Laser printer
Top pick
This model produces crisp text and vibrant graphics, and it has a low operating cost. But you can use only HP toner with it, so be prepared to pay full price come replacement time.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw has an easy-to-use, smartphone-style touch interface and a 21st-century mobile app that together make daily use of this printer far less frustrating in comparison with other models we’ve tried.
It produces sharp black text, vibrant full-color graphics, and photos good enough for a school report, though like all laser printers it can’t produce glossy photo prints fit for framing.
It’s also fast—HP claims up to 26 pages per minute, while we saw 22 in the real world—and it can print on envelopes, labels, and other odd-size media thanks to a handy bypass slot.
Though prints cost a reasonable 3.1¢ or 17¢ per black or color page, respectively, replacing the toner cartridges remains an investment. HP’s firmware works only with its branded toner, and a full set of replacements will set you back nearly $450 at this writing.
For more, read our guide to the best laser printers.
All-in-one printer
Top pick
Easy-to-use software, affordable ink, a long warranty, and thoughtful touches make this inkjet all-in-one less annoying than the competition. Results look sharp, too. But consider carefully before opting in to HP+ or Instant Ink.
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e is remarkably easy to set up and use, hitting the sweet spot of print quality, speed, and reliability in a way that other printers can’t match. Its sleek design also helps it stand out from stodgy-looking competitors, which is almost enough to make us forgive its tiny touchscreen and flimsy output tray.
For more, read our guide to the best all-in-one printers.
Cheap scanner
Top pick
Simple to set up, simple to use, and capable of producing great scans right out of the box, this is our go-to inexpensive scanner.
The Canon CanoScan LiDE 300 provides ample resolution, fast-enough scans, and all the same software features as its more-expensive stablemate. In our tests it produced excellent results with a wide variety of items, from office docs and photos to books and children’s drawings.
We also liked its simple, one-cord setup and compact, lightweight design. You have to deal with Canon’s clunky, outdated software, but that’s par for the course with scanners—and it’s actually better than what you’d get from Canon’s chief rival, Epson.
For more, read our guide to the best cheap scanners.
Portable document scanner
Top pick
This scanner is fast, accurate, and reliable, but what really sets it apart from the competition is how easy it is to use.
Simple to set up, easy to use, and portable enough for you to bring it along anywhere, the Brother ADS-1350W is the best choice if you need good-looking scans on the road or at a remote work location. Its text recognition ranks among the most accurate we’ve seen, and its Wi-Fi connection is reliable.
This scanner isn’t the smallest model we’ve tested, and it doesn’t include a battery, but it’s still plenty portable and capable of drawing power from your laptop or a portable USB-C power bank that outputs 15 W or more.
For more, read our guide to the best portable document scanners.
Document scanning app
Top pick
Free and refreshingly straightforward, this is the best app for turning documents into clean, easily shareable, organized PDFs.
If you need to occasionally create clean-looking PDFs of physical documents—and do it for free—there’s no better option for a scanning app than Adobe Scan (Android, iOS).
Adobe Scan’s simple design and limited options may seem like a negative in comparison with more complex apps like Scanbot and CamScanner, but we found that the app’s simplicity made it easier for us to get the results we wanted.
This app produced the cleanest-looking scans in our testing; it also has the ability to fill in scanned forms, and it provides excellent text recognition. And it automatically stores all of your scans in Adobe’s cloud, at no additional cost.
For more, read our guide to the best mobile scanning apps.
Online fax service
Top pick
This service lets you send high-quality faxes for free or a low flat rate. No monthly subscription is required, unless you also want to receive faxes.
If you need to send occasional faxes—to request a copy of your medical records, for instance—use Dropbox Fax.
It starts you with five free outbound pages, and you can earn additional free pages by completing trivial tasks like tweeting about the service. After that, it’s 99¢ to fax your next 10 pages and then 20¢ per additional page.
In our tests, Dropbox Fax (HelloFax at the time) sent perfectly legible faxes, and it reliably received all the test faxes we sent. Its straightforward interface makes the occasional chore of sending a fax quick and painless, too.
For more, read our guide to the best online fax services.
