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Best Laser Printers

Updated January 2024
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw
HP
Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw
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All-around Performer
Bottom Line

Good performance, sharp resolution, and wireless capabilities make this an excellent all-around printer.

Pros

Prints at a fast 28 ppm in both black and white and color. Advanced network security suite. Boasts 600 dpi resolution in both black and white and color. Multiple paper trays. Wireless printing-capable out of the box, including AirPrint and Google Print.

Cons

Print-only. Somewhat pricey.

Best Bang for the Buck
HP ENVY 6055e All-in-One Wireless Color Printer
HP
ENVY 6055e All-in-One Wireless
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Best for Everyday Use
Bottom Line

A compact yet powerful printer that we found to be intuitive to set up and use thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity.

Pros

Printing in both black & white and color is incredibly fast and produces high-quality images. We love how it shows ink levels in real time to ensure that you get more before running out. Has an unobtrusive design that works well in any space. The Bluetooth connectivity allows you to print directly from your phone.

Cons

Doesn't come with instructions so less tech-savvy users may have issues with setup.

Brother Monochrome Laser All-in-One
Brother
Monochrome Laser All-in-One
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Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

This is a fast and versatile laser printer that can accomplish numerous tasks, making it an all-in-one essential for your office.

Pros

All-in-one monochrome printer that prints, scans, and copies. Prints up to 32 pages per minute. Offers wireless operation with WiFi connectivity so you can print from your smart device. Compatible with Alexa. Has manual feed and dual-sided printing. Stylish black and gray design looks nice in a home office.

Cons

Setting up the printer and WiFi connection can be confusing and time-consuming. Jams are possible.

Canon imageCLASS D1620
Canon
imageCLASS D1620
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Great for Workgroups
Bottom Line

This fast all-in-one laser printer is excellent for small offices or workgroups that don't need color printing.

Pros

Fast printing at up to 45 ppm. Fast duplex document scanning at up to 70 images per minute black and white or 26 ipm color. Wireless networking-ready out of the box, including Apple AirPrint and Google Print. Expandable paper capacity.

Cons

A tall, somewhat bulky printer. A little pricey.

Brother Wireless Color All-In-One Laser Printer
Brother
Wireless Color All-In-One Laser Printer
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Trusted Brand
Bottom Line

This laser printer is all you need for your busy office, as it's a multi-purpose model that's fast and efficient.

Pros

Color laser printer that also scans, faxes, and copies. Includes dual-sided printing. Can be used wirelessly to print with a smart device. Works with Alexa voice control. Features a vivid color touchscreen that's easy to use. Quickly prints as many as 25 pages per minute. Great for small offices. Has a white finish.

Cons

Some customers report streaks, spatters, and poor print quality after several months of use.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

30
Models
Considered
155
Consumers
Consulted
22
Hours
Researched
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Buying guide for Best laser printers

The nearly prohibitive cost of ink can prompt you to warn everyone not to print anything unless absolutely necessary. While toner cartridges cost more than ink cartridges, they also print many times more pages. If you'd like to reduce your ink-xiety, a laser printer may be a good addition to your office.

Unless you already have a scanner, all-in-one laser printers save you money and space. You'll want a larger paper tray than your ink printer, and if you print different-sized items, make sure the printer can handle the task. It's also a good idea to check the cost and availability of toner cartridges to make sure that size hasn't been discontinued.

Printers with an individual paper feed option can easily do one-off projects that require unique paper sizes or weights.

How laser printers work

A laser printer operates in a manner similar to that of most office photocopiers. In fact, although we now enjoy all-in-one machines that copy, scan, and fax, the first laser printers were modified copiers.

We call them laser printers, but “static electricity printers” might be more accurate, albeit less exciting. Here's what happens:

"Positively charged toner is drawn toward the drum, which is negatively charged. This is “static electricity.”"
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  • A high-voltage wire (called a corona wire) charges a cylindrical drum. At this point, the charge is positive (+) and even across the drum surface.

  • A small computer inside the printer reads the page from your own computer and guides the laser as it transfers the image to the drum. The high-intensity laser beam doesn't hit the drum directly; it's actually reflected off a moving mirror. (Reason: it's easier to make the mirror move than it is the laser).

  • Where the beam hits the drum, it creates a negative (-) charge that's an exact copy of your page.
  • This negative (-) charge attracts fine, positively charged toner particles to the drum. The effect is known as static electricity. Once the toner is on the drum, though, it becomes negatively (-) charged.

  • A second corona wire gives a strong positive (+) charge to a sheet of paper as it is fed through. The drum rotates to transfer the image onto it.

  • To ensure the toner stays on the paper, the sheet passes through heated rollers. The sheet that comes out of the printer is dry, and there’s no risk of smudging.

Laser printer advantages

Sharp details

Laser printers are prized for their sharp text and other fine details.

The combination of an extremely narrow laser beam and tiny toner particles ensures this. Inkjet printers cannot produce this same degree of detail; the size of the nozzle prohibits it.

If you're creating text or graphics for homework, a project, or a business presentation, a laser printer will render a more precise final product than an inkjet printer.

