If you’ve been working from home, you’re probably missing a few things from around the office. A new printer can make work life a lot easier, especially with features such as wireless printing and built-in scanners.
For those who need a printer to do the basics, we’ve selected four affordable printers, from a budget inkjet printer to a slightly pricier laser printer. All four cost less than £150 and were in stock at the time of writing. If you have a bit more money to invest, we’ve also picked out a pro-level printer with plenty of premium features.
We’ve highlighted the key features of each printer below; click through to our full reviews to find out if they delivered in our tough lab tests. We test how fast, easy to use and versatile each printer is, alongside all-important print quality.
We also calculate how much the printer is likely to cost you in ink costs over time – something to bear in mind if you’re on the hunt for a truly cost-effective printer.
Read on for five models to add to your shortlist, along with advice on what makes a good home office printer.
Want to see every model we’ve tested? Read all of our printer reviews here.
Five home office printers to consider
1. Canon Pixma TS5151, £49.99
The price tag alone on this all-in-one printer is enough to be attractive, and it has lots of connectivity and network printing options if you want to print from your mobile, or your laptop, without the hassle of wires.
However, inkjets can be cheap upfront, but might cost you a fortune in ink.
Read the full Canon Pixma TS5151 review to find out if this one will be affordable in the long-run, or buy it now from Currys.
(A recent investigation by Which? into Currys PC World suggests the firm has an issue with how it handles complaints about faulty products. So do consider this before making a purchase).
2. Epson EcoTank ET-M1100, £99.97
This Epson EcoTank is a bit like a laser printer, in that it only prints in black and white. It’s pretty basic, so it can’t scan or copy either, though it’s ideal if you just need to print documents and letters.
It has an important selling point though; tank designs, where you refill the printer’s ink reserves with bottles instead of using cartridges, can prove very cost effective.
So, does this tank inkjet printer give the best lasers a run for their money, or are you better off sticking to a laser model for black-and-white printing?
Find out in our full Epson EcoTank ET-M1100 review, or buy it now from Amazon, Ebuyer or Laptops Direct.
3. HP Officejet 6950, £128.99
It’s in the name; HP’s Officejet 6950 is designed for a home office. This inkjet printer has all the features you’d expect to make office printing easier, such as automatic double-sided printing, which will save you paper, a document feeder for speedy scanning, plus wi-fi and ethernet connectivity.
With an inkjet, though, you’re running the risk of racking up the costs with ink cartridges.
Find out if this one is efficient or not in our full HP Officejet 6950 review, or buy it now from Amazon.
4. HP Laserjet Pro M28w, £119.99
If you’re on the market for a printer which churns out letters and documents, a laser printer is the way to go. They’re often more efficient with ink, and better at speedily printing monochrome documents. However, they can struggle with anything a bit more complicated, especially images.
This model from HP, which also scans and copies, is compact and smaller than most. So it’s ideal if you’ve only got a small office, or the kitchen table, to work from.
Find out how well it handles all types of office documents in our full HP Laserjet Pro M28w review, or buy it now from Amazon or John Lewis.
5. Epson EcoTank ET-15000, £599.99
If you’re looking to make a real investment into your home office, and buy a premium-level printer with plenty of professional features, the Epson EcoTank ET-15000 is a contender.
It has pretty much everything you’ll need when it comes to printing; it can print in colour up to A3 in size, it supports a range of wireless printing options, has an automatic document feeder and automatically prints on both sides – so you won’t have to tediously flip paper anymore.
It can also scan, copy and fax, and there’s a colour touchscreen display.
Of course, the tank technology also promises cheap prints, so it’s likely to be an economical choice despite the high purchase price.
But for almost £600, is the print quality good enough to justify the cost? Find out in our full Epson EcoTank ET-15000 review, or buy it now from Amazon, Currys or Laptops Direct.
What makes a good home office printer?
Low running costs
If you’re working from home on a regular basis, you may be printing quite often.
If you buy a model which isn’t particularly efficient with ink, you can end up spending a hell of a lot of cash on replacement cartridges – some even cost more than £1,000 to run over the course of three years.
In our testing, we see how much ink is used and how much is wasted, which often happens when the printer cleans itself. We use our research to estimate running costs over one, two and three years of average use.
Make sure to see how much each printer is likely to cost you in our tech specs section of each review. You can further cut costs by buying third-party compatible ink – see our advice on the best cheap printer ink.
Look for a copier and scanner
If you’re often having to share documents with colleagues or digitise hard copies, looking for an all-in-one printer with a scanner and copier will make things a lot easier.
Some of the best models have extra helpful features such as scanning direct to your network or email, and automatic document feeders so you can put in multiple pages and leave it to do its thing.
You can find all of our all-in-one printer reviews here.
Size
If you’re short on space it’s worth checking the dimensions of the printer you’re considering before buying. Some models, especially those with scanners and copiers, can be pretty big and might not fit on small desks or filing cabinets.
We measure each printer once it’s set up and ready to use, which can make a big difference. Some printers seem compact once they’re stowed, but with all the trays out they can take up a lot more room.
Need more than just a printer to get your home office up and running? Head to our home office guide for advice on choosing the best office chair, desk and tech, plus tips for staying healthy while working from home.
Wireless printing
Wireless connectivity makes printing much easier, without the hassle of having to connect your printer to the internet with cables.
Some models have wi-fi built in, so you can connect them to the network without a cable. Others also have plenty of wireless printing options, so you can send documents straight to the printer from your mobile, tablet, or even direct from email. Make sure to check which features the printer you’re looking at supports.
See all wi-fi printers here, plus those which support Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print.
