Best printers from home use with home office in background and text over the top in dark grey
Printers are like song birds - there are loads of them out there, all roughly the same, and all different in their own way. And while they will all do the job for you, some will suit you far more than others. Some will get the job done, but are designed for a different environment than the home - perhaps a busy office, or a school, or a single writer alone in his bedsit. Others are designed for home use specifically.
But once you know that, there are still plenty to choose from. Luckily we have done the research so you don’t have to. Here are what we consider to be the four best printers for home users. We considered both quality, and affordability. Printer ink is one of the most expensive liquids on the planet, so affordable ink has to be a consideration.
We’ll start with the number one, because this is not Top of the Pops.
1. G&G P4100DW
You might not have heard about this printer, because it is new in this part of the world. But it does have a pedigree in the far east, where it is very popular.
G&G stands for Good Product & Good Service. With a name like that it is no surprise it is a Chinese brand. But don’t let that put you off. China mass produces many items for the bottom end of the western market, but they also make high end products, and this printer is high-end.
Want convincing?
Their parent company is Ninestar, who also own Lexmark. And Lexmark is one of the main players in the laser printer market.
Want more convincing?
The P4100DW has been selling for some time in Europe, and has been garnering rave reviews, particularly from Germany. So new, but with a very solid pedigree.
Their target market is the small office, and the home office.
A point to note is that this printer is only black and white. Most of our printing is black and white, and the advantage is that there are no expensive colour cartridges needed. This keeps it affordable to run. And it automatically prints on both sides of the page, again contributing to its economy.
Connectivity is great - it allows network connection, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and Airprint, making it pairable with mobile devices and apple products. And of course it has a USB connection.
The good news is that the toner cartridge, at €99, is very competitively priced. Equivalent HP toners would cost on average between €160 and €190.
Learn more about this printer:
Product: P4100DW
URL: G&G P4100DW Mono Laser Printer
2. Canon TS3452
Our next choice is the Canon TS3452. This is aimed firmly at the home market, and with Canon you are getting a name with a reputation. They don’t do cheap and nasty.
What appealed to us about this printer was its low maintenance. This is an easy printer to own, because it rarely goes wrong, and when it does it is easy to fix. Connectivity is good - WiFi and WiFi Direct are supported, as well as Airprint.
But the real good news is that this has half the running cost of an equivalent HP. Yes, you read that right - half the running cost.
No wonder we rate it so highly.
Learn more about this printer:
Product: Canon TS3452
URL: Canon Pixma TS3452 Wireless Printer/Copier/Scanner
3. Epson ET2850
Our next choice is great if you run a home office, or if your home has a high volume of printing. This printer is ideal for those who have a few children in school, printing out reports and doing essays. It is also the choice for those involved in clubs and societies, which might require an amount of printing.
Epson has a great name. Going with tradition gives a few advantages. The first is a no-brainer. This printer offers cartridge free printing. This leads to a low running cost.
It is an environmentally friendly printer, leading to less waste. Laser printers use lots of energy to heat up, but this Epson doesn’t use heat at all.
How do they eliminate the cartridges? By replacing them with a bottle of ink. One bottle of black ink costs just €15. This will do the same printing as fifteen to twenty home printer cartridges. And that saving goes straight into your pocket.
Like all our choices, the Epson ET2850 is feature rich, with WiFi, WiFi Direct, and Airprint.
Learn more about this printer:
Product: Epson ET2850
URL: Product Epson EcoTank ET-2850 Inkjet A4
4. Epson WF-7830DTWF
Main Target Markets: Small Office with need for A3
Last, but by no means least, is another Epson, the Epson WF-7830DTWF. This has a little something extra the other choices didn’t - you can scale up your print jobs. This beauty handles A3.
They aim this printer at the small office, but it is ideal for the home. It is perfect if your kids need the extra size for school projects, or if you’d like to create an A3 sized poster for your own use.
A3 printing is the big selling point - and it even handles double sided printing at the larger size - but this is a good all-round printer. It has two paper input trays, and Ethernet connection in addition to the standard WiFi, WiFi Direct, and Airprint.
It is also a high quality scanner, able to handle up to A3 size.
The big plus with this machine is that it is the least expensive A3 multifunction printer on the market right now.
Learn more about this printer:
Product: Epson WF-7830DTWF
URL: Epson WF7830DTWF Full A3 Copy/print/scan
Conclusion
Right now you can get some great deals in printers. At inkshop.ie we would be delighted to share our expertise. As you can see when it comes to assessing printers we keep our eye on a lot of features. But ink is a big variable. It costs so much. And we can offer guidance on how to find the most economical solution.
We have a full range of printers, scanners, cartridges, and other accessories. No matter what you need, we believe we can help. But we also want to help you keep some of your precious money in your pocket.
We hope you enjoyed our ranking of the best home printers. Let us know what you think. Did we get the right criteria? Did we leave anything out?
What do you think is the best home printer on the market right now? Connect with us on Twitter @InkshopI we would love to chat!