

And that’s where monochrome laser printers excel. Our research shows that people print lots and lots of text in black and white, rarely print graphics, and almost never print photos. For typical at-home print jobs, a black-and-white laser printer is generally a better option. That’s why we find it difficult to recommend conventional inkjets. The typical consumer might spend $70 a year or more on ink cartridges, which can double the cost of ownership for a printer in as little as two years.Īnd finally, data from our surveys of CR members suggests that inkjet printers are not as reliable as laser printers.Īdd all that up and it’s no surprise that consumer satisfaction with inkjet printers, as measured in those same surveys, is quite low. Second, while they can be cheap to buy, they tend to saddle you with high ink costs for expensive replacement cartridges and wasteful ink maintenance cycles that are necessary just to keep the machine working. For starters, they often don’t do a great job of printing text, the primary job people want them to do. And while we understand that impulse-cheap is good-our consumer research and laboratory testing have found that for most consumers, there are better alternatives.Īccording to our expert evaluations, inkjet printers have three fundamental problems.

If you’re like most shoppers, you’re probably looking for a cheap inkjet model.
