The 4 Best Home Printers of 2025
Budget pick
If you don’t need to print in color on a regular basis, and need to scan only occasionally, this is the best printer you can buy. It’s reliable, cheap, and easy to use.
Who this is for: This model is ideal for people who don’t need a printer on a daily basis but still appreciate having one for the few times a year when they need to print.
Why we like it: The Brother HL-L2460DW is simple, fast, dependable, easy to set up, and affordable to operate. And because it’s a laser printer, it can sit for weeks or months between print jobs and start up again without trouble.
Although it’s a budget model, it isn’t short on features. For the typical $160-ish asking price, you get automatic duplex printing capability, a large 250-sheet paper tray, reliable Wi-Fi connectivity, and the option to use high-yield toner cartridges—which means you don’t have to buy them as often. This printer works with Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android.
As for print quality, in our testing to choose the best laser printer, we found that this model is more than good enough for any text-based document, but it might need a few settings tweaks to produce a graphics-heavy document that you’d want to hand out to other people. It’s also extremely compact, so it can fit in tight spaces where other printers can’t go, such as a bookcase shelf.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- It’s a little flimsy, and the packaging isn’t great. If you buy one, be sure to check for any plastic parts that might have gotten bumped out of place in transit.
- Brother’s software is mediocre. We don’t recommend printing via Brother’s iPrint&Scan software, because it produces excessive, detail-destroying contrast.
- Chromebooks, Google Cloud Print, and this printer may not get along. The HL-L2460DW’s default settings might prevent it from working with Google Cloud Print. To get it working, you need to disable IPv6 in the Networking section of the printer’s web control panel.
- It does only one thing. This may be obvious, but keep in mind that this machine prints only in black and white, and it can’t copy, scan, or fax.
Specs
Dimensions: 14.0 by 7.2 by 14.2 inches
Weight: 15.6 pounds
Pages per minute (stated): 36
Cost per page: 2.8¢
Learn more in our full guide to the best laser printer.
