inkjet printers. However, the price of laser printers is usually higher compared to inkjet printers with the same features.
These printers use toners instead of cartridges, which are much more expensive, but more cost-effective than cartridges. Here is an example of 3 toners and 3 black ink cartridges chosen at random from the best-selling cartridges and toners (prices are those at the time of publication of the article and may have changed):
| Price | Page yield | Cost per print | |
| HP 106A – Black – original – toner | £38.00 | 1000 pp. | £0.038 |
| GPC TN1050 black toner (pack of 2) | £17.09 | 2000 pp. | £0.008 |
| Brother TN2420 black toner | £58.92 | 3000 pp. | £0.01 |
| Canon PG-545 black cartridge | £12 | 180 pp. | £0.06 |
| HP 304 N9K06AE black cartridge | £10.66 | 120 pp. | £0.08 |
| HP 301 CH561EE Black Cartridge | £14.83 | 190 pp. | £0.07 |
When comparing the cost of colour printing, it is necessary to compare colour toners with ink cartridge packs that include black, plus yellow, cyan and magenta, as all four are used in colour printing. Also, the price of toners ends up being more cost-effective.
| Price | Page yield | Cost per print | |
| Cool Toner colour toners | £107.29 | 6,000 pp. | £0.017 |
| HP 201X CF253XM colour toners | £218.99 | 2,300 pp. | £0.095 |
| CMYBabee colour toners | £57.99 | 3,000 pp. | £0.019 |
| HP 3JB05A 304 Cartridges | £19.53 | 120 pp. | £0.16 |
| HP X4D37AE 302 Cartridges | £27.25 | 190 pp. | £0.14 |
| Canon PG-545 Cartridges | £30.55 | 400 pp. | £0.07 |
Choosing a laser printer is a more cost-effective option as long as you have a high monthly print volume. Otherwise, once the toners are opened, they may deteriorate from lack of use.
Think about whether you really have printing needs that compensate for the price of toners and laser printers and, when evaluating a laser printer, don’t forget to take this into account:
- Number of toners included
- Subscription plans for toner supply
- Toner yields
- Toner prices
- Compatible toners
Ink tank printer
Ink tank printers use the same technology as inkjet printers, but instead of cartridges, which hold between 6 and 20 ml of ink, the tank capacity is around 150 ml.
Please note that because they house the ink tanks, these printers are bulkier. Therefore, take into account the dimensions of your office or desk. Also, don’t forget to check:
- Number of ink tanks included
- Ink tank subscription plans
- Ink tank performance
- Ink tank prices
- Compatible ink tanks
These printers are noted for their print yields, which are 5 to 10 times higher than a standard cartridge printer. There are different types of ink tanks, but you can expect print yields of between 4500 and 15000 prints, depending on the tank, rather than the 100 – 500 of a standard ink cartridge.
The price of an ink tank printer is a little higher than inkjet printers of similar characteristics, but the price of the cartridges is not, so they are very cost-effective in the long run, as long as you are going to print a lot of pages per month.
Below you can see a comparison of the cost per print for some of the best-selling tank ink bottles, compared to the best-selling ink cartridges of the same colour (prices may have changed since the article was published):
| Price | Page yield | Cost per print | |
| Epson EcoTank 111 Black | £13.65 | 6,000 p. | £0.002 |
| HP 1VV24AE 32XL Original Ink Bottle, Black | £14.39 | 6000 pp. | £0.002 |
| Epson EcoTank 104 Black Genuine Ink Bottle | £9.49 | 4500 pp. | £0.002 |
| Canon PG-545 black cartridge | £12 | 180 pp. | £0.06 |
| HP 304 N9K06AE black cartridge | £10.66 | 120 pp. | £0.08 |
| HP 301 CH561EE Black Cartridge | £14.83 | 190 pp. | £0.07 |
The same is true for ink bottles for colour print tanks. The cost per print is much lower than for cartridge packs with the same colours.
| Price | Page yield | Cost per print | |
| Coralgraph 6 Colour Ink Bottles | £8.99 | 6,000 pp. | £0.001 |
| Epson EcoTank 102 Genuine Multipack Ink Bottles | £34.09 | 4,500 pp. | £0.007 |
| BVH Direct 104 Ink Bottles | £17.95 | 7,500 pp. | £0.002 |
| HP 304 3JB05A Cartridges | £19.53 | 120 pp. | £0.16 |
| HP 302 X4D37AE Cartridges | £27.25 | 190 pp. | £0.14 |
| Canon PG-545 Cartridges | £30.55 | 400 pp. | £0.07 |
Keep in mind, however, that just as with cartridges and toners, it is only worth buying a home printer with ink tank technology if you are really going to have a very high print volume. Buying a home printer with ink tank technology is only worthwhile if you are really going to have a very high print volume. If you don’t, the ink will most likely run dry.
