The Best Printers Right Now for Home Office Use

In this work-from-home and distance learning era, lots of people are looking for a printer for their home office (even if the home office is also the kitchen).  Our correspondent Julie Chang Murphy has curated a list of the best printers to buy right now for home office use, including the best for work, photos, home schooling, eco-friendly and design-driven.

Do you actually need to purchase a printer for your home office?

As far as home electronics go, high-end televisions and luxury speakers get all the glory. The lowly printer is typically relegated to a dusty corner in the home office or neglected altogether after its ink cartridge has run dry. But in the pandemic age, many people are realizing the need to purchase a home printer or spring for an upgraded model. From homeschool worksheets, work documents, mailing labels, and photos, a decent home printer is clutch right now and saving us from unnecessary trips outside the home.

The manufacturers sure don’t make it easy though. With unmemorable names and a smattering of non-sensical alphanumerics after each model, it can be pretty hard to start comparison shopping. We’re breaking it down according to real world needs so that you can better make sense of the marketplace.

The best printers right now for home office use

1. The Best for Work

If you’re suddenly in the position of having to print out and/or scan voluminous text documents in as short of time as possible, go with the Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer, HLL2395DW ($159.99) It features one of the leading print speeds of up to 36 pages per minute and a flatbed scan glass for convenient copying and scanning. The model holds a 250-sheet paper capacity and a color touchscreen for added efficiency.

2. The Best for Homeschooling

If you’re printing out learning materials and worksheets for children, you need some attention-grabbing color and better than average photo-printing capabilities. Check out the Canon Pixma TS9120 ($139.90) which has a 6-color individual ink system that produces photo lab results. This printer also comes with photo-specific features and built-in creative filters to add something extra to dittos and projects. You’re also not tied to a specific device so there is flexibility to print from any family member’s tablet or smartphone without a hassle.

3. The Best Compact Model

Whether or not this is a temporary set-up for you, we get that people want to minimize the real estate that a printer takes up. Perhaps you only need it to print out occasional documents and would rather your home be an oasis of living plants and herbs. Consider the HP Officejet 250 ($249.99) wireless portable printer. Under 15” wide and 4” high, it can be easily stored out of the way on a bookshelf or even in a tote bag. This quiet model also boasts a long battery life and all-in-one features to scan, copy, and fax.

 

 

 

4. The Best Eco-Friendly Model

Printing hard copies might be a necessary evil but that doesn’t mean you need to add plastic ink cartridges to the landfills too. Epson’s EcoTank ET-3760 ($349.99) is designed to be cartridge-free. Instead, it contains reservoirs that users fill with refillable ink bottles. Each $13 bottle contains up to two years’ worth of ink which means that you’re also saving on money and time.

5. The Best on a Budget

Not looking to give much thought to this purchase? The HP Envy 5055 is an all-in-one color inkjet printer for an unbeatable price of $80. It sets up out of the box in less than a minute and enables the user to scan, copy, fax and print with Wi-Fi. Despite its small footprint, the front-loading paper try holds 100 sheets and it has a color touchscreen for easy to access options. If the price makes you skeptical, rest assured that it scores 4.6 stars over 5,000 user ratings at Best Buy, as well as being highly rated by tech insiders at CNet and Tech Radar.

 

 

6. The Best for Photos

Some people might be using this time to develop a new hobby or finally getting their photo albums and wall art in order. For professional quality photos and frame-worthy art up to 17 x 22 inches, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 ($1,298) is the top pick. 

This printer’s technology enables printing with microscopic droplets and high resolutions up to 4,800 by 2,400 dots per inch. Its four monochrome inks minimize bronzing and create deep blacks for dramatic grayscale prints. Best of all, it prints quickly and quietly.

7. The Best for Design Snobs

Everything in your home is well thought out and designed and you’re not going to let a clunky piece of hardware ruin the aesthetic, no matter how useful. If this statement rings true for you, take a look at the HP Tango X Smart Wireless Printer ($129.89). Minimalist and modern, this printer packs a lot of punch. 

Smart home devotees will appreciate its voice activated capabilities via Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Users can print from virtually anywhere (the cloud and social media, for example) and scan with a smartphone camera using the HP Smart app.

The Best Printers right now for your home Office

Though these machines seem like tongue twisters at first glance, we hope this guide has helped to demystify the world of printers. Which one are you eyeing?

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Crediting her training as a cultural anthropologist at Wellesley College, Julie has immersed herself in various industries in the last 15 years including fashion design, event planning, and fitness. Julie lives in New York where she loves trying every ramen and dumpling restaurant with her husband and three children. She finds joy in bold prints, biographies of fierce women, kickboxing. And spending way too long finding the perfect polish color to express her mood.

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