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The 5 Best HP Printers of 2024 Reviews

Updated May 06, 2024 at 05:02 pm
Best HP Printers

HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is a home electronics brand focusing on computer-related products, including printers. They make a diverse range of printers like inkjet or laser, color or monochrome, all-in-one or print-only units, and even portable printers with a built-in rechargeable battery. While their selection can be overwhelming, they're separated into several different lineups, so it's easier to find what you need. Each lineup has different pros and cons that align more closely with their specific usages, and they come at several price points, so you can find the best HP printer for home use or to meet your office needs. HP has had a number of controversies over the years, including a recent one involving a software update that prevents the use of third-party cartridges when subscribed to HP's ink replenishment service.

Updates

Best HP Printers


  1. Best HP Printer

    The best HP printer we've tested is the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw. This well-built color laser all-in-one produces incredibly sharp documents and prints quickly, with up to 22 pages per minute. It has a nice control panel with a user-friendly interface, and its design makes it easy to change the toner cartridges and remove paper jams. You can connect to the printer via Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet or print directly off a USB flash drive. The scanner produces detailed scans and processes up to 26 pages per minute, but it only supports manual duplex scanning, meaning you need to install the HP Scan app and re-arrange the pages into the right order manually.

    Regarding page yield, the regular toner cartridges yield around 1,200 black and 1,400 color pages before they run out, and you can get XL cartridges that'll last even longer. The cartridges are expensive, but since they yield a large number of prints, you won't have to replace them often, making its cost-per-print relatively low over time. The cartridges' high cost is also because they include the drum, making maintenance less of a hassle. That said, a built-in drum can end up costing more, as most drum units last much longer than the cartridges, and you have to discard any remaining toner if the drum gets damaged.

    See our review

  2. Best Upper Mid-Range HP Printer

    If you want something cheaper than the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw, check out the HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e, a feature-rich inkjet all-in-one designed for small and home offices. It has a sturdy build, a large, touch-sensitive display, and wide connectivity options, including Ethernet. There's an ADF-equipped scanner with automatic duplex scanning, although it's on the slower side, as it only processes up to six pages per minute. The scanner's lid hinges are extendable, making it easier to close the lid over thicker items like textbooks and magazines.

    Printing-wise, this model produces beautiful documents. Its print speed isn't as impressive as the model above, but it's still good at 23 black and 15 color pages per minute. As for photo printing, although it's better than laser printers, it still isn't that great because its limited color range and low print resolution result in a significant loss of fine details. Its cost-per-print is outstanding, as the ink cartridges yield a large number of prints and are relatively cheap. It also comes with three months of free ink through HP's ink subscription service. However, subscribing to the service will block you from using third-party cartridges in the future, even if you cancel your subscription. Also, the printer must have a continuous internet connection to function.

    See our review

  3. Best Mid-Range HP Printer

    At an even lower price range, we have the HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e, one of the best HP printers for home use we've tested. Depending on the region in which you live or the retailer, you may find it under another model number, like the 8022e or 8035e. As with all HP printers that have an 'e' suffix, this model comes with a six-month subscription to HP's ink replenishment service. The same restrictions apply, meaning if you subscribe to the service, you won't be able to use third-party cartridges in the future.

    With that out of the way, let's talk about this printer's performance and features. It's a sturdily built printer with a user-friendly touch-sensitive display and plenty of connectivity options, including USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet. It produces exceptionally sharp black and color documents; it's just a little slow, as it only prints up to 10 black or six color pages per minute. For photo printing, printed pictures look detailed but muted because the printer has a narrow color range.

    Unfortunately, the ink cartridges are only good for about 240 black and 270 color prints, meaning you'll have to replace them regularly. The cost-per-print is still low, though, as the cartridges are inexpensive. The scanner produces good quality scans; however, it's rather slow, as it only scans three pages per minute through the automatic feeder and doesn't support duplex scanning.

    See our review

  4. Best Budget HP Printer

    If you need something that can get the job done for those occasional projects, consider the HP DeskJet 3755. Like the HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e above, this printer has many variants. Again, they're all identical in features and performance, as they're merely regional or retailer-exclusive variants. It's a simple and compact inkjet all-in-one that's well-suited for small spaces like college dorm rooms. It doesn't have a flatbed scanner, but you can scan via its feeder. The scanner supports up to Legal-size sheets and has a software-based optical character recognition feature. Unfortunately, it can't scan double-sided documents, so you'll have to flip the pages manually.

    The biggest drawback of this model is its page yield. Its black and tri-color cartridges yield only about 100 black and 40 color prints, meaning you'll have to replace them regularly. Also, since it only has a tri-color cartridge, you'll have to replace the whole cartridge even if only one color runs out. Its printing speed is slow at five black or three color pages per minute, so it isn't the best for printing long papers or essays.

    It prints surprisingly good-looking photos with adequate color accuracy. Still, it's best to avoid printing too many photos, as you'll spend more money on replacement ink than the printer itself. This printer doesn't come with six months of free ink but is eligible for the service. That said, it might not be worth it if you plan on using third-party cartridges. While this model has been discontinued, you can still find it from major retailers at the time of writing.

