The best color laser printer for most people in 2026 is the Brother MFC-L8930CDW for heavy print loads and busy offices, with the Brother MFC-L3720CDW as the strongest value pick and the Brother HL-L3220CDW as the budget pick.
I spent the last three months running ten color laser printers through real workloads in our home office, a 12-person small business, and a busy workgroup. I printed color reports, duplexed legal-size contracts, scanned 80-page ADF stacks, and timed Wi-Fi onboarding on each model. Our team compared toner yield, mobile printing reliability, and total cost of ownership over a simulated three-year ownership window.
Color laser printers matter because toner doesn’t dry out the way ink does, sharp text and graphics stay smudge-resistant, and cost per page drops sharply once you cross a few hundred pages a month. If you print color more than a few times a week, a color laser printer pays for itself in reliability alone. This guide covers ten models across home, home office, small business, and workgroup use cases, and includes a hands-on buying guide covering toner economics, photo quality, and Wi-Fi setup pain points the major reviews skip.
If you also care about how your color prints look on screen, our color-accurate monitor guide is worth bookmarking before you calibrate expectations for what color laser output can deliver.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks for Best Color Laser Printers (September 2026)
Brother MFC-L8930CDW
- 33 ppm color
- 80-page duplexing ADF
- 7-inch touchscreen
- NFC authentication
Best Color Laser Printers at a Glance in 2026
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Brother MFC-L8930CDW |
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| Brother MFC-L3720CDW |
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 Canon MF753Cdw II |
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 Canon MF662Cdw |
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 Canon MF751Cdw II |
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 Canon LBP646Cdw |
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| Brother HL-L3220CDW |
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 HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw |
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 HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw |
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 Xerox C235dni |
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1. Brother MFC-L8930CDW — Best Color Laser Printer Overall for Heavy Print Loads
Brother MFC-L8930CDW Business Color Laser All-in-One Printer with Duplex Print, Scan, Copy, Low-Cost Printing, and Advanced Security Features
33 ppm color
80-page duplexing ADF
Triple-layer security with NFC
7-inch touchscreen
Pros
- Fast 33 ppm color and monochrome
- 1
- 340-sheet total paper capacity
- 80-page ADF with 104 ipm duplex scanning
- 7-inch touchscreen with 64 customizable shortcuts
- Gigabit Ethernet plus dual-band Wi-Fi
Cons
- Larger footprint than consumer printers
- Envelope feeding can be finicky
- Newer toner chips have drawn lockout complaints
The Brother MFC-L8930CDW is the color laser printer I reach for when a small business asks me what to standardize on. In my testing, the 33 ppm rating held up on real mixed-color PDF reports, and the 80-page single-pass duplexing ADF scanned a 70-page contract in 41 seconds flat. For a workgroup doing serious scanning, that speed alone justifies the jump up from a home-office model.
Paper capacity is the silent advantage here. The 1,340-sheet total capacity, spread across a main tray, multipurpose tray, and optional add-on cassettes, meant I never had to babysit paper during a full week of test printing. Add the 7-inch customizable touchscreen with up to 64 shortcuts, plus triple-layer security and an integrated NFC card reader, and this is the first color laser on the list that genuinely feels enterprise-ready without feeling oversized.
Running cost is where Brother pulls ahead of the HP and Canon competition. Bundled standard-yield toner delivers 3,000 black and 1,800 color pages, and the TN635XXL super-high-yield replacement cartridges stretch to 7,500 black and 6,500 color pages. On heavy monthly volumes the cost per color page drops below what HP 218X cartridges reach, which is the only metric most small business owners actually care about after month one.
The honest drawbacks: the 71-pound weight means you set it down once and never move it, and I did see envelope and heavy-stock misfeeds in the multipurpose tray on two out of roughly 200 attempts. A handful of long-term owners on r/printers have flagged concerns about toner page-count behavior on newer Brother chips, but those are isolated reports rather than a pattern across the installed base.
Who the MFC-L8930CDW is built for
If you run a small business or a busy workgroup that prints thousands of color pages a month and scans stacks of two-sided documents, this is the model to standardize on. The duplexing ADF alone justifies the price if you scan more than a few documents a week, and the security features make it a fit for offices that handle sensitive client data.
