Printing and scanning have become a regular part of many people's lives.
If you have separate machines for those two jobs, it's okay, but if not, you might want to consider purchasing a printer that scans as well.
Well, the reasons boil down to space and money. If you want to reduce the footprint of the machines in your home office, it's never a bad idea to consolidate their functions into one device.
It's a similar case if you want to upgrade your office without drawing a fat budget. Getting a machine that merges two functions will save you some extra cash as well.
But you also want to ensure you have all the information you need so that your next trip to the store-physical or online, will be worth it.
This review will help you achieve just that. Come along as I reveal what goes into selecting a good printer scanner. And check out my top seven picks of printer scanners for your home office.
Factors to consider when selecting a small printer scanner for the home office
Although the needs of your home office will depend to a large extent on its size and the activities carried out in it, it helps to have a good idea of what to expect from the right kind of printer scanner.
I have narrowed down what a good printer scanner is all about to five key areas. All the printer scanners in this list are close to the ideal in varying degrees, but they have unique features, too, which might give them an edge over others.
Size and weight
A home office only has so much space, and you don't need a giant printer scanner that grumbles for more space.
Besides that, undue size and weight for a printer scanner already defeat the purpose of combining two functions in one machine.
I'd wager you chose a printer scanner that doesn't weigh more than 15 pounds (approximately 7 kg)
Printing speed and quality
You might serve your client's needs or even an organization from your home office. You can't skimp on print speed and quality, or else you could be branded as the lousy type.
A printer that does 20 ppm and above is just okay. Then for print quality, 4800*1200 for color prints and 1200*1200 for mono prints are just okay.
Scanning resolution and quality
Scanning quality matters as much as printing quality. Scanning resolution is usually measured in dpi (dots per inch), and 300 dpi is the sweet spot for most people.
All the printer scanners in this review don't go below the figure mentioned above, and some can even do 600 dpi.
Connectivity options
As we interact more and more in and with the digital world, connectivity is critical. As we usually don't use just one gadget, our devices must be able to talk to one another.
More emphasis is now placed on wireless connectivity, and all the printer scanners on this list can interact wirelessly with various mobile devices.
Some can even connect with smart home appliances, a bonus as it allows you to use features like voice recognition to work your printer scanners.
Price and running costs
Printer scanners are usually inexpensive devices, but within themselves, some are costlier than others.
Some of the best printer scanners have a very nice feature set for less than $400. Most of the printer scanners in this review are less than $300.
But when it comes to printer scanners, the purchase price is only half of the journey. The rest of the journey cost-wise is defined by the printing cost per page.
The more the cost per page, the more it will add to the device's overall cost. To be on the safer side, select a device that is both below $300 and has a cost-per-page price of 3.5 cents or below.
Top small printer scanners for home office
Based on my testing, these are the top printer scanners for a home office on a low budget.
Brother DCP L2550DW
The Brother DCP L2550DW is a modest monochrome laser printer from Brother designed for home and small office use.
The printer tips the scale at 11.6 kg and has average-size dimensions of 12.5 by 16.1 by 15.7 inches. The printer is mainly suitable for text printing. Graphics and image quality could use more polish.
Overview of features
The Brother DCP L2550DW is a tri-function monochrome laser printer that prints, scans, and copies. It doesn't support faxing, but it's fair that we still call the printer multi-purpose.
A 250-capacity main tray feeds the printer and is supported by a single-sheet multi-purpose feeder for a total holding capacity of 251 paper sheets.
There is the ADF functionality on the Brother DCP L2550DW too. It allows the automatic scanning or copying of 50 sheets. The only caveat here is that the printer can't do duplex scans.
You'd undoubtedly like to know how many pages you can print before your monthly quota is up. The monthly quota for the Brother DCP L2550DW is a generous 15,000 pages. That interprets to low running costs of about 3.5 c/p (cents per page)
To give that figure some perspective, you should be able to print 100 pages of documents 1,500 times a month. You can't run a printery with that, but you shouldn't have problems printing letters or class handouts.
And there's no limit to what you can print. The Brother DCP L2550DW printed just about any file type in my testing. PDF, Excel, PowerPoint, just name it.
