A home office printer earns its space when it handles the unglamorous jobs without fuss: multi-page forms, shipping labels, contracts, and the occasional scan of a signed document. The wrong one turns those tasks into a tangle of cables, paper refills, and unnecessary trips across the room. Our Best home office laser printer picks focus on the features that make those jobs easier, from automatic duplexing to wireless printing and document feeders.
The Brother DCP-L2640DW is our top pick because it combines fast monochrome printing with scanning, copying, a 50-page document feeder, and flexible connections. The rest of the lineup ranges from tiny single-function printers to high-volume office machines and color all-in-ones.
Comparison table
| # | Product | Award | Print type | Speed | Paper capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brother DCP-L2640DW | Best overall | Monochrome, print, scan, copy | Up to 36 ppm | 250-sheet tray | Home offices needing an all-in-one |
| 2 | Brother HL-L2405W | Best simple wireless printer | Monochrome print | Up to 30 ppm | 250-sheet tray | Everyday document printing |
| 3 | HP LaserJet M110w | Best compact option | Monochrome print | Up to 21 ppm | Not specified | Small desks and light workloads |
| 4 | Brother HL-L2460DW | Best duplex printer | Monochrome print | Up to 36 ppm | 250-sheet tray | Frequent two-sided printing |
| 5 | Brother HL-6210DW | Best high-volume printer | Monochrome print | Up to 50 ppm | 520-sheet tray, 100-sheet multipurpose tray | Busy home businesses |
| 6 | Brother HL-L3220CDW | Best color printer | Color print | Up to 19 ppm | 250-sheet tray | Color documents and graphics |
| 7 | HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw | Best small-team all-in-one | Monochrome, print, scan, copy | Up to 35 ppm | 250-sheet tray | Shared small-office tasks |
| 8 | HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw | Best office feature set | Monochrome, print, scan, copy, fax | Up to 35 ppm | Not specified | Offices that still need fax |
| 9 | HP LaserJet M209d | Best wired printer | Monochrome print | Fast two-sided printing | 150-sheet tray | A single computer connection |
| 10 | HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw | Best color all-in-one | Color, print, scan, copy | Up to 26 ppm | 250-sheet tray | Professional color office work |
1. Brother DCP-L2640DW: Best Overall
Pros
- Print, scan, and copy functions in one compact machine
- Automatic document feeder handles multi-page jobs
- Fast 36 ppm monochrome printing
- Dual-band wireless, Ethernet, and USB connections
Cons
- Monochrome output only
- Heavier and larger than a basic print-only model
- No color printing
Best for: home office users who need fast black-and-white printing plus dependable scanning and copying.
The Brother DCP-L2640DW is the printer we would keep in a home office that handles more than occasional forms. It does not force you to choose between a small footprint and useful office features. The machine prints, scans, and copies, while its 50-page automatic document feeder takes care of a stack of pages without requiring constant supervision. That makes it a much more capable desk companion than the print-only Brother HL-L2405W.
Its print speed reaches 36 pages per minute, which is enough to make long reports and document packets feel routine rather than like a queue. The scanner is rated for up to 23.6 images per minute in black and 7.9 images per minute in color. Those figures matter most when you are digitizing several pages at once. A single-page scan will not feel dramatically different from another modern office printer, but the feeder and scanning speed change the experience of larger jobs.
Connection options are unusually flexible for a compact home office model. Dual-band wireless supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, while Ethernet provides a wired network route and USB handles a direct connection to one computer. Brother’s Mobile Connect app can print and scan from a phone, manage the printer remotely, track toner usage, and order Brother Genuine supplies. It is the kind of flexibility that helps when a household has several computers and mobile devices.
The weakness is simple: this is strictly a black-and-white machine. It also weighs 25 pounds and occupies a 16.1 by 15.7 inch footprint, so it is compact in office terms rather than genuinely tiny. If your work includes color charts, flyers, or client-facing graphics, the Brother HL-L3220CDW is the better direction. For contracts, tax forms, invoices, and scans, the DCP-L2640DW has the most complete feature mix in this group.
