The best printers for most homes in 2026 split cleanly into two groups. Refillable-ink-tank all-in-ones such as the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 and the Canon MegaTank G3270 handle colour, photos and school projects at the lowest running cost per page. Monochrome laser machines such as the Brother DCP-L2640DW turn out sharp black-and-white documents quickly, and they do not care that you have not printed in four months.
If your printing is mostly 4×6 photos, the KODAK Dock Plus takes the top slot here on the strength of the largest owner base of any printer we covered. We spent several weeks with the twelve models below, reading owner reviews in detail and comparing paper handling, running costs and the features that decide whether a printer is a joy or a cupboard ornament after a year.
One idea shapes every recommendation in this guide: running cost matters more than purchase price. A cartridge-fed inkjet may be cheaper on the shelf and then work out far more expensive over five years, while a tank-based model and a mono laser both protect you from that trap. We also lean hard on the single most common complaint from owners, dried-out inkjets, which is why so many of the picks here are tank-based or laser.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks Printer Picks for 2026
KODAK Dock Plus 4×6 Photo Printer
- 4PASS dye sublimation
- 4x6 glossy prints
- 20 sheet tray
- Bluetooth and USB-C
The KODAK Dock Plus prints a laminated 4×6 photo in about 55 seconds and holds a phone in its charging dock while it works. The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is the general-purpose pick, a compact all-in-one whose tanks keep going for thousands of pages between refills. The Brother DCP-L2640DW is the office answer, a monochrome laser with automatic duplex, a 50-sheet feeder and a 36 ppm rated speed.
All 12 Printers at a Glance in September 2026
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| KODAK Dock Plus 4×6 Photo Printer |
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| Epson EcoTank ET-2800 |
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 Canon MegaTank G3270 |
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| Brother DCP-L2640DW |
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 Canon PIXMA TS3720 |
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 Brother HL-L2460DW |
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 Brother HL-L2405W |
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 Canon PIXMA TS4320 |
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 Nelko PP01 |
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 HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw |
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 HP Envy Photo 7975 |
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 HP Envy 6155 |
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The table below carries the technology, connectivity and paper-handling facts worth knowing before you read the individual verdicts. Anything marked single-sided means two-sided jobs need a manual flip.
1. KODAK Dock Plus – Editor’s Choice for 4×6 Photo Printing
KODAK Dock Plus 4×6 Photo Printer, Smartphone Docking, 4PASS, 50 Sheets
4PASS dye sublimation
4x6 glossy prints
20 sheet tray
Bluetooth and USB-C
1 year warranty
Pros
- Quick simple setup
- Dye sub 4PASS output resists fingerprints and water
- Phone dock charges while printing
- Refill cartridges are inexpensive
- App handles crops and collages well
Cons
- Tiny printed instructions
- Intermittent paper jams with full trays
- Slow four-pass cycle per photo
- Flaky iOS Bluetooth
Dye sublimation is the quiet story here. Instead of spraying liquid ink, the Dock Plus lays a coloured ribbon onto glossy 4×6 paper in four passes, which is why owners describe the output as laminated and resistant to fingerprints and water. The whole cycle takes roughly 55 seconds a photo, and the built-in dock charges your phone while it happens.
Setup is the weakest link and the reason it sits below the Epson and Brother on general-purpose work. Owners repeatedly report that the printed instructions are almost unreadable and incomplete, so the app is the only real guide. Paper jams appear in a minority of units, and some people find they jam unless a single sheet is loaded at a time.
The refill cartridges are the quiet bargain. They cost far less than inkjet cartridges over the same number of photos, and 68 percent of the nearly 20000 owner reviews hand out five stars. The app handles editing, cropping and collages well enough for scrapbooking, which is where this printer has built its following.
Who it suits
Anyone printing 4×6 photos, scrapbook pages, holiday cards or gifts, and anyone who wants prints that survive handling without a top-coat laminate. The phone dock makes it a natural gift station at a birthday or a family gathering.
If you want documents as well, treat this as a photo-only machine. It prints one 4×6 size, it is simplex only, and it has no scanner.
Where it falls short
iOS Bluetooth pairing is unreliable, and some iPhone and iPad owners have to dock the phone instead. The app also throws occasional restarts and low-resolution warnings when it reads the phone’s own photo library.
