Best HP Printers

Hollie Hennessy

In this article

Should I buy an HP printer?

Although it does make laser printers, HP mostly produces inkjet printers, including the Envy, DeskJet, OfficeJet and new PageWide models.

Alongside traditional replacement ink cartridges, some printers support HP's Instant Ink service. You pay a subscription fee and print whatever you want – text, images or photos. It starts at £1.99 a month for 50 pages, then goes to £3.49 for 100 pages or £7.99 for 300 pages.

Unused pages roll on to the next month and HP automatically sends out a new ink cartridge when you need one. For those who print frequently, it looks enticing. However, our research indicates that Which? members typically only print 20 black text pages and 10 colour pages a month, and rarely print photos. So, be aware that you could end up paying for more printing than you really need.

You can read our guide on HP Instant Ink and if it's worth buying an HP printer for here.

Another thing to bear in mind is HP Dynamic Security. This is a feature which can recognise and stop the use of cartridges which aren’t HP, so you won’t be able to use third-party ink or toner in these models. You can find this information on HP's website and we'll flag in our reviews if a printer has this limitation.

Want to see expert reviews of HP printers? See a selection of top-rated HP printers below, or find every model we've tested in our printer reviews.

Top HP printers for 2020

Below, we've highlighted our pick of the best HP printers we've tested. Some of the models we've selected aren't recent launches, but they're still some of the highest performing printers out there. You can check our printer reviews page for new reviews monthly. The table below was updated in November 2020.

Best HP printers

73%

£119.99

Reviewed Jul 2018

This big-brand laser printer is remarkably compact consider that it can copy and scan, as well as print up to A4 in size. It has wi-fi and wireless printing features such as AirPrint. See if this is the laser printer for you by logging in or joining Which?.

First month only £5, then £9.99 per month, cancel any time

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70%

£259.99

Reviewed May 2020

This is a high-quality Best Buy laser printer. With wireless printing features, auto-duplex printing and sharp, speedy prints, it’s almost the full package. Photos aren't the best, though.

First month only £5, then £9.99 per month, cancel any time

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70%

£257.46

Reviewed Jun 2020

This Neverstop printer lives up to its name. It’s unique re-loadable toner tank means it's super–economical, so you’ll get plenty of prints at a low cost. In fact, this printer is so economical that we can’t do our usual cost calculations. It's also brilliant at printing black text and can scan and copy.

First month only £5, then £9.99 per month, cancel any time

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HP printers compared: which range is best for you?

Deskjet and OfficeJet: These inkjet printers are designed for home office printing. Officejet printers tend to be more fully-featured with functions such as automatic document feeders. Deskjet printers, by contrast, are more basic but also cheaper to buy.

Envy: HP's Envy range is aimed squarely at consumers, and mostly casual printers. These typically affordable machines usually have plenty of wireless printing options, such as Apple AirPrint, and often support HP's Instant ink subscription service.

LaserJet: HP also makes laser printers under the LaserJet Pro range. These come in colour and monochrome types, and go from basic printers to fully-featured, almost office printers.

Neverstop: HP's Neverstop laser printers work in a similar way to inkjet tank printers. Instead of toner cartridges, Neverstop models use a special kit to reload the toner tank. This type of technology usually makes printers very economical to run.

PageWide: PageWide is designed to mix the best of an inkjet and laser printer in one solution. It uses a new technology involving hundreds of print heads spanning the entire width of the page. HP claims it prints much more quickly than traditional inkjets (at a quite incredible, claimed speed of 45 pages per minute), with lower ink costs. The downside is both the printer and specialist cartridges are expensive to buy.