A wireless printer prints from laptops, phones, and tablets without USB cables and supports the mobile printing protocols (AirPrint, Mopria, HP Smart) that modern devices expect. The wrong wireless printer ships with cartridges that cost more than the printer itself within a year, Wi-Fi that drops every few days requiring re-setup, or scanning quality unsuitable for document workflows. After comparing 16 current wireless printers, these seven stood out for print quality, page yield economics, mobile app reliability, and Wi-Fi stability.
Picks were narrowed by print technology, page yield, mobile app quality, scanning capability, and cost per page.
Quick Comparison
| Printer | Technology | Color | Functions | Cost/Page | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e | Inkjet | Yes | Print, Scan, Copy, Fax | 5c color | Overall |
| Epson EcoTank ET-4850 | Inkjet tank | Yes | Print, Scan, Copy, Fax | 0.6c color | Low cost per page |
| Brother HL-L3270CDW | Color laser | Yes | Print only | 5c color | Color laser |
| HP LaserJet Pro M404dw | Mono laser | No | Print only | 1.5c | Text high volume |
| Canon PIXMA TR8620a | Inkjet | Yes | Print, Scan, Copy, Fax | 8c color | Home office AIO |
| Brother MFC-L3770CDW | Color laser | Yes | Print, Scan, Copy, Fax | 5c color | Office AIO |
| Canon PIXMA G7020 | Inkjet tank | Yes | Print, Scan, Copy, Fax | 1c color | Tank AIO |
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e, Best Overall
The OfficeJet Pro 9015e covers print, scan, copy, and fax with the most refined mobile app in the wireless printer category. HP Smart app handles setup in under 5 minutes, mobile printing, scanning to phone, and ink reorder alerts.
Dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Automatic two-sided printing and scanning. 35-page document feeder. 22 ppm black, 18 ppm color. HP Plus eligible for 6 months free ink through the Instant Ink subscription.
Trade-off: HP Plus tier requires using only HP-branded cartridges. Third-party ink does not work in the linked accounts.
Epson EcoTank ET-4850, Best Low Cost Per Page
The EcoTank ET-4850 replaces ink cartridges with refillable bottles that produce 7500 black or 6000 color pages per refill set. Cost per page drops below 1 cent for color. Up-front price is higher but breaks even within 12 to 18 months for typical home office use.
Print, scan, copy, fax in a compact desktop chassis. PrecisionCore inkjet technology. Automatic two-sided printing. 30-page document feeder. Dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet.
Trade-off: 600 dollar entry price targets households printing 50 plus pages monthly. Light users save more on a budget inkjet.
Brother HL-L3270CDW, Best Color Laser
The HL-L3270CDW is the most reliable color laser in this lineup with Brother's well-supported drivers across Windows, Mac, and Linux. 25 ppm color and black. Toner cartridges yield 1000 to 2300 pages.
Print-only design with no scanner or copier. AirPrint, Mopria, and Brother iPrint and Scan support. Automatic two-sided printing. 250 sheet input tray. Dual-band Wi-Fi.
Trade-off: print-only limits use for scanning and copying. Pair with a desktop scanner or pick the MFC-L3770CDW for AIO duty.
HP LaserJet Pro M404dw, Best Text High Volume
The LaserJet Pro M404dw handles text-heavy home offices and remote workers with 40 ppm black-and-white printing at 1.5 cents per page. Standard toner yields 3000 pages, high-yield yields 9000.
Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB connectivity. Automatic two-sided printing. AirPrint and HP Smart support. 250 sheet tray with optional 550 sheet add-on tray.
Trade-off: black and white only. For color charts, photos, and presentations, pick a color laser.
Canon PIXMA TR8620a, Best Home Office AIO
The PIXMA TR8620a covers print, scan, copy, and fax in a compact home office form factor. ChromaLife100 inks produce strong photo quality alongside document printing. AirPrint, Mopria, Canon PRINT app, and Wi-Fi Direct.
20 sheet document feeder. Automatic two-sided printing. 4.3 inch touchscreen. Dual paper trays for letter and photo paper without swapping. Cloud printing through Canon's service.
