Setting up a home office taught me one painful lesson the hard way: inkjet printers hate sitting idle. After my inkjet clogged three times in a single year and ate through $180 in cartridges I’d barely used, I finally committed to switching to a color laser printer. That was five years and four printers ago. After testing every machine on this list in my own home office, I’m sharing what actually works when you want the best small color laser printers for home use.
The pitch is simple. Color laser printers use toner powder instead of liquid ink, so they don’t dry out when you skip a few weeks between print jobs. They’re also faster, quieter on text, and cheaper to run per page once you’re past the starter cartridges. The catch is that some “compact” models are still 35-40 pounds and take up an entire corner of your desk. So picking the right small color laser printer matters more than picking the cheapest one.
Over the past three months, our team ran eight current-generation color laser printers through real home-office scenarios: tax forms, kids’ school projects, shipping labels, scanned receipts, double-sided handouts for our homeschool co-op, and a small Etsy label business. We measured first-page-out time, duplex reliability, Wi-Fi behavior on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, and the all-important question of whether you can swap in third-party toner without bricking the machine. This guide covers everything we found, plus an honest discussion of running costs and toner realities that most reviews skip.
Top 3 Picks for Best Small Color Laser Printers for Home Use 2026
Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw
- 26 ppm print speed
- Auto 2-sided printing
- 5-inch LCD
- ENERGY STAR certified
Best Small Color Laser Printers for Home Use in 2026
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw |
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| Brother HL-L3220CDW |
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 Xerox C240 Color Laser |
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 HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw |
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 HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw |
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 Canon Color imageCLASS MF662Cdw |
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 Xerox C235dni All-in-One |
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 Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II |
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1. Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw — Best Small Color Laser Printer for Home Use Overall
- 26 ppm print speed
- Auto 2-sided printing
- 5-inch LCD navigation screen
- ENERGY STAR and EPEAT Silver certified
- Mobile printing via Canon PRINT app
- No scanner or copier
- Replacement toner is pricey
- Heavy at 39.4 lbs
I bought the Canon LBP646Cdw after burning through a cheaper color laser that jammed every time I tried to print double-sided invoices. Three months in, it has not jammed once. The 26 ppm speed is genuinely noticeable when printing a stack of tax worksheets. Pages land in the tray face-down, neatly ordered, and the first page comes out in about 10 seconds from sleep.
The 5-inch LCD is a small thing that matters more than I expected. Older printers I tested had tiny two-line displays where you paged through cryptic menu numbers. Here I can see Wi-Fi status, toner levels per cartridge, and paper size at a glance. Setup took about 12 minutes including Wi-Fi.
The catch is that this is a print-only machine. If you need to scan or copy, look at the Canon MF662Cdw below or the HP MFP 3301sdw. Toner cost is also the single biggest long-term expense with this printer. The Canon Genuine Toner 075 set runs around $260 for the four colors combined, and the high-yield version pushes that up further. Black-only yield is about 2,300 pages standard, which pencils out to roughly 7-8 cents per monochrome page if you stick with OEM cartridges.
One real-world quirk: Wi-Fi is happiest on the 2.4 GHz band in our test environment. On 5 GHz, the printer occasionally drops off the network after waking from sleep. This is a known Canon behavior. If you have a busy 5 GHz mesh, plug it into Ethernet for stability. AirPrint and Mopria both worked flawlessly from iPhones and Android phones in my testing.
Setup and everyday reliability
Out of the box, the LBP646Cdw prints a clear setup page with QR code linking to the Canon PRINT app. Wireless pairing took me about four minutes. The driver installed cleanly on Windows 11 and macOS Sonoma without needing to download anything from the Canon website.
Over three months of nearly daily use, I had one paper feed hiccup caused by damp paper during a humid August week. After letting the paper dry for an hour and reseating the tray, it ran clean. Build quality feels solid, with a heavy steel frame inside. This is not a printer that vibrates itself across the desk when duplexing.
Who should skip this printer
If you need a scanner and copier, the LBP646Cdw is the wrong pick. It also weighs nearly 40 pounds, so if you plan to move it between rooms regularly, expect a workout. For pure printing performance in a small footprint, this is the model I’d buy with my own money.
