Best Office Printers for Home Office
Home office printers divide into two primary technologies: laser (or LED) for fast black-and-white document printing with low per-page cost, and inkjet for better photo and color quality but higher per-page ink costs. A third category — ink tank (EcoTank) — addresses inkjet’s cartridge cost problem with refillable reservoirs that dramatically lower per-page costs. For most home offices printing contracts, reports, and the occasional form, a color laser or ink tank all-in-one covers the full range of needs.
We selected these based on print quality, per-page cost, paper handling (ADF, duplex), wireless reliability, scan and copy functionality, and practical fit for home office printing volumes.
Quick picks
| Pick | Best for |
|---|---|
| Canon imageCLASS MF656Cdw | Best color laser all-in-one — fast, compact, reliable color laser for home office documents |
| Brother MFC-L3780CDW | High-volume color laser — faster output and higher duty cycle for heavier printing |
| Epson EcoTank ET-4850 | Best ink tank for home offices — lowest per-page cost with included 2-year ink supply |
| Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 | Wide-format inkjet — the only option for printing larger than standard letter size |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2850 | Compact ink tank for lower-volume home offices — refillable tanks in a smaller footprint |
Canon imageCLASS MF656Cdw
Best for: The best color laser all-in-one for home office use — fast, compact, and reliable
The MF656Cdw is a color laser all-in-one (print, scan, copy, fax) in a compact body suitable for home office desk placement. Prints at 22 pages per minute in color and black-and-white. Automatic duplex printing for two-sided documents. 50-sheet ADF for multi-page scanning and copying without page-by-page feeding. Wireless and Ethernet connectivity. Color laser produces sharp text and consistent color documents without the warm-up time of older laser printers. Toner cartridges have a lower per-page cost than inkjet cartridges at typical home office volumes.
Key specs: Color laser, 22 ppm color + mono, duplex printing, 50-sheet ADF, wireless + Ethernet + USB, 250-sheet paper tray, scan/copy/fax, compact design
Caveat: Color laser produces accurate business color but not photo-quality color — not suitable for photo printing. Toner cartridges cost more upfront than ink cartridges. Fax functionality is rarely used in modern home offices.
Price: Mid-range; typical for color laser all-in-one category.
Brother MFC-L3780CDW
Best for: Higher-volume home office printing — faster output and higher duty cycle than the Canon
The MFC-L3780CDW is a color laser all-in-one with a higher recommended monthly duty cycle than the MF656Cdw — better suited for home offices that print regularly rather than occasionally. Prints up to 25 pages per minute in color. 70-sheet ADF handles larger scan and copy jobs. Duplex printing and duplex scanning. Wireless and Ethernet. Brother’s toner cartridges have competitive per-page costs and are available from multiple suppliers including compatible/third-party options. The larger paper capacity (250-sheet tray) reduces refill frequency.
Key specs: Color laser, 25 ppm color + mono, duplex print + duplex scan, 70-sheet ADF, wireless + Ethernet + USB, 250-sheet tray, scan/copy/fax, higher recommended duty cycle
Caveat: Larger footprint than the Canon — takes more desk or shelf space. Slightly higher price. Fax included but rarely needed. Color laser quality, not photo quality.
Price: Mid-to-premium range.
Epson EcoTank ET-4850
Best for: Lowest per-page cost — ink tank all-in-one with approximately 2 years of ink included
The EcoTank ET-4850 uses refillable ink tanks rather than cartridges — the bottles included in the box provide approximately 7,500 black pages and 6,000 color pages at ISO yield. Replacement ink bottles cost significantly less per page than cartridges. Print, scan, copy, fax with a 35-sheet ADF and duplex printing. Wireless and Ethernet. 4800×1200 dpi resolution produces better photo quality than laser. For home offices that print a significant volume and want to eliminate the cartridge replacement cycle, the ET-4850 is the practical choice despite its higher upfront cost.
Key specs: Ink tank (EcoTank), print/scan/copy/fax, 35-sheet ADF, duplex printing, wireless + Ethernet + USB, 4800×1200 dpi, ~7,500 black / ~6,000 color pages from included ink, refillable tanks
Caveat: Higher upfront cost than cartridge printers — ink tank printers pay back over volume printed. Slower print speed than laser (approximately 15 ppm). Ink can dry if the printer is unused for extended periods — not ideal for very infrequent printing.
Price: Mid-to-premium range upfront; low long-term per-page cost.
Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840
Best for: Wide-format printing — the only option in this list for larger-than-letter-size output
The WF-7840 prints up to 13″×19″ (tabloid plus) — a format used for architectural drawings, legal documents, posters, presentation materials, and wide-format photos. Inkjet all-in-one with ADF for multi-page scanning. Duplex print. The wide-format capability is the defining reason to choose this over the EcoTank or laser options — if your work requires printing larger than standard 8.5″×11″, the WF-7840 is the only option in this list that covers that need. Standard cartridges; not a tank system.
Key specs: Inkjet all-in-one, up to 13″×19″ print, ADF, duplex printing, wireless + Ethernet + USB, print/scan/copy/fax, standard ink cartridges
Caveat: Standard cartridge system — higher per-page cost than EcoTank. Large physical footprint proportional to the paper size it handles. Primarily justified by the wide-format capability; for letter-only printing, the EcoTank or laser options are better value.
Price: Mid-to-premium range.
Epson EcoTank ET-2850
Best for: Compact ink tank for lower-volume home offices — refillable tanks in a smaller body
The ET-2850 is a smaller, more affordable ink tank all-in-one compared to the ET-4850. Print, scan, and copy (no fax). Wireless with no ADF on base models — pages must be placed on the flatbed scanner individually. The tank system provides the same low per-page cost advantage as the ET-4850 with a smaller footprint and lower upfront price. For home offices that print infrequently but want to avoid per-cartridge costs when they do print, the ET-2850 is the minimal-footprint ink tank solution.
Key specs: Ink tank (EcoTank), print/scan/copy, wireless + USB, 5760×1440 dpi, flatbed scanner (no ADF on base model), compact design, refillable ink tanks
Caveat: No ADF — multi-page scanning requires placing each page manually. No duplex on base model. Lower paper tray capacity than the ET-4850. Slower print speed than laser options.
Price: Mid-range; lower upfront cost than ET-4850.
How to choose
- Laser vs. inkjet vs. ink tank: Laser prints faster with lower per-page toner costs for text documents, but produces mediocre photos. Inkjet produces better color and photo quality but cartridges are expensive per page. Ink tanks eliminate the cartridge cost problem but have a higher upfront price that pays back over volume printed.
- ADF (automatic document feeder): If you scan or copy multi-page documents regularly, an ADF is essential — without it, you place each page manually on the flatbed. The ET-2850 base model lacks an ADF; all other options in this list include one.
- Duplex printing: Automatic two-sided printing reduces paper use and is essential for printing contracts, reports, and multi-page documents professionally. All options in this list include auto-duplex except the ET-2850 base model.
- Volume vs. upfront cost: Ink tanks cost more upfront but cost less per page than cartridge inkjets. Laser toner has the lowest per-page cost for pure text. If you print fewer than 50 pages per month, the upfront cost difference between a cartridge printer and an ink tank rarely pays back within 2–3 years. For higher volumes, ink tank wins clearly.
See also: best webcams for remote work, best video conferencing speakerphones, best ergonomic keyboards for work.
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure for details.