This post was most recently updated on July 12th, 2020
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Our Best laser printers of 2020 list is here, and it’s going to make you happy! Everyone says that laser printers are the best option for everyone, but that’s not necessarily true. We are going to take a deep dive into what laser printers are, who they are best for, and which laser printer is best for you. Let’s kick it off with our favorite laser printer of 2020.
Our Choice for the Best Laser Printer of 2020
The Good
- Fast
- Efficient
- Reliable
The Bad
- Bulky
- Expensive
- Midrange Paper Storage
The Bottom Line:
The Brother MFC-L8900CDW is an absolute beast of an office printer. Short of leasing an industrial copy machine, this is definitely the best all-around office printer currently available.
This printer is lightning fast, and the toner costs are extremely low. It is built for high volume environments. It is very reliable and durable.
Even though it is big and expensive, the Brother MFC-L8900CDW is a great investment for any business with steady print needs. That’s why it’s our choice for the best laser printer of 2020.
Want to skip our list? Here are all of the printers that made our list of the best laser printers of 2020.
Overall Best Laser Printer of 2020 | Brother MFC-L8900CDW
Best Single Function Monochrome Laser Printer of 2020 | Brother HL-L6200DW
Best Multi-Function Monochrome Laser Printer of 2020 | Brother MFC-L6800DW
Best Single Function Color Laser Printer of 2020 | HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw
Best Multi-Function Color Laser Printer of 2020 | HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw
Best Compact Laser Printer of 2020 | Brother HL-L2350DW
HP Color LaserJet Pro Multifunction M479fdw
Brother MFCL2750DW
Brother HL-L8360CDW
Canon Color imageCLASS MF743Cdw
Best Laser Printers of 2020 | Some Quick Background Info
What is a Laser Printer?
A laser printer is a printer that prints by adhering tiny balls of pigment called toner to the paper using heat. It does this by etching your image onto a heated roller with a tiny laser. If you want to know more about the background, we’ve written an entire article on how laser printers work.
Laser printers are generally known for being incredibly fast and efficient, making them great for office purposes.
Are Laser Printers Better than Inkjets?
Advantages
More Cost-Effective Long Term
Laser printers are usually much more expensive than inkjet printers, but they save you money in the long run. Because toner is up to twenty times more efficient than liquid ink but similar in price, it saves you a lot of money over time. So your initial investment is higher, but after a few years, you spend much less with a laser printer.
Faster
Laser Printers are also much faster than most inkjet printers. This is because a laser printer prints the entire width of the page at once, while inkjet printers print only a small area at a time. Also, the roller technology for laser printers is just faster than dropping in little dots of ink.
More Durable
Laser printers are built for heavy-duty office use, while inkjets are built more for home use. Therefore, laser printers tend to last much longer. While you can expect at least two years from an inkjet printer, you should be able to get closer to five from a laser printer.
Disadvantages
Bulky
For whatever reason, manufacturers tend to make laser printers really large. You would think that’s because the technology requires extra space, but there have been compact laser printers in the past. Maybe manufacturers think a larger printer just looks more capable. Whatever the reason, it’s harder to find space for a laser printer than a little inkjet.
Expensive
Laser printers are pricey, there’s no getting around it. You can find an all in one inkjet printer for under one hundred dollars. You can’t find an all in one laser printer for that price.
Like we said above, the reason laser printers are more expensive is that they save you money in the long run. But that doesn’t make it easier now.
Poorer Print Quality
This is the biggest advantage inkjet printers have over laser printers. Laser printers don’t have very good print quality. Sure, they print documents just fine, and some charts look better on laser printers. However, they aren’t made to print photos. Any type of image will look much better from an inkjet printer.
Are Laser Printers worth it?
Laser printers are absolutely worth it. First, you save more money in the long run, so laser printers are just a good financial decision. Also, there’s the time you save not waiting around for your prints to be done. Time is money, so you save money times two. Boom.
What to look for when buying a laser printer
There are a ton of different levels and types of laser printers. What you need to do is find one that fits your needs without going overboard.
The biggest difference between laser printers is color and functions. Do you need scanning, copying and faxing? Then you need a multifunction laser printer. Do you only need black and white? Then you want a monochrome printer. After you’ve determined those things, then you just need to determine your budget and volume needs. That should narrow down exactly what you’re looking for.
Top 10 Best Laser Printers of 2020 | Here’s Our List
Now that you know what makes a printer one of the best laser printers of 2020, and you know what to look for, we’re ready to get into our list. We hope you find something that works for you. Let’s check them out.
Overall Best Laser Printer of 2020
The Good
- Built for Business
- Efficient Toner
- Fast Color Prints
The Bad
- Large
- Clumsy Interface
- Low Paper Storage
The Bottom Line:
As we said above, the Brother MFC-L8900CDW is a fantastic laser printer for pretty much any office situation. Even some home users love this printer. We’ve had independent realtors tell us how happy they are with this printer. it’s a workhorse.
That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any drawbacks. For a printer at this price, we’d like some more paper storage. We’re also not a fan of the size or of Brother’s interface.