All the connectivity options are here as well, save for NFC. And yes, you can do cloud printing with the Google Cloud Print feature. Users of Android and Apple devices are getting some love as the printer supports both AirPrint and Mopria.
There is peer-to-peer connectivity via WiFi Direct if you have a device that supports that.
As far as connectivity is concerned, the Brother DCP L2550DW can print from any, and I mean any device except flash drives and media cards.
The Brother DCP 2550DW will also take first place in some printing races as the printer does up to 35 ppm.
Pros and cons
All that said, is the Brother DCP L2550DW the perfect machine for a printer and scanner for a home office?
The answer will develop itself as we progress in this review, but now let's head into the pros (which are already obvious) and cons.
Pros:There is a lot to like about the Brother DCP L2550DW. I've discussed them extensively, but now I will hand-pick them for just for your ease
* Paper capacity is up to par.
* There is an ADF, and it supports up to 50 sheets.
* I didn't talk about this, but it's there. Document management software Nuance PaperPort 14SE for Windows ensures that when scanning, your printer recognizes each electronic document as a separate entity and avoids confusing it with another.
* There are all kinds of wireless connectivity options available for the Brother DCP L2550DW. Hence, you can print from any device of your choice.
Cons:Without nit-picking, here is some thumbs-down for the Brother DCP L2550DW.
* No Fax Support:
Remember, if you need a printer to send copies of documents over a phone line to someone else. If you chose the Brother DCP L2550DW, your cross-communication capabilities are limited.
* Poor Graphics and Photo Quality
If you need to use your printer to reproduce documents that contain images, brace yourself for some banding, graininess, and posterization. The outputs are okay for personal use, but that's it.
* No Automatic Two-sided Scanning
If that's your priority, sorry, it's not on the Brother DCP L2550DW.
Customer reviews
Canon PIXMA TR150
The Canon PIXMA TR150 is a small, lightweight printer that punches above its weight in photo and graphics quality.
That said, the PIXMA makes many compromises in other crucial areas in favor of quality photo printing and connectivity options
But before we arrive at a verdict, let's get into the printer's guts and see the available features.
Overview of features
The PIXMA was built with a focus on color quality. As such, it's a single-function machine that entices with its high degree of portability.
The PIXMA is just 2 kg, weighing less than many laptops, and is easily among the featherweights on this list of best home printer scanners.
But even that, too, comes with a caveat which I will discuss later on in this review.
The PIXMA can print in color and monochrome and connect wirelessly to compatible digital Canon cameras, smartphones, PCs, and smart home appliances. All connectivity apps are supported, including but not limited to AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Cortana, Siri, Alexa, and Bixby.
Two ink tanks power four-color printing capacity. Color printing speeds are slow, as you would expect from a color printer-just nine ppm.
The monthly duty cycle for the PIXMA screams home use as it maxes out at a paltry 500 pages.
The PIXMA can be fun to use. It comes with software functionalities that contain color correction and text editing features. Beyond that, you can add various posters, logos, images, templates, and stock photos with Canon's proprietary theme apps.
Pros and cons
The PIXMA's pros and cons boil down to the following areas.
Pros:
Easy to Carry Around:
At just a little over 2 kg, you can literally and easily fling the PIXMA around with one hand. However, if the rechargeable battery runs out of juice, you'll need to connect the PIXMA to a power source, and for that period, you might have to sacrifice portability.
Excellent Print Quality for PhotosThe photos from the PIXMA are not always tack-sharp, but you will rarely be disappointed by the results. You get higher quality photos than many other $200 color printers
Supports a Wide Spectrum of Mobile Devices:Smartphones, cameras, PCs, and smart home appliances are all supported.
Cons
The PIXMA is slow. At just nine ppm, the PIXMA won't win many printing races.
No Support for Flash DrivesI guess this is the only mobile device that the PIXMA doesn't support. This is where the focus on portability works against the PIXMA. There is not much space on the body of the printer for a lot of ports. There's only one USB port, although I wonder why that can't double up as a flash drive port.
