Brother printers at best buy: The 4 Best Brother Printers of 2023: Reviews

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The 4 Best Brother Printers of 2023: Reviews

  1. Table of Contents
  2. Intro
  3. Review Updates
  4. Best Printer
  5. Best Upper Mid-Range
  6. Best Mid-Range
  7. Best Budget
  8. Comparison
  9. Lineup
  10. Page Updates
  11. Conclusion
  12. Discussions

Updated Mar 23, 2023 at 08:52 am

By Ryan Lim

Brother is a company that produces printers that closely fit the needs of small businesses, whether working from home or in a small office. They focus on laser printers, which help you maximize page yields and are great if you’re printing out forms. They have a small lineup of color inkjet printers that use a hybrid between a supertank and a traditional cartridge system, so it’s easy to add a splash of color to graphs. Overall, they maintain quick print speeds so you can get your report out the door as quickly as possible.

Updates

  • 04/04/2023

    Brother MFC-L8905CDW [MFC-L8895CDW, MFC-L8900CDW] reviewed

  • 03/03/2023

    Brother MFC-J1205W/MFC-J1215W updated

  • 01/24/2023

    Brother MFC-J4335DW updated

  • 11/17/2022

    Brother HL-L2390DW/HL-L2395DW updated

  • 10/13/2022

    Brother MFC-L2750DW [L2710DW, L2717DW, L2730DW] updated

Best Brother Printers

  1. Best Brother Printer

    Brother MFC-L3770CDW Laser

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    Family

    7. 6

    Small/Home Office

    8.5

    Student

    8.1

    Black & White

    8.4

    Photo

    4.5

    Type

    All in One

    Technology

    Laser

    SuperTank

    No

    Color

    Yes

    Wireless

    Yes

    See all our test results

    The best Brother printer we’ve tested is the Brother MFC-L3770CDW Laser. This all-in-one model has an exceptionally sturdy build and a design that allows easy access to toner cartridges and paper jams. Its high-resolution ADF-equipped scanner processes up to 21 pages per minute and double-sided sheets in a single pass, saving you precious time.  Connectivity options include USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, and there’s also support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, allowing you to print without installing any drivers or third-party apps. It’s compatible with Brother’s mobile app, which you can use to print, scan, copy, and perform maintenance tasks.

    Printing-wise, this model produces outstanding quality black and color documents, but like most laser printers, it doesn’t print very good photos, as printed pictures look grainy, muted, and lacking in detail. It prints very quickly at 26 black or 25 color pages per minute; it just takes a while to warm up and get a single page out. As for its page yield and cost per print, although the toner cartridges are on the expensive side, they yield a large number of prints, so you won’t have to replace them often. You need to replace the drum separately, though, which is an added expense, and the drum doesn’t last as long as Brother claims, meaning you may have to replace it more often than other similar printers. Nonetheless, this model is a great addition to any office and the best Brother printer for small business use that we’ve tested.

    See our review

  2. Best Upper Mid-Range Brother Printer

    Brother MFC-L2750DW

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    Family

    6.6

    Small/Home Office

    8.6

    Student

    8.3

    Black & White

    9.1

    Photo

    1.4

    Type

    All in One

    Technology

    Laser

    SuperTank

    No

    Color

    No

    Wireless

    Yes

    See all our test results

    If you only need to print in black, get the Brother MFC-L2750DW instead, one of the best Brother laser printers we’ve tested. This all-in-one monochrome model has nearly all the features you’d need for a small or home office. It has Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet connectivity, and it supports NFC, so you can simply tap your NFC-enabled device on the printer to connect. The scanner produces high-quality scans and has an ADF with single-pass duplex scanning, making it a breeze to scan multi-page and double-sided documents. It delivers incredibly sharp documents, doesn’t take long to warm up, and prints quickly at 36 pages per minute. The toner cartridge is good for around 2000 prints, and it’s relatively cheap, so you won’t have to spend too much on replacement toner. You have to replace the drum separately, which is an added expense; however, you likely won’t need to do it often because it usually lasts a long time.

    If budget is a concern and you’re willing to compromise on some features, know that this printer has many variants, including cheaper models like the Brother MFC-L2710DW, which lacks duplex scanning and prints slightly slower. You can also find bundles that include longer-lasting XL toner cartridges, like the Brother MFC-L2750DW XL, which might be cheaper than buying the cartridges separately. You can see all the variants and their differences in the full review.

    See our review

  3. Best Mid-Range Brother Printer

    Brother MFC-J4335DW

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    Family

    8.2

    Small/Home Office

    8.2

    Student

    8.4

    Black & White

    8.5

    Photo

    7. 3

    Type

    All in One

    Technology

    Inkjet

    SuperTank

    No

    Color

    Yes

    Wireless

    Yes

    See all our test results

    If you need a printer for your household, the mid-range Brother MFC-J4335DW is the best Brother printer for home use we’ve tested. It’s the best Brother all-in-one printer we’ve tested, as it has plenty of features and all-around great performance. You can connect to the printer via USB or Wi-Fi, and it’s compatible with Brother’s mobile companion app, which you can use to print, scan, copy, perform maintenance tasks, and order supplies. The scanner produces high-quality scans and processes up to 20 pages per minute through its automatic feeder; however, it doesn’t support duplex scanning, so you’ll still have to flip the pages manually when scanning double-sided sheets.

    Printing-wise, this model produces amazing-looking documents and does so quickly, churning out 17 black or 15 color documents per minute. As for photos, they look detailed but slightly grainy with washed-out blacks. One thing you won’t need to worry about is maintenance cost, as its ink cartridges last a long time and are relatively cheap. XL cartridges are also available if you want to increase the yield further. The printer feels sturdy and well-built overall; the only downside is that the power cord isn’t removable, making it hard to replace if it gets damaged.

