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Best Home Printers 2025 | Tested By Forbes Vetted - Forbes Vetted

Published 4 hours ago19 minute read

While most home printers can print clear text and images, the best home printers are best in class in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, and come with top-of-the-line features like the ability to print from your phone and scan images. After testing and evaluating 13 different options—both in real-world scenarios and formal testing—we chose HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e as our number one choice overall, thanks in large part to its fast, reliable printing and intuitive, integrated app.

Our editors and writers put over a dozen of the best home printers to the test for two months.

ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: FORBES

The HP OfficeJet Pro isn’t the only great home printer we tested. Others on our list, like the HP Envy 6555E, are a great choice for those that want a printer without spending hundreds of dollars. For a laser printer, we recommend the Brother HL-L2460DW XL as your go-to. After hours of printing, scanning, faxing and more, here are the best home printers you can add to your home office right now.

Best Overall

HP

Forbes Vetted

Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.

InkjetPrint/Copy/Scan/FaxYes13.5 x 17.3 x 11 inchesYes250 sheets4 cartridges

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e takes the top spot for best home printer overall: It has the best blend of printing quality, price and speed to get print jobs to you quickly and effectively. Our tester timed printing from her PC, and from pressing the print button to the last of a six-page test landing in the tray, it took 35.6 seconds. From the moment the first page hit the tray, it took exactly 23 seconds, so it lines up pretty closely with HP’s claim of 22-second print jobs for its “normal” quality setting. It’s not the fastest print job in comparison to the other printers tested, and it slows considerably if you put it on the “best” print setting, but it was the most consistent.

The top lid for the scanner is heavy, and you need to fully open it for it to stay in place; otherwise, it slams right back down. It also features an intuitive 2.7-inch touchscreen display, thought for those with larger hands, it may be in your best interest to opt for a home printer with a larger display.

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e is a sturdy printer with a useful, albeit small, 2.7-inch touchscreen ... More display.

Victoria Hess for Forbes

Really, though, it feels like nitpicking, considering that the print quality was the best we tested. Grayscale and color print jobs came out looking sharp and clear, especially the radial gradients testing. For those frequently work from their mobile device, you can also use the HP Smart App to help you print; our tester loved the app because it was convenient and easy to use. Another nice perk: For parents, the HP Printables located in the app allows you to source and print DIY coloring books for your kids. It also comes with three months of the HP Instant Ink subscription, which detects when you’re low on ink and automatically orders it for you starting at $1.49 per month. But unless you’re printing oodles of paper, we recommend against this subscription model.

The paper tray can hold 250 sheets.

Victoria Hess for Forbes

It’s also important to note that the ink cartridges are the real cost driver here: The replacement set of four EvoMore ink cartridges costs $239. With HP’s claim the black cartridge prints up to 2,500 pages and color 1,650 pages, amounting to 3 cents per black and 9 cents per color page.

Our testing noted also that every once in a while, the print jobs didn’t print in order. If you’re printing large amounts of paper, you may want to consider another printer on our picks, but it didn’t happen often enough to warrant too much concern.


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Best Value

Forbes Vetted

Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.

Inkjet  Print/copy/scan/mobile fax  Yes  13.1 x 16.9 x 7.9 inches  Yes  60 sheets 2 cartridges (Black, CMY)

The HP Envy 6555E is a great choice for those that don’t want to spend a fortune on a printer. At around $160, it’s frequently on sale for around $100. But it’s not only the attractive price that nabbed this as the most affordable option: For a supposedly “no frills” all-in-one printer, our tester felt that it was packed with features, including faxing for those that need it.

In terms of its design, it’s a hefty beast; our tester was surprised at its size but felt it was still a lower profile compared to other options on the market. Setup was mostly easy, but she noticed that, “you have to push upward instead of downward to install the cartridges,” a counterintuitive step that prolonged the process a bit. The small touchscreen display on the bottom left corner of the machine showed our tester the progress of the print jobs and error messages to help you troubleshoot.

The HP Envy 6555E is not only budget-friendly but it's an all-in-one machine and offers scanning, ... More copying and faxing.

Brinda Ayer for Forbes

The biggest drawback: print speed. Both monochrome and color print jobs come out very slowly. Our tester noted that it took 70 seconds for the printer to start printing the first page. A 10-page monochrome double-sided print job took about three minutes. Once the machine “warms up,” though, it prints faster: The test page that took 70 seconds to warm up took 20 seconds to print. It’s still not fast, so if you’re only printing the occasional page, this printer will suit your needs just fine.

