Best Laser Printers in January 2024: superior printing performance

When it comes to printing, laser printers are the best because of their accuracy, dependability, and speed. A laser printer is a useful tool for anyone, whether they run a busy business or are a home office worker who must keep track of paperwork. However, it can be difficult to navigate the market and find the “Best Laser Printers” for your needs given the abundance of options.

Do not fear, fellow champions of paper! By slicing through the features and specifications, this guide will help you choose the best laser printer. If you regularly create multi-page forms or lengthy articles, a laser printer is capable of processing a large number of pages quickly and efficiently. Unlike their inkjet counterparts, these printers reproduce text and images using a laser beam.

Before going onto paper, toner sticks to particular areas of the drum unit that match the laser-traced content. The paper is finally put through fuser rollers, where the toner is permanently fused to the paper. This procedure usually yields faster printing times and a higher page yield. Because they require fewer cartridge replacements over time, laser printers are more cost-effective in the long run, despite their typically higher initial investment. Below, we have mentioned the best Laser Printers.

What is a laser printer?

A laser printer is a type of printer that uses laser technology to print documents and pictures in high-quality. Using a laser beam, an electrostatic image is made on a spinning drum. This image attracts and holds toner, which is a powdered ink. The toner is then put on the paper, and the image is made to stay there for good by heating the paper.

???? Processing: When you send a document to be printed, the computer’s processor (CPU) changes the digital data into a format that the printer can understand. This data has information about text, images, and the way things are formatted.

????️ Rasterization: The data are turned into a raster image by the printer’s internal processor. A raster image is made up of a bunch of tiny dots that make up the whole page. Most of the time, this image is saved in the printer’s memory.

???? Laser scanning: The laser beam of the printer moves across the surface of a spinning drum. Based on the data, the laser is modulated to charge different parts of the drum based on the pattern of the raster image.

What to Consider When Choosing a Laser Printer?

There are several important things to think about when choosing a laser printer to make sure you get the right one for your needs. Here are some key things to think about:

????️ Main Purpose: First, determine the printer’s main purpose and how you plan to use it. Will it be for home use, a small office, or frequent heavy printing? Knowing your usage will guide your choice.

???? Volume: Consider the monthly print volume. Printers have suggested monthly volumes; matching this with your needs ensures longevity and reliability.

???? Print Speed: Assess the printer’s pages-per-minute (PPM) rating. If you print frequently, speed matters. Think about your required printing pace.

???? Resolution: Check the printer’s resolution, typically measured in dots per inch (DPI). Higher DPI often equates to better print quality. For text documents, standard resolution suffices, but for graphics or photos, opt for higher DPI.

???? Handling Paper: Evaluate the printer’s paper-handling capabilities. Some offer multiple trays or can print on various paper types like envelopes or cardstock. This flexibility is valuable for diverse paper needs.

Best Laser Printers Comparison Table

The best laser printers on the market are shown in the comparison table below. It talks about important features like printing speed, resolution, connectivity options, the amount of paper it can handle, and other functions. This long list is meant to help users choose the best laser printer for their needs and preferences by giving them all the information they need.

Brother HL-L5100DN

The Brother HL-L5100DN ($199.99) is a very capable mono laser printer for a micro or small office or workgroup and offers great value. It’s lightning fast, prints high-quality text, is suitable for heavy use, has good standard and optional paper capacity, and has a low cost of ownership.

Aside from the connectivity options, this brother printer’s has the same features as the Brother HL-L5200DW. The HL-L5100DN measures 10 x 14.7 x 15.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 23.5 pounds. Standard paper capacity is 300 sheets, divided between a 250-sheet main tray and a 50-sheet multipurpose tray. Read more about it in our Brother HL-L5100DN review

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Brother HL-L2390DW

The Brother HL-L2390DW is part of Consumer Reports’ printer testing program. In our lab tests, printer all-in-one models like the HL-L2390DW are rated on several criteria. These indicate how clearly a printer reproduces black text in a variety of fonts, sizes and styles. Models with a higher score produce smoother type with sharper edges and smoother curves. Overall, this is one of the best Laser printers that you can buy right now. You can learn more about this product in our Brother HL-L2390DW review

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HP Neverstop Laser 1001nw

Instead of a separate toner cartridge like other HP laser printers, the HP Neverstop 1001nw uses a rechargeable toner container that integrates all the traditional components of a laser cartridge. This saves you money immediately, as all of these components last much longer than the toner in the cartridge, thus making it an effective and one of the best Laser printers.

While a toner cartridge needs to be replaced regularly, the HP Neverstop 1001nw has a built-in image drum. This has an extremely long life of up to 20,000 printed pages before it needs to be replaced. Combined with the toner container, which holds enough toner for up to 5,000 pages, the HP Neverstop 1001nw is built to never stop printing! Read more about this printer in our HP Neverstop Laser 1001nw review

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Brother HL-L6200DW

The Brother HL-L6200DW is a single-function monochrome laser printer designed specifically for small to medium businesses or workgroups. For a monochrome business laser printer, it also offers many features and benefits. If you are looking for a monochrome laser printer, then you should seriously consider this printer.

