A laser printer is a good addition to your home and office. But laser printers can be bulky. Adjusting a large device in your house or office can be difficult.
In this age of technology, gadgets are a lot compact and take less space. Therefore, procuring a large and a bulky printer may be counter intuitive.
Fortunately, if you are looking for a small option then in this article we will talk about 5 best compact laser printers for home and office use.
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Benefits of a Laser Printer in Brief
While stating all benefits of a laser printer requires an article on its own. Here are brief advantages as compared to inkjet printers.
Compact Laser Printers Compared
Image | Product Name | Mono / Color | Speed (ppm) | Print Cost (Cents) | Duplex | Connectivity | Size (WxDxH) inches | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mono | 36 | 3.5 | Yes | USB, WiFi, WIFi Direct, Ethernet | 14 x 14.7 x 7.2 | ||
| Mono | 21 | - | No | USB, WiFi, WiFi Direct, | 14.2 x 10.4 x 7.8 | ||
| Color | 22 | 3.2 (Mono) | Yes | USB, Ethernet, WiFi, WiFi Direct, NFC, USB Flash Drive | 15.4 x 16.5 x 9.7 | ||
| Color | 17 | 4.6 (Black) | No | USB, Ethernet, WiFi, WiFi Direct | 16.5 x 15 x 11.5 | ||
| Color | 22 | 3.2 (Mono) | Yes | USB, Ethernet, WiFi, WiFi Direct, USB Flash Drive | 17 x 16.6 x 16.6 |
Monochrome vs Color in Terms of Compactness
A very important point to consider when looking for the best compact laser printers is that monochrome printers are far smaller than color laser printers.
Laser printers use toners with colored powders that are shaped like cylindrical tubes. They usually span the entire width of the printer.
Therefore, while a single monochrome toner can promote a relatively small size, having four equal size toners for color printing side by side or on top of each other can significantly increase the size.
The bottom line here is that, monochrome laser printers tend to be very small and compact. Color laser printers are larger and bulkier in comparison.
Nevertheless, here we will only list the color laser printers that are the most compact.
List of Best Compact Laser Printers in 2021
We have selected the following printers as the best compact laser printers due to their size and efficiency.
- 1Brother L2370DW – Budget Monochrome Laser Printer
- 2HP M31w – All in One Compact Laser PrinterHP LaserJet Pro M29w
- 3HP M254dw – Compact Color Laser Printer
- 4HP M180nw – All In One Compact Color Laser Printer
- 5Canon MF644Cdw – All in One Robust Color Laser PrinterBrother HL-L3210CW
5 Small Laser Printers Reviewed
Let’s look at these selected printers in detail.
1. Brother L2370DW – Budget Monochrome Laser Printer
- Prints up to 36 ppm* in Black generates...
- Laser printers are best for high-volume...
- Wireless and mobile printing capability...
- Up to 2400 x 600 dpi (dots per inch) print...
When it comes to monochrome printing there is no equal to the Brother L2370DW. Previously, this title was held by its predecessor and equally capable printer the Brother L2350DW.
While it still maintains a small form factor, it is faster and has cheaper operating cost as compared to the Brother L2350DW yet the upfront cost is the same.
One of the best aspect about this printer is its robust connectivity. Not only does it offer USB connection, it also offers, WiFi, WiFi Direct as well as Ethernet – something which its predecessor lacked.
Besides that, this is also one of the rare compact monochrome budget printers that offers duplex printing. Meaning, it can print on both sides automatically without manually turning the page.
Basically, this is a printer designed for those who have a moderate volume of black and white printing. As such, it is essential for schools and for home use.
The printer has a speed of 36 ppm and it costs about 3.5 cents to print a single mono chrome page.
At the size of 14 x 14.7 x 7.2 (WxDxH) inches, this is the second smallest printer in the last.
All in all, if you want a monochrome printer, then this is one of the best compact laser printers in the market.
