Our readers keep the lights on and my morning glass full of iced black tea. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.9 Best Color Laser Printer | Quiet Workhorse for Your Desk

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The fastest print-only model in the lineup cuts your wait at the printer by about a third compared to budget models.

This Brother prints at 27 ppm (pages per minute — a measure of how fast paper moves through the machine) in both black and color. The Canon LBP632Cdw runs at 22 ppm in color. A 12-page color handout lands in your hands in about 27 seconds on this Brother and takes nearly 33 seconds on the Canon LBP632Cdw. The 2.7-inch color touchscreen lets you pull files from Google Drive or Dropbox without a computer nearby.

Buyers report it was their “first laserjet replacing a dried-up inkjet,” and they praise the easy Wi-Fi setup and the large paper tray that holds 250 sheets (half a ream). The duplex printing (printing on both sides automatically) is automatic, so you cut paper use without thinking about it. The built-in Gigabit Ethernet is there if you want the most stable connection for a shared office printer.

The trade-off: a full set of replacement toners costs about as much as the printer itself, and the unit is heavy — owners mention it has lifting handles, which are a small mercy. Some users report Wi-Fi dropouts that require a power cycle.

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The high-volume workhorse that prints 35 pages per minute — the fastest here, including for scanning stacks of two-sided pages.

At 35 ppm, this Canon outruns every other printer on this list — even the Brother HLL3280CDW at 27 ppm. The 50-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF — a tray that feeds multi-page originals into the scanner) and one-pass duplex scanning (scanning both sides of a two-sided page in one pass) mean you can digitize a stack of two-sided pages without flipping them manually. Paper capacity expands to 850 sheets with an optional cassette, making it a true small-office hub for high-demand environments. It uses Canon Genuine Toner 069 and 069 High Capacity, with starter cartridges yielding 1,100 pages for color and 2,100 for black.

Buyers who came from HP describe the setup as “easy” and praise the “ultra clean, accurate, sharp copies.” One reviewer with decades in IT said this Canon replaced an HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw because the HP’s software kept locking up — the Canon set up in 45 minutes and passed every test. The 3-year limited warranty is a standout in the category.

The catch: some units sold through Amazon are gray-market imports that cannot be registered with Canon USA for warranty support. Customers note the printer is “fantastic” but warn about the support issue. Also, the touchscreen interface has a learning curve, and configuration for advanced scan-to-email can be unintuitive.

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An entry-level print-only model that performs like a business printer — fast and sharp, but picky about your home network.

For a print-only model, this Canon is a strong middle-ground pick. It prints at 26 ppm in both color and mono, which is just behind the Brother HLL3280CDW at 27 ppm but beats the Canon LBP632Cdw’s 22 ppm soundly. The first page prints in about 10.3 seconds, so you are not drumming your desk waiting for a single invoice. It uses Canon Genuine Toner 075 cartridges with high-capacity options. The 5-line LCD screen (a simple text display, not a touchscreen) is basic but gets the job done.

Reviewers point out it was an “easy 30-min setup for non-tech users,” and one new owner called it “heavy, commercial quality, loud but fast printing.” Another noted the “excellent print speed and quality” and said as a low-volume user, the toner lasts 2 to 3 years. The unit has a 250-sheet standard cassette plus a 1-sheet multipurpose tray for envelopes or card stock.

The downside: some users found the Wi-Fi setup infuriating, with one spending over 3 hours and still failing — the printer requires 2.4 GHz networks, not 5 GHz. It is also notably loud during operation, and the 1-year warranty is shorter than some competitors.

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A full-featured all-in-one with a touchscreen that simplifies scanning, but its toner lock-in is a dealbreaker for many.

This HP packs print, scan, copy, fax, and a two-sided single-pass scanner (scans both sides of a page in one pass) into one machine. At 26 ppm in black and color, it matches the Canon LBP646Cdw for speed. The TerraJet toner system is designed by the brand to produce more vivid colors on standard documents. The 250-sheet input tray is standard for the class, and the auto document feeder handles multi-page scans. The dual-band Wi-Fi has a self-reset feature that tries to recover automatically from connection drops.

Shoppers say “fast, intuitive setup with responsive touchscreen” and “excellent print quality with crisp text and vibrant colors.” The scanning capability is especially praised for direct email and cloud uploads. One small business owner noted the toner levels barely moved after dozens of color pages, suggesting good efficiency according to the brand.

The major caveat: HP locks its printers to use only cartridges with original HP chips or circuitry. Firmware updates enforce this, and replacement toner (HP 218a series) is expensive — a full set costs over at some retailers. One reviewer noted that after the starter cartridges ran out, replacement cartridges produced “faded, illegible output” despite paying over in total. Several reviews cite poor customer support and software issues.

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A well-rounded all-in-one that brings scanning and copying to the table, though its 19 ppm speed is noticeably slower than the top picks.

The Brother MFC-L3720CDW is slower on paper — 19 ppm in both black and color — but it brings a 50-sheet auto document feeder, a flatbed scanner, copier, and fax. That makes it a more versatile machine than the fast print-only models above. The 3.5-inch color touchscreen offers 48 customizable shortcuts and connects to Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneNote without a computer. It uses the same TN229 toner family as the Brother HLL3280CDW, so replacement costs are comparable.

