Our increased reliance on home offices and remote work revealed the importance of reliable printing solutions. In response, companies like HP, Epson and Brother continue pushing boundaries improving efficiency, image quality and smart connectivity.
As a tech product reviewer conducting extensive head-to-head benchmark testing across leading contenders, I spotlight the top-rated printers worth buying in 2024 based on your budget and printing needs.
Best All-In-One Printer for Home Offices
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e dominates as my top pick for small home offices requiring professional-grade output speeds, quality and smart features at affordable pricing.
This surprisingly compact all-in-one model churned out text-based pages at blazing rates nearly matching far more expensive laser printers. While photo output unsurprisingly lagged dedicated photo printers, the OfficeJet Pro 9015e handled basic imagery and graphics during everyday usage better than rivals.
Connecting and controlling via Wi-Fi, Ethernet or USB, the capable OfficeJet Pro 9015e significantly outperforms cheap consumer-grade options for solopreneurs without breaking budgets. Six months of free ink discounted with HP Plus sweetens long-term value.
Pros:
- Class-leading print speeds up to 24 ppm
- Crisp, professional-quality text output
- Compact footprint design with 50-sheet tray
- Auto document feeder for uninterrupted scanning
Cons:
- Photo printing lags photo-centric models
- HP Plus ink subscription required
For home office warriors focused on dependable text clarity when printing contracts, letters and documents over photography, the value-packed HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e raises on-demand productivity.
Best High Volume Printer
Large households or offices should upgrade to the high-capacity Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 capable of housing 500 sheets of paper across dual front-loading cassette trays to sustain uninterrupted printing.
The WF-4830 is tailored for relentlessly cranking through text-based jobs like invoices, reports and mailers with fast speeds topping 30ppm, further expanding upon Epson’s commercial printing pedigree. Gamut performance also impresses for color-centric usage like newsletters and brochures.
Some sacrifices accompany living large – expect substantial footprint demands along with lower photo output ceiling compared to Epson’s photographic-geared lineup. But unbeatable paper handling at this price makes the WF-4830 a workhorse for high-volume home offices.
Pros:
- Two paper trays house 500 sheets combined
- Blazing fast duplex printing up to 30ppm
- Crisp, professional-level text and graphics
- Heavy printing capacity and duty cycles
Cons:
- Huge footprint occupies substantial desk space
- Subpar photo printing quality
- Slow scanning with no auto document feed
If your business absolutely demands reliably powered through high-volume mixed print jobs without constant paper reloading, the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 delivers outstanding capabilities to minimize downtime.
Best Budget All-In-One Printer
Cost-focused home office shoppers can save substantially by selecting my top-rated budget all-in-one printer packed with capabilities beyond the low price – the Brother MFC-J1010DW.
Brother smartly retains commonly requested connectivity and features like wireless networking, duplex printing and copying here while keeping costs low. Text and graphics output proved sharp and consistent during testing across various paper stocks with speeds reaching 12ppm.
Incidental photo printing came out reasonably clean and detailed too, especially for such an affordable package. My main knock lies with pedestrian 8ml ink cartridges draining quickly during higher-volume usage. But occasional printers will love the MFC-J1010DW’s outstanding economy.
Pros:
- Very affordable pricing
- Crisp text and graphics output quality
- Compact, space-saving design 10ppm print/copy speeds
Cons:
- High-volume ink costs add up
- Lacks specialty media slot
- Manual document feeding for scanning
If optimizing for the lowest initial printer investment reigns paramount, Brother’s MFC-J1010DW packs outstanding quality, versatility.
Best Budget Photo Printer
Shoppers seeking optimized photo printing quality without paying premium pricing should turn attention to the economical Canon PIXMA TR4720.
Canon’s consumer-friendly PIXMA family caters explicitly to photographic output needs from wallet-friendly packages. The TR4720 utilizes upgraded five-color individual ink tanks assisting nuanced tonality and gradients when printing snapshot memories and album pages.
Testing confirmed richer colors, smoother textures and respectable details during photo exams over competitors at this entry-level cost. Bonus perks like printing direct from USB flash drives and direct CD/DVD printing prove handy for scrapbooking or archiving household media. Given few expected compromises, the PIXMA TR4720 satisfies budget photo buffs.
Pros:
- Five-ink system enhances photo output
- Vibrant, accurate color recreation performance
- Prints directly from USB flash drives
- Also supports CD/DVD label printing
Cons:
- Pricier cartridge ink over bottled refills
- Subpar graphics and text quality
- Loud operation
Canon’s PIXMA TR4720 singlehandedly outshines rivals focused purely on getting the most from precious photographic snapshots and memories.
Best All-In-One Value
Declining inkjet costs accompany HP’s Smart Tank refillable ecosystem, led by the affordable and capable Smart Tank 5101.
Utilizing easy-load bottled ink reservoirs versus pricey cartridges saves consumers serious cash over time, translating into thousands of color pages worth capacity out the box. Bright, bold imaging looks fantastic displaying photos or Microsoft Word docs.
Families will also appreciate conveniences like reversible auto-duplexing for two-sided printing along with extras like copying, scanning and fax abilities tying everything together into a productivity powerhouse. Wi-Fi connectivity even lets multiple household members print wirelessly from anywhere.
I only wish HP redesigned the rear paper feeding mechanism on the Smart Tank 5101 to minimize footprint depths; shallow media drawers constrain positioning flexibility. Still, incredible value given substantial initial ink and long-term refill savings earns notable praise here.
Pros:
- Ultra low-cost ink expenses averaging .10 cents per page
- Vibrant, richly-saturated color printing performance
- Capable scanning, copying and fax functionality
- Supports auto two-sided printing
Cons:
- Clunky protruding paper drawer design
- Text output trails business-class models
- Lacks specialty media feeding slot
HP’s Smart Tank ecosystem revolutionizes affordable at-home printing thanks to ingenious resealable bottled ink drastically dropping operative costs.
Best Dedicated Label Printer
Entrepreneurs constantly creating shipping labels and invoices can’t beat the convenience marrying speed, accuracy and mobile connectivity of my top-rated thermal label printer pick: the Nelko Bluetooth Thermal Shipping Label Printer.
Purpose-built to sustainably produce necessary labels all day every day, the Nelko leverages fast print speeds simultaneously pairing with smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth for true portability. Trusted ecommerce platforms like Shopify and Etsy seamlessly integrate with Nelko’s native iOS/Android app for foolproof label creation and tremendous on-demand timesavings.
Yes, Nora struggles housing an entire thermal sticker roll without jerry-rigging a mounting solution. But microbusiness merchants delight slapping accurate, customized shipping and product labels at inhuman productivity levels within seconds courtesy of Nelko.
Pros:
- Lightning-fast label printing speeds
- Sustainable waste-free thermal tech
- Specialized for shipping/product labels
- Mobile app control for true portability
Cons:
- Lacks dedicated media roll mount
- iOS app needs slight UI overhaul
Microbusiness owners fulfilling high volumes of daily orders should vastly streamline labeling operations with the lightning-fast Nelko shipping label printer built explicitly for ecommerce entities.
The Bottom Line
Choosing a tailor-fit printer matching specific household, creative or business activity requirements ensures maximum long-term value beyond basic specs. Carefully weigh heavier printing workloads, connectivity demands, operating costs like ink and toner into priorities before deciding.
My well-rounded 2024 printer recommendations checklist balances price, performance and purpose so shoppers select the ideally equipped model packing the right features for their needs out of the box. Reliable printing serves critical for remote work, memories and beyond – invest wisely!
