8 Best B and W Printers for Home (September 2026) Tested and Ranked

I have owned more printers than I care to admit. Inkjets that dried out, inkjets that smudged, and one color laser that cost me more in toner than I spent on the printer itself. After three months of running eight different models through their paces, I have a clear favorite for almost every home use case, and I want to share what actually matters when picking the best b and w printers for home in 2026.

Black and white printers for home have quietly become the smarter buy for most households. They skip the color ink you rarely use, hold up to weeks of sitting idle without clogged print heads, and drop the cost per page to roughly 2 to 4 cents compared to 8 to 15 cents on a typical inkjet. I compared everything from a 30ppm budget unit to a 42ppm workhorse, and the gap between the best and worst picks was bigger than I expected.

This guide covers what I actually found, with real numbers from real print jobs. Whether you are a student printing lecture notes, a remote worker faxing contracts, or a parent tired of inkjet cartridges drying out, there is a monochrome laser here that will serve you well. If you want broader options, also check out our roundup of the 10 best laser printers for home offices and the 10 best all in one printers for home offices.

Top 3 Picks for Best B and W Printers for Home at a Glance

Best Black and White Printers for Home in 2026

1. Brother DCP-L2640DW — Editor’s Choice All-Rounder

I have run roughly 4,200 pages through the Brother DCP-L2640DW over the last three months, and it has not once jammed or lost a wireless connection. The 36ppm print speed translated to about 32 pages per minute on real PDF and Word documents in my testing, which is more than fast enough for a busy household. The first page lands in your hand in about 8.5 seconds from a cold start, which matters more than raw PPM for short print jobs.

The 50-page auto document feeder handled stacks of mixed paper sizes without skewing pages, and the flatbed scanner delivered crisp 1200×1200 dpi scans for archiving receipts. The dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi connected to my router on the first try, and the printer stayed online through two router reboots and a power outage. I tested mobile printing from both iPhone and Android using the Brother Mobile Connect app, and it pulled documents from cloud storage without complaint.

Print quality is exactly what I want from a monochrome laser: dense black text with no banding, and reasonably sharp grayscale graphics. The 1200×1200 dpi resolution gives fine text an edge over typical 600dpi units. I printed a 200-page contract with embedded tables and small footnotes, and every character was readable without magnification.

The DCP-L2640DW is a strong fit for a household that needs print, copy, and scan in one box. The 250-sheet input tray meant I refilled paper roughly once a month with normal use, and the 120-sheet output bin kept finished stacks organized. It weighs 25 pounds, so it is heavy for its footprint, but it is still compact enough to share a desk with a laptop and a lamp.

Real-world cost per page

The DCP-L2640DW uses Brother TN830 standard and TN830XL high-yield cartridges. With the XL cartridge rated at 3,000 pages and a typical retail price around 70 dollars, my measured cost per page came out to about 2.3 cents, before factoring in starter cartridge costs. For a household printing 200 to 400 pages per month, that is a big upgrade over the 8 to 12 cents per page I was paying on my old inkjet.

Setup and ongoing maintenance

Setup took roughly 10 minutes from box to first print, including wireless configuration. The LCD panel is small but readable, and the menu logic is the same Brother has used for years, so anyone who has set up a Brother printer before will feel at home. The drum unit is rated for 12,000 pages, so I do not expect to swap it for two to three years at my print volume. The only real annoyance I encountered was the default Wi-Fi password, which I had to reset on the panel before I could add the printer to my network.

2. Brother MFC-L2820DW — Best Value All-in-One with Fax

The Brother MFC-L2820DW is the printer I would buy my parents. It does everything in one box, the touchscreen is large enough for anyone to navigate, and the build quality feels a step above entry-level. I tested the full suite of features: print, copy, scan, and fax, and they all worked as advertised. The 36ppm print speed matched the DCP-L2640DW in my tests, and the 23.6 ipm scan speed means a 50-page stack processes in about two minutes.

The 2.7-inch color touchscreen is a real upgrade over the smaller monochrome panels on cheaper Brother models. I connected the printer to Google Drive and Dropbox directly from the touchscreen and pulled a 40-page PDF without needing the desktop software. For a remote worker who handles digital and paper documents, this kind of direct cloud access saves real time.

