5 Best HP Laser Printers for Every Need
It’s no wonder that laser printers are a staple in just about every business, no matter how big or small. They’re fast, they’re economical, and now they can even print in color. At HP, we know a thing or two about laser printers. After all, we developed the very first desktop laser printer in 1984 with the original HP LaserJet. Today, we build a huge variety of laser printers so you can find one that suits your printing needs perfectly.
But with so many different laser printer models available, how do you find the one that’s right for you?
Let’s identify the best laser printers for the 5 most common printing needs:
- Home use
- Office use
- High-volume printing
- College use
- All-in-One printing
What’s the difference between a laser printer and inkjet printer?
First things first. Let’s explore the difference between a laser printer and an inkjet printer. We’ll give you a brief overview here, but you can read our HP Tech Takes article on laser printers versus inkjet printers for a more in-depth analysis.
An inkjet printer uses ink, which is sprayed onto the paper via small nozzles (jets). The paper slides beneath a roller, which fuses the ink to the paper. Ink droplets spread minutely when they hit the paper, and inkjet nozzles can only move vertically and horizontally, so they can’t produce diagonal lines as well as laser printers.
A laser printer doesn’t use traditional ink. Instead, it uses a grain-like substance called toner. A laser mechanism “traces” the image on a steel drum and then toner is applied to it with a static charge. The laser marks where the toner is going to be applied.
The laser-and-toner mechanism is much faster than the ink nozzle mechanism, and that’s why laser printers are generally faster than inkjet printers. The laser mechanism is also more precise than the nozzles.
Traditionally, laser printers could only print in black, but nowadays you’ll find lots of HP laser printers that can also print in color. Inkjet printers are still our choice to produce the highest-quality color images, but the gap is narrowing. If you need to print standard color documents, like reports, memos, or letterhead, you’ll be delighted with the quality of our HP color laser printers.
1. Best laser printers for the home
When laser printers were first developed, they were used almost exclusively in offices. But nowadays, lots of people are using laser printers in their homes. Here are the best HP laser printers for your home.
Black and white option: HP LaserJet Pro M501dn
The HP LaserJet Pro M501dn is a robust and efficient printer, perfect for businesses needing high-volume, black-and-white printing. With its remarkable print speed of up to 45 pages per minute and the first page out in as fast as 5.7 seconds, it's designed for speed and efficiency.
The printer boasts a high resolution of up to 4800 x 600 enhanced dpi, ensuring crisp, clear printouts every time. It's built to handle a hefty workload with a monthly duty cycle of up to 100,000 pages and a recommended monthly page volume of 1500 to 6000 pages, making it ideal for busy office environments.
One of the key features of the M501dn is its laser print technology, which guarantees precision and quality in every print. It includes a 2-line LCD display for easy navigation and a powerful 1500 MHz processor to handle complex print jobs. The printer operates with a single black cartridge, with options for standard or high-yield replacements, ensuring cost-effectiveness and less frequent replacements.
For connectivity, the M501dn supports mobile printing capabilities like HP ePrint, Apple AirPrint™, and Mopria™, making it easy to print from various devices. It also comes with standard connectivity options like Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet, ensuring fast and secure connections.
Color option: HP LaserJet Enterprise MFP M430
The HP LaserJet Enterprise MFP M430 series is a highly efficient multifunction printer that embodies versatility and productivity for businesses. This series, including print, copy, scan, and fax capabilities, caters to a variety of office needs with ease.
The printer excels in speed, delivering up to 42 pages per minute in high-speed mode, ensuring quick completion of large printing tasks. With a first page out in just 6.3 seconds and a resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi, it guarantees both speed and quality in black-and-white printing.
2. Best laser printers for your small business
A laser printer is perfect for your small business. Small businesses primarily print memos, records, and other types of documents that don’t require professional-quality color images. And since businesses print a large volume of documents, laser printers are well-suited for that use.
If you have employees in your office, they’re less likely to be stuck in line at the printer when you’ve got a laser printer. Here’s our picks for the best laser printers for your small business.
Black and white option: HP LaserJet Enterprise M608n printer
The HP LaserJet Enterprise M608 series is a high-speed, high-volume printer, ideal for businesses requiring efficient black-and-white printing. With an impressive speed of up to 65 ppm and a first page out in just 5.3 seconds, it ensures quick handling of large print jobs. Its high resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi guarantees crisp, clear prints, making it suitable for a wide range of professional needs.
This printer is built for heavy workloads, boasting a monthly duty cycle of up to 275,000 pages and recommended monthly page volume of 5,000 to 25,000 pages. It features a 2.7-inch QVGA LCD color display for easy navigation and a robust 1.2 GHz processor for efficient task processing. The M608 series uses a single black cartridge with different yield options, enhancing its convenience and efficiency.
Connectivity is a strong suit of the M608 series, with options like USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and mobile printing capabilities including HP ePrint and Apple AirPrint™. It also boasts advanced security features, such as Kerberos authentication, LDAP authentication, and HP JetAdvantage Security Manager, ensuring data protection.
In terms of media handling, the M608 accommodates a range of sizes and types, with standard dual paper trays expandable to six. This series is environmentally conscious, being mercury-free and designed to minimize ecological impact. The HP LaserJet Enterprise M608 series stands out for its speed, efficiency, security, and versatility, making it a top choice for businesses with high-volume printing needs.
Color option: HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP M776dn printer
Small business owners who want to make a splash may want to consider the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP M776dn printer, which boasts print, scan, and copy features, plus a seamless digital send function. With print speeds of up to 45 ppm in black and white and in color, you no longer have to choose between vibrant hues or crisp lines on your next big project.
