Photo by Олександр Білоцерківець on Unsplash
What to Know Before Buying a Budget Home Printer
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 prints black-and-white pages for as little as $0.01 each, yet most budget-conscious shoppers are still gravitating toward cheaper upfront printers that quietly cost far more to run over time. With Consumer Reports dropping its updated 2026 rankings this week and the EcoTank currently sitting at a 23 percent discount down to $99 on Amazon, the real question is which of the four top-ranked models actually saves you the most money given how you actually print.
- Canon PIXMA TR4720: priced around $60, this inkjet all-in-one prints, scans, copies, and faxes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. A genuinely solid sub-$100 home office pick that punches above its price.
- Epson EcoTank ET-2800: retails around $130 and ditches cartridges entirely in favor of refillable ink tanks, which is how it gets that $0.01 cost-per-page on black-and-white
- Brother HL-L2370DW: a monochrome laser under $120, prints up to 32 pages per minute, and built specifically for households cranking through high volumes of black-and-white documents
- HP DeskJet 4255e: runs roughly $70 and comes with six months of free HP Instant Ink enrollment, which keeps costs reasonable for light to moderate print users
- Canon PIXMA MG3620: often finds its way under $50, handles basic home printing with dual-band Wi-Fi and mobile printing through the Canon PRINT app
For most households printing under 100 pages a month, an inkjet all-in-one under $100 covers the basics reliably. Print heavier volumes of mostly text documents and the math shifts: a monochrome laser like the Brother HL-L2370DW delivers better long-term value despite the slightly higher sticker price.
Why Consumer Reports' Budget Printer Rankings Make July 2026 the Right Buying Moment
Consumer Reports published its updated 2026 budget printer rankings this week, pulling in the latest firmware versions, current ink pricing, and real-world performance data from expert lab testing conducted in mid-2026. The timing isn't accidental. Back-to-school shopping season runs July through August, and that's historically when retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Staples run their deepest annual discounts on home printers, typically 15 to 25 percent below Q1 pricing.
- Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is currently $99 at Amazon, down from its standard $129 retail price. That 23 percent discount makes the low cost-per-page math a lot easier to swallow upfront.
- HP DeskJet 4255e is listed at $59.99 at Best Buy as of July 2026, bundled with the HP+ smart printing service, which includes automatic ink delivery and extended warranty coverage
- Brother HL-L2370DW dropped to $109 at Staples this week, its lowest recorded price in 2026 and a genuine entry point for a laser printer that normally runs $129 or more
- Canon PIXMA TR4720 is available for $75.00 at Walmart, backed by Canon's July summer sale, which also takes 20 percent off compatible PG-245 and CL-246 ink cartridge multipacks
- Consumer Reports' 2026 laser printer home office guide, also published this month, confirmed that entry-level laser models now rival inkjets in total annual cost for anyone printing 150 or more pages per month
Fresh testing data and live July discounts running simultaneously is a combination that doesn't come around constantly. Waiting for Black Friday isn't necessary here. All four top-ranked models are currently in stock at major U.S. retailers, with shipping times under three days for Prime and Staples+ members.