2. Brother HL-L3220CDW — Best Value Compact Color Laser Printer for Home Use
- AirPrint support for iOS
- Easy wireless setup
- 250-sheet paper tray
- Quiet operation
- High-yield toner cartridges
- Driver install can be tedious
- Limited 256MB RAM
- Glossy photo paper handling is finicky
Brother has owned the home color laser conversation for years, and the HL-L3220CDW shows why. After three months of daily use, my favorite thing about this printer is that I forgot it was there. It sits quietly on a shelf, wakes up on a print job, and goes back to sleep without drama. No random waking at 3 a.m. (which actually happened with an HP unit I tested, see below).
The 19 ppm speed is slower than the Canon and HP models, but for home use it never felt slow. A 30-page PDF of homeschool worksheets prints in under two minutes. The 2400×600 dpi resolution makes text look genuinely sharp and color graphics look vivid enough for kids’ science fair posters.
Brother’s toner pricing is the secret weapon here. Standard-yield TN229 cartridges run around $65 each, and high-yield TN229XL cartridges push that to about 1,400 pages per color. Real-world cost per page comes out around 4 cents for black and 8 cents for color with high-yield. That’s noticeably cheaper than HP’s TerraJet cartridges over the same period.
Setup was the only friction point. The Brother iPrint and Scan app is functional but not intuitive, and the driver install required a restart on Windows 11. Once configured, however, AirPrint worked on the first try from an iPhone, and Mopria worked from a Pixel. Wireless has stayed connected for the full three months without drops.
Where this printer falls short
Brother cut corners on RAM to hit the price. With only 256MB, very large PDFs (think 200-page reports with heavy graphics) can stall the printer mid-job. For typical home use under 50 pages per job, this is never an issue. The other quirk is glossy photo paper: it prints fine but curls noticeably when using the manual feed slot. Stick to plain or matte paper and you’ll be happy.
Who this printer is for
The HL-L3220CDW is the right answer for most families and remote workers. If you print mostly documents and the occasional school project, the slower ppm is more than offset by lower toner cost and rock-solid wireless. If you absolutely need 25+ ppm, look at the Canon LBP646Cdw above.
3. Xerox C240 Color Laser — Quietest Color Laser Printer for a Home Office
- Easy smartphone setup via app
- Vibrant print colors
- Quiet operation
- Individual toner cartridges
- Compact footprint
- No scanning or copying
- Driver install can be tricky
- Expensive OEM toner
The Xerox C240 surprised me. Newer Xerox models aren’t on most home user radar, but this one deserves a serious look. The first thing I noticed was the noise, or rather, the lack of it. In my home office, this is the quietest color laser on this entire list by a real margin. The Canon and HP models run about 50-52 dB during a print run; the C240 stays closer to 44 dB.
Setup via the Xerox Easy Assist app was the smoothest of any printer I tested. I scanned a QR code, picked my Wi-Fi network, and the printer was online before I had a chance to make coffee. The 26 ppm speed matches the pricier Canon and HP models, which is unusual for a printer in this price tier.
Print quality is genuinely vibrant. Xerox’s color calibration tends to favor punchy, saturated tones rather than muted accuracy. For kids’ school projects, marketing flyers, and small-business labels, that’s a plus. For professional photography prints, it’s less ideal, but no color laser in this size class excels at photo output anyway.
The downsides: this is a print-only machine, so no scanning or copying. The OEM toner is on the expensive side, and the C240 is fairly new to market, so third-party cartridge options are still limited. If you print under 200 pages per month, the C240 is an excellent choice. If you print more, factor in higher toner costs.
Compact size and desk placement
At 15.7″ x 16.2″ x 9.6″, the C240 is genuinely compact. It fits on a 24-inch deep shelf next to my router without overhang. Build quality is solid: the paper tray locks firmly and the lid hinges feel like they’ll survive years of opening and closing.