Ink refill subscription services
These are subscription services that provide you with ink cartridge refills based on the number of pages you print per month. Once you have subscribed, your printer notifies the service when it estimates that the cartridges are about to run out so that you receive new cartridges directly at home.
Currently, HP, Epson and Brother offer this service and their prices vary depending on the pages you determine per month and your printer model.
Multifunctionality
Multifunctional home printers are practical because they allow you to have a printer, scanner, copier and sometimes even a fax machine in one device. Their price depends on the brand, the functions offered and the printing technology, but is generally higher than that of a simple printer.
The key when buying a multifunction printer is that the use you will make of these features will offset the extra cost over the lifetime of the printer, which is approximately 5 years, before its software becomes obsolete.
On the other hand, some multi-function printers offer functionalities and printing features that some simple printers may not, so if you want access to them you will have to buy a multi-function printer.
Printer connectivity types
Many of today’s printers have good connectivity and can be used wirelessly. This makes it easy to place them where it suits you and not necessarily next to your computer. You can find printers that connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, USB, memory cards, NFC or a combination of all six.
USB connection
The USB connection is the most basic connection and all printers include a USB port to be connected to a computer. Some also allow printing from external hard drives or other devices connected through this port.
Connection via Wi-Fi
This is the most practical connection, as you can have the printer in another room and print without any problems. You can also send documents to print even when you are away from home, as long as you have an internet connection. Generally, it requires an app from the manufacturer or a compatible app.
On the downside, if the internet connection fails, you will have to go to the printer and connect with a USB cable or via Bluetooth, if it has one. Keep this in mind because many printers with Wi-Fi connection have a USB port but no longer include the cable.
Connection via Wi-Fi Direct
It is very practical and convenient to use because it is a very fast connection, does not require an Internet connection and has a longer range than Bluetooth, reaching up to 200 metres in some cases.
Wi-Fi Direct has a similar functionality to Apple’s Bluetooth or AirDrop connection. The printer emits a short distance signal to which you can link a compatible device (phone, tablet, computer, camera, etc.) that also has Wi-Fi Direct enabled. Once linked, you can send any documents or photos you want to print.
Bluetooth connection
It is an effective option and can be convenient if you already have other devices connected to your computer via Bluetooth, so that the printer is just one more. The only limitation is the distance at which you can place the printer, as the Bluetooth connection usually has a maximum range of 10 metres.
Either way, Bluetooth-enabled printers often have Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, so you’ll always have more than one option for connecting to them.
Connection via Memory Cards
If you use memory cards regularly, for photography, video or multimedia projects, you will appreciate having the ability to use this type of connection, as these slots have been removed from many laptops.
If you don’t use memory cards regularly, you can do without this feature.
Connection via NFC
The NFC connection is not the least practical for printing, as it requires you to be at a very close distance to the printer (10 cm or less). Although it can get you out of trouble, this type of connection is totally dispensable in a printer.
Print speed
Print speed is relevant when you print a lot of sheets or when speed is critical to your work. Printing 10 pages at a speed of 10 pages per minute may seem acceptable, but if you have to wait 10 minutes to print 100 pages you may change your mind.
If this is not the case, you can save a lot of money by choosing a printer that is slower but still capable of achieving the same quality results.
Inbox volume
Printers have input trays with different capacities. A larger input tray is more convenient, as it makes it easier to reload the tray less often. Having a larger tray is also more practical if you need to schedule printouts with a large volume of sheets or multiple jobs in the print queue.
On the other hand, printers with a larger input tray tend to be larger, so consider the space you have available before deciding on one or the other.
Double-sided printing capability
This function can save you a lot of paper and space, as the number of printed sheets is reduced by half. Note, however, that you will need to use a better quality paper, which is not transparent and prevents you from seeing both sides of the sheet at the same time.
It’s a function that will also come in very handy if you do creative projects or need to print cards, labels, etc.
Supported paper types
If you want to use the printer to print stickers, cards, labels or photos, you should make sure that the printer supports all the paper types, formats and weights you plan to use.
Once we have chosen the type of printer we want and the connectivity we want, there are a number of other extras to consider.