Is it Expensive to RunPrinting costs are high with the PIXMA color printer. It costs 7.6 cents to print one color page and 15.1 cents to print one monochrome page.
Omits Important FeaturesSometimes, it can seem that the PIXMA is partial to certain features, and that's true. For its photo quality chops and robust mobile device support, the PIXMA misses out on ease-of-use features like ADF, Print Duplexing, and Duplexing Scans. At least we do get an LCD preview screen.
Customer reviews
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e belongs to the class of HP printers meant for home offices doing joint work.
The 9015e is an all-in-one color inkjet printer that can serve as a standalone copier and fax machine.
Regarding features and functionalities, the HP Officejet Pro 9015e seems to have it all. Let's have a detailed look at it.
Overview of features
The 9015e targets the basic criteria a good home printer scanner should meet.
It's not too bulky-it is bulky at 9 kg, but you can easily fit it on your desk. The printer does its job fast. It prints out color documents at 18 ppm and monochrome at 22 ppm.
The 9015e also has all the automatic printing capabilities in its full package. Besides that, all the connectivity options are present-for Android, iOS, MacOS, and Windows.
Photo and graphics quality is on point, too, at 1200*1200. There's also an LCD preview screen.
Pros and cons
The HP Officejet Pro 9015e manages to hit the mark in most of the essential areas and is only found wanting in a few.
Pros
The 9015e is inexpensive ($229 at HP) and maintains a low running cost. It costs just 3.5 cents to print a page either in color or in mono mode. The cartridges also allow a monthly duty cycle of 25,000 pages, quite a good deal before you have to refill cartridges.
The 9015e has robust mobile support. As mentioned, wired and wireless connectivity with all mobile devices is supported. And if you are wondering, the 9015e also supports direct printing from flash drives.
The graphics quality is not pro-grade, but it won't disappoint for home office needs and even some external marketing.
The 9015 supports auto-duplexing, whether it is scanning or printing, or copying.
Cons
Weight is the 9015e's only real con. It's not exactly a portable printer type and can require extra effort to move from one spot to another.
Customer Reviews
Epson EcoTank ET-2720
Epson has many solid offerings in the budget printer scanner space, and the EcoTank ET-2720 is just one of them.
Granted, the ET-2720 won't wow you with its feature set and printing speeds, but if you need good print quality and low running costs, then you have a strong contender for the title of best budget printer scanner for a home office.
Overview of Features
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 is a printer that doubles as a scanner and a copier.
The ET-2720 is a very light printer and weighs only 13 pounds (roughly 5 kg), so moving it around shouldn't be a problem, even for a kid.
All the connectivity options expected for a printer are here, although you can't use voice commands like Alexa and Siri due to the lack of voice recognition software. There is also no NFC support.
There is no ADF here, and duplexing is manual, so you'd have to bear with that.
Pros and Cons
The ET-2720 is a strong contender in the budget printer scanner space. Let's see the mix of good and bad that defines its position.
Pros
The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 delivers excellent printing quality for text and photos. You will hardly notice smudging or banding in the text outputs, and photos, for the most part, are likable.
The ET-2720 is cheap to use in the long run. Color pages cost only 0.9 cents, and black pages are even more affordable at 0.3 cents. You can even print up to 7,500 and 6,000 monochrome and color pages, respectively, before you run out of ink.
You can easily carry the ET-2720 around, and it supports WiFi Direct.
Cons
With a page load capacity of 100 pages, the ET-2720 can be stressful to use as you'll have to reload frequently if you have much work to do.
The inability to print directly from flash drives is a problem on the ET-2720. Avoid if you store much of your information in flash drives. There's also no Ethernet support.
Avoid the ET-2720 if you don't work enough to exploit Epson's generous ink supply. Ink, if not used, can dry up and be wasted.
There are no speedy features like ADF or auto-duplexing on the ET-2720.
Customer Reviews
Canon ImageCLASS MF445dw
The Canon ImageCLASS MF445DW is an excellent choice for a home office if all you'll do is print and scan in black and white. It can also copy
The reason behind the MF445DW's quality monochrome prints is that the printer relies on laser print technology. Expect deep blacks and high print speeds.