And, of course, the all-in-one model can print, copy, scan and fax, and the HP smart app allows you to scan and print from your mobile device. Colors and prints are high quality, and for the price, it’s hard to beat. Our tester noted that, “I'd recommend it for people with slightly more cramped desk space and people with tighter budgets, like students.”

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Brother

Forbes Vetted

Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.

All-in-one laserPrint/scan/copy/faxYes17.8 x 18.2 x 16.3 inchesYes50 sheets250 sheets and 30-sheet multipurpose2 cartridges

If you need a do-it-all printer for your home office, you can’t go wrong with the Brother MFC-L3780CDW: It comes jam-packed not only with the ability to print, copy, scan and fax, but it also has intuitive phone functions to help you scan and print from your mobile device. Yes, it’s a beast and takes up a ton of space, according to our tester, but for the space it uses, it feels “targeted at small business,” and “an especially busy household—perhaps a few teenagers who need to print a lot for school.”

The print speeds are a little slower compared to others we tested: It takes 45.5 seconds from pressing the print button to the last page of a five-page job landing in the tray, and it spews out smaller print jobs in as little as 25.1 seconds. Again, most of that time comes from the printer booting up, since once the first page began printing, for the three-page job, it took 8.6 seconds. There’s another factor playing into these times, too; our tester also noted that these print times are averages, since the jobs varied wildly during testing. The printer also works seamlessly with your phone to print, scan and send documents back and forth between devices and comes with cloud integrations.

The Brother MFC-L3780CDW comes jam-packed with features.

Dave Johnson for Forbes

For small businesses, it also comes with a unique feature: NFC authentication for extra security. It has three different paper trays, including a 30-page multipurpose tray for envelopes and other media. You can also use Brother’s Refresh EZ print subscription to automatically send you replacement cartridges when the printer senses your ink is low, and our tester notes that the printer offers a complimentary first four months’ service.

It’s also pretty expensive at around $500. If you plan to only print an occasional page every so often, this is not the printer for you. If you’re seeking a printer that can handle volume and has extras like programmable shortcuts and the ability to fax, then you can’t go wrong with this printer.


HP

Forbes Vetted

Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.

LaserPrint/scan/copyYes16.5 x 15.7 x 12.3 inchesNo250 sheets1 cartridge

The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101SDW’s design is solid and compact, but the paper tray feels a little flimsy. It has a small LCD display with physical buttons to direct the printer to copy, scan and print. Otherwise, using these buttons in conjunction with the display felt very intuitive as our tester printed jobs from both his laptop and the HP Smart App.

Printing is pretty speedy on this device: We output six pages in 32 seconds from the second we pressed the print button. HP says the first page comes out in as little as 6.6 seconds, but when we tested a three-page print job, we noted that the entire job took 23 seconds from pressing print on the PC. From the first page to the final page landing in the tray, we timed six seconds, so there’s a little bit of a disconnect here.

During the entirety of our testing, we also noted no jamming issues. Like our top pick, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e, the software allows you to scan to email, a network folder and a USB drive. It also allows for remote printing and has support for Google Drive and Dropbox, which our tester liked. Like the rest of the HP printers on our list, the HP Smart App features a host of useful features including editing scans and on your mobile device and sending them to print.

One major perk is that it makes double-sided prints automatically—no need to print one page and then finagle the paper tray to print the other side. However, we found one caveat that may give some pause. It only offers black-and-white print jobs, so don’t expect any color. For those printing black-and-white jobs on the regular, you can’t go wrong with this device. Yes, you’ll have to spend a little more, but it’s not as expensive as our premium pick on the list.


Amazon

Forbes Vetted

Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.

LaserPrintYes14 x 14 x 7.2 inchesNo250 sheets1 cartridge

For a laser printer, the best laser home printer moniker goes to the Brother HL-2460DW XL. The printer itself is solid and sturdy—just keep in mind that according to our tester, the black plastic surface is prone to smudge marks. It also has both an automatic and a manual feeder so you can print a host of mixed media as needed, from envelopes to labels. The buttons are big and the display is very basic, which we felt was a boon: It’s very easy to use and operate.

Prints came out clear without smudging. The print speeds were also pretty fast. It took 24 seconds for six single-sided pages to print from pressing the print button to the last. From the first page hitting the tray, it took 13 seconds, on average. Double-sided printing was little longer; a three double-sided print job took 35 seconds in total.