Output quality is good rather than professional. If you are comparing prints against a photo lab, this will not match it, and the four-pass cycle is slower than a dedicated inkjet photo printer.
2. Epson EcoTank ET-2800 – Best Value Inkjet All-in-One
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer – Black
Refillable ink tanks
Scan and copy
10 ppm black, 5 ppm colour
100 sheet tray
Flatbed scanner
Pros
- Tanks last a long time between refills
- Guided on-screen setup
- Compact footprint
- Bright photo colour with no smudging
- Quiet in normal use
Cons
- No automatic duplex
- Flaky app and Wi-Fi in some homes
- Borderless limited to 4x6
- Scanning to a computer needs USB
This is the printer we would put in a family home. The ET-2800 replaces cartridges with refillable tanks, which is the single change that removes the drying-out anxiety and the running-cost anxiety at the same time. Owners report thousands of pages before a refill, and the compact 22.8 inch wide body fits a small desk without crowding it.
It is a full all-in-one: flatbed scanner, copier and printer in one, with an LCD and app control. Print speed is rated at 10 ppm black and 5 ppm colour, plenty for homework, recipes, boarding passes and a photo a week.
Colour output is the surprise. Photo prints on good paper come out bright with no smudging, which is more than several cheaper cartridge models manage. Borderless printing does work, but only at 4×6.
The compromises are real and worth listing. There is no automatic duplex, so every two-sided job is a manual flip and a re-feed. Scanning straight to a computer generally wants the USB cable, and cancelling a job usually means clearing the whole print queue.
Who it suits
Families, students and home offices that print a mix of colour documents, homework and occasional photos, and that want to stop thinking about cartridge logistics. The guided on-screen setup and simple app mean a first-timer can get it printing without help.
It also suits anyone who prints in bursts after long gaps, because a tank system tolerates sitting unused far better than cartridge-fed inkjets.
Where it falls short
Some units needed repeated head-cleaning cycles within a few weeks of light use, and a small minority report streaking until a clean cleared it. The app and wireless connection can be flaky, with paper-mismatch errors when the wrong media is selected.
Waste ink pad replacement is simple but resetting the counter afterwards is a chore. If you print two-sided documents every day, step up to a model with automatic duplex.
3. Canon MegaTank G3270 – Lowest Colour Running Cost
Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Color Printer
Ink tank system
Scan and copy
11 ppm black, 6 ppm colour
100 sheet tray
1.35 inch LCD
Pros
- Up to 7700 colour pages per ink set
- Owners still using original ink after nearly two years
- Clean jam-free black and white output
- Straightforward Windows setup
- Handles card stock and envelopes
Cons
- Single-sided printing only
- No Ethernet port
- Some units report weak Wi-Fi
- Bulky body and a small on-printer screen
The G3270 is the MegaTank counterpart to the ET-2800, and its headline number is the running cost. Canon rates a single set of GI-21 inks at up to 6000 black-and-white pages and 7700 colour pages, which is the largest published yield of any tank printer in this guide. Owners back that up, with several reporting they were still on the original bottles after nearly two years.
Filling the tanks is painless and the Windows app makes initial setup and print-head alignment straightforward. Black-and-white output is clean and jam-free at up to 11 ppm, and the media list covers plain paper, envelopes, card stock and glossy photo paper up to 8.5 by 14 inches.
Where Canon invests differently is paper flexibility. The supported sizes run from square 3.5 by 3.5 up through 7 by 10, 8 by 10, Letter, A4, Legal and US number 10 envelopes, so craft and card projects are easier here than on the Epson.
Canon also commits to spare parts for five years, which is unusually long and matters if you keep a printer for a while. The scanner, though, is mediocre compared with older or cheaper models according to several owners.
Who it suits
Colour-heavy homes and crafters who want cheap colour pages, a wide range of paper sizes, and a machine that keeps working between refills. The five-year spare parts commitment also suits anyone who plans to keep it beyond three years.
Pick it over the ET-2800 if paper variety matters more to you than duplex printing, because neither has automatic duplex.
Where it falls short
Some units report a weak or unreliable wireless connection, with frequent unable-to-locate-printer errors. Colour accuracy is described by some owners as washed out and inconsistent across paper types, so if photo fidelity is the goal, calibrate before judging it.