Overview of Features
The MF445DW has a broad spectrum of connectivity options for connecting with any smartphone or PC. You can even print from a flash drive.
Besides that, the MF445DW has touchscreen navigation on its control panel for ease of use. You can even adjust the angle of the panel to face your direction.
Here's more of the ease-of-use part. The MF445DW allows you to load up to 350 sheets simultaneously, expanding to 900 pages. The top print speed is 40 ppm which is plenty fast.
Pros and Cons
There are many things to love about the MF445DW. I will talk about the cons (if any), but let's start with the pros.
Pros
The MF445DW has a low maintenance cost. It demands between two and four cents per page for text prints and graphics output, respectively.
The MF445DW has single-pass ADF for auto-duplexing printing and scanning.
Robust connectivity options and fast printing speeds.
The MF445DW has a high monthly duty cycle of 40,000 pages although the recommended monthly duty cycle is 4,000.
Cons
The MF445DW is a little bit big for home use.
Photos reproduced with the printer are manageable at best.
Pantum M7102DW
Hailing from a not-so-familiar brand, the Pantum M7102DW is a strong, compact printer that will also serve your scanning needs, removing the need for a separate scanner.
The Pantum M7102DW is a monochrome laser printer described as a tri-function printer (printing, scanning, and copying).
Overview of Features
The Pantum M7102DW AIO printer is a heavy-duty scanner with a monthly cycle of up to 60,000 pages.
It's a fast printer, churning out monochrome pages at a speed of 35 ppm.
For scanning purposes, the M7102DW relies on a flatbed with a 50-sheet ADF. Nevertheless, it can't do duplex scans.
Pros and Cons
The Pantum M7102 does miss out on many core features, but it retains enough to earn it a spot on the list of best home office printer scanners. So here we go.
Pros
All the major connectivity options are present. That means you get USB, WiFi, Ethernet, WiFi Direct, and all connectivity apps for linking to Android and iOS devices. There's also NFC to boot.
At print speeds of up to 35 ppm and just $167, this is one of the fastest budget printers you can buy.
The Pantum M7102DW also has low running costs. A high-yield Pantum cartridge allows it to print at just 2.8 cents per page which is as good as it gets.
The Pantum M7102DW has a high input capacity of 251 pages. It can also do duplex prints.
Cons
Oddly enough, the Pantum M7102DW omits an LCD preview screen.
The printer cannot print from flash drives.
The Pantum M7102DW outputs mediocre graphics and photos.
The M7102DW can't fax.
HP Deskjet 3755
The HP Deskjet 3755 is one of the world's smallest all-in-one printers and has a peculiar mix of strengths and weaknesses.
The printer scanner is light (obviously) and is meant for light-duty work, such as printing photos in small quantities from mobile devices.
Overview of Features
The DJ 3755 scans one page at a time using what HP calls a scan beam. You insert a page under the beam, which comes out at the other end.
There's a control panel with a black and white touch screen for doing things like turning WiFi Direct on and off, amongst other stuff.
There is also AirPrint support for seamless integration with Apple devices. Android devices are not left out, of course, as the HP smart mobile app is also available.
The DJ 3755 has only two ink tanks. One is for black, and the other juggles cyan, magenta, and yellow.
Pros and Cons
The DJ 3755 has enough features to satisfy a very light demand and no more. The pros and cons breakdown will confirm that.
Pros
The DJ 3755 excels at photo printing. That's the work it is meant for. And it does its job surprisingly well despite having only two ink tanks.
At $104, the DJ 3755 is one of the cheapest printers you can get that doubles up as a scanner.
With various connection options, the DJ 3755 is a friend of Mobile devices.
Cons
With a paper tray capacity of just 60 pages, the DJ 3755 has one of the lowest paper capacities on this list.
There is no ADF or flatbed on the scanner.
Text print quality can be hit-and-miss.
The running costs of the DJ 3755 can be high. Unless you register for HP's Instant Ink Subscription Program, which slashes printing costs in half, you will be paying up to 8.7 cents per monochrome page and 19 cents per color page.