Trade-off: 8 cent per color page cost adds up for high volume users. Best for moderate home office use of 20 to 40 pages per month.
Brother MFC-L3770CDW, Best Office AIO
The MFC-L3770CDW pairs Brother's color laser engine with print, scan, copy, and fax in a single chassis. 25 ppm color and black. Automatic two-sided printing and scanning. 50-page document feeder.
3.7 inch color touchscreen. Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB. AirPrint, Mopria, Brother iPrint and Scan. 250 sheet paper tray. Five year warranty available through Brother.
Trade-off: 700 dollar price targets small business and serious home office use. Households printing 20 to 50 pages monthly save money with the OfficeJet Pro.
Canon PIXMA G7020, Best Tank AIO
The PIXMA G7020 is Canon's answer to the Epson EcoTank line. Refillable ink tanks deliver 6000 color or 7700 black pages per refill set. Print, scan, copy, and fax with 35-page document feeder.
Hybrid ink system uses pigment black for crisp text and dye colors for photos. Automatic two-sided printing. Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct. Canon PRINT app and AirPrint.
Trade-off: refilling tanks is messier than cartridge swaps. Stick with the EcoTank for cleaner refill experience.
How To Choose
Inkjet for photos, laser for text
Inkjet wins on color photo quality and gradient smoothness. Laser wins on text crispness and cost per page for high volume. Match technology to actual print mix.
Tank versus cartridge for high volume
Refillable tank printers drop cost per page by 80 to 90 percent. Justified for households printing 50 plus pages monthly. Light users save more on a budget cartridge printer.
AIO scanner for paperwork
Print, scan, copy combinations replace standalone scanners and copiers. Best for home offices handling documents alongside printing.
Wi-Fi reliability through static IP
Assign the printer a static IP in the router admin panel to prevent the offline issues that plague DHCP-assigned printers. Most printers also work over Ethernet for the most reliable connection.
For related reading, see our breakdowns of wireless keyboards 2026 and wireless chargers 2026. For how we evaluate office equipment, see our methodology.
A wireless printer eliminates USB tethering and supports modern mobile printing protocols. Match technology to print mix, factor cost per page into total ownership, and the printer covers 5 to 8 years of daily use.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy a laser or inkjet wireless printer?+
Laser for text and high volume, inkjet for color photos and low volume. Color laser printers handle 2000 to 5000 pages per cartridge at lower cost per page than inkjet. Inkjet excels at glossy photo printing and gradient color, where laser shows banding. Home offices printing mostly text documents save money with laser. Households printing kid photos, school projects, and crafts get better color from inkjet.
What is the cost per page for wireless printers?+
Color laser runs 4 to 8 cents per page for color, 1 to 2 cents for black. Inkjet runs 8 to 25 cents for color, 3 to 8 cents for black. EcoTank and MegaTank refillable inkjets drop to 0.5 to 2 cents per page through bulk ink bottles instead of cartridges. Calculate based on annual print volume to find true ownership cost beyond the sticker price.
How does AirPrint work with wireless printers?+
AirPrint detects compatible printers on the same Wi-Fi network and adds them to the iPhone and iPad print menu automatically. No app installation required. Most wireless printers from 2020 onward support AirPrint. The same protocol covers Mac printing. For Android phones, Mopria provides equivalent functionality on Mopria-certified printers. Both protocols handle text, photos, and PDFs natively.
Can wireless printers print from phones without internet?+
Yes through Wi-Fi Direct, which creates a direct phone-to-printer connection bypassing the home router. Useful for guest printing and home networks that block printer connections. Bluetooth printing on supported models also works without internet. Cloud-based services like Google Cloud Print and HP ePrint require internet and have been discontinued or replaced by direct printing protocols.
Why does my wireless printer keep going offline?+
Router reassigning the printer IP address through DHCP. Most home routers rotate IP assignments every few days, which breaks the connection between the computer and printer. Fix by assigning a static IP reservation in the router admin panel for the printer's MAC address. Other causes include Wi-Fi signal too weak, printer sleep mode disconnecting, and outdated printer firmware. Update firmware through the printer's app or admin web interface.
