Home printers are a center of productivity for everyone in the family. From capturing scans of your child’s best artwork, to making copies of homework assignments, to printing family photos for your next holiday card, there is no shortage of ways to enrich your life with the perfect printer. What is the best home printer in 2019? In our guide you can find the printers we adore, along with how to pick the one that works for you home.
1. Best home laser printer
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M281fdw printer
If you thought that quality laser prints had to happen at the workplace, think again. The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M281fdw delivers affordable black-and-white and color prints using HP LaserJet technology that is rated for home offices. It offers the fastest in-class two-sided printing speed with black-and-white printing speeds of up to 22 pages per minute (ppm). It also has an impressive first-page-out time of just 10.3 seconds from startup.
Use the 50-page automatic document feeder to set your projects into the printer while you worry about other things. It will store 250-sheets in the input tray and hold up to 100 sheets in the output bin. It's a real workhorse for big and small jobs alike.
It’s also incredibly versatile. Send print jobs from a USB drive or ask Google Assistant to print out a file from your Google Drive. Plus, it works with other voice assistants like Microsoft Cortana and Amazon Alexa as well as any mobile device that has the HP Smart App installed.
Even with all the integration with your everyday devices, this printer offers excellent security. Get notified of breaches, so you can stop them immediately. You’ll get write-protected memory to keep malware away, too. You’ll also be safe when connected to dual-band WiFi. In the case of no network connection, you can print directly from your smartphone or tablet at the touch of a button. If laser printing precision is your aim, this may be the best HP printer for home use that you can find.
2. Best home photo printer
HP ENVY Photo 7855 All-in-One printer
No one has the time to go to the photo lab anymore, and with home prints becoming more brilliant and affordable, it makes sense to have your own home photo printer. The HP ENVY Photo 7855 All-In-One printer doesn’t disappoint. While its most notable feature is its vibrant color photo printing, this printer handles all your other tasks, too. Print, scan, copy, and even fax your documents with the touch of a button. The smartphone-style color touch screen makes it easy with a 2.7-inch display so you can clearly see how many prints you are making. This photo printer is fast, too, offering up to 15 black-and-white ppm or 10 full-color ppm.
Everyone in the home will want to use this printer, so we made it easy for those on your home network to connect and print, even from mobile devices. Snag photos from the cloud, your camera gallery, or your Facebook account. The printer also accepts SD cards or USB drives, allowing you to view, edit, and print right from the printer interface. While it wirelessly connects to any computer, you won’t need your desktop or laptop to get lab-quality prints any time you want them.
3. Best all-in-one printer for home use
HP DeskJet 3755 AiO printer
If you're looking for a printer that does nearly everything an office model can do but you need it to fit into your personal lifestyle, there may be no better pick than the HP DeskJet 3755 AiO printer. This vibrant color printer is both powerful and petite. It’s considered the world’s smallest AiO for home use and has earned consistent, positive reviews from customers.
Choose to print a photo, scan a document, or make a copy of a project you need for school. With so many functions in one affordable model, it’s an easy choice to make for budgets of all sizes. HP Scroll Scan tech makes scanning a breeze, giving all paper types an easy path through the scan process. Your mobile device can be part of the fun, too. With the HP AiO Printer Remote mobile app, you’ll have more ways to scan any object with your mobile camera, so you can print or copy when you’re in range of your network.
4. Best smart printer for the home
HP Tango printer
Looking for a printer that can get along well with all of the other gadgets in your home? The HP Tango isn't just intuitive; it’s our pick for the best wireless printer for the home. It lets you print from any connected device, from Amazon Alexa to Google Assistant. Just use your voice to request your next print or copy job from any connected room in the home. Your mobile device can help you keep tabs on print jobs, too, giving you options to print via your wireless network, cellular network, or Bluetooth connection.
This 6.79-lb printer requires no cords or software to set up. Just use the innovative, guided setup tech to have it up and running in minutes. The tech-savvy nature of this printer isn't the only thing to cheer for. With one of the slimmest designs on the market, the HP Tango looks beautiful against any backdrop and appears to blend in seamlessly when closed. Upgrade to the HP Tango X with your choice of Cork and Currant cover or Indigo Linen cover, and you’ll be fashionable while sporting the first-ever smart home printer.