2. Brother HL-L2405W: Best Simple Wireless Printer
Pros
- 250-sheet paper tray reduces refill interruptions
- Dual-band wireless and USB connectivity
- Manual feed slot supports envelopes and specialty paper
- Compact 15.1-pound design
Cons
- Prints one-sided documents only
- No scanner or copier
- Slower than the duplex-capable Brother HL-L2460DW
Best for: people who want a straightforward wireless printer for regular black-and-white documents.
The Brother HL-L2405W gets the basics right without adding a scanner, copier, or oversized office chassis. It is a sensible fit for someone who prints reports, return labels, forms, and work documents from a laptop or phone and rarely needs to duplicate or digitize paper. Its 7.2-inch height and 15.1-pound weight make it easier to place than the more elaborate all-in-one models.
It prints monochrome pages at up to 30 ppm. That is a meaningful step above small entry-level printers such as the HP LaserJet M110w, especially when a document runs to several pages. The 250-sheet tray is another practical advantage. It lets the printer stay loaded for a normal workweek, while the manual feed slot gives you a way to handle envelopes and specialty paper without emptying the main tray.
Wireless support covers both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, and USB is available for a direct connection. Brother’s Mobile Connect app lets you print from a mobile device and manage the printer remotely, including toner tracking. The printer also carries a one-year limited warranty with online, phone, and live chat support, details that matter when this is the only printer in the house.
The central compromise is that it prints one-sided pages only. If you routinely print long documents, the Brother HL-L2460DW adds automatic duplex printing and reaches 36 ppm. The HL-L2405W remains the cleaner choice for users who want fewer features to configure and do not need scanning. It is also a better fit than a tiny HP model if paper capacity and regular document volume matter more than absolute compactness.
3. HP LaserJet M110w: Best Compact Option
Pros
- Very small 9.02-pound design
- Wireless printing from phones, tablets, and computers
- HP Smart app supports printing and cloud scanning
- Works with Windows, Mac, AirPrint, Android, and Chromebook
Cons
- Slower 21 ppm output
- No automatic duplexing
- Cartridge restrictions may limit supply choices
Best for: light printing in a small workspace where every inch of desk room matters.
The HP LaserJet M110w is the easiest printer here to justify when space is the problem. At 6.26 inches high, 13.63 inches wide, and 9.02 pounds, it can fit where the larger Brother and HP office machines cannot. That small size comes with a clear tradeoff, but for a person printing a few pages at a time, the M110w is refreshingly uncomplicated.
Its rated output is up to 21 black-and-white pages per minute, so it is not designed for big document batches. It is quick enough for a form, letter, or short report, but the Brother HL-L2405W will finish a longer stack sooner. The M110w also lacks automatic two-sided printing, which means duplex jobs require manual page handling.
HP supports wireless printing from mobile devices, PCs, and tablets, with compatibility across Microsoft, Mac, AirPrint, Android, and Chromebook environments. The HP Smart app adds phone-based printing and cloud scanning features. The printer’s self-resetting wireless connection is intended to help it stay connected, though home network behavior can still depend on the router and placement.
This is not the right model for a home office that scans paperwork or prints large packets. The printer also works only with cartridges using original HP chips or circuitry, and firmware updates maintain those measures. That supply limitation deserves attention before buying. For light, wireless, black-and-white printing on a very small desk, it is the most space-conscious option. Readers comparing footprint and connectivity can also consider how much room a home printer really needs before choosing a location.
4. Brother HL-L2460DW: Best Duplex Printer
Pros
- Automatic duplex printing
- Up to 36 ppm output
- 250-sheet tray and manual feed slot
- Wireless, Ethernet, and USB connections
Cons
- Monochrome printing only
- No scanning or copying
- Larger and heavier than the one-sided HL-L2405W
Best for: home offices that print multi-page documents and want automatic two-sided output.