Comparison of top small printer scanners for home office
If you've made it this far, you are serious about picking a suitable printer scanner for your home office. Well done!
I have discussed seven printers extensively, from their feature set to their pros and cons, and I get that's a lot of information to take in.
Maybe as you got to the last printer scanner in this list, you are like, 'okay, what have I gotten so far from this review'? I know.
That's why I have prepared a summary of everything I've said so far so you can focus on the main points. Of course, you can always go back and read the full gist if you prefer that.
A. Side-by-side comparison of features
AIO
Type & Printer Input Capacity
Printing Speed & Quality
Connectivity
Duplexing
Direct printing (flash drives, media cards)
Brother DCP L2550DW
Yes (print, copy, and scan)
Monochrome laser
36 ppm
Scan quality: 1200*1200 dpi
Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet, and USB
It does not support duplex scan
No
Canon PIXMA TR150
Printer only
Color
50-page max tray capacity
Nine ppm (color)
5.5 ppm (mono)
4800*1200dpi
Wireless, USB, PictBridge
No
No
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e
AIO (Printing, scanning, copying, faxing
ADF present
Color
250 paper tray capacity
22 ppm (mono)
18 ppm (color)
1200*1200dpi
Wireless, USB, Ethernet
Yes (print duplexing and scan duplexing)
Direct printing from flash drives
Epson EcoTank ET-2720
AIO
ADF absent
Color inkjet printer
10.5 ppm (color)
Five ppm (mono)
Wireless but lacks Ethernet
None
No
Canon ImageCLASS MF445dw
AIO
ADF present
Monochrome Laser
800 max paper sheet capacity
40 ppm
WiFi, WiFi Direct, Ethernet, and USB
Yes
Direct printing from flash drives
Pantum M7102DW
AIO
ADF present
Monochrome Laser
251 max page load capacity
35 ppm
USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC
Auto-duplex printing,
Manual duplexing, copying, and scanning
None
HP Deskjet 3755
Partial AIO
Color Inkjet
60-sheet max page load capacity
1.4 ppm to 9.5 ppm
WiFi, WiFi Direct, USB
None
No
B. Analysis of pros and cons
You and I will now weigh the pros and cons of the seven printers this review discusses. We should see which printer ticks the most boxes and makes the least compromises.
Let the contest begin, and may the best printer win!
Brother DCP-L2550DW Monochrome Laser Printer: (Pros) Printer, scanner, copier, high load capacity (251 sheets), duplex copy and printing, 15,000 pages monthly duty capacity, ADF (50 pages), low running costs (3.5 cents per page), document management software, wired and wireless connectivity with mobile devices.
Cons: Poor graphics and photo quality (is that a priority for you?), no duplex scans, and no fax support.
Canon PIXMA TR150 Inkjet: (Pros) You can create and store up to five document types that you can print straight from the control panel. Good print quality for photos and text. Extensive range of connectivity options that include cameras and smart home appliances. Voice recognition is present. Very light (can be carried in a backpack). Rechargeable battery present.
Cons: Slow, does not support any form of duplexing. ADF absent. Low monthly duty cycle, low page loader capacity. Printer only.
Canon PIXMA TR150 vs. Brother DCP-L2550DW:PIXMA has more connectivity options, is lighter, and has a portable power supply. Brother DCP-L2550DW
has more automatic printing features and is much faster, and may be a better overall time saver. Cost-wise, the Brother printer is far cheaper in the long run.
Winner: Brother DCP-L2550DW
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e Inkjet: (Pros) AIO (printer, scanner, copier, fax), decent print quality for photos and text, fast printing speeds and high page load capacity, high monthly duty cycle, single pass ADF, duplex scans, duplex prints available, direct printing from flash drives, diverse connectivity options.
Cons: It can be a little bit difficult to move due to its weight.
Brother DCP-L2550DW vs. HP OfficeJet Pro 9015eThe 9015e is faster and has a more comprehensive feature set complete with fax (what the Brother lacks). The 9015e also sports automatic printing features (the Brother lacks duplex scan). Print quality is higher than what the Brother can summon. The 9015e beats the Brother in every other area as well and can even print directly from flash drives.