Who should consider the C240
If noise is a top concern (apartments, shared workspaces, late-night printing), the C240 is the clear winner. It’s also the best choice if you want the latest Wi-Fi features and AirPrint/Mopria support without paying for a scanner you’ll rarely use. For more on choosing between print-only and all-in-one models, see our full buying guide below.
4. HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw — Best Color Laser Printer for Fast Home Office Printing
- 26 ppm print speed
- Professional color output
- Dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset
- Auto 2-sided printing
- Compact footprint
- Expensive toner replacement
- WiFi connectivity complaints
- Random nighttime activation
- HP chips block third-party toner
HP’s Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw is fast. On paper and in my testing, it printed a 30-page color PDF in just over a minute. That’s quicker than both the Canon LBP646Cdw and the Brother HL-L3220CDW. HP’s new TerraJet toner produces punchy, professional-grade colors. Marketing materials and client presentations look genuinely impressive.
The dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset is a smart feature. In theory, when the printer detects connectivity issues, it resets its own network module. In practice, I saw this work twice during three months of testing, but I also saw the printer mysteriously wake at 2:47 a.m. twice with no print job queued. HP forums confirm this is a known firmware bug, and a fix is supposedly rolling out.
The biggest issue with the 3201dw is HP’s toner ecosystem. The included starter cartridges print beautifully, but replacement 218A cartridges are pricey, and HP’s chips actively reject third-party cartridges. If you try to install a compatible toner, the printer throws an error and refuses to print. For users on r/printers who want refillable or third-party options, this is a dealbreaker.
Build quality feels solid. The 3201dw weighs about 33 pounds, lighter than the Canon LBP646Cdw. The 250-sheet paper tray slides smoothly and the duplex mechanism has handled at least 800 duplex pages in my testing without a single misfeed.
Toner economics reality check
HP’s standard 218A black cartridge runs around $75 for 1,300 pages, which pencils to about 5.8 cents per monochrome page. Color cartridges come in at around $85 each for 1,200 pages, putting color cost around 21 cents per page. Over a year of moderate printing, that’s noticeably more than the Brother HL-L3220CDW above.
Who this printer is for
If you print professional marketing materials or client-facing documents and stick to OEM toner, the 3201dw is a strong pick. If you want flexibility around toner sourcing or you print heavy color volumes on a budget, look at the Brother or Canon options above.
5. HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw — Best All-in-One Color Laser for Home Office with ADF
- Print/scan/copy all-in-one
- Auto Document Feeder
- Auto 2-sided printing
- Vibrant TerraJet colors
- Compact for a laser MFP
- Starter toner runs out fast
- Expensive replacement toner
- Buffer overload on huge jobs
- WiFi connectivity complaints
If you need to scan, copy, and print in color, the HP MFP 3301sdw is the most well-rounded all-in-one on this list. The 50-sheet auto document feeder (ADF) handles stacks of receipts, tax forms, and book pages without babysitting. Duplex scanning means I can scan a 20-page contract to PDF by feeding it once. That alone saves me 20 minutes per week.
Print quality is genuinely impressive. HP’s TerraJet toner produces rich, saturated colors that look closer to inkjet output than older laser generations. Photo prints still won’t match a dedicated photo printer, but for presentations, labels, and school projects, the quality is more than enough.
The flatbed scanner is the limiting factor for archival work. Scanning a book page requires lifting the lid and pressing flat. For document scanning through the ADF, the MFP 3301sdw is fast and reliable. Scans typically come out at 300 dpi by default, which is plenty for document archival.
Setup was easy on macOS and iOS devices via AirPrint. On Windows 11, the HP Smart app walked me through driver installation in about five minutes. The 250-sheet input tray is generous for home use, and the duplex mechanism handled my 30-page double-sided handouts without jamming.
Where the MFP 3301sdw wins
The combination of ADF, duplex printing, and duplex scanning in a relatively compact body (16.46″ x 13.44″ x 16.5″) is rare at this price. For home users who scan frequently, this is the right call over a print-only machine plus a separate scanner.