If you opt for additional paper trays, you can increase the paper capacity of this device up to 1,610 sheets. This is achieved with two optional 520-sheet paper trays. However, there is another option as well. Instead of two 520-sheet trays, you can opt for three 250-sheet trays. This increases the maximum paper capacity of your device to 1,320 sheets. You can learn more about this printer in our Brother HL-L6200DW review

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HP Laserjet Pro M428dw

HP’s LaserJet Pro series has always been a good choice for small and medium-sized businesses, and the HP LaserJet Pro M428fdw lives up to that premise. It puts speed and reliability first. This premium printer can print, scan, copy, and fax in black and white with precision, but it doesn’t take color cartridges. Still, it is one of the best laser printer that you can consider.

If you want to print in color occasionally, you should opt for the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M277dw. With a paper capacity of 350 sheets and a print speed of 40 pages per minute, this multifunction printer (MFP) is designed for maximum productivity and efficiency. There are handy features here too, such as email scanning, duplex printing and Wi-Fi connectivity for up to five users, making it easy to use and share. Read more about it in our HP Laserjet Pro M428dw review

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Canon ImageClass MF743Cdw

The Canon imageCLASS MF743Cdw is an excellent and one of the best laser printers designed for use in small or home offices. It features a flatbed scanner that can hold large manuals or books and an automatic sheet feeder with duplex scanning. The Canon Printer toner cartridges may be expensive, but they have a very high yield.

This means they don’t need to be replaced often, which keeps costs down. Although this is a laser model for office use, the quality of the printed photos is many times better compared to the cheaper model, the Canon imageCLASS MF644Cdw. The device is supported by a wide range of connectivity options and is easy to connect.

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HP LaserJet MFP M234dwe printer

The result is an all-in-one monochrome laser printer that is great for the office or home, but requires membership in HP’s growing ecosystem of toner refill services and subscriptions. This HP printers shows, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but compared to many of the best laser printers or all-in-ones we’ve tested, it’s a longer-term commitment than you might expect when buying a laser printer.

It has a simple scanner cover on the top and doesn’t come with an automatic document feeder (ADF) for copying or scanning multi-page documents. The M234dwe prints and copies in black and white and can scan in color. There are a half-dozen buttons on the top of the machine and two-way controls for making selections on the small, 1.27-inch black-and-white LCD.

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Brother MFC-L2750DW

The Brother MFC-L2750DW printer features high print speeds for text pages and is both the best laser printer for the home office and the best laser printer. Streaking can occur when printing graphics and photos, and photos turn black and white. Still, it performs better than some of the top-rated printers. Easily one of the best laser printer available on the market.

The Brother MFC-L2750DW monochrome laser printer offers an impressive 36 ppm print speed for text pages. When you add graphics from Excel and PowerPoint, the speed drops to 14.5 pages per minute, but that’s still serviceable for a home office printer. If you need something that can print graphics a bit faster, consider the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015.

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HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw

For printers in this class and price range, you not only get a fairly robust device, but also a comprehensive set of features. For example, the HP has a 50-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF) for two-sided multi-page documents that are fed to the scanner. Of the four competitors mentioned in the previous paragraph, only the Canon MF741Cdw does not have an automatic document feeder with duplex function.

Another feature common to AIOs in this price range is a relatively large color touchscreen control panel. In this case, it’s a spacious 4.3-inch display with plenty of room to navigate with your fingers. Like most HP printers these days, this one supports the HP Smart App for automating certain functions. Thus, this product is one of the best laser printers available right now.

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Brother MFC-L3750CDW

The Brother MFC-L3750CDW ($399.99) is an entry-level all-in-one color laser printer designed for small and home offices or workgroups with low to medium print and copy volumes. The MFC-L3750CDW is a step below our Editors’ Choice color laser AIO, Brother’s MFC-L3770CDW. It prints well and at respectable speeds, and its running cost per page (CPP) is competitive for a lower-end color laser.

For the $100 lower list price compared to its more capable sibling, however, you’ll have to give up a few things, including an automatic document feeder (ADF) with duplex capability for scanning and copying two-sided, multipage documents without having to turn over the originals yourself. If you can do without automatic two-sided scanning and a few other less important conveniences, the MFC-L3750CDW will serve you well. Currently, this is one of the best laser printer that you can buy right now.

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How does a laser printer work?

A laser printer is a type of printer that uses a laser beam to make text and pictures on paper that look good. Here is a brief explanation of how a laser printer works:

????️ Processing the Print Job: When you send a print command to a laser printer from your computer, the printer’s internal processor (often called a RIP, or Raster Image Processor) starts working on the print job. It changes the digital image or document into a series of dots (called dots per inch, or DPI) that the printer can understand.

????️ Creating a Static Image: After the print job data has been processed, it is used to make a static image of the page on a part called the “drum” or “photoreceptor drum.” Most of the time, a light-sensitive material is used to cover the drum.

⚡ Charging the Drum: A positive charge is put on the drum in a uniform way.

???? The laser beam is then pointed at the surface of the drum to write. Based on the data for the print job, the laser is modulated, and when it hits the drum’s surface, it selectively discharges the drum’s positive charge in certain areas, “writing” the page’s content as a pattern of electrical charges on the drum.

????️ Putting on toner: The drum now has a pattern of the page that can’t be seen. As the drum turns, it comes into contact with the toner, which is a fine powder with particles that are electrically charged. The toner particles are drawn to the areas of the drum where the laser has been fired. This makes a toner image that matches the page’s content.

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