A quick search of printers will overwhelm you with options and angry reviews about toner and paper jams. It’s hard to parse what advice is actually helpful ― and impossible to tell which printer is the right one for you.
So to assist you on your journey to finding an affordable printer for your home office, we asked some of the most qualified people in the home office game: small business owners. These are folks with no IT teams or office managers in sight, who stock their own workspaces and troubleshoot their own error messages, often from their own homes.
“I run my entire business out of my apartment, minus T-shirt printing, and having a printer in my apartment is great for shipping,” said Jim Anderson, a Philadelphia-based artist and founder of art and apparel brand GRIMGRIMGRIM. “I buy all of my ink reused and ... my printer doesn’t like it at all, but it totally works!”
My friend Thomas Phillips, co-founder and COO of Island Roots Camp Group, a summer and after-school education program based in Massachusetts, said a printer is a business essential. “In education, a lot of what we do needs to be recorded, [like] our attendance records and legal documents. We need to have health records that can’t be digital,” he said.
Alexandra Dorda, the founder of the small-batch rum imprint Kasama, said her printer was vital when starting and growing her business. “I use the printer regularly to print out contracts and forms that I am asked to fill out,” Dorda said. “I personally find it easier to read on physical paper, so sometimes when I am editing text (for example, for our new website), I ... print out each section and mark it up on paper.”
When shopping for a printer, Phillips recommended thinking about your personal and business needs. If you’re starting a company, you may opt for a color printer that can create eye-catching marketing materials. If you just need to copy a random form here and there, a budget machine may be everything you need. Dorda encouraged being honest with yourself about how tech-savvy you are and prioritizing a printer that’s easy to set up and use.
And if you start to get burnt out by looking at toner reviews, Anderson encouraged remembering that once you find your dream home printer, you’ll never have to go to the copy shop again.
HuffPost receives a share from retailers on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change.
Canon PIXMA MG3620
"I have this color printer in my office. I use it for marketing materials, things that get hung up around town. Things that need to pop." — Philips
The Canon PIXMA MG3620 is a great budget choice for small-batch printing with loads of color. Reviewer Joel S. says it's surprisingly high quality for a budget printer, with buttons that are clearly labeled and easy to understand. "If you are just looking to print off school papers, emails, coupons,
simple everyday things, this works great," the review reads.
Canon imageCLASS MF455dw
"This printer gets used by several program directors, printing anywhere from 10 to a hundred sheets a day. We do all of our fax, incoming and outgoing on that for any medical records we have to deal with. We really rely on that in order to keep the medical and legal records we need in the education industry. It's a good, reliable printer that we can always go to and that our whole team can use a lot. Whether it's for our attendance sheets every day, a hundred-page camp registration report things as simple as coloring sheets on word searches." — Phillips
HP DeskJet 3755
"I’ve had the HP DeskJet for about six years. I was looking for a reliable printer that was easy to set up and wireless. I can also print remotely, which comes in handy sometimes. It’s reliable, but my only issue with it is that sometimes it prints crooked and I’m not sure how to fix it. The important thing is that I found this one easy to set up and connect to Wi-Fi, and it’s easy to change the ink. I’m not very good with technology, so if I can use it, anyone can." — Dorda
HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e
As Dorda shared, the key to finding the right printer is finding something you can set up and regularly use without skyrocketing your blood pressure. Reviewers love this wireless all-in-one printer, saying it's easy to set up and reliable. Amazon user
K WRIGHT says installation took 20 minutes, saying it's not bulky and
fits perfectly in their home office.
Brother monochrome laser printer
Whether you're starting your own business or just trying to print a form for your next doctor's appointment, you want a printer that's reliable. With 4.5 stars and 7,035 ratings, this monochrome laser printer is loved by users. An Amazon reviewer says it's "keeps on tickin'" and if there is ever an issue like a paper jam, the
manual gives clear and direct ways to fix it.
JADENS Bluetooth wireless thermal shipping label printer
Sarah Mavor, founder
Cold Cream, a Michigan-based small business making iconic food-themed apparel and stickers uses a separate shipping printer label printer to help expedite and organize her mailing process. Printing shipping labels as stickers saves time and space, a priority to Mavor, who works "out of my state-of-the-art warehouse aka spare bedroom," she said.
Anderson also encouraged frequent mailers to print their own shipping labels at home. "I worked at the UPS store for a long time here in Philadelphia and every day it was a new fresh hell," he said. "Buy a printer and print your own damn UPS label please."
COLORWING portable wireless printer
If you, like Mavor, have a small space to work, or if you're often traveling or working on job sites, this compact portable printer may be perfect for you. Weighing under two pounds, it easily fits in a workbag or backpack and prints things right from your phone. Amazon user
Jason Rahe says the printer "exceeded all my expectations. ... I expected it to be less than a quality product and it to print poorly. To my surprise it works very well."
KODAK wireless mobile photo mini printer
For scrapbooking, giving someone a framed photo or just making a physical memory of an iPhone selfie, reviewers love the KODAK wireless mobile photo mini printer. One Amazon user called it a "cute little gadget perfect for a fun gift or for
beginner practice on scrapbooking and crafts."
Fujifilm Instax photo printer
Give your photos a vintage look with this Fujifilm Instax photo printer that prints on instant film. With 4.8 ratings, reviewers love how compact and un-fussy it is, as well as how easy it is to edit photos on your phone then print them onto the film. Amazon user
Kenzie Fowler says she almost purchased an instant camera, "but I am so happy I got this instead," she wrote. "I can reprint however many I want and choose pictures I know I like.
