There are many reasons why you might need the best color laser printer in 2020. They’re great for high-volume printing jobs in home offices and other business settings where printing will happen frequently. They’re also useful for students, artists, and designers to use.
The best color laser printers can provide photo and image quality comparable to the quality put out by the best color inkjet printers while performing better with higher speeds and fewer paper jams. Additionally, while most color laser printers will cost more initially than inkjet printers, they usually cost less in consumables like toner, drums, and imaging units.
Here, we’ll review the best color laser printers for your needs. We compared several laser color printers and came up with the ten best printers out there. So whether you’re a freelancing artist, a small business owner, or just want a reliable, high-quality printer, one of the printers we’ve reviewed is sure to suit the needs you have for it.
Comparison of 10 Best Color Laser Printers in 2020
| Image | Product Name | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Lexmark C3326dw Color Laser Printer |
| |
 | HP Color LaserJet Pro M454dw Printer |
| |
 | Brother MFC-L3770CDW All-in-One Printer |
| |
 | HP LaserJet Pro M254dw Color Laser Printer |
| |
 | Brother HL-L3290CDW Color Printer |
| |
 | HP Laserjet Pro M180nw All in One Printer |
| |
 | Canon imageCLASS LBP622Cdw Printer |
| |
 | Brother RHLL2320D Laser Printer |
| |
 | Canon imageCLASS MF733Cdw All in One Laser Printer |
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 | Brother MFC-L3710CW Color All-in-One Printer |
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Top 10 Best Color Laser Printer Reviews in 2020
The following are our reviews of the ten best laser color printers. These printers are sure to meet your needs whether you’re a student, small business owner, or just want to print professional, high-quality images and photos from home.
1. Lexmark C3326DW Color Laser Printer Best for Prints
While every printer on our list is great, there’s only one that can take the top spot as the best printer all-around. That said, the best color laser printer of 2020 in our opinion is the LexMark C3326DW. This color laser printer is an amazing piece of machinery that, conveniently, won’t be too large an expense from the beginning.
Despite its heavyweight, this printer is fairly compact and shouldn’t take up very much space in your home or office. It can be a little noisier than some models of laserjet printer, but it’s still significantly less disturbing than a majority of inkjet printers. So if a reasonably quiet printer that’s compact is what you’re looking for, this should be a great fit.
Its tray capacity can hold up to 250 sheets with a single-sheet feed to cut down on the potential for paper jams. It easily sets up with both Mac and Windows operating systems and should be compatible with Linux as well, though it’s not specified. This printer prints great no matter the connection type – whether you use USB, Ethernet, or wireless printing. You should expect high-quality, impeccable prints with this printer and you won’t be disappointed.
- This printer is compact and will fit into most places around your office or workspace
- Puts out excellent, high-quality prints that are vibrant and crisp
- Easy to set up with Mac or Windows OS
- Can print up to 26 ppm and has 512 MB of memory
- This printer is on the heavier side,
- If you’re used to inkjet printers,
Also read: Best Printer for Art Prints – Top Picks From Artists Review of 2020
2. HP Color LaserJet Pro M454DW Printer
If you need the best color laser printer for your small business, this HP printer is probably exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a particularly large sheet capacity for your laser color printer, you can get this one with an additional 550-sheet capacity feeder.
With it, you can count on this printer to handle every kind of job with a minimal need to refill the paper tray. This printer includes a suite of embedded security features which are designed to help you protect your printer and ensure the safety of any data on other devices on your network.
Alternatively, you can print with or without a wireless network, as the printer has built-in Wi-Fi Direct, so you can connect directly to the printer from your mobile device. It has a default automatic duplex printing system, and prints up to 28 pages per minute in both monochrome and full color.
- This printer can come by itself
- It’s easy to set up right out of the box
- Has an automatic on and off function
- Prints up to 28 ppm in both black-and-white as well as color with automatic duplex printing as a default setting
- Has a 2.7-inch intuitive color touchscreen to make set-up a breeze,
- If it’s not on a perfectly flat surface, this printer can jam easily
3. Brother MFC-L3770CDW Color All-in-One Laser Printer
The best all-in-one color laser printer is the Brother MFC-L3770CDW. This printer will make all of your printing jobs, copying, scanning, and faxing needs simple and hassle-free. It’s compatible with USB 2.0, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi connectivity so there’s no shortage of ways to use it.
This laser printer is great for all-around use, whether it be personal or business use is really up to you. It will work well in either environment, though you should keep in mind that it’s rather large and bulky, so it may take up too much space for common home uses.
It comes with an intuitive and easy-to-use touchscreen display, where you can manage what you want to print, scan, or copy, do any last-minute editing and print the documents. Additionally, it’s useful for helping you to troubleshoot any problems or errors, such as a reading for low toner.