2. HP M31w – All in One Compact Laser Printer
- Legendary quality – Print, scan, and copy...
- World's smallest in-class printer – Work...
- Fast print speeds – Breeze through your...
- Best-in-class mobile print app – Print from...
HP M31w is not just one the smallest monochrome laser printers in this list, it is also the smallest ALL IN ONE laser printers in the entire market.
In fact, with the size of 14.2 x 10.4 x 7.8 (WxDxH), this sets a completely new standard for small laser printers.
Therefore for those who are short on space, there is absolutely nothing like this printer. Plus the AIO option for scanning and copying is an essential feature not just for offices but for schools and home use as well.
Unfortunately, this is neither the fastest nor does it have the cheapest printing cost around.
As such, this is a specialized small form printer that caters to a small niche of people who are looking for as small printers as possible.
Besides that, it offers a USB, WiFi and WiFi Direct connectivity options. It lacks Ethernet or Fax modem and therefore, many not be suitable for large offices.
All in all, if you came here looking for an all in one option for home use, then this is one of the best compact laser printers.
Also Read: Best Laser Printers for Home Use
3. HP M254dw – Compact Color Laser Printer
- Big performance in compact size – this...
- A faster pace for business - This HP color...
- High-impact color quality – count on HP...
- Easy mobile printing – The highly rated HP...
While the previous two printers were monochrome, this is a compact color laser printer.
Unfortunately, it is not as small as a monochrome laser printer since it houses 4 toners instead of just one.
HP M254dw measures as 15.4 x 16.5 x 9.7 (WxDxH) inches making it one of the most compact color laser printers in the market.
However, besides a small form factor, this is a reasonable printer that offers quite a lucrative deal. It has a faster than average speed of 22 ppm for both mono and color sheets.
It costs about 3.2 cents for mono and 16.4 cents for color prints making it quite competitive among the laser printers.
Where it truly shines is in its connectivity options and its user friendliness. Not only does it offer a comfortable touch screen for navigation, it also offers a wide range of connectivity.
Besides the usual USB interfacing, it offers Ethernet, WiFi, WiFi Direct, NFC as well as USB flash drive support. Therefore, not only is it great for mobile printing, it also offers great networking capability.
The only issue with this printer is that it lacks the AIO capability, but if you truly value compactness, then this is one of the best compact laser printers.
Also Read: Budget Laser Printers.
4. HP M180nw – All In One Compact Color Laser Printer
- ACCELERATE EFFICIENCY – This compact...
- FAST PRINT SPEEDS - Print up to 17 pages per...
- OUTSTANDING COLOR QUALITY – Count on HP's...
- PRINT WITH OR WITHOUT WIRES - Print, access...
The previous HP M254dw did not feature the MFC. Meaning it did not have the scanner/copier feature. This HP M180nw, however, offers the AIO capability.
As mentioned earlier, scanner/copier is essential not just for offices but for school and home use. Plus buying separate scanner and printer would beat the purpose of saving up on space.
Speaking of which, this printer is naturally bigger than the previous options listed here. It measures at 16.5 x 15 x 11.5 (WxDxH) inches. That makes it slightly larger than the HP M254W mentioned earlier.
As far as the cost goes, there are two sides to it. While it does have a cheap upfront cost, its operating costs are fairly high. Printing at 4.6 cents per monochrome and 23.5 cents for color prints makes it quite expensive to operate.
In addition to that, it also lacks automatic duplex printing and thus it cannot print on both sides. This may put people off.
The connectivity on this printer is also average and nothing over the top. It offers stand USB connection, WiFi, WiFi Direct, and Ethernet, but it lacks NFC and USB / SD card support.
In short, if you want the smallest possible “AIO” color laser printer, then this is one of the best in the market.
5. Canon MF644Cdw – All in One Robust Color Laser Printer
- Standard Dimensions (Desktop): 16.9" W x...
- USABILITY: A unique, customized device...
- QUALITY AND RELIABILITY: Canon's signature...
