The 5 Best Black And White Printers - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best black and white printer we've tested is the Brother MFC-L2750DW, an all-in-one laser model. It produces incredibly sharp documents, doesn't take long to warm, and prints quickly at 36 pages per minute. You can connect to it via Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet, and there's also NFC support, so you can connect with a simple tap. It has an ADF-equipped scanner with single-pass duplex scanning, allowing you to easily process multi-page and double-sided documents. It scans up to seven pages per minute, which isn't very fast, but it still beats scanning each page manually.

Regarding page yield, a regular toner cartridge gets you about 2,000 prints, so you won't need to replace it often unless you print a lot, and you can increase the yield further with an XL cartridge. The drum is a separate unit you'll have to spend extra to replace, although it's usually good for about 12,000 prints and won't need regular replacement.

If you don't need all the features on the MFC-L2750DW and would rather save some money, know that there are cheaper variants with slightly different features and performance. You can get a model like the Brother MFC-L2710DW, which lacks duplex scanning and prints a little slower at 32 pages per minute. The print quality remains the same, so you'll still get sharp-looking documents. You can also get bundles with longer-lasting XL toner cartridges, like the Brother MFC-L2750DW XL, which might be cheaper than buying the cartridges separately.

A more modest mid-range pick would be the Brother HL-L2390DW. It's also an all-in-one laser model, but unlike our top pick, it lacks an automatic feeder and Ethernet connectivity. It produces sharp-looking documents, prints quickly at 32 pages per minute, and supports automatic duplex printing. The toner cartridge is good for about 1,400 prints and is fairly cheap, so you don't need to worry about high maintenance costs. The lack of an automatic feeder is probably the most significant compromise with this printer, so ensure you won't need to scan many long, multi-page documents. This model has a variant, the Brother HL-L2395DW. It's essentially the same printer but with Ethernet connectivity, a larger touch-sensitive display, and a slightly faster printing speed.

For our budget pick, we have yet another Brother laser printer (Brother makes really good laser monochrome printers), the Brother HL-L2350DW. This print-only unit is a variant of the Brother HL-L2325DW, one of the best monochrome laser printers we've tested in the budget range. We chose this model because the HL-L2325DW is hard to find, so this is the next best option in the series. It feels sturdily built, produces outstanding quality documents, and prints up to 32 pages per minute.

As for its page yield, you can expect to get around 1,300 prints from a regular toner cartridge. XL and third-party cartridges are available. Like the Brother printers we recommend above, you'll have to replace the drum on this model separately, but again, the drum usually lasts a long time, so you won't need to do it all that often. If you have a very tight budget and don't mind shopping around, the HL-L2325DW is also a great choice. It's cheaper and performs almost identically.

If you want a cheap printer that can get the job done, consider the Pantum P2502W. Like the Brother HL-L2350DW above, this is also a print-only unit, so there isn't a scanner. It produces nice, sharp documents and doesn't cost much to maintain because the toner cartridge lasts a long time. It takes a little longer than most laser printers to warm up, but it's very fast once it starts printing, pushing up to 23 pages per minute. You just have to flip the pages manually when printing double-sided because it doesn't support automatic duplex printing.

Unfortunately, there's an issue with this printer. It tends to push printed sheets off the output tray, which can be annoying during large print jobs, as you'll have to rearrange the prints into the right order. This issue also causes misaligned prints. While this doesn't always happen, it's still inconvenient, as you might waste a lot of time, paper, and toner. Again, this model can get the job done; you just might encounter occasional problems.

If you have a large print load and need a printer with a high page yield, the HP LaserJet Tank MFP 2604sdw. As you can probably guess from its name, it's a laser printer with a tank of sorts. Indeed, it has a refillable toner tank instead of a cartridge, similar to supertank inkjet models. A full tank gets you about 4500 prints, and you can refill the tank as you go, even during a print job. The print quality is outstanding, though, like most laser printers, it isn't ideal for printing photos. As for printing speed, you can print up to 22 pages per minute, but only over a wired USB connection, which is inconvenient if it's a shared printer or you don't have room to keep it close to your computer. Its printing speed drops to nine pages per minute over Wi-Fi.

Printing speed issues aside, this printer has great connectivity options. You get USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. There's a scanner with an automatic feeder but no duplex scanning, so you'll have to scan double-sided documents manually. Although the drum unit lasts a long time, with an estimated lifespan of 50,000 prints, know that it isn't user-replaceable. The drum is hard to access, as it requires a fair amount of disassembly, and it isn't available for purchase to the general public, anyway, so you can only replace it through an authorized service provider. The drum's long estimated lifespan is reassuring, but remember that the drum can get damaged by staples or imperfections on the paper.