- This printer gives quality prints that match big offices and suppliers while maintaining a consistent,
- Copy, print, and scan documents from any mobile device, tablet, or computer; plus, it sends and receives faxes
- It prints relatively quietly,
- The automatic duplex printing function works great
- It prints fairly slowly compared to other printers of its type
4. HP LaserJet Pro M254DW Color Laser Printer
The best color laser printer for home and wireless use is the HP LaserJet Pro M254DW. It’s particularly small and compact in size, so it will fit almost anywhere in your home, workspace, or home office. The starting toner that this printer comes with will print approximately 1,600 pages.
If you decide to use the HP Smart app, you will be able to set up your printer, order toner, and scan documents from your mobile device. Additionally, you’ll be able to print from any cloud-based storage, such as Apple Air Print or Google Cloud. The drivers may be a little finicky at first but are usually easy enough to work through, and for the effort, you’ll be able to enjoy excellent print quality for both documents and images.
- You can order this printer with color toner cartridges or black toner cartridges,
- The printer’s compact size
- Using the HP Smart app allows you to set up your printer,
- The print quality is excellent for both documents and images
- The drivers for this printer can be finicky and may not be easy for everyone to fix,
5. Brother HL-L3290CDW Compact Color Printer
If you’re not a fan of the HP printer above, you might find that the best home color laser printer is this compact digital color printer from Brother. Set this printer up with a static IP address for maximum connectivity, and it will be one of the best things you ever connect to your wireless network.
It’s compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems and is also compatible with Linux depending on the current firmware of your printer and the version of Linux being used, so be sure to check with the manufacturer before committing if this will be a concern you have.
It prints a little more slowly than some other printers on our list, but still prints at a respectable 25 pages per minute while being remarkably quiet. You can also use it to print on envelopes, card stock and more by using the manual feed slot on this printer.
- This printer is incredibly easy to set up on a wireless network.
- Prints any kind of job quickly and quietly with a speed of up to 25 ppm
- The starter toner included in the box should give you about 1,000 pages worth of use
- Has a maximum input sheet capacity of about 250 sheets of standard weighted paper,
- There are some issues with Linux compatibility
6. HP Color Laserjet Pro M180NW All-in-One Laser Printer
Another fantastic all-in-one wireless color laser printer is this Laserjet Pro by HP. If having an automatic duplex printing feature isn’t a necessity for you or you don’t plan on double-sided printing very often, this printer might fit you and your needs, or lack thereof, perfectly.
This printer is capable of working with any operating system and will scan, copy, and print your images and documents in excellent quality. You can use plain paper, recycled paper, cardstock, envelopes, and more with this printer, including glossy photo paper for when you want to print photos or other images. This printer comes with a one-year limited hardware warranty, so if anything is wrong, you can contact HP’s 24-hour customer support service.
- This printer scans, copies, and prints in excellent quality
- It comes with a one-year limited hardware warranty
- Works well with Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems
- You can use this printer with plain paper, envelopes, cardstock, glossy photo paper,
- This printer has an incredibly convenient email-to-print feature and prints quietly
- Printing speeds seem relatively inconsistent with this printer
7. Canon Color imageCLASS LBP622CDW Laser Printer
This Canon Color imageClass printer is the best cheap color laser printer, and it’s one of the least expensive models that we’ve reviewed here. But just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s not a fantastic printer.
The first print of a job is often the one that takes the longest, but this printer handles even that like a champ. You’ll get your first print in about 10.3 seconds, and everything from that point on is a breeze. This printer is easy to set up and can handle even obscure and cumbersome jobs. So, if you need the best buy color laser printer for your home or office, this is a great option.
- This printer will operate with speed and reliability,
- It is great for handling different sizes,
- The Color imageCLASS is incredibly easy to set up for use,
- Prints quietly and quickly,
- Great for a variety of uses
- It seems to have trouble recreating teal and adjacent tones,
8. Brother HLL2320D Compact Laser Printer
If you’re just looking for a basic laser printer that doesn’t have any unnecessary or extra features, the HLL2320D is the best budget laser printer you’ll find. It doesn’t copy, scan, or fax but it prints exceptionally well.
The instructions for set-up are clear even for those of us that aren’t very tech-savvy, but you will probably need a USB cord to set it up initially and that’s not included in the box. Any 2.0 USB you have around should work fine though. This printer has an automatic duplex printing feature and the printer itself uses an electrophotographic laser to print, so you’ll have undeniably clear and crisp text on your documents.
