Printers: How to buy the best printer Buying a cheap printer and ink
Problems with cheap printers
Printing costs really stack up so check running costs before you buy
We’ve seen printers for sale for as little as £25. If you’re short of cash, prices like this can be tempting.
However, our tests have shown that some cheap printers have high running costs.
We've tested models that have running costs of as high as £1.83 for one A4 photo, and 31p for a colour graphics document. When you consider it's possible to find a good-quality printer that costs 85% less in ink per print, there's plenty to be saved by checking our running cost information before you buy.
High running costs aren’t necessarily a problem if you print rarely. However, ink prices and the amount of ink a printer uses are things you should keep in mind and check before you buy.
If you know the running costs will be high, you can keep an eye on your printing and stick to printing in black and white for most documents, or use draft mode when high quality isn’t a priority.
To establish the long-term cost of owning the printer you’re interested in buying, head to our full printers review and check the print costs for the documents you print most frequently.
Cheap laser printers
Laser printers can seem pricey next to inkjet printers, but can be an excellent choice for those on a budget, particularly students.
Mono laser printers are the cheaper laser printer option, but only print in black and white. That said, if you’ve no need to print colour documents buying a mono printer ensures you won’t accidentally print colour documents (which are more expensive).
Laser printers generally have much lower running costs than inkjet printers, so in the long run can save you money, particularly if you do a lot of printing.
Colour laser printers are expensive, so aren’t a good choice if you’re on a budget.
Save money on printer ink, read about who sells the cheapest printer ink.
Cheap inkjet printers
Another way to save money when buying a printer is to go for a basic model without fancy features. There's no point in paying extra for a model that copies and scans if you won’t use these features.
Similarly, choosing a model without PictBridge or wi-fi connectivity may save you money on the initial purchase price and needn’t have an impact on print quality.
- Check our full printers review to find basic models that still produce top-quality printouts
- Find out how to save money on printing
- We test ink cartridges, find out which cartridges are best for you in our review