- WORKFLOW EFFICIENCY: Supports mobile...
Finally, here we have one of the most recommended All in One color laser printers in the market. While this still falls in the compact range, it is also the biggest in this list – but for all the right reason.
Firstly, the printer measures as 17 x 16.6 x 16.6 (WxDxH) inches. Therefore, compared to printer mentioned above, it is big.
Secondly, it has a reasonable fast speed of 22 pages per minute and it costs about 3.2 cents for monochrome and 16.4 cents for color printing. This makes it faster than an average printer and cost-wise it is on the economical side of the spectrum.
Besides that, not only does it offers duplex printing, it also offers a comfortable navigation touchscreen and a plethora of connectivity option including standard USB connection, Ethernet, WiFi, WiFi Direct, and USB flash drive support.
The differentiating factor about this printer is it highly functional scanner. It offers both a flatbed as well as an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF).
The latter can be used for automatic batch scanning. On top of that, the ADF scanner is also a duplex scanner – meaning it can scan both sides in a single go.
Finally, to make it a robust machine for office use, it even includes a fax machine.
Again, this isn’t as small as the printers mentioned above, however if you want complete features like AIO, ADF, Flatbed, Low operating costs, large paper tray, comfortable touchscreen, then this is the best compact laser printers.
To have all these features, you will have to settle for a slightly larger printer for sure.
Plus, you are getting four machines in one i.e printer, flatbed scanner, sheetfed ADF scanner, and fax machine in one. So in the end, you are actually saving up on a lot of space.
Also Read: Best Multi function Color Laser Printers
People Also Ask (FAQs)
How does a laser printer differ from Inkjet Printers?
A laser printer works like a photocopier. It uses the same basic technology. When you give the command to your computer to print, it sends electronic data as a vast stream.
An electric circuit in your laser printer understands this data and knows how to it should look on paper. It makes use of a laser beam and sends them back and forth across a drum inside a printer.
This builds up a pattern of static electricity. This static electricity attracts onto paper with the help of toner. And finally, a print is made that is exactly a photocopy of your document.
Benefits of Laser Printers
Some benefits of laser printers are:
Advantages of a Compact Laser Printer
Some of the benefits of compact laser printers are.
Advanced option
As the technology is advancing, devices and machinery are coming in less bulky sizes. These are advanced options that have improved technology and works even more efficiently.
Easy to Move
A compact device, especially a laser printer, is easy to move around. You may need it in different parts of the home or office. A moveable device can become handy. You can take it along wherever you need it.
Easy to Place
The workplaces are already congested with too many persons and machines. A bulky printer will cover the unnecessary place in your office. That makes the compact laser printers more in demand.
These devices are easy to place and covers minimum place on your desk. Another great option that can be helpful is a wireless connection. A wireless connection enables you to place your device anywhere in the office.
You don’t have to place it on the desk along with your system.
Final Words
Here we looked at the best compact laser printers from both monochrome and color category.
You must note that while a compact laser printer has a small footprint, it may not have the best best operating cost. You have to decide what is more important to you.
Currently, according to the trend, the more compact a printer, the worse is its operating cost. However, there are a few exceptions such as the Brother L2370DW.
Therefore, if you truly want to save up on space, we recommend going for multi function printers. That way you can have a scanner and even a fax machine in the same printer (Canon MF644Cdw) and thus end up saving plenty of physical space.
- Prints up to 36 ppm* in Black generates...
- Laser printers are best for high-volume...
- Wireless and mobile printing capability...
- Up to 2400 x 600 dpi (dots per inch) print...
Andrew White is the founder of TechGearoid, a leading technology review & information website that is designed to help consumers make better decisions when it comes to their IT purchases. As a specialist tech writer (nerd) with over 10 years of experience, he enjoys writing about everything there is to do with modern technology & the newest market innovations. When he isn’t providing value for his readers, he’s usually drinking coffee or at the beach. Andrew lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and family.