5. Best portable photo printer for the home
HP Sprocket 2nd Edition photo printer
While home is where the heart is, sometimes it’s nice to get out. You can take your printer with you if you choose the HP Sprocket 2nd Edition photo printer. This printer fits in a purse or backpack, giving you full-color, 2 x 3-inch photos that you send from your smartphone.
The ultimate party printer, your friends and family can easily connect to the HP Sprocket, sending their best picks from their camera rolls or social media accounts to be printed right then and there. The HP Sprocket App lets you customize and edit prints directly from your phone.
See your shared print queue and know when your photo is next in line, then scan your printed photo to unlock content. The HP Sprocket photo paper is unique, too. It has a special sticky backing so you can choose to use your prints as full-color stickers. Never leave home without the HP Sprocket. It’s your new social tool for capturing the best moments of your life and sharing them on the spot.
6. Best printer for home use with cheap ink
HP OfficeJet 5260 AiO printer
While all HP InkJet printers are economical, there’s one way to ensure that you get the most out of every print. By purchasing the HP OfficeJet 5260 AiO printer, you get some of the most affordable prints available without sacrificing quality.
When you set up the printer from your smartphone, you can start using it in just a few minutes. You can print, scan, copy, and fax for less with a top printing speed of 20 black-and-white ppm and 8 ppm in color. Double-sided printing is automatic as well, saving you paper when you want to be extra thrifty. With a low cost per page, you can afford to print bold, full-color photos and marketing materials.
Take advantage of the HP Instant Ink program to pay a low monthly subscription price for up to 100 pages per month for the most affordable plan. No matter what you print, or how much ink each page uses, you’ll only be billed for one page. Unused pages roll over, too, so you can get your money’s worth even in those months where you don’t have much to print or copy. Ink is delivered automatically to your door, which means you don’t need to shop around or place an order. Plus, you’ll get your next ink cartridge before you run out of the one in your printer.
For even more brilliant, borderless photos and prints, the HP OfficeJet 5260 comes with 2 free years of the HP Instant Ink subscription service. You can’t go wrong with an efficient printer that is smart about ink use and a supporting ink purchase plan that’s free for 24 months. Just imagine what you could print.
7. Best home printer-scanner
HP OfficeJet 3830 AiO printer
Do you scan documents often for school or work? The HP OfficeJet 3830 AiO printer makes scans a less-complicated affair, giving you a 35-page paper feeding tray so you can put your whole stack of papers in, hit “scan,” and walk away. The automatic paper sensor tells the printer where to pull the paper from.
Your printer will handle copies and faxing the same way, too. Single-sheet scans are now a thing of the past, and you can make up to 50 copies of anything while storing up to 100 pages in the printer’s fax memory.
This printer is also very quiet and compact, so you'll hardly know it's there. Connect your smartphone or mobile tablet to the printer through your home wireless network, or use a direct connection to bypass the home WiFi to send your jobs. With the HP AiO Printer Remote mobile app, you can edit and manage your print jobs from the palm of your hand.
How to choose the best home printer
There’s no single best printer for the home, and that’s a good thing! With so many viable options for reliable, quality prints, you can pick the right printer for your needs. When shopping, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I want print-only capabilities? Or will I want to fax and scan?
- What devices in my home will I want to connect to?
- Do I prefer laser or inkjet printing?
- Will I want to take advantage of big savings through HP Instant Ink?
- How much paper should my printer hold? What is the maximum job size I would do at a time?
- Will I want my printer to scan from an input tray?
- Do I want my printer to blend in with my home décor?
- How mobile does my printer need to be?
Answering these questions can help you narrow down those choices into one or two HP printers that are best for your printing choices. The good news is that all of our printers are made to do more with less. Buying authentic HP ink and toner products protects your printer and helps you get the best overall value from your purchase. You’ll save time and money by printing your own, and you’ll love the control you have to print just the way you want.
Related articles:
- The 3 Best HP Home Laser Printers
- 5 Best HP Home Office All-In-One Printers
About the Author: Linsey Knerl is a contributing writer for HP® Tech Takes. Linsey is a Midwest-based author, public speaker, and member of the ASJA. She has a passion for helping consumers and small business owners do more with their resources via the latest tech solutions.