The Brother HL-L2460DW is the print-only model to choose when two-sided pages are part of your normal workflow. Automatic duplexing removes the manual shuffle that makes long documents annoying, and the printer still keeps the compact shape associated with Brother’s home office line. It is a more efficient tool than the HL-L2405W for reports, school materials, and internal office documents.
The printer reaches up to 36 ppm and uses a 250-sheet paper tray. That combination means it can accept a substantial job without constant feeding, then move through it quickly. The manual feed slot is useful for envelopes and specialty paper. The data does not specify a duplex-specific speed, so the headline figure should be treated as the maximum single-sided output rather than a promise for every two-sided job.
Connectivity is a strong point. Dual-band wireless supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, with Ethernet for a wired network and USB for a local computer. Brother’s Mobile Connect app supports mobile printing and printer management, including toner tracking. The model also includes a one-year limited warranty and ongoing online, phone, and live chat support.
At 15.6 pounds, it is only slightly heavier than the HL-L2405W, but its 14 by 14 by 7.2 inch dimensions still require a proper shelf or desk area. It cannot scan or copy, and it cannot print color. If those functions are essential, the DCP-L2640DW adds them while retaining 36 ppm printing. Choose the HL-L2460DW when printing is the job and automatic duplexing is the feature that will save the most daily effort.
5. Brother HL-6210DW: Best High-Volume Printer
Pros
- Fast 50 ppm output
- 520-sheet main tray and 100-sheet multipurpose tray
- Expandable paper capacity
- Gigabit Ethernet and dual-band wireless
Cons
- Larger 29.8-pound office design
- Print-only monochrome operation
- Optional trays are needed for maximum expansion
Best for: a busy home business that prints substantial monochrome workloads.
The Brother HL-6210DW is the outlier in this group. It is not a casual home printer with a few office features. It is a high-volume monochrome workhorse for a home business, side operation, or shared office that can keep a printer busy throughout the day. Its 50 ppm output is the fastest listed here, and that speed is paired with paper handling that makes the smaller models look limited.
The main tray holds 520 sheets, while the multipurpose tray adds 100 sheets for envelopes and other media. Optional trays can expand total capacity to 1, 660 sheets. That is more than most individual home offices need, but it prevents the printer from becoming a bottleneck when printing invoices, reports, forms, or shipping paperwork in batches. Brother also lists ultra-high-yield replacement toner cartridges rated for up to 18, 000 pages.
Network support is built for a shared environment. Gigabit Ethernet and dual-band wireless allow multiple computers and mobile devices to use the printer, while mobile printing is supported. Triple Layer Security is designed to protect the network, devices, and documents during transmission and printing. Those controls make more sense for a home business with sensitive records than for a single laptop in a spare bedroom.
The downside is physical and functional. The printer weighs 29.8 pounds and measures 15.3 by 14.7 by 11.4 inches, so it needs a sturdy, permanent home. It also does not scan, copy, or print color. The Brother HL-L2460DW is a better fit for normal home office workloads, while the HL-6210DW is the one to choose when speed and paper capacity are more important than a small footprint.
6. Brother HL-L3220CDW: Best Color Printer
Pros
- Color laser printing with automatic duplexing
- 250-sheet tray
- Wireless mobile printing
- Manual feed slot for envelopes and specialty media
Cons
- Slower 19 ppm output
- No scanner or copier
- Heavier than the monochrome print-only models
Best for: home offices that need color documents but do not need scanning or copying.
The Brother HL-L3220CDW is the straightforward color alternative to the many monochrome printers here. It is designed for business documents with crisp text and vivid graphics, so it makes sense for presentations, simple promotional pages, school materials, and charts where black-and-white output is not enough. It remains a printer only, which keeps the controls and footprint simpler than a color all-in-one.
Color output reaches up to 19 pages per minute. That is considerably slower than the 36 ppm monochrome Brother models, but color printing involves a different workload and the figure remains adequate for ordinary home office documents. Automatic duplexing helps reduce manual page handling, while the 250-sheet tray limits interruptions during a normal batch.