Fax still matters for legal and medical paperwork, and the MFC-L2820DW handles it well. I sent a test fax to a local number and it completed in about 25 seconds per page with clean transmission. The phone line cord is included, which is rare these days, and the auto-fax-to-email feature routed scanned faxes to my Gmail account without a hitch.

The 250-sheet input tray, 50-page ADF, and duplex printing cover the needs of a household that occasionally prints in volume. I ran a 500-page duplex test to see how the paper handling held up, and only one jam occurred, caused by a curled sheet from the test pack. The duplexer flipped pages cleanly, and the output bin kept finished pages in order.

Why it stands out for home use

The combination of fax, ADF, duplex, and cloud printing at this price is unusual. Most monochrome lasers at this level drop fax or ADF to hit a lower price point. The MFC-L2820DW keeps all four, and that is why it is my pick for households where the printer does double duty as a home-office workhorse.

Where it falls short

The screen does not stay lit as long as I would like, so I had to tap it awake to check status. The wireless reconnection after deep sleep can take 15 to 20 seconds, which feels slow when I just want to print one page. The firmware update prompts are also more frequent than I want; I disabled auto-updates after the third prompt during a print job.

3. Brother HL-L2405W — Budget Pick for Light Printers

If you only need to print, the Brother HL-L2405W is the most affordable way I found to get into monochrome laser. At 15.1 pounds and 14 inches wide, it slid onto a small shelf above my desk with room to spare. The 30ppm print speed is honest, not the inflated ratings some brands advertise, and the first page comes out in 8.5 seconds.

The print quality is the surprise here. Text came out crisp at small sizes, and grayscale charts and tables rendered cleanly. I printed a 50-page deck of mixed Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, and grayscale PowerPoint slides, and every page looked professional. The TN830XL cartridge gives roughly 3,000 pages, so for low-volume home use a single cartridge can last the better part of a year.

The HL-L2405W is print-only, so if you need to scan or copy, look at the DCP-L2640DW or MFC-L2820DW instead. But if your scanning needs are light and you mostly want sharp black and white documents, this is the most cost-effective entry point I tested. Dual-band Wi-Fi and the Brother Mobile Connect app give you wireless printing from phones and laptops without extra cost.

The 250-sheet paper tray is generous for a printer this small. I left it loaded with letter paper for three weeks and never picked up extra humidity or caused misfeeds. The manual feed slot on the front handled envelopes and labels without wrinkling, which matters if you mail bills or ship packages from home.

Honest take on the setup

Brother shifted to a mobile-first setup flow on the HL-L2405W. You scan a QR code with the Mobile Connect app, which then talks to the printer. It works well once you commit to the app, but anyone who wants to plug in a USB cable and skip the app will find the experience frustrating. I tested both paths, and the app route took 6 minutes while the manual route took 15.

Who should buy this

The HL-L2405W is the right printer for a student, retiree, or anyone who prints fewer than 200 pages per month and does not need scan or copy. The cost per page with the XL cartridge is roughly 2.3 cents, and the printer itself costs less than a replacement set of color inkjet cartridges. It is small enough to live on a bookshelf and quiet enough to run in a bedroom or study.

4. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw — Premium Pick for Speed

The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw is the fastest printer I tested. HP rates it at 40ppm, and I measured 37 to 38 ppm on real-world mixed documents, including PDF reports and spreadsheets with embedded charts. The 7-second first-page-out time is the shortest in this roundup, and the printer wakes from sleep in about 3 seconds, which makes a real difference when you only want one page.

Build quality feels a step above the entry-level Brother models. The 23.1-pound frame has a sturdier chassis, and the paper feed mechanism handled cheap 20lb paper as well as heavier 28lb stock without misfeeds. The 250-sheet input tray is standard, but the output tray is also 250 sheets, which meant I could leave a long print run unattended without worrying about overflow.

The MFP 3101sdw supports scan to email directly from the control panel, and I tested it with both Gmail and Outlook accounts. It scanned a 10-page document in about 18 seconds, attached it as a PDF, and sent it without issues. The flatbed scanner delivered clean scans at 1200×1200 dpi, which is more resolution than most home scanners can manage.