Buyers report the wireless setup is quick and reliable, and one owner noted “sharp print, vibrant colors, fast, no jams.” The scanner is good for multi-page documents and the machine runs quietly. The toner is efficient, which helps offset the slower print speed for home office use. The MFC is heavy, but it ships with a bag that has handles for moving it into place.

The pain point: one owner reported the “Replace Waste Toner” error bricked the printer permanently after about 1,000 pages over two years. The replacement genuine part did not clear the error, and Brother support (out of warranty) could not fix it. The 19 ppm speed is noticeably slower than the 27 ppm on the Brother HLL3280CDW, so if high volume and speed are your priority, this is not your pick.

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A low-price all-in-one that scans and copies, but setup quirks and paper-quality needs make it a project printer.

The Xerox C235dni prints at 24 ppm in black and color, with a 250-sheet tray and support for high-yield cartridges to keep ongoing costs reasonable. It includes starter toner rated at 500 sheets, which is enough to get a feel for the printer. This model also scans and copies — it is a true all-in-one for small offices. The Xerox Easy Assist App is meant to simplify setup on 2.4 GHz networks, according to the brand.

One buyer called it “the best printer I’ve owned yet” and said it survives power outages without issues. However, the setup process attracts complaints: users report the QR code setup loop fails, the Xerox website is hard to navigate after Lexmark’s acquisition, and the scanner is single-sided only despite the printer’s duplex capability. One reviewer spent days troubleshooting light prints before realizing the printer needs better-quality paper — on standard copy paper, output looks washed out, but on premium inkjet and laser paper it prints fine.

The biggest concerns are that some units arrive looking used or refurbished, and the starter toner runs low after fewer than 15 pages according to one reviewer. The USB port does not recognize ExFat format, only NTFS. The printer’s support and driver ecosystem has been disrupted by Xerox’s sale to Lexmark.

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A fast print-only HP that prints vivid colors from the start, but replacement costs can sour the experience quickly.

This HP delivers solid speed at 26 ppm in both black and color, and the TerraJet toner technology is designed by the brand to produce deeper, more vivid colors on standard office paper. The built-in auto-duplex printing and 250-sheet tray keep it in line with other mid-range print-only models. The dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset tries to keep you running without manual intervention.

Buyers who got the printer running well say it is a “reliable workhorse” with “clean text and solid color output” and fast throughput — about 25 to 26 ppm in real use. The footprint is reasonable for a desk. However, multiple reviews warn that while the starter cartridges produce excellent prints, the replacement HP 218a cartridges are a nightmare. One buyer spent over on the printer and replacements only to get “terrible, faded, illegible output.” Another said Amazon toner is incompatible because of chip checks, and the only reliable source is Office Depot at for a four-color box. HP’s firmware updates block non-HP cartridges. Customer support is described as poor, with one user given a refurbished unit that also failed.

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A secure, well-built print-only printer that never jams — but toner costs will sting the individual buyer.

The Lexmark CS331dw prints at 26 ppm in both color and black. It packs a 1-GHz dual-core processor and 512 MB of memory — more than enough for handling complex color documents without lag. The duplex printing is automatic and reliable. Lexmark’s security architecture protects data on the device, in transit, and over the network, which matters for businesses with compliance requirements. It supports AirPrint and the Lexmark mobile print app.

One buyer called it an “excellent color laser printer” with great print quality and fast output. The duplexer works flawlessly and the printer never jams. Another reviewer was pleasantly surprised that after 3 to 4 months unused, it printed perfectly with excellent color quality — a major edge over inkjet machines with dried-out heads. Driver installation is another hassle — the printer does not include an optical disc and you must hunt the Lexmark website for drivers manually.

Also note: the model does not support 5 GHz Wi-Fi, so you need a 2.4 GHz connection or a USB/Ethernet cable. The setup process via the Lexmark webpage is straightforward for those comfortable with networking.

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The cheapest print-only Canon in the lineup that delivers sharp text and clean colors — if your network cooperates.

This Canon runs at 22 ppm in both black and color — the slowest of the print-only models here. It uses Toner 067 cartridges and includes starter yields of 680 pages for color and 910 for black. The auto-duplex is standard, and you get a 250-sheet cassette plus a 1-sheet multipurpose tray for odd-size paper. It supports AirPrint and Mopria for easy mobile printing.

Customers note “excellent print quality (sharp text, clean colors)” and find the duplex printing reliable and fast. On Windows and Android, the wireless connection works great. One Ubuntu user said it worked from the start with no software needed. The printer wakes from sleep in about 15 seconds and hits the 22 ppm speed consistently. The noise during operation is noticeable, but typical for a laser printer.

The catch: this printer does not natively support Chromebooks — you need an ezeep cloud workaround to print. Some users found it impossible to connect to Wi-Fi 6 mesh networks; the printer rejects the correct password. Wired Ethernet connection did not work for one owner either, forcing a USB connection. This is a great value if your network is simple, but modern mesh users may struggle.