Which printer brand to buy in 2026

Knowing which printer brands develop the fewest faults and have the highest ratings from real printer owners is key to helping you choose a model you can rely on. We've surveyed nearly 6,000 inkjet owners to help you discover which brand to choose. 

We know that the average printer lasts for a decade, so it's important to choose a printer brand that'll give you a great experience long-term – and then you can narrow down the exact model to buy from its range. Our indepth research will help you choose a model that'll go the distance.

Want to skip ahead to what model to buy? See our pick of the best home printers to find out which we recommend.

Which printer brands develop the fewest faults?

Below are the results of nearly 6,000 inkjet printer owners. The results reveal one printer brand is significantly more reliable than the others, with much fewer printers faulty in the first seven years of ownership. It's customers are the most satisfied, too.

Only logged-in Which? members can see our unlocked table and discover exactly what printer brands are most reliable and which have the happiest customers – and which don't. The tables below have the inkjet brands in alphabetical order. You can get instant access to our results and all of our reviews if you join Which?.

Expert verdict on printer brands

As well as faults and reliability data, our survey also reveals which inkjet brands genuine printer owners feel happy with, and which they’d recommend to their own friends and family. And which they wouldn’t.

Our experts have analysed our survey results to tell you what you need to know about inkjet printer brands.

We have exclusive information on the following printer brands: Brother, Canon, Epson and HP.

Only logged-in Which? members can see our analysis of our survey. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access to this and all of our expert reviews, including our printer reviews.

See our expert pick of the best cheap printers to buy and run. Not in the market for a new printer yet? You can still cut your printing costs – go to the best cheap ink cartridges

The most common printer faults and how to fix them

Based on our exclusive research, we know that printers typically last 10 years or more. So it's all the more important to pick the right model for you, as you could be using it regularly for more than a decade.

When we asked printer owners whether their printer had developed a fault within seven years of ownership, there were notable differences between the brands:

• The printer not connecting to the owners' newer devices (such as a new phone or laptop) was most common with one brand, with more than one in twenty owners reporting this (6%, compared to 4% for the other brands).
• Ink jets/heads clogging up and needing replacement were more common with two other printer brands (reported by 4% and 3% of owners respectively).
• Problems with paper jams were less common with our top-scoring printer brand – affecting less than 1% of inkjet users.

That said, our survey of thousands of printer owners shows most faults are common between the brands. Read on to find out the most common printer problems and what you can do about them.

1. Printer became slow to begin printing

This is often due to software issues. Over time, your PC or mobile device's software will be updated, and your printer's ageing software or hardware may struggle to keep up.

First, rule out the basics: turn your printer off, leave it 30 seconds, then turn it on again. Try reinstalling the printer by removing it from the list of devices on your PC, phone or tablet, and then adding it again. Also restart your PC, phone or tablet if you haven't done this recently. 

You can also try removing your printer and device from your home network and re-adding them, if they're connected over wi-fi. Plus, double-check that any cables are fully inserted. You can also check your printer settings to make sure your printer is listed as the default.

Update the driver

If the basics didn't fix the problem, the most common issue is an outdated printer driver. You can uninstall the driver and reinstall it. 

Use the relevant link to download the latest printer drivers from your manufacturer's website (don't download from any other website): 

• Brother drivers
• Canon support
• Epson support
• HP drivers

Reset the printer spooler

The printer spooler manages the printing process on your computer: 

• Windows - in the Search pane on your taskbar, type Services. In the Services box, scroll down and right-click Printer Spooler and select Restart. 
• Mac - open Printer settings, right-click the printer and then choose Reset Printing System. You'll need to re-add the printer to your computer, as the reset will remove it.

2. Printer won't work properly with a new phone, tablet or laptop

Some computers automatically install your operating system's printer drivers. So follow your printer's manual to download the correct one directly from your manufacturer's website for the best chance of solving any issues. 

If the issue is with your phone or tablet, also follow the instructions to make sure you have the right app installed. You will need this to access all your printer's features.

Make sure the firmware on your printer is up to date - again, consult your manual. If your printer offers a wired connection to your computer with a cable, try that if you can't get it to work over wi-fi.