The Brother HL-2460DW XL is one of the fastest printers we tested.

Claire Epting for Forbes

The printer also comes with a built-in app that allows you to print from your mobile device. During testing, this was the speediest of all: 22 seconds from start to finish, and once the printer booted up, the print took five seconds for a photo print. But that comes with a serious caveat: It can only print in monochrome, so don’t expect any color. It can handle 4,200 pages before the toner requires a replacement, and you can opt into the Brother Refresh EZ Print Subscription, which can reorder toner for you when it gets low.

There are a few major drawbacks. For one, it only prints, so you can’t scan or copy. Our tester really liked that it didn’t offer these features, as it didn’t feel overwhelming when you’re only worried about printing.

Another issue is the firmware—both Brother HL-2460DW models had firmware update issues that required a detailed deep dive with customer service to fix. If you can stomach this issue, this is a great printer to get most jobs done.


Amazon

Forbes Vetted

Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.

InkjetPrint/Copy/Scan/FaxYes21.5 x 17.2 x 12 inchesYes250 sheets4 cartridges

Inkjet printers are known to produce high quality documents with colorful, graphics-heavy images, and the Brother MFC-J5855DW is no exception. It wowed our tester with its clear, vibrant images and speedy printing times—it churned out a six page document in less than 30 seconds. And just like other Brother printers on this list, the MFC-J5855DW is has a solid and sturdy build that can withstand heavy home office use.

Speaking of which, it shares a similar feature to its sibling and our pick for the best home office printer, the Brother MFC-L3780CDW. They both offer duplex printing, a feature that let’s you print on both sides of the page without needing to reload the paper. “I found this feature especially useful when printing large documents that are six plus pages long,” says one of our testers, “It saved me some paper and time.” But while the duplex printing is there, duplex scanning isn’t offered on this machine. (Duplex scanning allows you to automatically scan both sides of a page, without needing to flip the paper over.) However, this isn’t a feature most casual users mark on their “must-have” list.

The Brother MFC-J5855DW printing out a six page document during our speed test.

ALEX GARRETT FOR FORBES

The Brother MFC-J5855DW also comes with an intuitive touchscreen display that makes navigating from tasks to task simple. According to our tester, it came in handy during the setup process. “When it asked me to input my Wi-Fi password and set up a passkey, I was able to type in my information in what seemed like seconds,” she says. Additionally, this model can be paired with Brother’s app, where you can print documents and pictures, scan and make copies all from your phone, as well.

Despite its color-printing prowess, we found its biggest downside is its size. While it’s a great inkjet option for folks seeking a versatile printer that provides crisp, professional-looking documents, it’s also pretty large and heavy compared to other models on this list. If you’re looking to save on desk space, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e and HP Envy 6555E offer a similar inkjet experience in a smaller package.


Forbes Vetted

Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence.

Inkjet  Print/copy/scan  Yes | Size: 14.3 x 16.8 x 9.5 inches | Color print: Yes | Tray capacity: 250 sheets | Ink: 4 cartridges

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If you frequently print photos at home, it’s worth investing in a printer that can produce clear, bright images. Enter: The HP Smart Tank 7301. During testing, it printed gorgeous photos from the printer onto photo paper, which one of our testers greatly appreciated. “It saves me money and trips to the CVS photo pickup booth,” she says.

Similar to other printers in this guide, it lets you print straight from your phone, tablet or laptop via the HP app. During testing, we were also impressed with its robust ink cartridge, which can print 8,000 color pages and 6,000 black-and-white pages—enough to last most people two years, according to HP. Our biggest complaint? During setup, you have to pour the ink from six-inch tall bottles into the cartridge trays, which our testers found a bit tedious.

Ink aside, the display is also a tad small, and our tester questioned whether it was intentional to encourage you to use the app. “It almost seems like it’s intended to not be highly functional since you can control everything that you need to from your phone,” says our tester, who added that she used her phone to do most printing-related tasks, including diagnosing issues and checking maintenance levels. That said, this isn’t a big enough issue to disqualify the Brother from our list since the app is user-friendly and easy to navigate. If you prefer to complete tasks on the printer itself, the Brother MFC-J5855DW may be a better fit, as it features an intuitive touchscreen display.


We tested a slew of home printers. The competition was stiff; these are the ones that didn’t quite make the cut but are still worthy of your consideration.