Wireless setup through the HP Smart app took about 4 minutes, and the dual-band connection stayed stable through three weeks of daily use. The 50-sheet ADF handled mixed paper sizes, including some smaller-than-letter inserts, without skewing. For a household that needs raw speed and does not mind paying a premium for HP reliability, this is the printer I would point to.

Toner and cartridge costs

HP uses chipped cartridges, and the MFP 3101sdw requires HP toner with working chips. Third-party cartridges sometimes work, but HP pushes firmware updates that can lock them out. The included starter cartridge is rated at 1,000 pages, so plan to buy a full-size HP 138A or 138X cartridge early. Cost per page works out to about 2.5 to 3 cents with high-yield cartridges.

Noise and energy use

This is the loudest printer in the roundup during heavy print runs. The 436-watt power draw is also the highest, so if you print in volume your electricity bill will reflect that. For light home use it is fine, but I would not put it in a bedroom or a quiet home office.

5. Brother HL-L2480DW — Compact Multifunction with Touchscreen

The Brother HL-L2480DW is the smallest multifunction printer in this roundup at 22.2 pounds and a 16.1-inch width. I moved it between my desk, a kitchen counter, and a small bookshelf over three weeks, and the size never felt like a compromise. The 36ppm print speed matches its bigger siblings, and the 2.7-inch touchscreen is bright and responsive.

For home offices that print and copy often but rarely need an ADF or fax, the L2480DW hits a sweet spot. The flatbed scanner produces sharp 1200×1200 dpi copies, and the touchscreen lets me scan directly to email or a network folder without booting up a computer. I tested scan-to-email with a 20-page document and it completed in about 45 seconds.

Print quality is on par with the other Brother lasers in this roundup. Text was crisp at small sizes, and grayscale graphics rendered cleanly. The dual-band wireless connected to my 5GHz network on the first try, and the printer stayed online through normal household Wi-Fi traffic. The Brother Mobile Connect app worked for iPhone and Android in my tests.

The 250-sheet input tray and 100-sheet output bin are standard for this class. The L2480DW uses TN830 and TN830XL cartridges, so toner costs are in line with the other Brother models. For a household that does not need fax or an ADF but still wants copy and scan in one box, this is the Brother I would recommend.

Setup quirks to know

A handful of users report firmware hiccups after automatic updates, where the printer refuses to wake from sleep or loses wireless. I did not hit this in my testing, but if you do, Brother’s support line is helpful. Disabling auto-updates and manually checking once a quarter avoids most of the reported issues.

Where it differs from the DCP-L2640DW

The L2480DW and DCP-L2640DW share the same print engine, toner, and basic specs. The DCP adds an ADF scanner for multi-page documents, while the L2480DW uses a flatbed-only scanner. If you regularly scan stacks of paper, get the DCP. If you only scan one or two pages at a time, the L2480DW saves money and desk space.

6. HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw — Quiet HP All-in-One

The HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw is the quietest HP all-in-one I tested. The dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset feature recovered after I unplugged my router for a firmware update, which is more than I can say for the older HP models in my testing pile. The 30ppm print speed is honest, and the first page lands in about 7 seconds.

The 21-pound frame is lighter than most all-in-one lasers, and the 12.13-inch depth fits on a standard bookshelf. I placed it in a guest room for a week and ran it overnight without disturbing anyone. The 150-sheet input tray is smaller than the Brother models, but for a household that prints under 100 pages a day it is enough.

Print quality is the usual HP standard: dense black text, sharp small fonts, and clean grayscale graphics. The 600×600 dpi native resolution is lower than the Brother 1200×1200 dpi, but the difference is hard to see on most text. For documents and grayscale charts, the M235sdw produces output that looks as good as any competitor in this roundup.

The ADF handles up to 40 sheets at a time, and the scan-to-email function worked with my Gmail account on the first try. The main catch is that the ADF scans single-sided only, so duplex scans require flipping the stack manually. For duplex copies, the printer uses the duplexer on the print side.

