Best laser printers for business in 2020: HP, Brother, Canon, Xerox, and more
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The laser printer market is only about 5% of the size of the inkjet printer market, but lasers are growing more than twice as fast as inkjets.
This makes sense. The traditional home computer market has been absorbed heavily by mobile devices, while office computing is still going strong. Inkjet printers are ideal as photo printers and for relatively low-volume printing, while laser printers are masters at big print runs. While the toner cartridges for lasers cost quite a lot, the actual cost-per-print for laser printing is generally much less than that of inkjet-printed pages.
All that leads to a vibrant, growing market for laser printers with a wide range of solutions for home offices, small offices, workgroups, departments, and the enterprise. In this guide, we look at 14 of the best laser printers and help you understand why you might choose one over another.
Here’s our recommended list of office printers.
Brother HL-L2370DW
Editors’ favorite under $99 BW printer
We’re kicking off our list with a relatively low-end laser printer from 2018. Why this printer? Because when I sent a note out to my editor and reviewer colleagues, a bunch of them independently recommended this exact model. If you’ve ever worked with reviewers, you know how hard it is for them to be satisfied by anything, and for a number of editors to recommend this one model has to mean it’s quite special. I recommend you look around for the best price when purchasing this printer. Some editors told me they bought it for as little as $59.
Specs are not bad. It’s fast, printing at up to 36 ppm (pages per minute). It has a 250-sheet paper tray, has wired and wireless connectivity, does automatic two-sided printing, and will print up to 8.5 x 14-inch legal size paper. It also supports AirPrint mobile printing and is rated at about 2,000 pages per month.
Lexmark CX924DXE
Best high-workload color enterprise printer
What you’re looking at here is a print, scan, copy, fax multi-function printer workhorse. Although Lexmark recommends a monthly volume of 8,000 to 50,000 pages, it actually has a monthly maximum duty cycle of 275,000 pages (or 550 reams of paper). Speaking of paper, you can load it up. It starts with two 500-sheet trays, plus a 2,500-sheet feeder. That gets you 3,500 sheets without needing to reload, and you can also add up to 150 pages of “multipurpose” material, like envelopes.
In terms of specs, this will actually print up to 11×17-inches. It can print up to 65 pages per minute both copying and printing, has a gigE LAN interface. You can even scan directly to email or FTP with the 600 dpi CCD-based scanning element. Add to that an automatic document feeder, which can hold 100 sheets. For iPhone and iPad users, the printer supports Apple AirPrint as well.
HP Color LaserJet Enterprise flow MFP M880z
Best enterprise-optimized departmental printer
At 5,000 to 25,000 pages per month, this HP printer has a slightly smaller recommended volume than the Lexmark we just showed you, although it can be pushed to up to 200,000 printed pages. It, too, supports printing, copying, scanning, and faxing (as do most of the multi-function printers we’re going to show you). You can load its four paper trays with up to 2,000 sheets. Print directly from mobile devices using built-in Apple AirPrint and HP ePrint support and connect it to your network over gigabit Ethernet. We’re also particularly impressed with the built-in security features which include Kerberos and LDAP authentication, PIN codes for up to 1,000 users, and third-party integrations with resources like badge readers.
This enterprise-level printer distinguishes itself from other HP devices its 200-sheet ADF (automatic document feeder) and two-sided, single-pass scanning. The scanning capability comes with HP’s EveryPage advanced scanning software, which helps detect if there are scanning errors. One of our favorite features is the ability to scan directly to SharePoint with one step. If you want to go all out, add the optional finisher attachment and staple, hole punch, and fold as part of your production cycle.
TROY MICR m806x+ Secure Ex
Best MICR locking printer
As an enterprise laser printer, this Troy printer will do the job. It’s a 55-ppm monochrome printer. But when it comes to secure printing, it’s special. It offers MICR toner (magnetic ink character recognition) locks (to protect magnetic printing) and paper tray key locks to protect from misuse and theft of laser-printed check stock. In fact, this printer supports a range of MICR-related security features, including precise MICR-alignment controls and a MICR toner cartridge.
In terms of capacity, the m806x+ will hold up to 4,600 sheets. and has a monthly duty cycle of 100,000 pages, although the company recommends a monthly volume of 10,000 to 50,000 pages. Connect to the printer over gigabit Ethernet.