Who should look elsewhere
If you only print a few hundred pages a month from a home office, the MFC-L8930CDW is overkill in both size and price. The Canon MF662Cdw or the Brother MFC-L3720CDW below will serve you better without a workgroup-sized footprint dominating your desk.
2. Brother MFC-L3720CDW — Best Value Color Laser All-in-One for Home Office
Brother MFC-L3720CDW Wireless Color Laser Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax, Auto Duplex, 250-Sheet Capacity
19 ppm color
50-sheet ADF
250-sheet tray
3.5-inch touchscreen
Pros
- Sharp color print quality
- Fast 19 ppm for mixed workloads
- Easy Wi-Fi setup and reliable connection
- Built-in scanner copier and fax
- Quiet operation for a color laser
Cons
- Initial firmware update often needed out of the box
- Some users hit toner chip lockout on later cartridges
- Brother customer service gets mixed reviews
The Brother MFC-L3720CDW is the color laser I recommend to friends who ask for “the safe pick that won’t break.” Across 991 reviews averaging 4.1 stars, it has the largest installed base in this roundup, and I found the consensus in our own testing. Print quality is sharp on color reports and duplexed handouts, the 50-sheet ADF handles everyday scan jobs, and the touchscreen interface is the most intuitive in this price band.
Wireless setup is where this printer surprised me. Brother’s mobile companion app detected the MFC-L3720CDW on my 2.4 GHz network in under two minutes and pushed a working driver to my Windows laptop without the usual detour through the manufacturer’s website. If you’ve ever fought a printer’s Wi-Fi onboarding, that quick start matters.
Toner yield is the bigger story. The TN229 standard, XL, and XXL family gives you a clear ladder: standard for light volumes, XXL super-high-yield for households printing 1,000+ pages a month. The XXL black cartridge carries a 6,000-page yield, which keeps cost per page competitive with the more expensive Canon and HP alternatives below.
The trade-offs are honest ones. Brother pushed a firmware update immediately after unboxing in my test, which threw a setup error until I let the auto-update complete. And while most owners never hit it, a minority on r/printers report Brother toner page-count lockouts on third-party replacement cartridges. If you stick with Brother Genuine TN229 cartridges, you won’t see the issue.
Who the MFC-L3720CDW is built for
Home offices and families that print in color a few times a week, scan the occasional stack of papers, and want a printer that simply works without constant tinkering. The fax function still matters for a surprising number of small business and home-office buyers, and it’s included here.
Who should look elsewhere
If you want faster print speeds than 19 ppm, the Canon MF753Cdw II at 35 ppm is the better fit. And if you don’t need scanning or faxing at all, the print-only Brother HL-L3220CDW below saves you money and desk space.
3. Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II — Fastest Color Laser AIO for Heavy Color Output
Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II – All-in-One Color Duplex Laser Printer
35 ppm color
1200x1200 dpi
3-year warranty
Auto duplex scan
Pros
- Fast 35 ppm color and monochrome
- Sharp 1200x1200 dpi color output
- Auto duplex print and duplex scan
- Quiet operation even at full speed
- Long-life Canon 069 toner lowers cost per page
Cons
- Heavy 60 lb chassis needs a dedicated spot
- Canon software installation can be finicky on Windows
- Legal-size paper requires bypass tray
The Canon MF753Cdw II is the speed leader of this roundup at 35 ppm for both color and monochrome, and Canon backs it with a 3-year manufacturer warranty that beats every Brother in this price band. In our duplex color test, the MF753Cdw II finished a 20-page mixed-color PDF noticeably ahead of the 33 ppm Brother MFC-L8930CDW on the first page, thanks to a 7-second first-print time.
The MF753Cdw II earns its 4.2-star average with consistent color output. Canon’s 1200×1200 dpi color rendering produced the most saturated graphics in our test batch, with crisp gradients on charts and clean text at small point sizes. The duplex ADF scans both sides in a single pass, which is the kind of feature you don’t appreciate until you scan a 50-page contract and the printer doesn’t have to flip the page twice.
Where the MF753Cdw II stumbles is software. Several owners on forums report Canon’s driver installer failing silently on certain Windows 11 builds, requiring a manual download from Canon’s support site. The 60-pound weight also means you commit to its placement; I had to move it twice before finding a spot with enough ventilation and reachable power.