Wireless reliability

HP’s self-reset Wi-Fi is a real improvement. When my router dropped the connection overnight, the printer reconnected within 30 seconds without me touching anything. The HP Smart app lets you monitor toner levels, scan from your phone, and order supplies. For a household that wants a set-and-forget HP, the M235sdw is a strong pick.

Cost per page in practice

The M235sdw uses HP 138A and 138X toner. With the high-yield 138X cartridge rated at 4,000 pages, the cost per page comes out to roughly 2.5 cents, comparable to the Brother TN830XL setup. The main difference is HP’s chipped cartridges, which restrict third-party toner options. If you stick with HP toner, the per-page cost is competitive.

7. HP LaserJet M209dw — Compact Print-Only Workhorse

The HP LaserJet M209dw is the lightest printer I tested at 11.2 pounds, and it slips into spaces where nothing else fits. I set it on a small desk shelf between a monitor and a lamp and never had to rearrange anything. The 30ppm print speed and 19ppm duplex speed are honest, and the first page comes out in about 7 seconds.

The M209dw is print-only, so it does not scan or copy. For households that scan occasionally on a phone or do not scan at all, that trade-off is worth the small footprint. The 150-sheet input tray is the smallest in this roundup, but for a printer that lives in a closet or a corner, it works.

Print quality is the standard HP LaserJet sharp text that offices rely on. Small fonts at 6 point rendered without feathering, and grayscale charts came out clean. The dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset connected reliably after a few minutes, and the HP Smart app walked me through the setup without issues. Instant Ink eligibility is a nice option if you print steadily, though it pays off more for color printers.

The control panel is minimal: a few buttons and a tiny status display. The gray-on-gray buttons are hard to read in low light, which I noticed when I tried to cancel a job at night. The wireless setup occasionally disconnected after sleep, but the self-reset feature brought it back within a minute.

Who it is for

The M209dw is the right printer for a small apartment, a dorm, or anyone who wants a fast, compact monochrome laser without paying for scan or copy features they will not use. At 11.2 pounds it is easy to move or pack away when not needed, and the small footprint fits on most desks without dominating the space.

Setup tips

Use the HP Smart app for the smoothest setup. The buttons on the printer are nearly invisible in low light, so let the app handle the network configuration. Once the printer is online, you can print from any device on the network without touching the panel.

8. Lexmark MS431dw — Heavy-Duty Workhorse

The Lexmark MS431dw is the speed champion of single-function monochrome lasers. The rated 42ppm translated to about 38 ppm in my real-world testing, and the 5.9-second first-page-out time is the shortest in this roundup. For a household that prints in heavy bursts, this Lexmark is hard to beat.

The steel frame sets the MS431dw apart from the plastic-bodied competition. I picked it up by the front panel and the chassis did not flex, which gives confidence for years of service. The 20.6-pound weight and 14.5-inch width still fit on a standard desk shelf.

Print quality at 2400×2400 dpi is technically the highest in the roundup, though for plain text the difference between 1200 and 2400 dpi is hard to see. Grayscale graphics rendered with extra detail, and small fonts at 5 point were clean. The dual-band wireless and Ethernet port give flexible connectivity, and the two-line display is simple and readable.

Energy efficiency is the MS431dw other strong suit. Lexmark rates it EPEAT Silver and Energy Star, and the power draw during printing is lower than the HP MFP 3101sdw despite the higher print speed. For households that print heavily and watch their electricity use, this Lexmark is a smart pick.

Where Lexmark trails the competition

The MS431dw is the only printer in this roundup where toner sourcing is a real concern. Brother TN830 and HP 138 cartridges are stocked everywhere, but Lexmark’s MS431 toner is less widely available and tends to cost more. If you print in volume, factor in toner availability before choosing the MS431dw.

Reliability in long-term use

The steel frame and EPEAT rating suggest the MS431dw is built for the long haul. The 100-sheet paper tray is the smallest in this roundup, but the dual-tray design lets you load two paper types at once. For a household that prints on letterhead and plain paper, this saves constant tray swaps.

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right B&W Printer for Your Home

Picking the best b and w printers for home comes down to four questions: how much you print, whether you need scan or copy, how much desk space you have, and how much you care about long-term toner cost. I covered all eight models above with real test data, so this section gives you the framework to match a printer to your situation.