Wireless printing supports laptops, smartphones, and tablets, with compatibility with major mobile printing platforms and cloud services. Built-in security protocols are intended to protect business documents sent over the network. A manual feed slot adds flexibility for envelopes and specialty media, although the supplied information does not specify which specialty formats are supported.
The main limitation is what the printer does not do. There is no scanner, copier, or automatic document feeder, so a separate device is necessary for paper-to-digital work. At 24.7 pounds and 15.7 inches square, it also takes more room than the HP LaserJet M110w. If color is central to the job but scanning is occasional, this is the cleaner choice. For a broader comparison of color workflows, see which color features matter for documents at home.
7. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw: Best Small-Team All-in-One
Pros
- Print, scan, and copy functions
- Automatic duplex printing
- 50-sheet automatic document feeder
- 250-sheet input tray and wireless networking
Cons
- Monochrome output only
- Larger 23.1-pound chassis
- HP cartridge chip restrictions apply
Best for: small teams that share a wireless printer for documents, scans, and copies.
The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw is a strong fit for a home office that has started behaving like a small office. It prints, scans, and copies, so there is no need to keep a separate scanner nearby. The 50-sheet automatic document feeder is particularly useful for multi-page paperwork, while automatic two-sided printing keeps document handling efficient.
Its monochrome print speed reaches up to 35 ppm. That places it close to the Brother DCP-L2640DW and HL-L2460DW for everyday output. The 250-sheet input tray supports regular work without constant refilling, and HP positions the model for small teams that need professional-quality black-and-white documents and reports.
Wireless connectivity is designed to stay online by looking for the strongest connection. That is helpful in a shared home office where several computers and mobile devices may send jobs. The machine is 16.5 inches wide, 15.7 inches long, and 12.3 inches high, with a 23.1-pound weight. It is not a tiny desktop printer, but its dimensions are reasonable for a multifunction office machine.
The DCP-L2640DW remains more compact in height and offers dual-band wireless, Ethernet, and USB in its listed feature set. The HP counters with a similar document-focused workflow and a small-team orientation. Like the HP LaserJet M110w, this printer is intended to work with cartridges using HP chips or circuitry, and firmware updates maintain those restrictions. If you need a scanner and copier but not fax, this is the HP model to choose. If you are deciding between separate devices and one machine, the practical tradeoffs of combining print, scan, and copy are worth considering.
8. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw: Best Office Feature Set
Pros
- Print, scan, copy, and fax functions
- Automatic two-sided printing
- Wireless, Ethernet, and Bluetooth connectivity
- HP Wolf Pro Security
Cons
- Very large 19.25-inch square footprint
- Monochrome output only
- No paper capacity listed
Best for: an office that needs fax alongside printing, scanning, and copying.
The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw is the more office-oriented version of the HP 3101sdw. Its defining feature is fax, which is increasingly unnecessary for many home offices but still essential in certain industries and administrative workflows. It also prints, scans, and copies, with automatic two-sided printing and an automatic document feeder for faster scan and copy jobs.
Print speed reaches up to 35 black-and-white pages per minute, matching the 3101sdw on paper. The printer supports wireless printing from phones, tablets, and computers, and it works with Microsoft, Mac, AirPrint, Android, and Chromebook environments. Ethernet and Bluetooth are included as extra connection routes, giving it more flexibility than a basic wireless printer.
Security is a major part of the feature set. HP Wolf Pro Security provides customizable settings intended to protect the printer and information moving through it. That is more relevant when several people share the device or when documents include confidential client, financial, or medical information. The printer is also built for groups of up to seven people according to its listed positioning.
This is a substantial machine. Its listed length and width are both 19.25 inches, and its height is 15 inches, so it needs a dedicated stand or a deep desk. The supplied information does not specify its paper capacity, another reason to look at the 3101sdw if fax is not required. Choose the 3101fdw only when its extra office functions will be used. A wider discussion of shared workflows appears in the features that matter when several people share one printer.