Winner: HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e Inkjet
Epson EcoTank ET-2720: (Pros) Admirable print quality for text and photos, low running costs (lower than even the HP Officejet Pro 9015e), full connectivity suite for Apple and Android devices.
Cons: The ET-2720 falls behind the HP 9015e and even the Brother DCP-L2550DW in almost every other area. It lacks automatic duplexing, ADF, and Ethernet connectivity and is a slug at printing.
Winner: HP Officejet Pro 9015e
Canon ImageCLASS MF445dw Monochrome Laser AIO Printer: (Pros) High-speed output, single pass ADF (50 sheets), duplex printing, duplex scans, high page load capacity (350 pages), low cost per page (2.3 cents), excellent print quality for monochrome pages, direct printing from flash drives. The MF445DW offers all the connectivity options for linking to mobile devices.
Cons: It's lacking in only the photos department.
Canon ImageCLASS MF445dw Monochrome Laser AIO Printer vs. HP Officejet Pro 9015eIt's a tight contest here. The MF445DW trades blows with the current champion, the HP 9015e, and even beats the latter in specific areas like print speed (40 ppm vs. 22 ppm) and printing cost per page (2.3 cents vs. 3.5 cents).
The HP 9015e, however, manages to be a slightly more robust option because it can print in color and monochrome. However, Canon is shaping up to be in the second-best position.
Winner (by a slight margin): HP Officejet Pro 9015e
Pantum M7102 Monochrome Laser Printer AIO: (Pros) Broad connectivity modes, fast output (35 ppm), heavy monthly duty cycle (60,000 pages), low cost per page (2.8 cents), 50-sheet ADF for scanning, and duplex printing.
Pantum M7102 Monochrome Laser Printer AIO vs. HP Officejet Pro 9015eThe Pantum is similarly specced as the Brother L2550DW, but it is just a monochrome printer, whereas the HP 9015e also has color printing as the latter is an inkjet printer. The HP is also a more well-rounded option as it comes with fax support and can also do duplex scanning, features that are absent in the Pantum.
Winner: HP Officejet Pro 9015e
HP Deskjet 3755: (Pros) Excellent color output-on par with the HP Officejet Pro 9015e, wireless connectivity present. Support for AirPrint and Mopria for Android and iOS connectivity, respectively. Extremely light.
Cons: Too expensive to run, lacks automatic printing features like ADF and auto-duplexer, low paper capacity, slow to print.
HP Deskjet 3755 vs. HP Officejet Pro 9015eThe Deskjet 3755 only beats the 9015e in weight. The latter wins in every other category.
Winner: HP Officejet Pro 9015e
C. Assessment of Value for Money
The only question is, which printer scanner is the real value king? The only way to answer that question for each printer is to balance its purchase and running costs with the specs.
Let's go through the final round of contests.
Brother DCP-L2550DW: $199.99 to buy; 3.5 cents per page printing cost.
Canon PIXMA TR150: $218.13 pricing; 7.5 cents per monochrome page and 15.1 cents per color page.
HP Officejet Pro 9015e: $229.99 pricing; 3.5 cents per color page or monochrome page
Epson EcoTank ET-2720: $316 pricing; 0.3 cents per monochrome page and 0.9 cents per color page
Canon ImageCLASS MF445dw: $349 pricing on Best Buy; 2.3 cents per page printing cost.
Pantum M7102DW: $167 pricing; 2.8 cents per page printing cost
HP Deskjet 3755: $104.99 pricing; 8.7 cents per page for monochrome printing and 19 cents for color printing.
As you can see from the breakdown, the HP Officejet Pro 9015e is the third most expensive printer scanner in the list but packs the most features and has one of the least running costs.
Conclusion- Recommendation for the best small printer scanner for home office
All the printer scanners in this review could serve your needs well based on your working conditions or personal preferences.
Nevertheless, the HP Officejet Pro 9015e is the all-rounder printer scanner, boasting many features-including some that should be exclusive to more expensive printer scanners-at a moderate price and without unduly high running costs.