There is no Ethernet port, the body is bulkier than a typical inkjet at 21.9 inches deep, and the 1.35 inch screen is small and confusing for anything beyond a quick job.
4. Brother DCP-L2640DW – Best All-in-One for a Home Office
Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Printer, Copy, Scan, Duplex, Mobile Printing
Monochrome laser
36 ppm, 8.5 second first page
Automatic duplex
50 sheet ADF
250 sheet tray
Pros
- Fast rated 36 ppm monochrome
- Automatic duplex plus scan and copy
- 250 sheet paper tray
- Dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet
- Mobile Connect app tracks toner
Cons
- Monochrome only
- No colour at all
- Flatbed and sheetfed scanner share one lid
- 120 sheet output tray
Laser solves the intermittent-use problem outright. Powder toner does not dry, does not need a head clean, and this Brother rates 36 pages per minute with a first page out in 8.5 seconds. Automatic duplex, a 50-sheet automatic document feeder and copy and scan in the same box cover almost everything a home office actually needs.
Networking is the best in this guide: dual-band Wi-Fi, a wired Ethernet port and USB all at once, plus Brother Mobile Connect for remote printing and toner tracking. The 250-sheet input tray is large enough to stop refilling every day, and it sits in a compact 16.1 inch wide body.
The tradeoff is obvious and simple. This is a monochrome machine, so colour pages are not an option at all, and a 1 bpp colour depth confirms there is no colour path through the print engine.
Owners rate it well for office work but the output tray holds 120 sheets, so long unattended runs need emptying. Brother pairs it with TN830 and TN830XL toner and backs it with a one-year limited warranty.
Who it suits
Home offices, micro offices of up to five people, and anyone printing contracts, invoices, lesson plans and forms in black and white. If you scan and copy documents regularly, the feeder and duplex make it a genuine multi-function unit rather than a printer with a flatbed bolted on.
It is also the answer for anyone who prints in long sessions, since fast mono output and a large tray mean fewer interruptions.
Where it falls short
There is no colour, no touchscreen beyond a small LCD, and no card slot or USB host port for printing photos directly. Media support is plain paper, envelopes and labels, with nothing glossy.
If a job needs mixed black-and-white and colour output, this is the wrong tool. The flatbed and sheetfed scanners share a single lid, so thick originals need the closed lid and slower handling.
5. Canon PIXMA TS3720 – Budget Pick for Basic Home Printing
Canon PIXMA TS3720 Wireless All-in-One Printer for Basic Home Printing, White
Colour inkjet all-in-one
7.7 ppm black, 4 ppm colour
60 sheet tray
1.5 inch LCD
Print scan copy
Pros
- Printing within five minutes for most owners
- Compact 8.7 pound body
- AirPrint Mopria and app support
- Dual-band Wi-Fi
- Handles 4x6 photos
Cons
- Single-sided only
- Cartridges run through quickly
- No 8x10 photo support
- Some units needed a USB cable for Wi-Fi
The TS3720 is the entry point in this roundup and it behaves like it: simple, small and good enough. Most owners report printing within five minutes of unboxing, and the 8.7 pound body with a 12.9 inch width suits a dorm room or a bedroom desk.
It prints, scans and copies in colour at 4800 by 1200 dpi, handles 4×6 and 5×5 and 5×7 photo paper plus envelopes and labels, and it is the only budget model here that is genuinely simple to set up. Canon PRINT, AirPrint and Mopria are all supported, and dual-band Wi-Fi keeps the connection stable once paired.
The compromise is the ink. It runs PG-275 black and CL-276 tri-color cartridges, which owners consistently say run through faster than expected and cost more per page than the running-cost maths suggests.
There is no duplex at all, so every two-sided page is a manual flip. It cannot print 8 by 10 photos and glossy photo at the same time, and the 60-sheet tray is the smallest in the guide.
Who it suits
Students, renters and anyone who prints a handful of pages a month. If your real volume is under about 50 pages a month, the cartridge cost rarely becomes a problem and the low purchase price dominates.
It is also a safe first printer: a small flatbed scanner, a simple LCD and no post-install software bloat.