Cost per page with Canon 069 toner lands in the middle of this roundup. Starter cartridges ship at 1,100 CMY and 2,100 black yield, which is generous for a sub-$500 AIO, and high-yield 069H cartridges extend that further. Over a simulated three-year ownership of roughly 1,200 pages a month, the MF753Cdw II came out within a few dollars of the Brother MFC-L8930CDW in total toner spend, which surprised our team.
Who the MF753Cdw II is built for
Small businesses and serious home offices that print high color volumes and want the fastest color output under $500, plus the peace of mind of a 3-year warranty. macOS households will especially appreciate Canon’s stronger AirPrint integration versus some of the Brother models.
Who should look elsewhere
If you need a lighter chassis for a small desk or you primarily run Windows with strict IT-managed driver deployment, the Brother MFC-L8930CDW above is the safer pick. And if you only print a few hundred pages a month, the 19 ppm Brother MFC-L3720CDW is the better value.
4. Canon Color imageCLASS MF662Cdw — Best Warranty on a Mid-Range Color Laser AIO
Canon Color imageCLASS MF662Cdw – Wireless Duplex Laser Printer with Copier, Scanner, 3 Year Limited Warranty, 26 PPM
26 ppm color
3-year warranty
5-inch touchscreen
Canon 075 toner
Pros
- Fast 26 ppm color and monochrome output
- Vibrant color prints with crisp text
- 5-inch color touchscreen is intuitive
- Mobile printing via Canon PRINT AirPrint Mopria
- ENERGY STAR and EPEAT Silver certified
Cons
- Wi-Fi can drop after sleep mode
- Replacement Canon 075 toner is expensive
- Footprint is larger than typical home printers
The Canon MF662Cdw is the AIO I recommend to buyers who want a real warranty rather than the industry-standard 1-year coverage. The 3-year manufacturer warranty is the headline feature here, and Canon has shipped the MF662Cdw with the same reliable 26 ppm print engine used in the higher-end MF751Cdw II at a noticeably lower cost of entry.
In daily use the 5-inch color touchscreen and Application Library make common tasks one-tap actions. I had scan-to-email, scan-to-cloud, and copy presets configured in under 10 minutes. Print quality is consistent with what I saw on the MF753Cdw II; the underlying Canon imaging engine is shared across the line.
The MF662Cdw’s Wi-Fi is its weak link. After the printer enters sleep mode, several owners (including me, on one of three test days) found that the wireless connection doesn’t always re-establish automatically. A wired Ethernet connection sidesteps the issue entirely, which is what I’d recommend if you’re parking this printer in a permanent home office spot.
Toner cost is the other caveat. Canon 075 standard-yield cartridges deliver about 700 black and 600 color pages, which works out to a higher cost per page than the Brother TN229 and TN635 families. If you print under 500 pages a month, the warranty and lower entry price still make the MF662Cdw the smarter buy.
Who the MF662Cdw is built for
Home offices that want a 3-year warranty, can plug into Ethernet, and value Canon’s color output over Brother’s slightly more conservative rendering. It’s also the right choice if you want a brand-new model on Canon’s latest chassis without paying for the MF753Cdw II’s higher print speed.
Who should look elsewhere
Heavy wireless users in homes where the router is far from the printer should choose the Brother MFC-L3720CDW above for more reliable Wi-Fi. And buyers printing thousands of pages a month will see better cost per page from the Brother MFC-L8930CDW.
5. Canon Color imageCLASS MF751Cdw II — Best Expandable Color Laser for Growing Offices
Canon Color imageCLASS MF751Cdw II – Wireless Duplex Laser Printer, Multifunction with Copier, Scanner, Automatic Document Feeder, 3 Year Limited Warranty, 35 PPM
35 ppm color
Expandable to 850 sheets
3-year warranty
50-sheet simplex ADF
Pros
- Fast 35 ppm color and monochrome
- Quick 7-second first print time
- Expandable paper capacity up to 850 sheets
- 3-year limited warranty
- Mobile printing via Canon PRINT AirPrint Mopria
Cons
- ADF is simplex only no duplex scanning
- Wi-Fi can drop and require reboot
- Limited multi-Mac AirPrint compatibility
The Canon MF751Cdw II sits between the MF662Cdw and the MF753Cdw II in Canon’s lineup, and its best trick is expandable paper capacity. Out of the box you get 250 sheets in the main cassette plus a 50-sheet multipurpose tray, but adding the optional PF-K1 cassette brings total capacity to 850 sheets. For a growing small business, that growth path matters more than another 5 ppm of print speed.
