In this digital age, no matter how paperless our lives become, there will always be a need for a printer sometime. That’s mostly because oftentimes at work or at school, you will need a printed document or assignment.

But before getting a printer, we often think that “What if the ink of the printer dries out if I don’t use it frequently?” What if it starts having connectivity issues or other inconveniences while setting it up. There are just so many questions with not enough answers.

But don’t worry, that is what we are here to solve! We have a list of the best printer for infrequent use that will work fine whenever you decide to use them.

You can jump to the things to keep in mind before buying a printer for infrequent use or continue to the list below.

Best Printers For Infrequent Use in 2020:

These are the most amazing printers for infrequent use from our list:

PRINTER FOR INFREQUENT USE	RATING	PRICE
HP LaserJet Pro M15w	10/10	Check Price
Brother Compact Monochrome	9.5/10	Check Price
HP OfficeJet 3830	9/10	Check Price
Canon Color imageCLASS	8.5/10	Check Price
Epson EcoTank ET-2720	7.5/10	Check Price

You can also take a look at our highly recommended Printer for stickers or Duplex Printers to print on both sides of the paper!

1. HP LaserJet Pro M15w

Why we love it:

Print speed: 19ppm
Print type: Laser
Monochrome
Connectivity: WiFi, USB
Functions: Print

PROS	CONS
✅ Compact design, World’s Smallest Laser Printer in its class	❌ No duplex printing
✅ Fast printing
✅ Designed for maximum productivity and reliability
✅ Mobile and cloud printing
✅ Easy to set up
✅ Print media type: Envelopes, Paper, Label, Cardstock

First thing’s first, what makes it the top printer for occasional use? Well that question has several answers. The build of the HP LaserJet M15w ensures the longevity of the product like the auto on/off and the reliable wireless capabilities along with several other features. You know that printing won’t be a hassle because it is quick and easy to set up and prints at quite a fast speed. The fact that its toner is going to last you a long time is just an icing on top!

The compact design means that you can put it anywhere in your house or store it in any corner and then forget about it until you actually need to use it. And even if you do display it in your room, the design is pretty elegant so it won’t be an eyesore.

However, it does not provide auto-duplex printing which means it will only print on one side which can sometimes waste a lot of paper if you are printing a longer document. The fact that it is Black and white might be an issue for some but it is just a feature of the LaserJet and does bring its cost down quite a bit.

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2. Brother Compact Monochrome, HLL2395DW

Why we love it:

Print speed: 36ppm
Type: Laser
Output: Monochrome
Connectivity: WiFi, ethernet, USB
Functions: Print/Copy/Scan

PROS	CONS
✅ Extremely fast print speed	❌ Connectivity issues with Mac
✅ User friendly features
✅ Print media: Cardstock, paper and envelopes
✅ Auto Duplex
✅ Compatible with several devices and cloud & Air print

Multifunctional, reliable, extremely fast and convenient use; it fulfills all the requirements for a decent all in one for occasional use printer.

It provides the efficiency of a laser printer at a reasonable price with a higher sheet paper capacity so you can get quick results. It prints on a variety of media through a variety of devices and even works great with cloud printing. The user friendly features make it very easy to use and even customize shortcuts for quick results. The auto duplex feature is just an additional bonus!

All of this sounds almost too good to be true so let me tell you the downsides: it only prints in Black and White, that might not be an issue with some infrequent printers like us but people have complained that it has connectivity issues with Mac.

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3. HP OfficeJet 3830

Why we love it:

Print speed: 20ppm
Type: Inkjet
Output: Colour
Connectivity: USB and WiFi
Functions: Print/Copy/Scan/Fax

PROS	CONS
✅ Very affordable	❌ The instant ink program is a hassle
✅ Multifunctional	❌ Ink doesn't last long
✅ Print media: Cardstock, Glossy photo paper, Envelopes, Labels, High resolution paper
✅ Convenient and efficient wireless printing
✅ Quiet mode

If you need a high quality color printer for occasional use, I would definitely recommend the HP OfficeJet.

Firstly, it has an amazing price that is in everyones range. It gives out high quality prints on a variety of print media over several wireless connections along with scanning and printing through Cloud and Drive. It doesn’t look like an eyesore, it barely makes any noise due to the quiet mode and it has a compact design so it can be stored anywhere in the house. The fact that it is HP adds to the reliability of the printer.

Couple of things you do need to keep in mind before buying it though: beware of enrolling in the ink program because it is more of a hassle than a convenience. Although it is an amazing inkjet printer for home use, the ink cartridges won’t last that long.

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4. Canon Color imageCLASS MF644Cdw

Why we love it:

Print speed: 22ppm
Technology: Laser
Output: Colour
Connectivity: Wi-Fi
Functions: Print/Copy/Scan/Fax

PROS	CONS
✅ Customizable home screen	❌ High initial cost and colour laser toner replacement is also expensive
✅ Requires minimum maintenance	❌ Only prints on plain paper
✅ Auto duplex
✅ Very quiet
✅ Easy to set up, just plug in

No doubt that this Canon model is a great color printer for occasional printing and it offers so much more than just that.

The print speed is average but the output is of high quality laser prints. The design on the printer might not be that compact but it sure is elegant. What makes it a great printer for infrequent printing is that it is very easy to set up, all you have to do is plug in. And since it is a laser printer, the toner won’t dry out so quickly. The build quality of the machine is amazing and it barely requires any maintenance.

However, this is a very expensive printer and not everybody can afford it especially if you are barely going to use it. And for that much money it only prints out on plain paper, which is a bummer. But the quality of the printer is unmatched.

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5. Epson EcoTank ET-2720

Why we love it:

Max print speed: 10ppm
Technology: Inkjet
Output: Colour
Connectivity: WiFi, Ethernet, USB
Functions: Print/Scan/Copy

PROS	CONS
✅ Wireless + Voice activated printing	❌ Wireless system not too stable
✅ Low cost replacement ink bottles	❌ Small screen display
✅ Space saving design	❌ Low print speed
✅ Prints with smartphones and tablets

The last product on our top printers for infrequent use is the Epson Et-2720.

Let’s cut straight to why it is on our list: it is multi-functional with a variety of connectivity options and it also works wirelessly with voice activation. The printer is reliable and the ink lasts you a very long time and even when it does run out, it is quite cheap to replace. It has a stylish space saving design for easy storage.

Overall, it is a pretty decent printer with a few flaws: the wireless system isn’t too stable so you might have to reconnect every time you begin, the display screen is small and therefore difficult to navigate and the print speed is adequate.

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Things to keep in Mind before buying a Printer for Infrequent Use:

People who need a printer for low usage need to keep a few things in mind before making their purchase:

1. The Type of Printer:

Laser Printers are preferred over inkjet because toners tend to last longer than ink cartridges. Even though toners and cartridges both will eventually dry out, toners will just take longer to do so. Inkjet printers sometimes face the issue of nozzles getting clogged up while laser printers function more smoothly over time.

2. The Cost of the Printer:

While laser printers last longer, they also cost a lot more. The initial investment for an inkjet printer is lower than laserjet, which makes sense for buying the best printer for infrequent printing because why spend so much money on something that you are only going to use occasionally? So you have to keep in mind the overall cost and how much you can afford.

3. Personal preference:

It all comes down to what do you want out of your printer? Would you prefer monochrome or colour prints, do you prefer toner or cartridge, the size of printer you require, how frequently will you use the printer and finally, how much do you want to spend on the printer. It is important to keep these questions in mind before you buy a printer. You can jump to our list of top picks now.