9. HP LaserJet M209d: Best Wired Printer
Pros
- Automatic duplex printing
- USB cable included
- 150-sheet input tray
- Compact design with smart-guided buttons
Cons
- Wired connection only
- No wireless or mobile printing
- No scanner or copier
Best for: a home office that prints from one nearby computer and does not need wireless access.
The HP LaserJet M209d is deliberately narrow in scope. It prints black-and-white documents, connects through USB, and adds automatic duplexing. That simplicity can be useful when a printer sits beside one desktop computer and there is no need to share it across a network. The included USB cable also removes one small setup nuisance.
HP describes it as having fast two-sided printing, with a 150-sheet input tray for ordinary work. The data does not provide a pages-per-minute figure, so it cannot be compared directly with the Brother printers that list 30, 36, or 50 ppm. Its compact design is intended to save space without dropping automatic duplexing, which makes it more practical for reports than the one-sided HP LaserJet M110w.
The smart-guided buttons are aimed at straightforward operation. There is no scanner, copier, or fax, and the supplied details do not list wireless, Ethernet, or mobile printing. That makes the printer easy to classify: it is for a single computer and a cable, not a household full of devices.
The wired-only design is the deciding weakness. The Brother HL-L2460DW is a better choice if several people need to print or if phones and tablets are part of the workflow. The M209d makes sense for a dedicated desk setup where reliability and automatic duplexing matter more than remote access. It is also worth remembering that HP restricts it to cartridges using original HP chips or circuitry, with firmware updates maintaining those measures.
10. HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw: Best Color All-in-One
Pros
- Color printing, scanning, and copying
- Automatic document feeder
- Automatic two-sided printing
- 250-sheet input tray
- Wireless office connectivity
Cons
- Heaviest printer in the roundup at 37.7 pounds
- Larger all-in-one chassis
- HP cartridge chip restrictions apply
Best for: a home office that needs color output, scanning, copying, and automatic document feeding.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw is the most complete color machine in this roundup. It combines color printing with scanning and copying, then adds an automatic document feeder and automatic duplexing. That makes it suitable for a home office that produces client documents, color reports, marketing materials, and paper records rather than only monochrome forms.
It prints up to 26 pages per minute in both black and color according to the listed features. That is faster than the Brother HL-L3220CDW’s 19 ppm color output, and it should feel more capable when color jobs are frequent. The 250-sheet input tray supports ordinary office batches. HP also lists TerraJet toner for more vivid color, along with standard 218A and high-yield 218X LaserJet cartridges.
The machine is built for wireless office printing and combines print, scan, copy, and document-feeder functions in one chassis. Automatic duplexing reduces the manual work involved in longer documents. The layout is not small, though. It measures 16.46 inches long, 13.44 inches wide, and 16.5 inches high, and weighs 37.7 pounds. Plan the printer’s location before moving it into a crowded workspace.
The Brother HL-L3220CDW is the better fit if you need color printing but already have scanning covered. The HP 3301sdw earns its place when one machine must handle the complete workflow. It also has the same HP cartridge-chip limitation found on the brand’s monochrome models, with firmware updates maintaining it. If a color all-in-one is the goal, this is the most capable pick here, but it is too much printer for a desk that only produces occasional black-and-white pages.
How to choose best home office laser printer
The right home office laser printer depends less on headline speed than on the work you actually repeat. Start with these factors.
Print type
Monochrome printers are the natural fit for contracts, forms, invoices, labels, and text-heavy reports. The Brother DCP-L2640DW and HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw add scanning and copying without adding color hardware. Choose a color model such as the Brother HL-L3220CDW or HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw when charts, presentations, or graphics are part of the regular workload.
Print speed
Pages per minute matters most when jobs contain several pages or when multiple people share the printer. A listed speed of 30 ppm or more, as seen on the Brother HL-L2405W, HL-L2460DW, and DCP-L2640DW, is suitable for active home offices. The 50 ppm Brother HL-6210DW is aimed at substantially heavier workloads. A lower figure can still be perfectly practical for occasional printing.