- It prints high-quality,
- Uses a high-speed USB 2.0 interface for local connectivity
- Uses an electrophotographic laser to produce the best-printed results
- Has an automatic duplex printing feature
- This printer is not Wi-Fi compatible
9. Canon Color imageCLASS MF733CDW Laser Printer
This is the best multifunction color laser printer that you’ll find in its class. For starters, it’ll produce the first page of whatever job you give it and produce that very first printed page in about 9 seconds, and can produce about 29 pages per minute.
So if you’re looking for a printer that can deliver with speed without jamming up during every job, this is a great option. You can subscribe to the Amazon Dash Replenishment subscription, which will keep tabs on your printer’s toner levels and will automatically order new toner for your printer as it runs out and have it delivered to your home or office for your convenience.
This printer features a duplex scanner that will simultaneously and automatically scan both sides of a document. It also has a massive sheet capacity with an expandable tray that will hold up to 850 total sheets of paper, so you’ll spend less time refilling the printer.
- The first print after starting this printer is delivered in about 9 seconds,
- hold up to 850 sheets of paper
- Prints, scans, copies, and faxes
- Perfect for most personal home uses
- The toner replacements seem expensive at first glance,
10. Brother MFC-L3710CW Color All-in-One Printer
The final contender on our list for the best color laser printers of 2020 is another Brother model, the MFC-L3710CW. It’s a compact digital all-in-one printer that is one of the best color laser multifunction printers out there.
Setting this printer up for use is incredibly simple, you’ll likely spend more time removing the protective packaging than you will actually setting the printer up to be used. Even if you usually have trouble setting up other printers or technology in general, this one shouldn’t give you any trouble.
This compact digital color all-in-one printer is a fantastic solution for you if you’re wanting to get crisp, vibrant prints and don’t want to worry about any bleeding from inkjet inks. It’s not perfect, the duplex printing method is kind of dated and the toner may read as empty before it actually is, but that can be fixed with a toner reset.
- This printer is very simple and easy to set-up,
- This printer registers directly to your PC during installation
- The replacement parts for this printer,
- The automatic duplexing is not an internal process
Buying Guide Best Color Laser Printers
Color printer or Monochrome
Monochrome printers can only print on black whereas, a color printer can print photographs too. Therefore, it is vital to have an understanding of your needs. If you simply want black prints then go for a monochrome printer. However, if you need color printing then you can choose a color printer. Yes, the color printer is expensive than a monochrome printer. Nevertheless, if the price is an issue then go for a monochrome printer. It would give you all the benefits as the color printer would give except for color printing. Thus, choose wisely and according to your needs.
Handling of a paper
A normal paper handling specification almost includes every size of a paper and also it includes the thickness of a paper. No matter what you are using, inkjet or a laser printer, the printer uses a standard kind of paper. However, the standardized paper does not include envelopes in it. Almost all the printers have accessibility to hold more than 100 sheets in their input and output trays. There are also advanced features of paper handling which include tabloid-size printing, auto-feeder and duplexing. Therefore, you need to know the paper handling aspects of a printer as it would lead you to buy a better printer.
Professional-quality paper
The fundamental rule of buying a printer is to check the printer first. It would help you see the paper’s quality and images. Nowadays, many stores give this opportunity to test the printer before you buy it. So availing the opportunity is a better option than to regret later. The fonts should be clearer despite its size. The color printing should be rich in quality. There should be no fuzzy images on the paper rather should be crisped.
FAQ’s
Laser printers or inkjet printers?
Yes, laser printers are more convenient than an inkjet printer. The paper handling of a laser printer is more in numbers than an inkjet printer. However, the cost of a laser printer is also high but the result is produced is better than an inkjet printer.
Is the toner is more expensive than a laser printer?
Yes, the cartridge is more expensive than the printer. However, there are many printers with cheaper toner.
What is the age of a toner in a laser printer?
Normally, a toner works for more than a year. There many laser printers with a toner that lasts for more than 2 years. It totally depends on the consumer, how much he/she is using the printer. If you are using it in an office then maybe before a year. As for home usage, maybe it will cross 2 years.
Can a simpler laser printer prints in color too?
No, only a color laser printer is made to print in color. Simple laser printers are generally monochrome printers that can print in black only.
How much noise a color laser printer makes?
No, the color laser printer does not make a noise while printing. A little sound but not noise. Unlike inkjet printers, a color laser printer is quiet.
Wrap Up
Even the best inkjet printers can be a hassle, between their noise levels and the fact that the ink can become dry or gum up the injection nozzles if it goes unused for a while. You won’t have these kinds of problems when you use the best laser color printers. With the above products and our in-depth reviews of them, we hope that you’ll find the best color laser printer for all of your home and office needs.
