If you’re looking for the best home office printer, you’ll want the quality of a higher-end printer, but in a more compact and budget-friendly package. Quality printers should be efficient with their ink usage, so you’ll never run out of ink even if you’re printing out long reports, photo prints, or your kids’ homework. First, you’ll want to think about the main purpose you need the printer for since various printers offer a range of useful features.
If your home office has space requirements, think about a printer that will make sense for the size of the room. Wireless printers will give you increased flexibility, as they can be placed anywhere within range and used by multiple members of the family on different devices. You’ll also want to consider whether you want an inkjet printer or a laser printer when making your purchase. Inkjet printers are super versatile and perfect if you need to print color photographs. Tiny nozzles within the printer spray ink on the page. Inkjet printers are usually more compact. Laser printers—usually a bit pricier—will churn out hundreds of pages quickly and look sleek and glossy on a report meant to be seen by others. Laser printers create an electrostatic charge on the paper and then disperse toner onto the page, which sticks to the surface.
- Best inkjet printer: HP DeskJet A4 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer
- Best laser printer: Xerox Laser Printer
- Best all-in-one printer: HP Envy 6075 Wireless All-in-One Printer
- Best compact printer: Canon TR150
- Best Alexa-enabled printer: HP LaserJet Pro M404dn Monochrome Laser Printer
- Best budget home office printer: HP DeskJet 3755 Compact All-in-One Wireless Printer
Features to consider when shopping for the best home office printer
When selecting the best home office printer, you need to think about what tasks you’ll use be using it for. If the quality of the prints is most important, you may be thinking of a laser printer. For a cheap and easy solution that will cover your most basic jobs, a compact inkjet is more suitable. Printers you’d typically find in an office environment are expensive and made to withstand your and hundreds of colleagues’ needs. This is not so for home printers. Your home printer is tailor-made for individual use and won’t cost nearly as much. The best home printers are reliable and deliver quality prints.
An inkjet printer will make your pictures shine
To create an optimal home office, a quality printer is an essential item. While these days we work mainly in the digital domain, printing reports, visualizing charts, or scanning documents is still an important part of the workday. A solid inkjet printer will cover your visual printing needs, as it is designed to provide accurate details and colors. An inkjet printer will typically be cheaper upfront, but the ink can get fairly expensive if you’re printing a lot.
Best Inkjet printer: HP DeskJet A4 Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer
Compact and Reliable
With so many functions it’s amazing they’ve been able to make this printer compact in size. Amazon
Great quality prints that are sharp and bold. Inkjet printers will print vivid photograph prints. The wireless feature means you can still have a fast and reliable connection from greater distances. You’ll be able to print, copy, and scan with this all-in-one inkjet.
If you’re printing mostly text, go with a laser printer
While laser printers tend to be more expensive out of the box, you may find that you save cost in the long term. Laser printers are so efficient that they can handle hundreds of pages of documents in a much quicker amount of time than an inkjet printer. This is a great option for someone who has lots of demand for their printer. The laser look also makes things glossy which is a plus for your next presentation handout.
Laser printers will be slightly larger due to the technology packed inside that makes the lasers so efficient. If you’re tight on space you may want to consider inkjet. If, however, your high-volume printing needs are essential for your work, a laser printer may be just what you need.
Best laser printer: Xerox Laser Printer
A Printing Powerhouse
While this printer is larger than our other options, it really packs a punch. With the ability to deliver the first page in 10 seconds and 31 pages per minute, this printer can be used for the densest of reports. It can also be connected to a WiFi network so you can easily print wirelessly.
An all in one printer is a practical & cost-saving investment
Printing isn’t the sole office function many of us have. A good scanner with quality bulbs ensures documents are scanned digitally and are perfectly legible on your screen. Similarly, a copy function allows you to pop open the hood of the printer and make color or black-and-white copies of documents. These handy functions will make this printer an all-in-one solution for your home office. The best home office printer needs to be able to handle all these jobs reliably and with high quality.