Automatic duplexing
Automatic duplexing prints both sides without asking you to turn the paper over. It is one of the most useful features for reports, schoolwork, internal documents, and long forms. The Brother HL-L2405W and HP LaserJet M110w are one-sided printers, while the HL-L2460DW, HP LaserJet M209d, and the larger all-in-ones automate two-sided output.
If you print multi-page documents every week, automatic duplexing usually matters more than a small difference in headline speed.
Scanning and document feeding
A scanner turns a printer into a document station, while an automatic document feeder handles multiple pages in sequence. The Brother DCP-L2640DW has a 50-page feeder, and the HP 3101sdw, HP 3101fdw, and HP 3301sdw also list automatic document feeders. A print-only model is simpler, but it will not replace a separate scanner or copier.
Paper handling
Look at both the main tray and any manual feed slot. A 250-sheet tray, found on several Brother models and the HP 3101sdw and 3301sdw, suits regular home office use. The Brother HL-6210DW goes much further with a 520-sheet main tray and a 100-sheet multipurpose tray. Manual feeds are useful for envelopes and specialty paper, but the listing may not identify every supported format.
Connectivity and footprint
Wireless is convenient when laptops, phones, tablets, and multiple users share the printer. Dual-band wireless, Ethernet, and USB give the Brother DCP-L2640DW and HL-L2460DW several ways to connect. The HP LaserJet M209d is intentionally wired only. Measure the desk before choosing a larger multifunction printer, especially the HP 3101fdw and HP 3301sdw.
Frequently asked questions
Do laser printers make sense for a home office?
Yes, especially for offices that print text-heavy documents regularly. Laser printers are designed around sharp document output and can be faster for multi-page work than compact alternatives. A monochrome model is often the simplest fit for forms, reports, and invoices.
Is a monochrome printer enough for most home offices?
It is enough when your work is mostly text, forms, contracts, labels, and black-and-white reports. The Brother DCP-L2640DW and HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw add scanning and copying while staying monochrome. Choose color when presentations, charts, or graphics are part of the normal workflow.
Should I choose a printer with a scanner?
Choose an all-in-one if you scan signed forms, receipts, identification documents, or multi-page paperwork. An automatic document feeder is particularly useful because it can process a stack without placing each page on the glass. If you only print, a print-only model takes up less space and has fewer functions to manage.
What does automatic duplex printing do?
Automatic duplex printing prints on both sides of a sheet without requiring manual page turning. It is useful for long documents and reduces the amount of paper used by two-sided work. The Brother HL-L2460DW and HP LaserJet M209d are print-only examples with this feature.
Can these printers print from a phone?
The wireless models support mobile printing through their respective apps or listed mobile platforms. Brother’s Mobile Connect app supports printing and printer management on compatible models, while HP lists support for mobile devices and platforms such as AirPrint and Android on applicable models. The HP LaserJet M209d is wired only, so it is not the right choice for phone-based printing.
Do all of these printers print in color?
No. The Brother HL-L3220CDW and HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw are the color models in this group. The other printers use black-and-white output, which is appropriate for text documents but cannot reproduce color charts or graphics.
How much desk space does a home office printer need?
The answer varies sharply by design. The HP LaserJet M110w is one of the smallest and lightest options, while the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw and HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw need substantially more room. Leave access for paper loading and cartridge replacement rather than measuring only the printer’s outer dimensions.
The bottom line
The Best home office laser printer for most people is the Brother DCP-L2640DW. Its 36 ppm monochrome printing, 50-page automatic document feeder, copying, scanning, 250-sheet class paper handling, and broad connection options cover the widest range of home office jobs. The Brother HL-L2460DW is the better pick when you only need printing and automatic duplexing.
Choose the Brother HL-6210DW for unusually heavy monochrome workloads, the Brother HL-L3220CDW for straightforward color printing, or the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw when color scanning and copying belong in the same machine.
If you are undecided, choose the DCP-L2640DW unless you know you need color, fax, or high-volume paper handling.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.