Where it falls short
Running cost is the weak point, and it is a long-term one. Some owners had trouble connecting to Wi-Fi and needed a USB cable, and a few units arrived with an error code and did not function.
The plastics feel thin, and some listings mention a manual and sample photo paper that did not arrive. None of that is fatal, but it is not premium hardware.
6. Brother HL-L2460DW – Best Two-Sided Monochrome Workhorse
Brother HL-L2460DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex, Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
Monochrome laser
36 ppm, 8.5 second first page
Automatic duplex
250 sheet tray
Print only
Pros
- Automatic duplex saves paper and time
- 36 ppm in a compact body
- 250 sheet input tray
- Dual-band Wi-Fi with Ethernet and USB
- Mobile Connect app
Cons
- No scanner or copier
- 100 sheet output tray
- Print only means no copy or fax
- One year limited warranty
Take the DCP-L2640DW and remove the scanner, and you get the HL-L2460DW. What remains is a 36 ppm monochrome laser with automatic duplex, a 250-sheet input tray and a body that is only 14 inches wide, so it fits where a full multifunction unit would not.
That makes it a strong fit for a shared room or a study where space is tight and document volume is not. It also supports up to 8.5 by 14 inch paper, and Brother Mobile Connect handles remote printing and toner tracking.
Duplex is the reason to choose it over the manual-duplex Brother below. Two-sided printing happens automatically, which on a document-heavy workload pays for the difference in time within weeks.
Connection options are broad: dual-band Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB. First page out is 8.5 seconds, resolution is 1200 by 1200 dpi, and toner is the TN830 family with an XL high-capacity option.
Who it suits
Anyone who prints many black-and-white pages and only needs a printer, not a photocopier. Home offices that already own a scanner, or students printing long essays, get the speed and duplex without paying for ADF hardware they will not use.
Where it falls short
No scanner means no copy, no scan to email and no filing of receipts on the spot. The output tray holds 100 sheets, so long runs need attention.
Media support is envelopes and plain paper, and the warranty is one year limited, with free lifetime support behind it. It is monochrome only, so it cannot help with a colour school project.
7. Brother HL-L2405W – Simplest Laser Setup
Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
Monochrome laser
30 ppm
Manual duplex
250 sheet tray
16.1 pound body
Pros
- Clean setup with no forced software or sign-ups
- Keeps working after weeks unused
- Toner lasts a long time
- Quiet and fast for the class
- Sharp black-and-white text
Cons
- QR-code setup can be long
- Deep Sleep drops off some mesh networks
- Manual duplex only
- Last page can print first with collate on
This is the laser to buy if you hate setup menus. Owners specifically call out a clean, bloatware-free install with no forced software, no agreements and no email sign-up, which is the opposite of what a printer can do to you. It also rates 30 ppm, supports up to 8.5 by 14 inch paper and weighs 15.1 pounds.
The reliability angle is the one that matters most in this roundup. Owners report the machine working reliably after sitting unused for weeks with no maintenance cycle, which is precisely what a laser does better than an inkjet. Toner lasts a long time between cartridges.
Duplex is manual only, so two-sided work means turning the stack and reloading it. If you print double-sided documents as the default, the HL-L2460DW is the better buy despite costing more.
Print quality is sharp black-and-white text at 1200 by 1200 dpi, and the LCD plus app control cover basic jobs without a touchscreen.
Who it suits
People who print infrequently but in volume when they do, and anyone who wants a printer that survives a long summer holiday untouched. It is also good for a second printer in a bedroom or home office, at 14 inches wide.
Media support covers plain paper, envelopes and labels, so it handles the usual small-office range.
Where it falls short
Setup is QR-code driven and some owners found it long and confusing, especially when printing from a laptop only. Wi-Fi can need patience, and a few people had to reset the router or fall back to USB.
Deep Sleep cannot be disabled, which causes the printer to drop off some mesh networks, and the toner save mode cannot be set as a permanent default. It also prints the last page first even with collate selected, which is a real annoyance on long jobs.