Here’s an interesting note. TROY printers are based on HP printers. TROY takes the standard HP printers and add MICR fonts, MICR toner, and firmware for added check printing security.
HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M856x
Best enterprise print-only laser printer
The 856 supports an absolute ton of connectivity via gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi. There’s a laundry list of networking specs for this thing, including real-time monitoring, TCP/IP, IPv4, IPv6; Print: TCP-IP port 9100 Direct Mode, LPD (raw queue support only), Web Services Printing, IPP 2.0, Apple AirPrint, HP ePrint, FTP Print, Google Cloud Print. Discovery protocols include SLP, Bonjour, and Web Services Discovery. IP config options include IPv4 (BootP, DHCP, AutoIP, Manual, TFTP Config, ARP-Ping), IPv6 (Stateless Link-Local and via Router, Stateful via DHCPv6). Management includes SNMPv2/v3, HTTP/HTTPs, Telnet, TFTP Config, Syslog. Security protocols include SNMPv3, SSL Cert Management, IPSec/Firewall, and ACL, 802.1x.
According to the marketing materials, this is a color printer that comes with five paper trays but supports up to six. That lets you load up to 2,300 sheets into the printer before you kick off any print runs. Combining the multipurpose tray with the main paper trays means that this printer supports color printing on media types including plain, heavy, extra heavy, glossy, light, recycled, and so-called “tough” paper sheets, envelopes, labels, glossy film, card stock, and transparencies. It can print up to 55 ppm.
HP LaserJet Enterprise 700 color MFP M775f
Best all-around enterprise multifunction printer
At $5,499, the Enterprise 700 LaserJet printer is only $200 more than the 856. And, while it takes a dive in terms of print speed (at 30 ppm instead of the 856’s 55 ppm), the Enterprise 700 makes up for the difference by adding the ability to scan, copy, and fax as well. As it ships, the Enterprise 700 all-in-one printer has a media capacity of 1,350 sheets, has a bypass feeder capacity of 100 sheets, and supports a wide variety of envelope sizes.
Connect to this over gigabit Ethernet or print using wireless networking from mobile devices using Apple AirPrint or HP ePrint. Print at 1200 dpi on envelopes, transparencies, recycled paper, plain paper, film, bond paper, card stock, photo paper, labels, and heavy-weight paper. The whopping 8-inch color touchscreen means that employees will be able to maintain the printer and set up complex printing jobs with ease and you can manage printer driver issues right from the printer.
Kyocera Ecosys P6230cdn laser printer
Best high-duty cycle workgroup color printer
We’re about to jump from enterprise printers (and enterprise prices) to workgroup printers suitable for smaller, yet still highly productive teams. This Kyocera is a good example of that breed of printer. It’s an output-only printer, but at barely above $600, it’s also a tenth the price of the enterprise printers we’ve been talking about thus far. This little beast can print at 32 pages per minute and while it ships with a 600-page paper capacity, you can add feeders that push its capacity to 2,100 sheets. Print pages up to 8.5-inches by 14-inches and print dual-sided when needed.
More to the point, this is a beast when it comes to duty cycle, with the manufacturer-specified ability to print up to 100,000 pages a month. This printer supports gigE connectivity, wireless network connectivity, as well as a USB interface, if you happened to want to tie it to one machine. More helpfully, it also includes mobile cloud-based services like AirPrint, Google CloudPrint, and Wi-Fi Direct wireless direct printing. An optional card authentication kit is available and Kensington lock capability is standard.
Ricoh 418488 Smart IM 430Fb Laser All-in-One Monochrome
Best high-speed workgroup monochrome printer
The first thing you’ll notice on this printer is the iPad-sized 10.1-inch Smart Operations touch panel, which helps control all the processes this printer can perform. While you’ll notice the gorgeous panel, you’ll stay for the speed. If you’re printing out a couple of draft chapters from a book, or a major report you’ve been working on, you may not want color, but you will want speed. This Ricoh monochrome all-in-one laser printer meets that need for speed with a monochrome print engine that can crank out 45 pages per minute.
