Many higher-end lasers include a touch-screen interface, secure (password-protected) printing, a built-in hard drive, and/or the ability to perform a range of functions over a network. A majority will include an automatic double-sided printer that prints on one side of a sheet. A large number of AIO lasers also come equipped with a flatbed to scan and an ADF to copy and fax multiple pages. If scanning or copying stacks of documents is on your docket, an ADF is key.

ADFs, which can automatically scan pages on both sides, are now offered by many AIOs. It will either be a reverse ADF (RADF), that scans one side and flips it over to scan the other, or a duplex scan, which scans both sides in one go, using scanning sensors below and above the page. Duplex scanners are thus considerably faster, and they reduce mechanical complexity. You will also pay more for them because they have an extra scanning element. Some models allow you to add RADFs as an extra-cost option. These can be done through an external mechanism, which you can either attach or install.

Last but not least, some models of laser AIO printers and laser AIOs support office-centric security functions. These may prove useful for certain printing situations. These are mostly an issue if you’re installing the printer in an open office environment and often print sensitive information that needs to be kept private. An appropriately equipped printer will generate a Pin that you will use on the printer’s control panel. This will allow the printer “release” your for-your-eyes print.

Brother’s HL-L9310CDW color laser printer supports multiple communication methods and can even tap ID cards to allow access.

Access controls and print volume tracking are another category. They can, for example help you limit color printing in your workgroup. The goal is to cut down on toner. These feature are very business-oriented. Please see our guide on the best business printers which includes both laser- and inkjet models.

Laser printers work best for small business owners who print often. People who print occasionally but need the machine to function well on rare occasions will love them.

Here’s a list that laser printers do better than inkjets, to help you determine if you need one.

Laser printers require less maintenance. Laser toner cartridges don’t have to be replaced as often as ink tanks, and they won’t clog as inkjet print heads sometimes do if you go weeks or months between print jobs.

They can print faster. A home office or home-based business may require you to be concerned with printer speed. The laser printers are capable of printing up to 27 pages per hour. We tested 13 page per minute inkjets.

They print sharper text and graphics. Although the top inkjets can do an excellent job, even mediocre printers will produce sharper results.

They are more affordable to use over the long-term. While inkjets may be more expensive than laser printers at home, they can also use up to twice as much ink for cleaning. That waste isn’t reflected in the estimates manufacturers provide for how many pages you can get out of a tank. Laser printers don’t waste toner in the same way, and because they don’t gunk up like inkjets, they may last longer before needing to be replaced.

Toner does not smear or run when wet. If you need prints that can get wet without becoming unreadable, you need a laser printer.

We considered color laser printing too expensive in the past due to the excessive cost of dye toner and high up-front expense of the printers. These printers are now more affordable (between $200-300) and offer a great value to anyone who wants hassle-free printing. These printers are more expensive than the monochrome or inkjet versions, particularly when you need to replace toner. However, they offer a lot of flexibility and convenience that can’t be beat. We looked at the following:

You need to have a printer that is easy to set-up and to use.

Affordable upfront cost: We think that $300 should be the minimum price for a colour, printer-only home machine. While we did research on more expensive printers, the majority of those that we test for this guide were under $300.

Operation costs are low: While a lower up-front cost is desirable, it’s an affordable per-print fee that will pay off over the long term. Black-and-white pages can be produced for as low as 3C/ using the most economical toner. While color pages can be more costly than black-and-white pages, we kept the price under 15C per page.

Automatic duplex printing: This allows you to reduce paper waste and also helps save money. We considered only those printers that are capable of duplex printing without human intervention, meaning models that can print on one side, suck the paper back in, and print on the other side.

Wi-Fi and mobile printing: We ruled out any printers that don’t offer Wi-Fi connectivity, since we think that’s how most people print at home these days. Additionally, the printers were tested for printability via tablets or smartphones.

The laser printers produce sharp prints, even simple graphics. Still, we tested each one to see how sharp and readable the text looked at tiny font sizes, how smooth and vibrant flowcharts and graphs came out, and whether photos were at least usable.

They are very similar machines so we applied the same criteria for monochrome printers as we did to pick our color laser. However, we decreased the price ceiling on monochrome printers to $200 due to mono laser printers being much more affordable. Following extensive research, we decided to look at machines like the HP Laser. Jet Pro M118dw HP Laser. Jet Pro M203dw . But based on owner reviews and professional reviews, plus a closer examination of specs and pricing, we decided they weren’t likely to challenge the Brother HL-L2350DW our longstanding budget pick as the best choice for people with occasional printing needs.