"An inkjet printer cannot create the thin lines and crisp edges that a laser printer can."
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Speed

Although they may take a few seconds to warm up, laser printers usually work much faster than their inkjet counterparts.

High volume

Laser printers function best in situations where you need a high volume of print-outs. If you’re printing school, college, or club reports or other documents and you need a large number of copies, a laser printer is an apt choice. That’s because, although laser toner cartridges might appear to cost more than inkjets, they can produce anywhere from 5 to 15 more copies.

Similarly, in small offices and other commercial environments, a laser printer would probably be the best economical choice.

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Did you know?
In a nutshell, the laser is simply used to draw the image. The actual transfer of toner from cartridge to drum — and from drum to paper — relies on static electricity.
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Price

When you own a printer, you’re looking at two different expenses: the initial cost of the machine and the down-the-road cost of replacement toner.

Machine costs

Though cheap laser printers still cost more than their inkjet counterparts, the gap is much smaller than it used to be. The difference between a low-cost, good-quality inkjet printer and a similar laser printer can be as little as $20. However, you’ll see a wider disparity than that between the extremes on our shortlist.

A top-end wireless color printer from the likes of HP might cost $300+. Even if the product only accepts official HP toner, we doubt you’d be disappointed with such a fantastic all-rounder.

A budget monochrome laser printer might cost you less than $100. Chances are high that such a product would be “entry-level,” but if you’re a consumer who wants a simple black-and-white workhorse and nothing more, the budget price is a great selling point.

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Laser printer toner cartridges cost more than inkjet refills. However, they also produce many more pages than an inkjet refill.

Monochrome or color

Should you get a monochrome (black and white) or color printer? Only you know what you need, of course, but we offer the following guidelines:

  • For basic home printing tasks, the ideal solution could be a low-cost monochrome laser printer. For occasional color work, it wouldn’t hurt to also keep a low-cost inkjet printer on hand.

  • In a busy office setting, a color laser printer with copy, scan, and fax functions is likely to be the optimum choice.

Features

Every top laser printer today offers wireless printing and mobile device compatibility either remotely via cloud services or by using Near Field Communications (NFC). It's convenient for you, and the technology allows you to share your printer with friends and colleagues if you choose.

Here are a few other features to consider when shopping for a laser printer:

Print speed

Color machines are slower, but good ones manage at least 15 pages per minute (ppm). One of the fastest monochrome laser printers we’ve reviewed championed a rate of 27 ppm.

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Did you know?
Laser printers — especially all-in-one models — can be quite large. Before investing in a new printer, check that its dimensions will fit your workspace.
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Print resolution

A resolution of 600 x 1200 is an excellent spec for both color and monochrome printers. A 600 x 2400 resolution provides the highest quality black-and-white/text and line work.

Scan resolution

If you opt for an all-in-one machine, check whether the scanned image figures are optical or interpolated. It's a question of quality. For example, an optical scan of 600 DPI can be interpolated up to 1200 DPI using software. If the scan is optical at 1200 DPI, it's a superior resolution to start with.

Our Best of the Best pick maintained good print quality even after testing the depreciation of copying copies multiple times.

Paper tray capacity

If one of the reasons you want a laser printer is for greater throughput, you don't want to have to keep re-filling the paper tray every few minutes. The more paper you can load, the better. Manufacturers quote this spec in the product details.

Some of the best laser printers on the market boast a load capacity ranging between 150 and 250 sheets.

Multiple materials

If you print on a variety of paper, cardstock, and envelopes, check the printer’s flexibility before opening your wallet. Some products require you to feed non-standard sizes by hand. Some won't accept cards or envelopes at all.

Auto duplexing

Anyone can print a stack of papers and then turn them over to print the other side.

But a printer with automatic duplexing turns the paper over for you, leaving you free to do something else.

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Did you know?
Most laser printers offer “draft” or “low-resolution” modes to reduce toner usage. Others have software that puts the printer in sleep mode when not in use, thereby saving electricity.
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Duty cycle/team size

Laser printer manufacturers use terms like “duty cycle” and “team size” to give you an idea of how hard their machine can work. If a machine has a recommended duty cycle of 1,500 per month and you typically crank out 150,000 per month, don't expect it to last long. If it's got a team rating of four or five, it should be good for a shared office environment.

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Buying both a low-cost monochrome laser printer and a low-cost inkjet color printer for home use may sound expensive, but the investment can be surprisingly low.

FAQ

Q. Help! I still can’t decide between an inkjet and a laser printer.

A. The best printer for you depends on your individual needs:

  • If you print a low volume of documents and quite a few photos, go inkjet.

  • If you print a high volume of documents, text, and reports, opt for a laser printer.

Q. Which laser printer is best?

A. If you're looking for a laser printer right now, you have a tremendous amount of choice. The great news is that even top models won't put an excessive strain on your budget.

Q. Remanufactured laser toner cartridges can be much cheaper than those from the printer maker. Are they a good way to save money?

A. While some remanufactured cartridges might be OK, it's difficult to know which ones are and which ones aren’t. Often, there's a good deal less toner in the "cheap" versions, so you're not saving as much as you might think. There's also the question of quality. If the ink leaks, it's a nightmare to clean. If it causes something else to become damaged, your warranty will be invalid.

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