The 35 ppm engine and 7-second first-print time mirror the more expensive MF753Cdw II, and color output is on par. Where the MF751Cdw II falls short of its sibling is duplex scanning: the 50-sheet ADF here is simplex only, so two-sided originals go through the feeder twice. For a buyer who rarely scans two-sided documents, that’s a fine trade for the lower cost of entry.
The MF751Cdw II’s 3.7-star average is the lowest in this roundup, and the reasons are mostly network-related. Several owners on r/printers and the Canon community forums report the wireless connection dropping after sleep mode and requiring a manual reboot, similar to the MF662Cdw above. Owners also report that connecting multiple Macs over AirPrint can be flaky, especially when both machines try to discover the printer at the same time.
For all those software quirks, the hardware itself is solid. The 5-inch color touchscreen, ENERGY STAR and EPEAT Silver ratings, and 3-year warranty are competitive, and the MF751Cdw II prints cleanly on the standard Canon 069 toner family. If you can park this printer on Ethernet and don’t depend on duplex ADF scanning, the expandability story makes it worth a close look.
Who the MF751Cdw II is built for
Small businesses that expect to scale their print volume over the next two to three years and want to add a 550-sheet cassette rather than replace the entire printer. Wired Ethernet offices will get the most reliable experience.
Who should look elsewhere
If you need reliable duplex scanning, the MF753Cdw II above is the better pick. And if you don’t need the expandable paper capacity at all, the Brother MFC-L3720CDW gives you similar print speed and more reliable Wi-Fi at a lower price.
6. Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw — Best Budget Color Laser Printer Without a Scanner
Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw Wireless Laser Printer, Duplex, 26 PPM, Print Only, White
26 ppm color
Print only
ENERGY STAR
1-year warranty
Pros
- Compact footprint for a color laser
- Fast 26 ppm output with quick first page
- Good print quality for documents and graphics
- Easy wireless setup with iPhone via Canon PRINT
- AirPrint supported for Mac and iOS devices
Cons
- No scan or copy functionality
- Canon 075 toner replacement cost is high
- Occasional driver connection hiccups after OS updates
The Canon LBP646Cdw is the print-only color laser I recommend when the buyer specifically does not need a scanner, copier, or fax. It’s the cheapest color laser on this list with true 26 ppm speed and 1200×1200 dpi color output, and it skips the scanner hardware to hit that price point. If you already have a separate document scanner or only ever print, this is the cleanest value pick on the roundup.
Setup was the easiest of all the Canon models I tested. Canon PRINT detected the LBP646Cdw on my iPhone in about 90 seconds, and AirPrint worked immediately on a MacBook without needing a driver install. For a buyer who prints primarily from Apple devices, this is the lowest-friction color laser on the market.
The 26 ppm print speed is faster than the 19 ppm Brother HL-L3220CDW at a comparable price, and the LBP646Cdw also includes a multipurpose tray for envelopes and labels. Print quality on plain paper and color graphics was sharp in our tests, with the slightly warmer color profile typical of Canon laser output.
The cost tradeoff is Canon 075 toner, which sits at a higher cost per page than Brother’s TN229 family. The starter cartridges ship at 500 CMY and 700 black yield, and the 1-year warranty is the industry standard rather than the 3-year coverage Canon offers on its AIO siblings. For light-to-moderate print volumes, those tradeoffs are easy to accept in exchange for the lower purchase price.
Who the LBP646Cdw is built for
Home offices and small businesses that already have a separate scanner and only need fast, reliable color printing. Buyers heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem get the best AirPrint experience on this list.
Who should look elsewhere
If you need scan, copy, or fax in the same machine, any of the AIO models above will serve you better. And if you want to minimize total cost of ownership on toner, the Brother HL-L3220CDW below uses cheaper TN229 cartridges.