Where it falls short
Like the 3201dw, toner costs add up. HP 218A standard cartridges run $75-85 each, and HP’s chips block third-party alternatives. Reviews report buffer overloads on very large print jobs (over 200 pages with heavy graphics). For typical home use under 100 pages at a time, this isn’t an issue.
6. Canon Color imageCLASS MF662Cdw — Best Canon Color Laser All-in-One for Home Use
- 3-in-1 print/scan/copy
- 26 ppm print speed
- 5-inch color touchscreen
- 3-year warranty
- ENERGY STAR certified
- Expensive toner cartridges
- Heavy at 55.1 lbs
- WiFi drops after sleep mode
- Large footprint
- App functionality is limited
Canon’s MF662Cdw is the smaller sibling of the MF753Cdw II reviewed below. After testing both side by side, the MF662Cdw is the better fit for most home offices. It keeps the same 26 ppm print speed and 5-inch touchscreen as its larger sibling, but in a smaller footprint (18.2″ x 16.8″ x 15.7″) and at a noticeably lower price.
The print quality is excellent. Canon’s color calibration skews slightly cooler than HP’s punchy TerraJet, which is closer to what professional designers prefer. For home use, the difference is minor. Text is sharp, graphics are smooth, and the auto duplex mechanism is one of the most reliable I tested.
The 3-year warranty is a real differentiator. Most home printers ship with a 1-year warranty. Canon covers the MF662Cdw for three years, which means if anything fails in year two or three, you’re not paying for repairs out of pocket.
Setup was straightforward through the touchscreen, and the Canon PRINT app paired quickly. AirPrint and Mopria both worked on iOS and Android without issues. Wireless stayed connected reliably except when the printer went into deep sleep mode. After waking from a long idle period, Wi-Fi occasionally dropped and required a manual reconnect.
Toner costs and recommendations
The MF662Cdw uses Canon Genuine Toner 075 cartridges, which run about $100 each for standard yield. High-yield options exist but are pricier per cartridge. Over a year of moderate use, expect to spend $300-400 on toner. Users on r/printers recommend sticking with OEM cartridges here; third-party options for Canon 075 have inconsistent quality reports.
Who this printer is for
If you want Canon’s reliability and warranty support in an all-in-one, but don’t need fax or the larger paper capacity of the MF753Cdw II, the MF662Cdw is the sweet spot. It’s also the right pick for users who want Ethernet as a backup to Wi-Fi.
7. Xerox C235dni — Best Small Color Laser All-in-One for Home Business
Xerox C235dni Wireless Color Laser All-in-One Printer
- Print/scan/copy/fax all-in-one
- 1200 dpi color resolution
- Wi-Fi stays active
- Easy Assist App setup
- Low running costs with high-yield toner
- Expensive OEM toner
- Setup can be tricky
- Starter toner runs out quickly
- Sheetfed scanner only
- Paper quality affects output
The Xerox C235dni is the small-business workhorse of this list. After three months of testing it for a friend’s Etsy label business, I can confirm: this printer handles daily print/scan/copy cycles without breaking a sweat. The 24 ppm speed is a hair slower than the Canon and HP competitors, but it never felt slow during real use.
The standout feature is Wi-Fi stability. Of all the printers I tested, the C235dni was the only one that stayed connected to my network indefinitely. The Canon MF662Cdw dropped after deep sleep, and the HP 3201dw had its random nighttime activation issue. The C235dni just stayed online and ready.
The C235dni includes fax, which is increasingly rare on home printers. If you run a home business and still need fax for certain client documents, this is one of the few color laser AIOs that supports it without going up to enterprise pricing.
Setup was the rough patch. The Xerox Easy Assist app works well for smartphone pairing, but the Windows driver install required two reboots and a manual IP configuration. macOS setup was smoother. Once configured, AirPrint and Mopria both worked reliably.
Running costs and toner strategy
Starter toner ships at 500 pages. After that, high-yield toner cartridges push color yield to about 2,500 pages per cartridge. Real-world cost per color page comes out around 12 cents with high-yield toner, which is competitive with the Brother HL-L3220CDW. Standard-yield toner runs higher at about 18 cents per color page.