Brother HL-22350DW Laser printer, affordable for basic tasks. Low operating costs, easy operation, and lots of useful features make the HL-22350DW the most cost-effective laser printer available for under $100.

Amazon, $194* Newegg

Brother’s HL-L2350DW Monochrome Laser Printer is simple, economical, and reliable. For people with basic needs printing taxes, recipes, boarding passes, and so on its automatic duplex capability, large 250-sheet paper tray, reliable paper handling, speedy printing, and low per-page costs make it an excellent choice despite a few quirks.

This machine is easy to set up. To set it up, you only need to unwrap the tape, remove the cardboard, place the cartridge of toner, adjust the paper-tray guide, and load the paper. It is a bit more difficult to get the printer connected via Wi-Fi with this model than it is with other models. This printer uses an old-fashioned user interface, consisting of a monochrome LED display with a few rubber buttons and a single-line monochrome LCD. The machine doesn’t have a way for you to enter a WiFi password, so it will need to be done using a computer. It was still easy to connect to our network. We also found that the printer kept a reliable connection, even when it was several stories away or a floor above our router. The HL-L2340DW was the printer that had issues in the past. It refused to get out of Deep Sleep mode. If you’d prefer to use the HL-2450DW via USB, you can. However, you must supply your own cable. If you want an Ethernet port for wired Internet, you can upgrade to the otherwise nearly identical HL-L2370DW The HL-L2350DW model’s single-line monochrome display isn’t the easiest to work with, but it is standard for inexpensive monochrome laser printers, and it gets the job done. Photo: Rozette Rago The HL-L2350DW works with Windows PCs, Macs, and even Linux systems. Additionally, the HL-L2350DW can be used with every major mobile printing system, including Google Cloud Print. Chromebook owners will love it. The printer may be having trouble registering for Cloud Print. This is something we experienced. Access the printer’s Web Control Panel, go to Networking, then disable IPv6. The printer connected to Cloud Print immediately after that. It continued working flawlessly throughout our testing. The reason Brother shipped the HL2350DW without this option enabled is a puzzle considering it’s a fact that Cloud Print won’t work on IPv6. It’s a simple fix, at least.

You don’t really need to install any extra software for the HL-L2350DW because it has native Windows and Mac drivers. Air can also be used automatically. Print on i. OS, and you can add it with the Brother Print Service on Android. Brother’s i. Print&Scan apps are available for all four platforms. Even though it isn’t as functional as HP software, it works well. Despite our selection of quality settings, the printing results from i. Print&Scan were terrible. Brother did not respond to our request for clarification. The app is not recommended. We suggest that you print from the native print dialog of your operating system.

We were impressed by the quality of text produced by the HL-2350DW right out the box. It was easy to read small fonts like tax forms or other documents (up to 2 points) and the larger headers had sharp edges and darker center. The printer should print text-heavy papers well. However, the test graphics and photos were only average at default settings. There was some graininess in graphics, and light banding could be seen in areas of solid color. You can use the output for your own personal and business needs, or you can adjust toner density settings and resolution settings (at the cost of longer toner life) to make it more useful.

Even though it costs half as much, the HL-2450DW match our color laser model with its paper capacity and 250 sheet tray. Photo from Rozette Rago Brother. According to Rozette Rago Brother, the HL–L2350DW is capable of printing up 32 pages per minutes and 5 pages per second faster than the replacement. Although it wasn’t as fast as we expected, the HL-L2350DW was still speedy enough to be used for any type of home or office use. The speed was 25 pages per minutes for single-sided PDFs. We also printed 12 pages per page while using double duplexing. Both cases were faster than the HPM255dw, our favorite color printer. It was also very quick to start up test prints so there is no waiting.

We have compiled a list of the most popular laser printers currently available. Consideration is given to the availability and price.

If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here’s the list of all our laser printer reviews. It is important not to get distracted by the minutiae. Although no printer can be perfect, the majority are capable of satisfying almost all needs. The differences between models are usually not obvious unless you look closely.

You can get professional-quality print results at home with the best laser printers. Our laser printers can handle black-and white pages or feature-filled all-in one color printers that scan, copy, fax, and more.

The laser printer review covers everything, from speed and ease of operation to printing quality. It doesn’t matter if you need one for the home or small office or just want an affordable unit, we’re here to help you pick the best laser printer for your needs and budget.

best printers for every use Who makes the best All-in-One?

See which technology suits you best. And see our picks for the best printers overall to check out all of our top all-in-one picks for home and office.