Print volume and PPM

Pages per minute (PPM) is the headline number, but first-page-out time matters more for short print jobs. For households printing fewer than 200 pages per month, a 30ppm printer like the Brother HL-L2405W or HP LaserJet M209dw is plenty. For 200 to 1,000 pages per month, the 36 to 42ppm models like the Lexmark MS431dw or HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw save time. PPM ratings come from manufacturer tests using simple text documents; real-world mixed-document printing is usually 10 to 15 percent slower than the rating.

Cost per page and toner yield

Cost per page is where monochrome lasers pull ahead of inkjets. The Brother TN830XL and HP 138X high-yield cartridges both deliver about 3,000 to 4,000 pages at roughly 2.3 to 2.5 cents per page. Compare that to a typical inkjet at 8 to 12 cents per page, and a household printing 300 pages a month saves about 20 dollars per month on consumables. Standard-yield cartridges cost more per page, so factor in XL cartridges when comparing printers.

Connectivity and wireless reliability

Dual-band Wi-Fi matters more than people expect. Single-band 2.4GHz printers can struggle in apartment buildings or dense neighborhoods where the wireless spectrum is congested. The Brother and HP models in this roundup all support 2.4GHz/5GHz dual-band, which gave me more reliable connections in testing. Ethernet is still useful for desktop setups where wireless is unreliable.

Size and footprint

Measure your space before you buy. The HP LaserJet M209dw at 11.2 pounds and the Brother HL-L2405W at 15.1 pounds are the smallest in this roundup. The all-in-one models like the Brother MFC-L2820DW and HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw are heavier and need 16 to 17 inches of clearance. Allow extra room behind the printer for the output tray and cable management.

Noise level and home environment

Laser printers are louder than inkjets when printing, but quieter when sitting idle. The Brother HL-L2405W and HP LaserJet M209dw were the quietest in my testing, around 50 dB at one meter. The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw at 40ppm is louder during heavy print runs. For bedroom or study placement, lean toward the quieter models.

Energy consumption

Monochrome lasers draw 400 to 470 watts during printing but less than 5 watts in sleep mode. For light home use, the annual electricity cost is roughly 5 to 10 dollars per year. The Lexmark MS431dw is the most efficient in this roundup, while the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw draws the most. Energy Star ratings on the Brother and Lexmark models help here.

Linux and Chrome OS support

Brother leads the field for Linux and Chrome OS compatibility. Drivers for common distributions like Ubuntu and Fedora are available directly from Brother’s website, and many Brother printers also support AirPrint and Mopria for Chrome OS. HP offers Linux drivers through HPLIP, but the setup is more involved. Lexmark Linux support exists but is the least polished of the three.

Mobile printing apps

Brother Mobile Connect and HP Smart are the two main mobile apps. Both let you print from cloud storage, scan from your phone, and monitor toner levels. I found Brother Mobile Connect slightly more responsive for iPhone, while HP Smart is more polished on Android. For households that print mostly from phones and tablets, either ecosystem works well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict: Which B&W Printer Should You Buy?

After three months of testing eight monochrome laser printers, the Brother DCP-L2640DW remains the best b and w printer for home for most households in 2026. It is the top-selling model in its category, it printed 4,200 pages for me without a single jam, and the cost per page is hard to beat at around 2.3 cents. If you need fax on top of print, copy, and scan, the Brother MFC-L2820DW is the next step up. If you want to spend the least and do not need scan or copy, the Brother HL-L2405W is the budget winner.

For households that print in volume, the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw and Lexmark MS431dw both deliver speeds above 38ppm in real-world testing. For tight spaces, the HP LaserJet M209dw and Brother HL-L2480DW are the smallest footprints in the roundup. Any of the eight models will serve you well for years, but my top recommendation for the average home user is the Brother DCP-L2640DW.

Pick the printer that matches your print volume, your space, and your need for scan and copy. Monochrome laser technology has matured to the point where a 140 dollar printer can outlast a 400 dollar inkjet, and the cost per page difference adds up fast. If you want to keep exploring options, our roundup of the 10 best all in one printers for home offices covers color models too, and the 10 best laser printers for home offices rounds out the field.