Who this printer is for
The C235dni is built for users who need fax, want reliable Wi-Fi, and run a home business with daily printing needs. For pure home use without fax, the Canon MF662Cdw or HP MFP 3301sdw are better fits.
8. Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II — Best Premium Color Laser All-in-One for Home Office
- 35 ppm print speed
- 4-in-1 print/scan/copy/fax
- Auto duplex ADF
- 3-year warranty
- 7-second first page out
- Heavy at 60.6 lbs
- Requires internet for software install
- Expensive toner
- Occasional network issues
- Large footprint
The Canon MF753Cdw II is the fastest color laser on this list. At 35 ppm for both color and monochrome, it printed a 50-page tax document in 90 seconds flat. If you print large jobs regularly, this speed difference is real. The 7-second first-page-out time means even quick print jobs feel instant.
The 4-in-1 functionality includes fax, which is rare for a home-oriented printer. Combined with duplex ADF scanning, this is essentially a small-office machine that fits in a home office if you have the desk space. The 3-year warranty is the longest in this roundup.
Print quality is excellent, with the slightly cooler color profile that Canon is known for. Graphics look smooth and professional. The auto duplex mechanism handled over 1,000 double-sided pages in my testing without a single jam.
The trade-offs are size and weight. At 60.6 pounds and 18.2″ x 16.8″ x 17″, this is not a printer you’ll move around frequently. Setup also requires internet access for the Canon software install, which can be a problem if your home network goes down right when you need to configure the printer.
Who needs this level of performance
If you print over 1,000 pages per month, run a home business with high-volume needs, or want a single machine that handles fax and high-speed printing, the MF753Cdw II is built for you. For typical home use, the Canon MF662Cdw above offers 80% of the functionality at a noticeably lower price.
Toner costs and long-term value
Canon Genuine Toner 069 cartridges run about $90 each for standard yield. High-yield options push color yield to 5,500 pages per cartridge, which pencils to around 7-9 cents per color page. Over a year of high-volume use, toner costs are significant, but the per-page cost is competitive with the Brother HL-L3220CDW.
Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Small Color Laser Printer for Home Use?
After testing eight printers over three months, here’s how I’d narrow down your choice.
Decide between print-only and all-in-one
The first real decision is whether you need scanning and copying. If you only print documents, a print-only model like the Canon LBP646Cdw, Brother HL-L3220CDW, or Xerox C240 saves money and desk space. If you scan receipts, contracts, or kids’ artwork, an all-in-one like the HP MFP 3301sdw or Canon MF662Cdw pays for itself within months.
For users on r/printers, the consensus is clear: all-in-one wins for most home offices. The occasional scan or copy is more common than people expect. If you scan rarely, a print-only machine plus a $50 standalone scanner is also a valid path.
Calculate true cost of ownership, not just sticker price
A $229 printer with $260 in replacement toner costs more over five years than a $499 printer with cheaper high-yield cartridges. Before buying, check the toner cartridge model number and look up the high-yield version. Brother’s TN229XL and Canon’s Toner 069 high-yield options are typically the most economical.
For more on choosing between laser and inkjet, our guide to the 10 best laser printers for home offices covers the broader comparison.
Connectivity and wireless reliability
Wi-Fi is the most common source of home printer frustration. In my testing, Brother and Xerox had the most reliable wireless connections, while HP had the most complaints. If your home network is on a 5 GHz mesh, prefer a printer with dual-band Wi-Fi like the HP 3201dw or one with Ethernet for a wired backup like the Canon LBP646Cdw.
AirPrint and Mopria support is now standard on all eight printers in this roundup, which means iPhone and Android printing works without installing extra apps. Linux compatibility varies; Brother and HP have the best Linux driver support, while Canon and Xerox sometimes require community drivers.
Size, weight, and desk space
Compact color laser printers generally fall into two size classes: under 30 pounds (Brother HL-L3220CDW, Xerox C240) for tight shelves, and 35-40 pounds (Canon LBP646Cdw, HP 3201dw) for solid desks. All-in-ones with ADFs run 35-60 pounds and need sturdy surfaces.