To check whether your printer is connecting correctly, try printing a self-test report (print test page), either from the printer’s control panel or from your computer’s settings.

• In Windows, select the Windows logo > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners > right-click your printer. Click Printer Properties > Print Test Page > OK.
• If you have a Mac, select the Apple logo > System Preferences > Printers and scanners. Select your printer > Open Print Queue > Printer > Print test page.

Solving wi-fi problems

First, turn everything off and then on again. It might be a cliché, but it can be surprisingly effective. 

Also, removing the printer from the wi-fi network and then adding it again can sometimes do the trick. If your printer is giving you an error message, visit the manufacturer's website and search for the error code.

Try moving your printer closer to the router, in case it's a signal issue. If your printer has an ethernet socket, it's a good idea to keep a cable for emergencies - you can connect it directly to your router.

We rate all printers for their ease of connectivity, as well as print quality and running costs. Find out which models top our tests in our printer reviews.

3. Printer stopped working or quality dropped after leaving it switched off for a long time

Not using your printer for a while can cause problems with the nozzles on the print head. If the nozzles still aren’t working after you’ve run the print-head cleaning function, try cleaning the print head. Check your printer's manual for specific advice for your model before you begin, as it's important you don't invalidate your warranty or cause more damage. It usually involves a lint-free cloth dampened with warm distilled, filtered or bottled water.

If this doesn't work, you might need to replace the print head. With cartridge inkjet printers, installing a new cartridge will usually do the trick. With tank inkjet printers, it's not usually possible to remove the print heads yourself, so you’ll need to get it done professionally. In some cases, you can buy replacement print heads.

It's very unlikely for problems to be caused by using a third-party cartridge, based on our research of actual users. Especially if you use one of the third-party brands highly-rated by owners in our annual survey of cheap ink cartridges and where to buy them.

4. Loss of precision/sharpness in print quality

There can be many causes. First, check it's not an ink nozzle problem: these can become blocked and cause streaks, patchy prints and faded colours. If you notice a drop in quality, start by running a cleaning cycle, which uses ink to blast away any dried-on ink. Try changing the cartridge if you have a cartridge inkjet model. Printing a printer test page can be handy to help identify the particular issue.

If the problem is that text doesn't line up (misalignment), you can get your printer to perform an alignment (calibration). Turning it off, waiting 30 seconds and turning it on again can also fix it.

Maintenance and cleaning advice varies between models, so check your manual before you open up your printer and tinker with any sensitive components.

5. Paper jams/problems with paper feed

We rigorously test printers to reveal any models that are especially prone to faulty feeds and paper jams, and reveal them in our printer reviews.

Paper weight, thickness, glossiness and even humidity are thought to play a role in these issues. Use the paper specified in your printer's manual and open the paper pack only when you’re ready to use it, to reduce these problems. 

A typical 80gsm A4 paper from a brand that makes printers is a safe option. It's worth trying a different paper brand to see if you can rule out paper as the culprit. Double-check you are inserting the paper correctly and the stack is correctly aligned with the guides in the tray.

If your printer is refusing to co-operate, check our advice on how to fix printer connection issues

How we discover the most reliable printer brands

Oliver Trebilcock, Which? laptops expert says:

Which? has a wealth of information on the UK's favourite printer brands. Every year, we ask Which? members to tell us about the devices they own – from how likely they'd be to recommend a brand to how long a product lasted once they got it home. 

This year, more than 15,750 Which? Connect members and members of the public told us about 43,500 products, including nearly 6,000 inkjet printers. This means I know the exact issues facing printer owners, so I can make sure the brands we recommend in our printer reviews really are up to scratch. 

If a brand scored just one star out of five in our reliability survey of owners, I make sure it cannot be a Which?-recommended Best Buy or Great Value product. Our Eco Buy-recommended products must score three stars for reliability or better, ensuring they're not only products that aren't wasteful, but also last long before needing to be recycled. 

Now you know all about printer brands, use our expert printer reviews and advice to help you choose the right model.