QUESTION

What is the best color printer for home use?

11 upvotes0 downvotes

Asked May 23, 2026Answers can change over time.

Answer82% confidence

Best overall for most homes: Epson EcoTank ET-2850. It’s a strong home color printer because it keeps ink costs low with refillable tanks, handles everyday documents and photos well, and includes scan/copy features.

If you print only occasionally, consider the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e instead because inkjet tank printers can be overkill if they sit unused. If you want sharper text and don’t need photo-quality prints, the Brother HL-L3280CDW color laser is the more practical low-maintenance choice.

Our pick

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Best for most homes

Maars picked this for households that print color regularly and want low ink costs: refillable tanks make it practical for schoolwork, forms, recipes, and casual photos.

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At a glance

Compared picks

Swipe to compare

	Epson ET-2850	HP 9125e	Brother HL-L3280CDW	Canon G620
Best use	Most homes that print color regularly	Occasional home office printing	Text-heavy documents with some color	Home photo printing
Printer type	Refillable-tank color inkjet all-in-one	Cartridge color inkjet all-in-one	Color laser printer	Refillable-tank photo inkjet
Running cost	Usually low thanks to bottled ink	Can be higher unless using an ink plan or deals	Toner lasts well, but replacements can be costly	Usually low for photo-focused ink printing
Photo quality	Good for casual photos	Good enough for everyday color	Not ideal for glossy photos	Best of these for photos
Main tradeoff	Higher upfront cost than basic cartridge printers	Ink costs and subscriptions need checking	No flatbed scan/copy on this model	Less ideal as a fast general office printer

Also compared

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HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Best for occasional printing

Maars picked this for occasional home office users who want a familiar all-in-one: it’s practical for documents, scanning, copying, and everyday color prints.

Search on Amazon

Best low-maintenance color laser

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Brother HL-L3280CDW

Best for document-heavy homes

Maars picked this for homes that mostly print documents and want less inkjet fuss: toner is well suited to crisp text and occasional color charts.

Search on Amazon

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

Best for home photo prints

Maars picked this for families and hobbyists who print photos at home: its tank design is aimed at colorful photo output without relying on tiny cartridges.

Search on Amazon

Alternatives

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e
Best for occasional printing
A cartridge-based all-in-one is often simpler if you print in small bursts and do not want to pay more upfront for tank ink.
Brother HL-L3280CDW
Best low-maintenance color laser
A color laser is better for crisp documents and less risk of ink drying, though it is not ideal for glossy photo printing.
Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620
Best for home photos
A photo-focused ink tank printer is a better fit if prints and color output matter more than office speed.

What could change this answer

Printer prices, ink bundles, and subscription offers change often, so check the current total cost of printer plus ink or toner before buying.
Your exact constraints and priorities could change the best choice.

Found this helpful?

More buying options

May include affiliate links

Search Amazon Search eBay

Our pick

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Best for most homes

Maars picked this for households that print color regularly and want low ink costs: refillable tanks make it practical for schoolwork, forms, recipes, and casual photos.

Search on Amazon

At a glance

Compared picks

Swipe to compare

	Epson ET-2850	HP 9125e	Brother HL-L3280CDW	Canon G620
Best use	Most homes that print color regularly	Occasional home office printing	Text-heavy documents with some color	Home photo printing
Printer type	Refillable-tank color inkjet all-in-one	Cartridge color inkjet all-in-one	Color laser printer	Refillable-tank photo inkjet
Running cost	Usually low thanks to bottled ink	Can be higher unless using an ink plan or deals	Toner lasts well, but replacements can be costly	Usually low for photo-focused ink printing
Photo quality	Good for casual photos	Good enough for everyday color	Not ideal for glossy photos	Best of these for photos
Main tradeoff	Higher upfront cost than basic cartridge printers	Ink costs and subscriptions need checking	No flatbed scan/copy on this model	Less ideal as a fast general office printer

Also compared

Search on Amazon

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Best for occasional printing

Maars picked this for occasional home office users who want a familiar all-in-one: it’s practical for documents, scanning, copying, and everyday color prints.

Search on Amazon

Best low-maintenance color laser

Search on Amazon

Brother HL-L3280CDW

Best for document-heavy homes

Maars picked this for homes that mostly print documents and want less inkjet fuss: toner is well suited to crisp text and occasional color charts.

Search on Amazon

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

Best for home photo prints

Maars picked this for families and hobbyists who print photos at home: its tank design is aimed at colorful photo output without relying on tiny cartridges.

Search on Amazon

Alternatives

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e
Best for occasional printing
A cartridge-based all-in-one is often simpler if you print in small bursts and do not want to pay more upfront for tank ink.
Brother HL-L3280CDW
Best low-maintenance color laser
A color laser is better for crisp documents and less risk of ink drying, though it is not ideal for glossy photo printing.
Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620
Best for home photos
A photo-focused ink tank printer is a better fit if prints and color output matter more than office speed.

What could change this answer

Printer prices, ink bundles, and subscription offers change often, so check the current total cost of printer plus ink or toner before buying.
Your exact constraints and priorities could change the best choice.

Found this helpful?

More buying options

May include affiliate links

Search Amazon Search eBay

What is the best color printer for home use?

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Compared picks

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Brother HL-L3280CDW

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

What could change this answer

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Compared picks

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Brother HL-L3280CDW

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

Alternatives

What could change this answer

Tags

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Compared picks

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Brother HL-L3280CDW

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

What could change this answer

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Compared picks

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Brother HL-L3280CDW

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

Alternatives

What could change this answer

Tags

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Compared picks

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Brother HL-L3280CDW

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

What could change this answer

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Compared picks

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Brother HL-L3280CDW

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

Alternatives

What could change this answer

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Compared picks

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Brother HL-L3280CDW

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

What could change this answer

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

Compared picks

HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

Brother HL-L3280CDW

Canon PIXMA MegaTank G620

Alternatives

What could change this answer

Ask Maars another question

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