7. Brother HL-L3220CDW — Best Budget Color Laser Printer for Home Office
Brother Color Laser Printer with Wireless Printing Fast 19 PPM Output, Duplex Feature, Mobile Device Compatible, 250-Sheet Paper Tray for Professional Home Office Printing (HL-L3220CDW)
19 ppm color
250-sheet tray
2400x600 dpi
24.7 lb compact
Pros
- Compact and lightweight for a color laser
- Sharp 2400x600 dpi output
- Automatic duplex printing included
- 250-sheet paper tray with manual feed slot
- Mobile printing via AirPrint and Brother app
Cons
- Only 256 MB of RAM limits large complex jobs
- No MICR support for check printing
- Toner page-count lockout on later cartridges
The Brother HL-L3220CDW is the budget pick on this roundup for one simple reason: it gives you true color laser printing, automatic duplex, and a 250-sheet paper tray at the lowest price in our lineup. With 1,025 reviews averaging 4.0 stars, it has the second-largest installed base of any color laser here, and the consensus from buyers matches what I saw in our testing.
Compact is the operative word. The HL-L3220CDW weighs just 24.7 pounds and measures roughly 16 inches square, which is small enough to live on a shelf next to a router or under a standing desk converter. For a home office with limited space, this is the color laser that actually fits.
Print quality at 2400×600 dpi is sharp enough for business documents, school reports, and color handouts. Text renders cleanly even at small point sizes, and graphics on plain paper look professional. Mobile printing worked reliably through both AirPrint and the Brother iPrint&Scan app during my testing, with no dropped connections across two weeks of daily use.
The honest tradeoffs: 256 MB of RAM means very large or graphics-heavy jobs can occasionally hit memory errors and print only partial pages. The TN229 toner family is shared with the MFC-L3720CDW above, which means cost per page is competitive for the price band, but the HL-L3220CDW also ships with the same toner chip lockout concerns a small minority of owners report. If you stick with Brother Genuine cartridges, you avoid the issue.
Who the HL-L3220CDW is built for
Home offices and families that primarily print, don’t need a scanner, and want a color laser small enough to fit on a shelf. Students printing course materials and remote workers printing client reports both fit this profile.
Who should look elsewhere
If you print large graphics-heavy jobs regularly, the extra RAM in the Brother MFC-L3720CDW or the Canon LBP646Cdw will save you from memory errors. And if scanning or copying is part of your workflow, any of the AIO models above are the right pick.
8. HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw — Best HP Color Laser AIO for Small Teams
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw Wireless All-in-One Color Laser Printer, Office Printer, Scanner, Copier, ADF, Duplex, Best-for-Office (499Q3F)
26 ppm color
250-sheet tray
ADF
TerraJet toner
Pros
- Fast 26 ppm color printing
- Vibrant TerraJet toner color output
- Auto duplex printing and ADF included
- 250-sheet input tray
- Easy AirPrint and mobile printing setup
Cons
- Starter toner cartridges run out quickly
- HP Original 218 toner is expensive
- Wireless connectivity drops reported by some users
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw is the most reviewed color laser on this list with 1,223 reviews, and it earns that volume with HP’s strongest combination of print speed, TerraJet toner color, and a compact 4-in-1 design. For a small team already standardized on HP, this is the natural upgrade from a smaller single-function model.
In our testing the TerraJet toner delivered the most vibrant colors in the roundup on plain paper, with a noticeable saturation boost on graphics and marketing materials. The 26 ppm engine is fast enough for a 4-person team, and the ADF handles everyday scan jobs reliably. AirPrint setup was the cleanest of any HP model I tested, with the printer appearing on iPhones and Macs within two minutes of first power-on.
The big asterisk is toner cost. HP 218A standard-yield cartridges run around 1,300 black and 1,200 color pages at a noticeably higher cost per page than Brother TN229 or Canon 069/075 cartridges. The 218X high-yield cartridges improve the math but still trail the competition. And HP’s firmware actively blocks third-party cartridges, which closes off the aftermarket toner route that owners of Brother and Canon printers sometimes use to reduce running cost.
The 3301sdw’s 3.8-star average reflects a polarized owner base. Buyers who standardized on HP and don’t print high monthly volumes are happy. Buyers who print heavily and discover the toner economics feel trapped. Our team landed on the same conclusion: HP makes a great color laser for shops already committed to HP supplies, but Brother and Canon deliver better long-term value for first-time color laser buyers.
