I remember a dream of the 90s and 2000s: the “paperless office” where you could handle everything with email. That, um, didn’t pan out. Even as someone who’s worked from home for 15 years, I occasionally need to use that most dreaded of office appliances: the printer. But I’ve found one that’s probably the best option for most people.
This is the Brother HL-L2405W. It’s a laser printer, so it uses powder toner instead of liquid ink. It only prints in black and white. It uses Wi-Fi to connect, so you can keep it anywhere in your home. And perhaps most importantly, its cartridges last for hundreds and hundreds of pages… and can be refilled with generic, third-party toner. So unlike some printer brands that will remain nameless HP, you can keep printing without spending more on a refill than you did on the original printer.
It’s not fancy. It doesn’t scan documents, it doesn’t print on photo paper. I only ever use it for the dullest of duties: shipping return labels, official paperwork I need to sign, Dungeons & Dragons character sheets. It’s a little tricky to connect to Wi-Fi with its tiny buttons and one-line LCD screen, but once that’s done, you never have to think about it again.
Unlike a lot of the inkjet printers I’ve used, this little guy (and the various Brother models that are similar) is rock-solid, lasting me for years with no complaints, even though I don’t dust as often as I should underneath the desk table where it lives. For the once or twice a month I actually need it, it never fails to save me a trip to the copy shop.
Amazon has this printer listed at $140, which is a pretty typical price for it (and still a far better value than less expensive inkjet printers that need constant ink refills). Occasionally, you can find it on sale or refurbished for a little less. Regardless, it’s one of the most reliable pieces of hardware in my home office and I’m glad I got it. I recommend it to just about anyone who doesn’t need to print color documents or photos.