HP DeskJet 4155E (Discontinued): Our former pick for the best budget printer, we really liked its speed. From the first to last page, it took 29 seconds for a four-page print job and took another seven seconds to boot up for a total of 36 seconds. It’s also one of the most compact printers we tested, so it’s great for smaller apartments or offices. The new budget pick, the HP Envy 6555E, edges it out with a sleeker design and an overall better build for office spaces. The HP DeskJet 4155E is also discontinued.

Brother HL-2460DW ($160 at Amazon): One of the only differences between this printer and the best laser printer pick, the Brother HL-2460DW in-box toner yields only around 700 pages compared to the XL which can print up to 4,200 pages. For those that print an occasional page here and there, we felt this printer was speedy and clear, with an average print time of around 25.1 sections from pressing the print button to the last page landing in the tray. It was also fairly consistent in these print speeds.

The smaller version of the Brother HL-2460DW can handle up to 700 pages before it needs more toner.

Rebecca Isaacs for Forbes

Canon ImageClass MF465DW ($300 at Staples): Originally our premium printer pick, the Canon ImageClass MF465DW covers the basic functionalities well—and adds a slew of extras like printing passport photos, Apple AirPrint and much more. You can also send received faxes to email or file servers, too. Our tester liked the 5-inch LCD touchscreen panel but felt there was so much it was a little overwhelming for casual print jobs. It doesn’t feature NFC badge authentication, for those that feel it’s worth the investment. The toner cartridges are also a little smaller, and our tester noted it lasts around 1,350 for monochrome and 680 for color.

HP Smart Tank 5101 ($180 at Amazon): The HP Smart Tank 5101 isn’t plug-and-play and required a few setup steps from our tester. Moreover, the printhead cover was confusing and difficult to remove when it was time to add liquid ink to the cartridges. Our tester liked the print speed and felt that its ID copy option can help you scan both sides of the page with useful prompting. However, the display is too small and counterintuitive. “It’s not perfect, but so far, I’m happy with it,” our tester noted once she got past the difficult setup.


Our editorial team consists of tech experts who live to research, test and write about all things digital. By leveraging this knowledge, we’ve built a robust library of tech guides for building your home office, including the best all-in-one printers and modem-router combos.

  • We routinely update this guide to make sure our recommendations are up to date with the latest offerings. It was last updated in May 2025 by tech updates writer Alexandra Garrett.

We prepared for testing home printers by collecting a group of panelists from the Forbes Vetted team. In the end, a dozen total panelists tested over 13 different printers for over two months, taking detailed notes and snapping photos of the entire process. Our panel testing considered:

  • Build quality: All of our picks felt sturdy and well-made. We carefully reviewed various printer displays, taking into account the size and ease of use for touchscreens. We also tested printer tray hinges and mechanisms to see how well they held up after opening and closing multiple times, checking to see whether we felt they would hold up over time.
  • Print speed: For print speeds, we tested in two ways: We timed the printing duration from pressing the print button to the last page landing in the tray; and we timed the print duration from when the first page came out to the last page. We reviewed it against the company’s listed print speeds to make sure each printer held up to its claimed print speed.
  • Print quality: To be considered as one of the best home printers, we printed hundreds of pages, checking for ink blotting, color accuracy and more. We compared printed pages to make sure the printers we chose printed accurate, detailed documents and images consistently.
  • Extra features: Many of the printers on this list came with useful extra features, like app extensions, phone integrations like scanning from your phone and printing a document and more. We rigorously tested these to make sure they were worth your time.

Print quality, speed and connectivity are the most important factors to consider when choosing a home printer. It’s also important to consider how often you plan on using the printer and for what tasks, as your needs will vary. “Casual printers may prioritize affordability but small business owners will typically require higher print volumes and features such as duplex printing and cloud integration,” says John Yensen, President of Revotech Networks Ltd.

If you plan on printing in color often, you should consider a color printer. Otherwise, a monochrome printer should be suitable for most of your needs. “If an individual is looking to print primarily documents, then I would suggest going for a monochrome printer as it will only do black ink and is much more cost effective than using a color printer,” says Sean Otmishi, Founder and Senior Management Consultant at TAF Solutions. He recommends a color printer for anyone looking to print “rich media material.”

“Most printers last three to five years, with lifespan depending on usage, print volume and manufacturer support,” says Yensen. To extend the longevity of your home printer, Yensen recommends choosing a model with readily available replacement parts and firmware updates.

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