8. Canon PIXMA TS4320 – Duplex at a Budget Level
Canon PIXMA TS4320 – Wireless Color Inkjet Printer with Print, Copy, Scan
Colour inkjet all-in-one
14 ppm black, 9 ppm colour
Automatic duplex
100 sheet tray
Scan and copy
Pros
- Automatic two-sided printing at this price
- Fast 14 ppm black output
- Crisp text and vibrant photos
- Stable dual-band Wi-Fi
- Three year manufacturer warranty
Cons
- Two-cartridge hybrid ink system
- No automatic document feeder
- Letter size only
- Flatbed scanning only
The TS4320 solves the problem that makes most budget printers annoying. It has automatic duplex, which the Canon PIXMA TS3720 above lacks entirely, and it is rated at 14 ppm black and 9 ppm colour, faster than most inkjets at this level. Print, copy and scan are all built in.
Media handling is genuinely broad for a compact machine: plain paper, envelopes, labels, card stock and glossy photo paper, all up to 8.5 by 11 inches. Canon PRINT, AirPrint and Mopria are supported over dual-band Wi-Fi, and it draws only 21 watts.
It also carries a three-year manufacturer warranty, which is longer than most of the inkjets in this guide. That matters for a first printer where reliability is the biggest risk.
Colour comes from a two-cartridge hybrid system, PG-295 black and CL-286 tri-color, so there is no light magenta or light cyan and fine gradients in skin tones are less smooth than on a four-ink model.
Who it suits
Home users and hybrid workers who print two-sided documents regularly and want print, scan and copy in one compact unit. If duplex is on your must-have list and the budget is limited, this is the model to shortlist.
It suits photo printing too, as long as you stick to 4×6 and 5×7 sizes and do not need borderless larger formats.
Where it falls short
There is no automatic document feeder, so multi-page documents must go on the flatbed one sheet at a time. Maximum media size is Letter, so no 13 by 19 inch or legal-length paper.
The two-cartridge ink system limits colour vibrancy for craft and photo work, and there is no touchscreen beyond push-button control. It suits a family room rather than a shared office desk.
9. Nelko PP01 – Pocket Photo Printer
Nelko PP01 Photo Printer, 2×3 Portable Photo Printer, Mini Printer, White
2x3 portable photo printer
600 dpi colour
Bluetooth only
0.6 pounds
20 prints in the box
Pros
- Pocketable at 0.6 pounds
- Sticky-backed prints resist smudge and tears
- 80 photos per cartridge
- Feature-rich editing app
- Prints in under 90 seconds
Cons
- Print size limited to 2x3 inches
- No power adapter included
- Print head can clog if left idle
At 0.6 pounds and 4.2 inches deep, the PP01 is the only printer here you can genuinely carry. It pairs over Bluetooth to a phone, prints 2×3 inch glossy photos on adhesive-backed paper, and each cartridge holds up to 80 full-colour prints. 78 percent of its 1385 owner reviews are five star, the strongest rating share in this roundup.
Output is 600 dpi, and the sticky backing means finished prints can go straight into a scrapbook, journal or party favour without glue or tape. The Nelko app offers filters, borders, stickers, text, collages and AI editing, and a print takes under 90 seconds.
Twenty sheets of photo paper come in the box, ten inside the printer and ten spare, along with one ink cartridge, a USB cable, a guide card and a manual. Paper capacity is 30 sheets.
Only colour is available, there is no black-and-white mode and no document printing. This is a snapshot printer, not a general-purpose one.
Who it suits
Students, travellers, scrapbookers and anyone running an event where shared photos matter more than paper size. It fits in a bag and prints from a phone with no Wi-Fi, no app account setup beyond the phone itself.
It also suits teachers making small labels or reward cards, since the sticky backing does the mounting for you.
Where it falls short
Two by three inches is the only size, so it cannot print documents, envelopes or anything larger. The power adapter is not included, only a USB charging cable, so you need a wall plug of your own.
As an inkjet, the head can clog if it sits idle, and owners note it needs regular use and the occasional cartridge wipe. That is the same weakness as any small inkjet, just in a smaller package.
10. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw – Best for Small Teams
HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw Wireless Black and White All-in-One Laser Printer, Office Printer, Duplex, Best-for-Small Teams (9D2X4F)
Monochrome laser all-in-one
40 ppm rated, 35 ppm copy
Automatic duplex
50 sheet ADF
250 sheet tray
Pros
- Rated 40 ppm with 7 second first page
- 50 sheet ADF plus flatbed
- Automatic duplex
- Quiet for its speed
- Reconnects after network interruptions
Cons
- Firmware and chips block third-party toner
- ADF jams if overloaded
- Occasional Wi-Fi disconnects
- Light build on the paper tray
For a small team that prints constantly, this is the most capable office machine in the guide. It is rated at 40 pages per minute, copies at 35 ppm, delivers a first page in 7 seconds and has a 250-sheet input tray with a 50-sheet automatic document feeder and automatic duplex. Copy runs go up to 999 at a time.
