The 10 Best Laser Printers

Busy offices that need color, copying, scanning and faxing in one machine can look at the Canon MF753Cdw II. It's rated at 35 pages a minute, its feeder scans both sides in one pass, and a large touchscreen runs everything. An optional drawer adds paper capacity, and a three-year warranty backs it. Tests of the earlier MF753Cdw found it fast and sharp but costly per color page, and Canon hasn't said what changed. It's also big and heavy.

People who mostly print text and want it quick and cheap should look at the Brother HL-L2460DW, a black-and-white printer. It turns out about 36 pages a minute, prints both sides automatically, and its pages cost only pennies each with high-capacity toner. It connects over Wi-Fi, Ethernet or USB, and a phone can print to it without a router. It can't scan or copy, the one-line display is awkward, and the starter toner runs out fast.

The Brother MFC-L3780CDW suits a home office or small business that prints a lot in color. PCMag named it its top budget color all-in-one, and with super-high-yield toner, color pages cost about 12 cents each. It's quick and scans both sides of a page in one pass. It draws pages with LEDs instead of a laser, with the same results. The warranty is one year, and it isn't cheap up front.

A common pick for a home office on a budget, the Brother DCP-L2640DW prints, copies and scans in black and white. Brother rates it at up to 36 pages a minute, and it prints both sides automatically. A feeder on top takes stacks for copying or scanning, but it reads one side at a time, so two-sided originals need flipping. It connects over Wi-Fi, Ethernet or USB. There's no fax and no touchscreen, just a small display with buttons.

Anyone set on an HP gets a compact color all-in-one in the HP Color LaserJet 3301sdw, which prints, copies and scans. It runs about 26 pages a minute, its feeder scans both sides of a page in one pass, and a touchscreen runs it. Tests of its fax-equipped twin found sharp prints. Running costs are high, though, with color pages near 17 cents despite high-yield toner, and it blocks cartridges with non-HP chips. The output tray is small.

Built for a busy small office, the Canon MF462dw II is a black-and-white all-in-one that prints, copies, scans and faxes. It's rated at 37 pages a minute, and its feeder scans both sides in one pass. Paper handling is generous, with a multipurpose tray and an optional drawer, and the warranty runs three years. Tests of the earlier MF462dw found cheap toner but grainy graphics and photos. This one is heavy.

For low-cost color laser prints at home, look to the Brother HL-L3220CDW. It prints only, with no scanner, and it's compact enough for a shelf. It handles both sides automatically, connects over Wi-Fi or USB, lets a phone print directly, and suits a home or small team. The starter toner is good for about 1,000 pages per color. There's no Ethernet port, and at about 19 pages a minute, it's slow.

Small offices that still send faxes can count on the Brother MFC-L2820DW, a black-and-white all-in-one that prints, copies, scans and faxes. A color touchscreen holds custom shortcuts, and it's rated at up to 34 pages a minute. The feeder scans one side at a time, so two-sided originals take a second pass. Toner runs a few cents a page, but the starter cartridge runs out fast, and the warranty is one year.

A midprice color all-in-one, the Canon MF665Cdw prints, copies, scans and faxes. It's rated at about 26 pages a minute in color and black, a large touchscreen runs it, and its feeder handles two-sided originals. It works with Chromebooks, meets energy-efficiency standards and carries a three-year warranty. There's one main paper tray plus a single-sheet slot, independent reviews are lacking, and it's heavy for its speed.

A small team sharing one machine can rely on the HP LaserJet Pro 3101sdw, which prints, copies and scans in black and white. It's rated at 35 pages a minute and prints both sides automatically, with a feeder and touchscreen. Toner runs about 3 cents a page, and the drum is built into each cartridge, so there's nothing extra to buy. There's one tray and no bypass slot, it can't fax, and it blocks cartridges with non-HP chips.