Who the 3301sdw is built for
Small teams that already standardize on HP toner and want a 4-in-1 AIO that drops into a managed print environment. HP’s fleet management tools and security certifications are real advantages in larger organizations.
Who should look elsewhere
Anyone evaluating their first color laser should strongly consider the Brother MFC-L3720CDW above for lower toner cost. And if photo-quality color is the priority, the Canon MF753Cdw II produces cleaner output than HP’s TerraJet in our tests.
9. HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw — Cheapest HP Color Laser for Light-Duty Home Use
HP Color Laserjet Pro 3201dw Wireless Color Laser Printer, Office Printer, Duplex, Best for Office (499Q9F)
26 ppm color
250-sheet tray
Dual-band Wi-Fi
33 lb compact
Pros
- Fast 26 ppm color and monochrome output
- Compact 33-pound design
- Dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset
- Auto duplex printing included
- Easy mobile printing setup
Cons
- Print-only no scan or copy
- Replacement HP 218 toner is expensive
- Printer occasionally wakes up at night
- Replacement toner yields lower-quality prints than starter
- Manual feed tray jams with thicker paper
- Firmware blocks non-HP cartridges
The HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw is the cheapest HP color laser on this roundup and the only sub-$300 HP option in our lineup. It’s a print-only model with a 26 ppm engine, dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset, and a compact 33-pound chassis that fits on a small desk or shelf.
Setup was straightforward in my testing, with dual-band Wi-Fi detecting my home network automatically. The self-reset feature is a genuine improvement over older HP printers; when I changed routers mid-test, the 3201dw reconnected without manual intervention. For buyers who frequently swap routers or run a mesh network, that self-healing Wi-Fi is worth noting.
The 3201dw’s 3.4-star average across 981 reviews is the lowest in this roundup, and the pattern behind it is clear. Multiple owners report that the starter toner cartridges print beautifully but replacement HP 218A cartridges deliver noticeably faded or misaligned output, which is the opposite of what most buyers expect. The printer also occasionally wakes itself up at night to perform maintenance, which has frustrated owners running it in bedrooms or home offices.
HP’s firmware block on third-party cartridges also applies here, so the aftermarket toner option isn’t available. If you stick with HP 218 supplies, the cost per page is higher than Brother TN229 or Canon 075 across equivalent yield classes. The 3201dw is a workable print-only color laser, but it’s not the strongest value in this price band.
Who the 3201dw is built for
Home offices that specifically want an HP color laser at the lowest entry price, and don’t print enough to make toner economics the deciding factor. The dual-band Wi-Fi self-reset is a real perk for mesh-network homes.
Who should look elsewhere
If you want better value at a similar price, the Brother HL-L3220CDW above uses cheaper TN229 toner and has a higher owner rating. And if print quality from replacement toner matters, the Canon LBP646Cdw above delivers more consistent output across cartridge changes.
10. Xerox C235dni — Best Compact Color Laser AIO for Hybrid Workers
Xerox C235dni Wireless Color Laser All-in-One Printer
24 ppm color
1200 dpi color
35 lb compact
Wi-Fi AirPrint Mopria
Pros
- Sharp text and vibrant color graphics at 1200 dpi
- Compact 35-pound footprint easy to move
- Built-in Wi-Fi Apple AirPrint and Mopria support
- Xerox Easy Assist App simplifies setup
- 24 ppm print scan copy performance
Cons
- Replacement toner cartridges are expensive
- Setup can be finicky with mobile app and Gmail
- Some units arrive with low starter toner
- Print darkness varies with paper brand
The Xerox C235dni rounds out this roundup as the most compact color laser AIO on the list. At 35 pounds and 13.6 inches tall, it fits in spots where the heavier Brother and Canon AIOs won’t, and the 1200 dpi color output is genuinely sharp for the size class. For a hybrid worker who needs to move a printer between home and a small office, the C235dni is the easiest model here to relocate.
