Inkjet printers are often chosen over good ol’ laser printers and for good reason – they are pretty affordable and can be had for under $70. However, if you calculate the cost over time, laser printers are more economical. At the same time, laser printers are fast & efficient, and you don’t have to deal with any mess incurred due to ‘dry-ink’ either. That’s partly why we decided to come up with the best laser printers for home use in 2023.

As noted earlier, with laser printers, you do not run the risk of the ink drying up. More importantly, laser printers churn out better-quality prints as far as text-heavy documents are concerned.
So, without further ado, let’s check out some of the best laser printers for home use. But first,
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Low Maintenance: Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer
- Printer type: Monochrome | Copy: No
- Wireless: No
- Duplex: Yes
It’s worth noting that the Brother HL-L2300D printer lacks Wi-Fi or Ethernet connectivity. The company doesn’t ship a USB cable in the box either, so you will have to source one on your own. But once set up and running (driver installation, etc), it gets the job done quickly.
If we talk numbers, Brother rates the printer’s output at 27 ppm (page per minute). Though it is a tad lower compared to the laser printer that follows, it adheres to the advertised speed. Of course, the speed will decrease if the prints have graphics.
Another thing to note is that it isn’t adept at churning out high-quality prints of documents that have a lot of graphics. In fact, the images and graphs may appear a tad fuzzy. That said, the Brother HL-L2300D has a low maintenance cost, and a fresh cartridge should last you approximately 3,000 pages.
Best Value : Canon imageCLASS LBP236dw
- Printer type: Monochrome | Copy: No
- Wireless: Yes
- Duplex: Yes
When it comes to speed, the LBP236dw printer is rated at 40 ppm. The folks at PC Mag tested this printer and they could print a standard 12-page Word text file in 16 seconds, thereby averaging around 41.3 ppm. It’s important to remember that the speed may vary as per your system’s OS and connectivity.
At the same time, it comes with a spacious paper drawer. By default, you can keep around 250 sheets of paper, and you can increase it further if you deem it necessary.
The Canon imageCLASS LBP236dw laser printer comes with several connectivity options too. You can either connect the device wirelessly to your laptop/phone. Or, you can use the standard methods of connecting, be it via a direct cable, USB, or Ethernet.
Last but not least, the printer’s operating cost is not high either. At the same time, do note that the run cycle is a little on the higher side. Canon rates a monthly cycle of a minimum of 750 pages per month. Unsurprisingly, the majority of users cite that the printer serves their needs well.
Basic Laser Printer: Brother HL-L3210CW Compact Digital Color Printer
- Printer type: Color | Copy: No
- Wireless: Yes
- Duplex: No
The L3210CW laser printer doesn’t come with added frills like duplex printing or Ethernet connectivity. Plus, the monthly print volume is a tad higher at 1,500 pages. That said, if you have a small business or if your work involves plenty of paperwork, it will be a good fit.
As noted earlier, the print speed is a tad on the lower end, and Brother rates the device’s throughput at 19 ppm. The speed is considerably slower if the prints involve a mix of images, text, and graphics. On the upside, the output is excellent with prints being clear, sharp, and detailed. The only catch is that graphics and photos have a slightly lighter touch. This issue is particularly visible when printing images with extremely light or dark refills.
That said, the Brother HL-L3210CW has decent connectivity options like Wi-Fi and USB and it also supports Apple AirPrint. At the end of the day, it’s a basic laser printer and does a good job of printing text documents and the occasional photos.
Best Overall: HP Color LaserJet Pro M283fdw Wireless All-in-One Laser Printer
- Printer type: Color | Copy: Yes
- Wireless: Yes
- Duplex: Yes
But at the end of the day, this all-in-one laser printer is expensive, and for good reason. For one, it allows you to scan and fax documents. The printer also gets a 50-page automatic document feeder, which is an added bonus.
Now, coming to speed, HP’s offering is rated at 26 ppm for B&W and 22 ppm for colored prints. The folks at Gear Lab rated the printer’s throughput at 14 ppm for a single-sided text document, which is quite low compared to the advertised speed. That said, you should be able to print regular documents at relatively faster speed.
Speaking of outputs, the HP Color LaserJet Pro M283fdw delivered impressive prints for both text and graphics. Colored graphics were vivid and had the needed details. While it prints high-res photos pretty fast, they can appear a little pixelated. Again, the folks at Gear Lab opine that the printer is apt for the occasional photo printing gig.
Granted, the M283fdw printer is not your average laser printer for home use. However, if you work out of your home or have a small business to run and have a mountain of printables to deal with, the low maintenance cost makes it an excellent pick. Plus, the added features and connectivity options add more value to it.
FAQs on Laser Printers
Laser printers are not without limitations. For one, they need a little warm-up time before they pick up speed. Secondly, they do not gel well with some paper types. Lastly, photos printed on laser printers do not appear as rich compared to their inkjet counterparts.
No, laser printer’s toner doesn’t dry out. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the major advantages of laser printers. You should be able to use a toner easily after weeks and days of inactivity.
Toners in laser printers last a pretty long time. Interestingly, in some cases, the toner can outlast the printer itself. It’s worth noting that toner is not liquid ink. In fact, it’s a combination of polymers and organic compounds and is largely in powdered form. This way, they have a long shelf life.
Yes, traditional inkjet printer cartridges are cheaper than toner. However, toners have a longer shelf life and lifespan compared to ink cartridges.
Print Away
These were some of the best laser printers for home use in 2023. Laser printers are often suited for houses that go through high volumes of printables, whether college assignments, presentations, school projects, or other home-related projects. Now, it’s not every day you pick up a laser printer for home use. But if you can look past the upfront cost, laser printers are a great addition to your home or office setup, thanks to their long-term benefits and low maintenance cost.
Last updated on 25 May, 2023
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