The impressive 200-sheet auto-feed tray and auto-duplexing features give you the hands-off flexibility to do more while your print or scan job is finishing, too. And with the versatility to handle a variety of media types, you’ll be poised to do more of your printing in-house, which may save you money in the long term.
3. Best high-volume laser printer
Laser printers are built to print a high volume of documents fast. High-volume laser printers are built to handle a very large volume of documents fast. These types of printers are great for small to medium-sized offices that have to print an enormous number of documents each and every week. Check out our choice for the best high-volume laser printer for your small business.
HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M856
The HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M856 series printer is a dynamic and robust machine designed for high-volume, high-speed color and black-and-white printing. It delivers impressive print speeds of up to 56 pages per minute for both color and black prints. The first page out is as fast as 5.9 seconds for black and 6.3 seconds for color prints, ensuring quick turnarounds for urgent tasks. With a resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi for both black and color, enhanced by HP ImageREt 4800 technology, it guarantees sharp, vibrant printouts every time.
This printer is built to handle extensive printing demands with a monthly duty cycle of up to 250,000 pages and a recommended monthly page volume of up to 50,000 pages. It features a 4.3-inch Color Graphics Display (CGD) with touchscreen functionality, making navigation and operation straightforward. The M856 series is powered by a 1.2 GHz processor and comes with four toner cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, yellow), offering various yield options to suit different printing needs.
The M856 series is equipped for a variety of media handling needs, with standard five paper trays and the option to expand to six. It supports a wide range of media sizes and types, including cardstock and transparencies, making it suitable for diverse printing requirements. This series is ENERGY STAR® qualified and EPEAT® Silver rated, underlining HP's commitment to environmental sustainability. The HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M856 series is an ideal choice for businesses seeking a fast, versatile, and secure color printer capable of handling large volumes efficiently.
4. Best laser printers for students
A lot of people think a laptop or tablet is the most important device for college students, but let’s not forget how important a printer is. Nothing is more frustrating than having worked all night on a term paper, only to receive a late grade because you couldn’t get to the library fast enough to print your paper.
While lots of college students may prefer student-oriented printers, like the HP Sprocket or a compact inkjet printer that can print photos for your dorm room wall, laser printers are actually a great choice for students.
Students often have to print lengthy term papers, notes, and reading material, so a speedy laser printer is actually a great option. Here are the best laser printers for students.
Black and white option: HP LaserJet Pro M15w printer
Student printers need to be compact so they can easily fit in a student’s dorm room or campus apartment. Unfortunately, laser printers tend to be a little larger than inkjets – except for the super-compact HP LaserJet Pro M15w printer.
It’s the perfect size for college living spaces. This just might be the most compact laser printer ever made. It weighs only 8 lbs and you can easily fit it on a small desk, or tuck it in a corner out of the way.
This device prints black and white documents only, but you can print as fast as 19 ppm. You’re able to print on plain paper, envelopes, postcards, and labels.
Often, college campuses have unreliable WiFi. Thankfully, you’ll be able to print using WiFi Direct when you’re unable to secure an internet connection. WiFi Direct sets up a WiFi connection from your printer to your device – you don’t even need a router.
With HP app, students can print from their smartphone or tablet or from the cloud. We’ll go over HP app and other HP printing programs at the end of this article.
Color option: HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw printer
If you need a color laser printer for college use, check out the HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw. This compact printer quickly creates both black-and-white and color copies or prints while taking up very little room in an already-cramped dorm or apartment. You’ll love the print speed of up to 22 ppm, while the 2.7-inch color touch screen makes using this printer a breeze.
Use your school wireless network to send jobs between your computer and printer, or connect your phone to your printer for secure direct printing. You’ll be able to do it all quickly, too, because setup takes just minutes from opening the box.
5. Best All-in-One laser printers
All-in-One printers can print, copy, scan, and fax. You can perform a variety of home or office tasks all with one device. Here are the best All-in-One laser printers from HP.
Black and white option: HP LaserJet Pro MFP M148fdw printer
The HP Color LaserJet Pro M283fdw printer is a versatile and efficient all-in-one device, perfect for small to medium-sized businesses or home offices. It offers print, copy, scan, and fax functions, with a print speed of up to 22 pages per minute for both black and color printing.
The first page out time is remarkably quick, at 10.6 seconds for black and 12.1 seconds for color, making it a reliable choice for fast-paced work environments. This printer delivers high-quality prints with a resolution of up to 600 x 600 dpi for both black and color, using HP ImageREt 3600 technology to ensure crisp, vibrant results.
Color option: HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw printer
Need the best color laser printer All-in-One? If your workflow calls for scanning and copying along with printing in color, check out the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw printer. This is a very compact laser printer that features an easy-to-use touch screen display.
You’re able to print color and black and white documents at speeds up to 28 ppm, and you can scan directly to email thanks to built-in wireless support. There’s a ton of wireless connectivity options, for that matter, including built-in dual-band WiFi. Dual-band WiFi enables you to print from your device without having to use a shared internet connection.
6. HP printing programs and software
HP has a variety of great printing programs. Many of our HP laser printers are compatible with one or more of them.
HP ePrint
Printers with HP ePrint have a unique email address where you can send documents or images for printing. This enables you to print things from your computer from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection or roaming data.
HP app
HP app enables you to print directly from your smartphone or tablet. You can even print images from your device’s camera roll.
HP Instant Ink
HP Instant Ink is our simple subscription service where you can have new ink or toner cartridges delivered straight to your doorstep. Compatible printers can monitor your supply levels and will automatically order new ink or toner for you when you’re running low.
Summary
Whether you’re looking for the best HP color laser printer, the best home laser printer, or the best laser printer for small offices, HP has a device that fits the bill. As technology improves and our workflow changes to include more work-from-home and school-from-home scenarios, you can still get all the benefits of fast and accurate laser printing from HP.