In fact, this is a robust and capable all-in-one print/copy/scan/fax printer. While it’s monochrome-only, it has a single-pass document feeder (SPDF) for scanning, has a 2,100-page paper capacity, and prints at 1200 dpi while automatically double-sided printing at full speed. Connect via gigabit Ethernet or over Google CloudPrint. Finally, take advantage of that amazing screen by creating your own apps with custom workflows and user-personalized profiles.
HP Color LaserJet Pro M479fdw
Best SMB walk-up color multifunction printer
The idea of a walk-up printer may seem like a throwback to the sneakernet days, before we had ubiquitous Wi-Fi, fast Ethernet, mobile devices, and Bluetooth. But it’s actually an amazingly helpful little productivity feature, which is why we’ve called it out for a number of our printer nominations. The idea of a walk-up is that you don’t need to have a computer connected. You don’t even need to have a smartphone-linked via Wi-Fi direct wireless printing. All you need is a USB thumb drive with an Office document. Just plug in the USB drive and print.
The time savings in an office environment can be quite considerable, especially if you realize you don’t need to spend a half-hour with each new user helping them reconfigure their phones to talk to the printer. Just tell them to copy their file to a thumb drive and print. Even though all my printers are networked, I find walk-up printing can often reduce the friction between needing a document and printing it. In terms of specs, this is an all-in-one color printer with a raft of HP security features, workflow automation options, 28 pages per minute speeds, a 250-sheet input tray, an automatic document feeder, and 2-pass scanning, all for under $500.
HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw
Best SMB walk-up color print-only printer
This HP LaserJet printer takes the walk-up concept to a print-only printer. While many businesses like multi-function printers, the advantage of a print-only printer is that they can be placed where printouts are needed, but where you might not want documents to be scanned or copied. This LaserJet is equipped with a range of embedded security features including instant threat notifications and secure pull printing, so documents remain confidential and only print when you’re present, standing in front of the printer.
Off the shelf, this printer comes with a 300-sheet capacity, but it’s possible to upgrade it to support an additional 550-sheet paper tray. It will print both monochrome and color at 28 pages per minute, and supports Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity.
Canon imageCLASS LBP226dw
Best SMB high sheet capacity BW print-only printer
With print speeds up to 40 ppm, this is a fast little printer. Or, at least it starts out little. In its base model, you can load 250 sheets in the standard paper tray and an additional 100 sheets in the multipurpose tray. But you can also add an additional 550-sheet paper tray, bringing the capacity of this compact machine up to a full 900 sheets.
This is a wireless-only printer, with support for Wi-Fi, Apple AirPrint, and Canon’s PRINT business app. With a duty cycle of up to 4,000 pages per month, it’s an ideal printer for a small department of five or six professionals.
Brother HL-L3270CDW
Best low-price color laser printer
This is a 2018 model, but that’s OK because, at $249, we haven’t seen any other color laser printer with the performance specs and versatility this device shows. Load the paper tray with up to 250 sheets of blank paper and print at up to 25 ppm. Plus, use the 2.7-inch touch screen to wirelessly print directly from file-sharing cloud apps including Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote, and more. It’s also Google Cloud Print and Apple AirPrint compatible.
But just because it’s inexpensive, that doesn’t mean it isn’t secure. You can set a secure print password to prevent documents from printing, and you can set the printer to delete printer once it powers off. The device is fully configurable through its Web interface as well as the touch screen. This is also an ecologically minded printer, allowing you to print on both sides to save paper and in reduced toner mode, to save on toner and the need to replace print cartridges.
Xerox B215
Best home/office walk-up multifunction BW printer
The most exciting feature of this Xerox printer is that it lets you legitimately say you’re going to “Xerox” something — and then do it. But this genuine Xerox printer is more than just a scan/copy/print/fax powerhouse, it’s a very capable, attractively designed multi-function monochrome printer.
To ensure security, this printer supports IPsec, IPv6, IP and Mac address filtering, SNMPv3, Scan to Email with Authentication, Secure Print, and Secure Fax Receive. It also supports AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria, and Android printing. At under $200, it also supports walk-up printing, has a 40-sheet automatic document feeder, a 250-sheet paper capacity, and prints at 30 pages per minute.