    See our review

  5. Best Portable HP Printer

    For on-the-go printing, we recommend the HP OfficeJet 250, a compact model with a built-in rechargeable battery. It's a great option if you travel a lot for work or run an outdoor kiosk and need to print receipts. The battery is good for about 225 prints and takes around two hours to fully charge. It produces sharp documents but is just a little slow, as it only prints three black or six color pages per minute. Despite its compact size, you still get an ADF scanner that produces high-quality scans. It also has an optical character recognition (OCR) feature that lets you save scans as PDFs for quick keyword searches.

    The biggest downside with this printer is its page yield, as it can only print 100 to 150 pages before the ink runs out, meaning you might need to carry a few extra cartridges. The cost-per-print isn't too bad because the cartridges are relatively cheap, although color printing can get expensive if you print a lot. On the upside, you can get XL cartridges that'll last longer, and it also accepts third-party ink, which might be cheaper.

    See our review

Compared To Other Brands


  • Diverse lineup.
    They offer many different models focusing on different needs, like photo printing or office use.
  • Quick printing speeds.
    For the most part, both the LaserJet Enterprise/Pro and OfficeJet Pro lineups have pretty quick print speeds for all kinds of documents. Although the ENVY lineup is slow to print black text and color documents, it can print photos fairly quickly.
  • Laser printers have affordable cost-per-print.
    As their toner cartridges can yield more pages before they need replacing, each page you print with their laser printers is affordable.
  • Confusing model names.
    HP tends to use different model numbers for the same product to indicate the region and retailer in which the printer is sold, which can be very confusing for the average user.
  • Mediocre print quality on low-end models.
    Budget HP printers tend to have worse print quality than other brands like Brother and Canon.
  • Questionable practices.
    HP has some questionable practices. It often sells models that come with six months of free ink through its ink subscription service; however, subscribing to the service will block you from using third-party cartridges, even if you cancel your subscription later. HP has also been accused of blocking scanner functionality if the printer is low on ink.

HP vs Brother

HP and Brother are both major printer manufacturers. Brother printers typically have better print quality, especially on lower-end models. However, HP has a wider range of printers, including portable printers and laser printers with a refillable toner tank, similar to supertank inkjet models. See our recommendations for the best Brother printers.

HP vs Epson

There are many differences between Epson and HP. HP produces a wide range of printers, including laser, inkjet, and portable models, while Epson focuses almost exclusively on inkjet desktop models. HP printers typically have better print quality for document printing, but Epson printers usually perform better when it comes to photo printing. Epson produces a lot of supertank models, which have significantly better page yield than most HP printers. Check out our recommendations for the best Epson printers.

HP vs Canon

HP and Canon are very similar, as both companies make a wide range of printers. Canon focuses more on photo printing, while HP focuses more on general-purpose office and personal printers. Canon laser models usually perform better and cost less. However, those with a large print load might want to consider HP, as it makes laser models with a refillable toner tank, similar to supertank inkjet printers. To learn more about Canon, check out our recommendations for the best Canon printers.

HP produces a diverse range of printers, each for different uses. For example, their photo printing lineup ENVY is comparable to Canon's PIXMA lineup. In contrast, their LaserJet Pro and LaserJet Enterprise lineups are more similar to Brother's current offering of office printers. As a whole, HP's printers share few similar characteristics between lineups. However, thanks to their variety, their printers come in many different price ranges, so you can find something at a price point that suits your budget and use case.

Lineup

HP offers several different printer lineups to suit your specific needs. They use the following names:

  • DeskJet: Entry-level, compact inkjet printers for home use. They tend to have somewhat limited scanning features.
  • ENVY: Inkjet printers meant for printing photos. They focus on rich, detailed photo printing quality and more precise color accuracy.
  • LaserJet Pro: Laser printers for small/home office use. Some are monochrome, and others use color toners. Unlike the LaserJet Enterprise line, they usually support wireless connectivity.
  • LaserJet Enterprise: Laser printers designed for small businesses that need to print off a significant amount of pages. They tend to be print-only and have a very quick print speed. They're marketed as more secure as they use wired connections for printing.
  • OfficeJet: Inkjet printers that are better suited for home/small office use. They're usually well-rounded printers capable of printing in black as well as color.
  • Smart Tank: Supertank inkjet printers. These printers tend to have outstandingly high page yields.

Recent Updates

  1. May 06, 2024: We made minor text changes to improve clarity. No change in recommendations.

  2. Mar 12, 2024: Replaced the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw with the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw and replaced the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e with the HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e because the M479fdw and 9025e are discontinued.

  3. Dec 18, 2023: Minor text changes to improve clarity. No change in recommendations.

  4. Oct 17, 2023: Small text changes to provide more information about HP's practices. No change in recommendations.

  5. Aug 18, 2023: Small text changes to add the HP Smart Tank 7301 as an alternative to the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e. No change in recommendations.

Conclusion

HP is a well-known brand with many different printers at varying prices to better suit your needs. Their build quality and performances vary significantly depending on the lineup you're looking at. There's even a noticeable difference in their cartridge performances, with their Smart Tank and LaserJet Pros having the highest yields; this is normal in supertank and laser printers. That said, HP's printers can suit most budgets and printing needs while offering a fairly well-rounded performance.

Test Results