In testing, the Xerox Easy Assist App detected the C235dni quickly and walked me through Wi-Fi setup without the usual manual hunting. AirPrint worked on first try across both iPhone and MacBook, and Mopria printing from an Android tablet was equally clean. If you’re splitting time between Apple and Android devices in the same household, this is one of the more platform-agnostic color lasers in our lineup.
The 24 ppm print speed is slower than the 26-35 ppm models from Brother and Canon, but the C235dni’s 1200 dpi color output partially compensates with sharper graphics. For users who print more documents than marketing materials, the speed difference barely shows up in daily use.
Toner cost is the sticking point. Replacement Xerox toner cartridges are among the more expensive in this roundup, and several owners report that starter cartridges arrive with lower-than-rated yield. The C235dni also shows some print-darkness variation depending on paper brand, so sticking with a consistent paper stock helps. For moderate monthly volumes under 1,000 pages, those quirks are manageable.
Who the C235dni is built for
Hybrid workers and small offices that need a compact color laser AIO they can move occasionally, and that handles Apple and Android devices equally well. The 1200 dpi color output is a real advantage for buyers printing marketing materials on a budget.
Who should look elsewhere
If toner cost is the deciding factor, the Brother MFC-L3720CDW above delivers lower cost per page with a comparable footprint. And if print speed matters more than compact size, the Canon MF753Cdw II gives you 35 ppm in a similar price band.
Color Laser Printer Buying Guide: How We Picked the Best Color Laser Printers in 2026
Choosing the best color laser printers for your situation comes down to matching print volume, use case, and total cost of ownership. Our team spent three months comparing ten models across home, home office, small business, and workgroup environments, and the buying guide below covers the questions buyers ask us most. If you want to understand what reviewers mean when they throw around acronyms like ADF, DADF, and PPM, the subsections ahead break each one down.
Color laser vs inkjet: which is right for you?
Color laser printers win on speed, sharp text, and long-term cost per page once you cross roughly 200-500 pages per month. Inkjet printers win on photo-quality color and lower upfront cost for very light use. The Reddit consensus, which we saw echoed across r/homeoffice and r/printers threads, is that inkjets frustrate buyers with clogged printheads and dried-up cartridges while color lasers just sit idle for weeks and print on demand. If you print color more than a few times a week, a color laser is almost always the better buy.
All-in-one vs print-only: do you need a scanner?
All-in-one color laser printers add scanning, copying, and sometimes faxing for a modest price premium over their print-only siblings. The Brother MFC-L3720CDW and the Canon MF753Cdw II both include duplex scanning ADFs that scan stacks of two-sided documents, which is the feature owners tell us they can’t live without once they have it. If you already own a separate document scanner or you only print, the print-only Brother HL-L3220CDW or Canon LBP646Cdw below the AIOs saves money and desk space.
Understanding PPM, duty cycle, and toner yield
PPM (pages per minute) is the speed rating, and the number you see in marketing is usually the maximum monochrome speed under ideal lab conditions. Color PPM is often lower on inkjet printers but on color lasers is typically the same as monochrome. Duty cycle is the maximum pages the printer is engineered to handle per month; the recommended monthly volume is usually half the maximum. Toner yield is the page count a cartridge is rated to deliver. Brother’s TN229 and TN635 families offer standard, XL, and XXL yields, and our team consistently found the XXL super-high-yield cartridges deliver the lowest cost per page over a simulated three-year ownership.
Total cost of ownership: toner is the real price
The purchase price is the smallest part of owning a color laser printer. Toner is the real cost, and on a heavy-use small business printer the Brother MFC-L8930CDW with TN635XXL cartridges delivered the lowest cost per page in our modeling, followed closely by the Canon MF753Cdw II with 069H cartridges. HP 218A/218X toner on the LaserJet Pro 3301sdw and 3201dw landed noticeably higher, partly because HP’s firmware blocks third-party cartridges. Brother Genuine TN229 toner is the cheapest in the budget tier, which is one reason the MFC-L3720CDW and HL-L3220CDW sit at the top of our value picks.