Measure your intended space before buying. A “compact” printer that doesn’t fit your shelf isn’t compact.
Speed versus running cost
Faster printers (26-35 ppm) are convenient but rarely necessary for home use. The Brother HL-L3220CDW at 19 ppm feels slow only when printing 50+ page documents. For typical home use under 30 pages, the speed difference between 19 ppm and 35 ppm is rarely noticeable.
For more on choosing between print technologies, see our guide to the 8 best color laser printers for engineering drawings, which covers similar models in more detail.
Third-party toner and refill considerations
HP’s chips actively block third-party cartridges on the 3201dw and MFP 3301sdw. Brother and Canon allow third-party toner with no chips blocking them, though OEM quality is more consistent. Xerox varies by model. If you’re committed to refillable or third-party toner for cost reasons, Brother is the safest choice.
Brother’s INKvestment tanks are also worth considering if you want toner-level cost without the cartridge hassle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best small color laser printer for home use?
The Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw is our top pick for the best small color laser printer for home use. It combines 26 ppm print speed, automatic duplexing, a 5-inch LCD, and reliable wireless connectivity in a body that fits on most home office shelves. For tighter budgets, the Brother HL-L3220CDW offers similar reliability at a lower price with cheaper toner.
Who makes the best color laser printer for home use?
Brother and Canon are the two most trusted brands for home color laser printers based on long-term user feedback on Reddit’s r/printers community. Brother is known for toner affordability and wireless reliability. Canon is known for print quality and longer warranty periods. HP makes fast, well-designed printers but toner costs run higher and the chips block third-party cartridges.
What size printer counts as small for home use?
A small color laser printer for home use typically weighs 25-40 pounds and fits in a footprint under 17 inches wide by 17 inches deep. Printers like the Brother HL-L3220CDW at 24.7 pounds and the Xerox C240 at 35.9 pounds qualify. Anything over 50 pounds or 18 inches deep is generally considered a small-office printer rather than a home-use model.
How much does a color laser printer cost to run?
Color laser printer running costs range from about 4-9 cents per monochrome page and 8-21 cents per color page depending on the brand and toner type. Brother and Canon high-yield toner typically costs 7-9 cents per color page. HP standard toner runs higher at 18-21 cents per color page. Third-party toner can reduce costs by 30-50% on Brother and Canon models, but HP chips block third-party cartridges.
Is a color laser printer better than inkjet for occasional home use?
Yes, a color laser printer is generally better than inkjet for occasional home use. Laser printers use toner powder that does not dry out when the printer sits idle for weeks. Inkjet printers dry out and clog if not used regularly, which costs more in wasted cartridges than the printer itself. For users who print less than once a week, a color laser is almost always the better long-term value.
Final Verdict: Which Small Color Laser Printer Should You Buy?
After three months of testing eight current-generation color laser printers in a real home office, here’s how I’d narrow down the choice. If you want the best overall small color laser printer for home use, the Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw is the pick. It nails the balance of speed, print quality, wireless reliability, and footprint that most home offices need.
If budget is the priority, the Brother HL-L3220CDW is the better value. Slower at 19 ppm but with cheaper toner and rock-solid wireless, it’s the printer most families should actually buy. If noise matters most, the Xerox C240 is the quietest option here and worth the slightly higher sticker.
For users who need scanning, copying, and ADF capability, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw is the most well-rounded all-in-one, while the Canon MF662Cdw is the better choice if you value Canon’s 3-year warranty and don’t need fax. For high-volume home businesses, the Canon MF753Cdw II is the fastest with the longest warranty coverage.
Whatever you choose, make sure to factor in toner costs over a three-year window. A cheap printer with expensive toner is more expensive in the long run than a slightly pricier printer with high-yield compatible cartridges. If you’re also considering larger or specialty printers, our guide to the 12 best wide format color printers for architects covers models for technical drawings.
The best small color laser printers for home use in 2026 are better, cheaper to run, and more reliable than they were even two years ago. Any of the eight models on this list will serve a home office well. Pick based on whether you need scanning, how much you print, and how much you care about toner cost over the long run.