With all that said, this printer is a fast and efficient document printing machine. It’s a beast, and we strongly recommend you give it a look. That’s why it’s our choice for the best laser printer of 2020.
Best Single Function Monochrome Laser Printer of 2020
The Good
- 520 Sheet Paper Tray
- Fast Printing
- Simple Operation
The Bad
- No Display
- Marginal Print Quality
- Sometimes Spots
The Bottom Line:
Just a quick heads up, there’s going to be a lot of Brother on this list. That’s because they’ve been well known for a long time as one of the best laser printer manufacturers in the world.
The Brother HL-L6200DW is a great printer for anyone who just needs to print a lot of documents. A display would be nice, and the print quality isn’t great, but this printer is great at what it is made for. It is fast, simple, and just a document machine.
Best Multi-Function Monochrome Laser Printer of 2020
The Good
- Full Features
- Super-Speed
- Great Durability
The Bad
- Huge
- Frequent Jamming
- Medium Print Quality
The Bottom Line:
If you need a monochrome laser printer, but you still need to make copies or scan things, then you should take a look at the Brother MFC-L6800DW.
First of all, this is a massive laser printer. It has a lot of paper storage and is built for heavy use. If you print a lot of black and white documents, this is the printer you want. It is fast, efficient, and it holds up to heavy volume.
If you are looking for a multifunction monochrome laser printer for your business or office, then we think this is the one you should go with. Check it out!
Best Single-Function Color Laser Printer of 2020
The Good
- Vivid Color Printing
- Additional Paper Tray Available
- Compact
The Bad
- Picky Paper Handling
- Expensive Toner
- HP Tech Support
The Bottom Line:
HP has secretly been making some of the best laser printers for the past few years. The HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw is one of their best models.
This single-function color laser printer is great at printing vibrant color documents and graphs. It is fast and efficient, and the toner cartridges have the drums built-in. That means you won’t get stuck with a bill for four expensive drum units like you can with Brother lasers.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw is relatively compact, simple to use, delivers where it counts. If you only print, and you need the ability to print color, then give this one a look.
Best Multifunction Color Laser Printer of 2020
The Good
- Fast
- Compact
- Simple Color Printing
The Bad
- HP Customer Service
- Iffy WIFI
- Quality Control Issues
The Bottom Line:
The HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw is one of our favorite printers ever. If you’ve read our reviews in the past, we’ve been pretty forward about how much we love it.
The reason we love this printer is because of how much it delivers in a small package. This printer is as fast, efficient, and durable as any other multi-function color laser printer, but it’s much smaller than most. It works great without a lot of confusion. It’s just a great machine.
Best Compact Laser Printer of 2020
The Good
- Fast
- Cheap
- Super Simple
The Bad
- Low Volume
- Not Very Durable
- Built Cheap
The Bottom Line:
If you are looking for a simple laser printer for printing every now and then, then this is a great option. We recommend this printer very often for older customers who print a couple times per year. Most customers who buy the Brother HL-L2350DW will never even use a second toner cartridge. This printer is a good option for low-volume document printing at a very low price.
Best Laser Printers of 2020| Other Great Options
The Good
- Great Business Features
- Fast Printing
- Vivid Colors
The Bad
- Quality Control Issues
- Terrible Support
- Bad Software Updates
The Bottom Line:
While we still love the HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw, maybe you need something that can handle a little more demand. The HP Color LaserJet Pro Multifunction M479fdw is very similar, but it’s built for heavier volume. It still has great speed, efficiency, and color vibrance, but it’s larger and more rugged. This printer is a great option.
The Good
- Fast
- Efficient
- Color
The Bad
- Separate Drum Unit
- Iffy WIFI
- Mediocre Scan Quality
The Bottom Line:
If you want a multifunction monochrome laser printer, but you’re short on desk space, then the Brother MFCL2750DW is something you’ll want to look at. It has decent print speed, and the toner is some of the cheapest on the market. It offers the quality that Brother is known for wrapped up in a compact package.
The Good
- Super High Yield Toners
- Fast
- Great Color Printing
The Bad
- Four Drums
- Unreliable WIFI
- Slow First Page Out
The Bottom Line:
The Brother HL-L8360CDW is another great option for a single-function color laser printer. This printer has been on the market for a long time, and it’s a fan favorite. This printer offers proven reliability that some printers on this list are too new to offer.
The Good
- NFC Printing
- Good Color Print Speed
- Security Features
The Bad
- Expensive Toner
- Low Paper Storage
- Clunky UI
The Bottom Line:
Well, we decided we needed one printer on this list that isn’t an HP or a Brother. The Canon Color imageCLASS MF743Cdw has been marketed as a laser printer that is geared towards image quality, which it is. Overall, it’s a great printer. We still think the Brother MFC-L8900CDW is the best laser printer of 2020, but this printer is another great option.
Top 10 Best Laser Printers of 2020 | Final Thoughts
That was our list of the top 10 best laser printers of 2020. We believe the Brother MFC-L8900CDW is by far the most versatile and durable laser printer of 2020, and we recommend you check it out. It’s the best!
How did you like our list? Are there printers you feel we should have mentioned? Leave a comment and let us know; we’d love to hear from you. Happy printing!