Setup is straightforward, with immediate Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection and AirPrint, Mopria and Print Anywhere support. Owners single out the automatic Wi-Fi reconnection after a power cut or network interruption as a quietly valuable feature in a shared office.
Output is sharp at up to 1200 by 1200 dpi, and it handles up to 8.5 by 14 inch paper. Copy resolution matches print resolution at 1200 by 1200 dpi, so photocopies stay legible rather than turning to grey mush.
The box includes an introductory black toner cartridge with a yield of roughly 1000 pages, plus guides and a power cord. It weighs 23.1 pounds, which is normal for a laser of this class.
Who it suits
Small businesses, work teams and a busy home office that print black-and-white documents all day, scan paperwork and copy in volume. The ADF and duplex combination means a 50-page contract is a single job, not 50 flips.
The AirPrint and Mopria support also means mixed-device offices do not need per-machine drivers.
Where it falls short
The big one is toner lock-in. HP’s firmware and cartridge chips block cartridges using non-HP chips or circuitry, so third-party toner is not an option and running cost is fixed by HP cartridges. Some owners also found the ADF jams if overloaded, with reviews suggesting keeping loads to around 25 sheets.
There are reports of light paper-tray build quality and no-paper-in-tray errors during setup, plus occasional Wi-Fi disconnects needing a manual reset, and a long startup time before the very first print job.
11. HP Envy Photo 7975 – Premium Home Photo All-in-One
HP Envy Photo 7975 Wireless Color Inkjet Photo Printer, Print, scan, Copy, Easy Setup, Mobile Printing, Best-for-Home, 3 Month Instant Ink Trial Included, AI-Enabled (B63K3A)
Colour inkjet all-in-one
15 ppm black, 10 ppm colour
Borderless photo
2.7 inch touchscreen
35 sheet ADF
Pros
- True-to-screen colour with little tuning
- Quick Wi-Fi setup via the HP app
- 2.7 inch touchscreen
- Automatic duplex and 35 sheet ADF
- Separate photo tray
Cons
- Two-cartridge system limits colour
- Small cartridges run dry quickly
- Wireless dropouts on strong networks
- ADF scanning can cancel after a few pages
The Envy Photo 7975 is the most feature-complete home all-in-one here. It prints, copies, scans, does automatic duplex, has a 35-sheet automatic document feeder, a separate photo tray for borderless prints and a 2.7 inch colour touchscreen. HP also includes a three-month Instant Ink trial, and the AI features tidy up web pages and emails before printing.
Speed is rated at 15 ppm black and 10 ppm colour, and colour accuracy is good out of the box with little manual tuning. Owners like that the touchscreen is intuitive for non-technical users and that it is quiet in a shared room.
Paper handling is good, with 125 sheets of input and support for envelopes, labels, high-resolution and glossy photo paper. Paper sizes run from small cards up to 8.5 by 11.7 inches.
It uses HP 64 and 64XL cartridges in black and tri-color, and those are small. Several owners report them running dry quickly and the printer giving no warning before ink is out.
Who it suits
Families that want a single machine for school projects, admin and borderless photos, and who value a touchscreen and a feeder over the lowest possible running cost. The 35-sheet ADF and duplex make it good for a home office too.
If you already print through a phone, the HP app setup takes minutes and mobile printing is the smoothest part of the experience.
Where it falls short
The two-cartridge black and tri-color system is the core weakness. Without light inks, colour output lacks the vibrancy that craft and photo work needs, and banding appears on solid fills for some owners. There are also compatibility complaints with Photoshop.
Wireless dropouts on strong networks are reported, and the ADF scanning reportedly cancels after only a few pages on some units, sometimes requiring the computer app to finish the job.