Best all-in-one printer: HP Envy 6075 Wireless All-in-One Printer
Packed With Every Feature You Need
The all in one printer can do a boatload of office duties, from high-quality printing at a rapid pace to exact copying and scanning capabilities. The HP Smart app that syncs with the printer is a great way to easily print from smartphones or other devices around the house. This is a truly family-friendly machine that is simple to use and effective.
When you’re short on space, look for a compact home office printer
Space in your house is precious, so home offices are typically not the grandest of rooms. If you don’t have the room to spare, a compact printer is a clutch purchase, especially if your family or roommates don’t have intense printing needs. Whether you’re printing a few hundred pages a week for work or getting your kid’s homework printed for school, a smaller printer will get the job done without crowding you out of your office space.
Best compact printer: Canon TR150
Compact and Lightweight
A great space-saving printer, you won’t need to worry about a decrease in quality with this unit’s minimal size. Vibrant prints can be printed wirelessly through the Canon Print App. A handy OLED display lets you take control of the settings easily. For those with a job that puts them on-the-go, this printer has a handy optional battery slot that means you can print from anywhere, making this one of the only printers that’s suited not only for the home office but for the outdoors.
Print from anywhere with helpful extra features
Some printers do way more than just print. We’re not talking about just a plain all-in-one printer, but printers that include advanced features like voice control. A home office printer with voice-enabled capabilities means you can tell Alexa to get your printing done. Don’t worry about the best positioning of your printer, since you’ll be able to get it working wherever you are able to speak to Alexa.
Best Alexa-enabled printer: HP LaserJet Pro M404dn Monochrome Laser Printer
Voice-Activated
This monochrome laser printer will allow for speedy printing. With up to 40 pages a minute and 250 sheet input, you can get bulkier documents printed with ease. It also offers best in class security to make sure your sensitive data stays private. For all its features, it still manages to be fairly compact and have a nice design that will fit well in most home offices. The printer’s dual-sided printing capabilities also make it a truly efficient home office printer.
Best budget home office printer: What you get for under $100
Those on a tight budget can still find a printer that can get the job done. Printing isn’t a new technology, so even cheaper devices will get work well. For under $100, you can find inkjet options that will produce solid prints at a reasonable speed. As mentioned above, inkjet printers will run out of ink quicker than other options, so your initial investment can become costly down the road.
More expensive printers will be able to print colors with a stronger vivid look and at quicker speeds. That said—if you’re looking to simply get a few pages printed out at a time, a budget printer will be just what you need.
Best budget office printer: HP DeskJet 3755 Compact All-in-One Wireless Printer
Simple and Efficient
HP’s Instant Ink service will order more ink the second you need it—so you won’t accidentally run out just in time for a big presentation. For a budget price, it sure does a lot. From printing, scanning, and copying, this is a home office printer that can handle all the tasks you may have to do. Its thin design and wireless capabilities make it convenient for your office.
FAQ: people also ask
How do I choose a printer for my home office?
It’s important to know what you want out of your printer for your home office. Do you need hundreds of pages done at warp speed or do you need colorful high-quality prints ready to hang on your wall? Think of it as the speed of a laser printer versus the color vibrancy of an inkjet printer.
Which printer brand is most reliable?
Some of the very best home office printers are made by companies like HP, Canon, and Xerox who have a long history of not only making quality printers but offering convenient ink replacement cartridges.
Which home printers last the longest?
In terms of durability, the pricier laser printers will offer you an extended lifetime. Ink cartridges can add up over time, so you may end up saving money in the long term with a laser printer for your home office.
A final word on shopping for the best home office printer
When picking the best home office printer, you will need to decide the printing features you like the most. The convenience of small, portable, and Alexa-enabled printers is just right for some while bulkier but speedier printers will save loads of valuable time for those who need to print long documents.