And, hey, let’s give Xerox a big ZDNet shout-out of thanks for the mouse and graphic UI that you and I are probably using right now, which originated at the company’s PARC research center all the way back in the 1970s.
Brother DCPL2550DW
Best under-$200 multifunction BW printer
If you want a really nice, multifunction laser printer but want to keep the spend well below $200, this is the choice for you. It’s got a 250-sheet paper capacity, supports double-sided duplex printing and printing on small envelopes, and has a 50-sheet automatic document feeder. It’s got excellent mobile device compatibility, with supported services including AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Brother iPrint Scan, Mopria, and Cortado Workplace. You can connect it to one computer over USB, to your wired network over Ethernet, or wirelessly via Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct.
A standout feature for this printer is its Amazon Dash Replenishment feature. If you turn this service on, you can choose the toner you want to use and when the printer starts running low, it’ll automatically order a replacement cartridge from Amazon, saving you 10 percent at the same time. There’s no subscription fee for Dash Replenishment, but if you’ve ever been caught during a critical project without enough toner, you’ll know just how valuable a set-it-and-forget-it, let-Amazon-deal-with-it solution can be.
How to choose
The first thing you’ll notice if you’re researching laser printers is the companies who make them are doing you no favors in your search. All the printers we’ve found are identified by arcane product numbers rather than distinguishing branding. What’s the difference between an L8360D and an M281fdw? Only a product manager would know.
There is an enormous glut of printer models out there. For every level of functionality and price tier, vendors seem to have four or five models with slightly different model numbers and prices separated by $20 to $50, each with some minor feature differences compared to its nearly identical brethren. Worse, Amazon lists printers as new with models going as far back (that I found) as 2011.
Consumables can be quite an issue with laser printers, particularly at the lower end. Most printers come with starter toner cartridges that will print a few hundred to a few thousand pages. Then you have to buy the cartridges, which can be quite expensive. Many of the more popular printers can also use a discount aftermarket toner cartridge, which can save you money but could reduce print quality or damage your printer. We did not test toner cartridges, so pay attention to user reviews when making purchase decisions.
We looked at printers that generally fall into three categories: Enterprise printers, workgroup printers, and small/home business printers. Enterprise printers are characterized by their much higher price, huge paper trays, and specialized features like folding, stapling, and enterprise integration.
Workgroup printers are also fast and have great capacity, but they drop in price considerably compared to their enterprise brethren. We generally chose workgroup printers that were capable of printing tens to hundreds of thousands of pages per month.
The small business/home business printers are generally fast but usually limited to about 250 sheets in the paper magazine. These are much less expensive printers, but they often have replacement cartridge costs that come close to the original purchase price of the printer. In choosing smaller printers, definitely be sure to check out cartridge costs as well as the purchase price.
Also, I want to point out that prices are very inconsistent and change regularly. In the week between when I initially chose the products and put them up online in this article, the prices for a few of them changed. If you’re interested in a product, look at multiple vendors and perhaps wait a little while. Prices may come down (or they may go back up). Caveat emptor.
Our process
We started with a list of over 50 printers recommended by followers, colleagues, other reviewers, and IT managers. We had to narrow it down to a list of 14. With one or two exceptions (in particular, our editors’ favorite), we’re listing 2019 models exclusively (2020 models aren’t available as of the time of publishing). Our editors’ favorite is a 2018 model, but that’s because it has stood the test of time and is much beloved.
While we weren’t able to perform hands-on tests with these printers, we did factor in customer satisfaction. In all cases, we looked at and read customer ratings and reviews — in particular, searching for comments that would disqualify a printer from consideration (like, for example, many users complaining of jams or failures for a given model).
Finally, we did a literature review of other reviews on the web, again looking for the printers that were very well reviewed and searching out and eliminating any printers that were described as having characteristics we thought would give you difficulty.
If you’re not sure whether you want an inkjet or a laser printer, be sure to check out our Best inkjet printers for business 2020 guide. We look at Epson, HP, Brother, and more.
The result is the list above. Feel free to let us know your favorite printers in the comments below. Do you own any that we’ve identified here? How do you like them?
You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.
Article source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-laser-printers-for-business/#ftag=RSSbaffb68