12. HP Envy 6155 – Compact All-in-One With Duplex
HP Envy 6155 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Print, Scan, Copy, Duplex Printing Best-for-Home, 3 Month Trial of Instant Ink Included, AI-Capable (C2WR7A) Portobello
Colour inkjet all-in-one
10 ppm black, 7 ppm colour
Automatic duplex
100 sheet tray
2.4 inch touchscreen
Pros
- Auto duplex on an entry-level all-in-one
- Compact 11.2 pound body
- 2.4 inch colour touchscreen
- Fast dual-band Wi-Fi setup
- Low 12.2 watt power draw
Cons
- No automatic document feeder
- Two-ink system is less vibrant
- Tri-color setup cartridge yields about 75 pages
- 100 sheet tray only
The Envy 6155 packs the feature most budget printers skip: automatic duplex on an entry-level all-in-one. Print, copy and scan are all there, speed is rated at 10 ppm black and 7 ppm colour, and the 2.4 inch colour touchscreen makes everyday jobs simple without an app.
It is small and light at just over 11 pounds with a narrow footprint, draws about 12.2 watts, and is made with at least 60 percent recycled plastic. Wi-Fi is dual-band and HP says it detects and resolves connection issues on its own, and roughly 70 percent of owner reviews are five star.
Media support covers envelopes, labels, transparencies and plain paper across a long list of card and photo sizes, and HP P3 tech is meant to match what you see on screen. A three-month Instant Ink trial is included, with a monthly fee after that unless cancelled.
Scanning is flatbed only, with no automatic document feeder, so multi-page originals are one at a time. The 100-sheet input tray is the second smallest here.
Who it suits
First-time buyers and homes that print homework, lists and the occasional borderless photo. Automatic duplex makes it feel like a step up from a bare budget printer for very little added size.
It is a good fit for a dorm room, an apartment office or a second printer where desk space is the constraint.
Where it falls short
Colour comes from black plus a single tri-color cartridge, so gradients and skin tones are coarser than on a four-ink model. The setup tri-color cartridge yields only about 75 pages before replacement, and the black setup cartridge about 120.
As with the other HP models here, firmware and cartridge chips block cartridges using non-HP chips or circuitry, so the running cost is fixed. Flatbed-only scanning and a 100-sheet tray rule it out of a busy office.
How to Choose the Best Printer for Your Home
Inkjet or laser: pick the technology before the model
Inkjet sprays liquid ink and wins on colour range, photo quality and price. Laser fuses powdered toner with a laser or an LED, which is why black-and-white text is sharp, fast and cheap, and why a laser sits unused for months without any consequence.
The failure modes differ too. An inkjet head can clog if it goes long between jobs, which is exactly what tank systems and periodic use reduce. A laser can sit through a holiday and print perfectly on the first attempt, but it cannot print a photograph, and it cannot print magenta on its own.
All-in-one or single-function
An all-in-one, also called a multifunction or AIO, adds a flatbed scanner and copier, and usually an automatic document feeder. A single-function machine only prints. If you already own a decent standalone scanner, a single-function laser is cheaper and more compact.
If you handle paperwork, the feeder matters more than the touchscreen. A 35 or 50 sheet ADF turns a twenty-page contract into one job instead of twenty flatbed trips. Scrolling through the picks above, the Brother DCP-L2640DW and HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw both pair an ADF with duplex, and the Canon PIXMA TS4320 gives you duplex without a feeder.
What running cost really looks like over a year
Compare yields rather than sticker prices. The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw ships with a cartridge rated at roughly 1000 pages, while the Canon MegaTank G3270 is rated at up to 6000 black-and-white or 7700 colour pages from one set of bottles, and the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 owners report thousands of pages per refill.
Now set cartridge inkjets against that. The HP Envy 6155 ships with a black setup cartridge at about 120 pages and a tri-color setup cartridge at about 75 pages, and the Nelko PP01 cartridge covers 80 full-colour 2×3 prints. At that rate, a tank or a laser repays its higher purchase price long before most household printers reach their first year.
Add paper and media to the calculation, because it changes photo maths more than anything else. A 4×6 glossy sheet can cost more than the ink that puts colour on it, which is why the KODAK Dock Plus and the Nelko PP01 are cheaper to live with per photo than their cartridge-fed rivals despite both being small inkjets.