Connectivity checklist: Wi-Fi, AirPrint, Mopria, NFC
Every model on this list supports Wi-Fi and automatic duplex printing. Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service are standard on all ten. Wi-Fi Direct (which lets you print without a router) is included on the Brother MFC-L3720CDW, HL-L3220CDW, and MFC-L8930CDW. NFC tap-to-print is exclusive to the Brother MFC-L8930CDW. Ethernet is on every Brother AIO and every Canon imageCLASS model; the HP 3301sdw and 3201dw include Ethernet too. For most home offices Wi-Fi is enough, but for small businesses with a fixed printer location we recommend wired Ethernet to avoid the Wi-Fi sleep-mode drops several Canon owners reported on r/printers.
Photo quality on color lasers: setting realistic expectations
Color laser printers produce sharp, smudge-resistant color, but the output looks flatter and less photo-realistic than inkjet prints on photo paper. Toner lays color on top of the page rather than soaking into it, so the saturation is lower and the gradients are less smooth. The Canon MF753Cdw II with 1200×1200 dpi color rendering came closest to inkjet photo quality in our testing, and Brother TerraJet toner on the HP 3301sdw produced the most vibrant colors for marketing materials on plain paper. If your priority is gallery-quality photo prints, an inkjet photo printer is the better choice; if your priority is sharp business documents with reliable color, every printer on this list delivers. To see how your prints compare against a calibrated display, our best color-accurate monitors guide walks through the display side of the equation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who makes the best color laser printer for home use?
Brother makes the best color laser printer for home use. The Brother HL-L3220CDW is the top budget pick with 1,025 reviews averaging 4.0 stars, while the Brother MFC-L3720CDW adds scanning, copying, and faxing for buyers who want a full home-office AIO. Both models deliver sharp color output, reliable Wi-Fi, and low-cost Brother TN229 toner that keeps long-term cost of ownership low.
Is it worth buying a color laser printer?
Yes, a color laser printer is worth buying if you print color more than a few times a week. Toner doesn’t dry out the way ink does, so the printer can sit idle for weeks and print on demand without clogs. Once you cross roughly 200 to 500 pages per month, cost per page drops below what an inkjet costs, and the prints are sharp, smudge-resistant, and durable.
How much does toner cost for a color laser printer?
Toner for a color laser printer typically costs between roughly 3 and 5 cents per black page and 12 to 20 cents per color page using original-equipment cartridges. Brother TN229 and TN635 super-high-yield cartridges and Canon 069H high-yield cartridges deliver the lowest cost per page in our testing, while HP 218A/218X toner is noticeably more expensive. Aftermarket toner can cut costs further but varies in yield and reliability.
Which laser printer has the best color quality?
The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II delivered the best color quality in our testing, with 1200×1200 dpi rendering that produced the most saturated graphics and cleanest gradients. The Brother MFC-L8930CDW is a close second with 2400×600 dpi output, and HP’s TerraJet toner on the Color LaserJet Pro 3301sdw produced the most vibrant colors on plain paper. For photo-realistic color, an inkjet still beats every color laser.
What is the average lifespan of a laser toner cartridge?
A laser toner cartridge typically lasts between 2 and 3 years in storage before the toner powder starts to degrade, and between 1,000 and 7,500 printed pages depending on the yield class. Standard-yield cartridges deliver around 1,000 to 2,500 pages, XL high-yield cartridges deliver 3,000 to 5,000 pages, and XXL super-high-yield cartridges on Brother printers deliver up to 7,500 black and 6,500 color pages. Actual lifespan depends on what you print and how densely the pages are covered.
Are laser printers getting phased out?
No, laser printers are not getting phased out. While inkjet printers continue to dominate the photo-printing segment and low-cost home segment, color laser printers remain the dominant choice for offices printing more than a few hundred pages per month. Manufacturers including Brother, Canon, HP, and Xerox continue to release new color laser models every year, and total cost of ownership on laser is still lower than inkjet once monthly volume crosses roughly 200 pages.
Final Verdict
The best color laser printer for 2026 is the Brother MFC-L8930CDW for heavy print loads and busy offices, and our team recommends it without hesitation if your monthly volume runs into the thousands of pages. For most home offices, the Brother MFC-L3720CDW is the right pick, and the Brother HL-L3220CDW is the budget winner for buyers who only need printing. If you want the fastest color output and a 3-year warranty, the Canon MF753Cdw II is the runner-up. Use the buying guide above to match your monthly volume and use case to the right model, and the FAQ section answers the most common buyer questions about toner cost and long-term reliability.