Reliability, dried-out heads and the intermittent-use problem
The most cited complaint in owner reviews and in the forum threads that surfaced for this topic is the same one: a cartridge-fed inkjet left alone for months then printing streaks. In one Reddit thread on r/Adulting the recurring question was exactly which laser printer would not leave people with dried-out cartridges every time they needed to print something.
Three habits prevent it. Print one small colour page every few weeks, choose a tank system so there are no cartridges to dry, or choose a laser. Canon also commits to spare parts for five years on the MegaTank G3270, which is a useful signal for anyone planning a long ownership.
For brand reliability, a hobby forum ranking had owners placing Konica Minolta units at the top of their list and describing Ricoh and Canon as a good mix of quality, usability and features. Among the affordable machines in this guide, junk journaling hobbyists converge on HP OfficeJet Pro and Epson EcoTank models for the least ink bleeding on craft paper, which is a useful steer if ephemera is your goal.
Connectivity, paper sizes and the short checklist
Before you buy, run through these in order. Estimate your monthly page volume and pick a duty cycle above it, check the running cost per page for the ink or toner you will actually use, confirm whether you need automatic duplex, decide if you need an ADF, then check connectivity and paper sizes.
On connectivity, dual-band Wi-Fi is now standard and it matters in a home with a mesh network. The Brother laser models here also carry Ethernet, which is worth having if you want a wired fallback, while the Canon MegaTank G3270 has no Ethernet port at all. AirPrint and Mopria support on the Canon PIXMA and HP models means you rarely install a driver.
Two more practical checks. A one-year warranty is standard on most models here, with the Canon PIXMA TS4320 offering three years, and five-year spare part availability on the G3270. And if the printer will live in a small space, the dimensions matter more than the specs, because every all-in-one needs room in front of the output tray to open it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered the best printer for home use?
For most homes the answer is a refillable-ink-tank all-in-one, and in this roundup that is the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 or the Canon MegaTank G3270. Both print, scan and copy in colour, refill with bottles instead of cartridges, and avoid the dried-out head problem. If you mostly print black-and-white documents, the Brother DCP-L2640DW is the better fit.
Which brand printer is best?
There is no single winner, because each brand leads a category. Epson and Canon lead refillable-ink-tank colour printing, Brother leads monochrome laser with automatic duplex and document feeders, HP covers budget, home photo and small-office machines, and KODAK and Nelko cover dedicated 4×6 and 2×3 photo printing. Match the brand to your volume and paper type rather than to a reputation.
Which is the most reliable printer for home use?
The most reliable machines for intermittent use are the mono laser printers, because powder toner does not dry in the print head. The Brother HL-L2405W and HL-L2460DW are reported by owners to work reliably after sitting unused for weeks with no maintenance cycle. Among inkjets, a tank model such as the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is the safer choice than a cartridge-fed printer, and printing one small colour page every few weeks keeps any inkjet healthy.
Which is better, HP or Epson?
It depends on how much you print. HP covers the cheap and small end with cartridge inkjets, and its laser models carry firmware and cartridge chips that block third-party toner. Epson concentrates on EcoTank refillable systems, which cost far less per page over time and suit colour and photo printing. Pick HP for speed on documents and a lower entry point, and Epson for low running cost and wider photo output.
What is the cheapest printer to run long term?
The lowest running cost in this roundup belongs to the monochrome laser machines, since toner cartridges are rated in the thousands of pages and a single Brother TN830 cartridge covers far more paper than an inkjet cartridge. For colour, refillable tanks win: the Canon MegaTank G3270 is rated at up to 7700 colour pages from one set of bottles. Remember to add paper and photo media to the true cost per page.
The Best Printers Verdict for 2026
The best printers in 2026 come down to two questions: how much colour you print, and how much paper. For colour and photos, the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 and the Canon MegaTank G3270 protect you from cartridge costs and dried heads, and the KODAK Dock Plus is our top pick for 4×6 photos on the strength of the largest owner base we found.
For black-and-white documents, go laser: the Brother DCP-L2640DW if you want a scanner and feeder, the HL-L2460DW if you want duplex without the scanner bulk, and the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw if a small team needs speed and volume. Add paper and media to any cost-per-page maths, print one test page every few weeks if you own an inkjet, and check the current details before you buy.