    See our review

  4. Best Budget Brother Printer

    Brother MFC-J1205W/MFC-J1215W

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    Family

    7.9

    Small/Home Office

    7.2

    Student

    8. 0

    Black & White

    7.3

    Photo

    7.6

    Type

    All in One

    Technology

    Inkjet

    SuperTank

    No

    Color

    Yes

    Wireless

    Yes

    See all our test results

    For our best budget pick, we chose the Brother MFC-J1205W, also known as the Brother MFC-J1215DW at Walmart. This color inkjet model is a great option for people who print more than the occasional one-off project. It feels sturdily built despite its affordable price, with a design that allows easy access to paper jams and ink cartridges. You still get Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, as well as Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service support. It has a scanner with extendable hinges to accommodate thick items like textbooks, but it lacks an automatic feeder, so you’ll have to scan each page manually.

    This model’s four ink cartridges yield a large number of prints, so you won’t need to replace them often. On top of that, the ink cartridges are fairly cheap, resulting in an exceptionally low cost per print. It produces high-quality black and color documents; it’s just on the slower side as it can only push out nine black or six color pages per minute and doesn’t support double-sided printing. It doesn’t have a particularly wide color range, but printed photos still look very detailed and reasonably color-accurate. Overall, it’s a great option for those on a tight budget who don’t mind a few compromises.

    See our review

Compared to other brands

  • Can yield a high number of pages.
    Both their laser and inkjet printers tend to yield many pages before you need to replace their ink or toner cartridges. It’s great if you’re constantly printing off several pages at a time.
  • Low cost-per-print.
    Although their cartridges can cost a little more to replace, you have to do it less often, which results in a very affordable cost-per-print.
  • Quick print speed.
    Most Brother printers can print black-only text documents very quickly.
  • Sturdy and well-built.
    Brother generally makes well-built printers that feel sturdy and have good access to their ink tanks or cartridges.
  • No Bluetooth support.
    While they have excellent wireless connectivity, and some even have NFC capabilities, none of the Brother printers we’ve tested support Bluetooth, which is disappointing.
  • Not really for printing photos.
    Most of Brother’s printers are monochrome, so they only have a black ink or toner cartridge. Their inkjet printers typically print worse-quality photos compared to other brands.

Brother vs Epson

Brother and Epson are both major printer manufacturers. Brother makes inkjet and laser models, while Epson focuses almost exclusively on inkjet models. Brother printers usually produce higher-quality documents, but Epson printers are better for photos as they usually have a wider color range. If you’re concerned about running costs, it’s best to go with an Epson EcoTank printer, as these models yield significantly more prints than almost all Brother printers. To see the best options at each price point, check out our recommendations for the best Epson printers.

Brother vs Canon

Brother and Canon are among the largest printer manufacturers in the world. While both companies offer a wide range of printers, only Canon makes professional photo printers. Canon home printers generally produce higher-quality photos but yield fewer prints than Brother printers. As for laser printers, Canon usually makes better color models, while Brother usually makes better monochrome models. To see our recommendations, check out our list of the best Canon printers.

Brother makes well-built printers with a straightforward design. They mostly focus on laser printers suited for office use, so you can expect that their products have a quick print speed and high page yields. They also make monochrome printers better suited for those who primarily need to print off documents rather than scan multiple pages at a time. They also make a couple of color inkjet printers, which are great if you want to add a splash of color to your quarterly report.

Lineup

Brother has a straightforward lineup of inkjet and laser printers, including:

  • Black and White Laser: Print-only monochrome laser models.
  • Color Laser Digital: Print-only color laser models.
  • Black and White Laser Multifunction: All-in-one monochrome laser models.
  • Color Laser Digital Multifunction: All-in-one color laser models.
  • Color Inkjet Multifunction: All-in-one color inkjet models.
  • INKvestment Tank: All-in-one color inkjet models with Brother’s proprietary INKvestment technology, which combines traditional ink cartridges with an internal ink tank to increase page yield.

Recent Updates

  1. Mar 23, 2023:
    Minor text changes to provide more information regarding variants. No change in recommendations.

  2. Dec 23, 2022:
    Verified accuracy of picks; no change in recommendations.

  3. Sep 26, 2022:
    Restructured article to better match user expectations. Removed the Brother MFC-J4535DW and the Brother MFC-L2710DW. Added the Brother MFC-L2750DW as the ‘Best Upper Mid-Range’ pick, the Brother MFC-J4335DW as the ‘Best Mid-Range’ pick, and the Brother MFC-J1205W as the ‘Best Budget’ pick.

  4. Aug 02, 2022:
    Replaced the Brother HL-L2370DW with the Brother MFC-L2710DW because it has a better page yield and a scanner.

  5. Apr 15, 2022:
    Renamed the ‘Best Home/Small Office’ category to ‘Best Small/Home Office’. Replaced the Brother MFC-J4335DW with the Brother MFC-J4535DW for ‘Best Family’ since the J4535DW performs better overall. Verified availability of picks.

Conclusion

Brother is a well-known brand that offers practical and efficient business solutions through its printer lineups. They tend to produce sturdy and well-built printers with high page yields at an affordable cost, and their ink or toner cartridges need replacing less. However, their ink or toner cartridges are more expensive than their competitors. Their printers also don’t usually have Bluetooth support; this can be a little disappointing if you have multiple people sharing a printer.

Test results

Best Buy Brother Refresh EZ Print Subscription Ready

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First, check to see if your device is ready for Refresh EZ Print Subscription

DCP-L2550DW HL-L2325DW HL-L2350DW
HL-L2370DW HL-L2370DWXL HL-L2390DW
HL-L2395DW MFC-L2690DW MFC-L2710DW
MFC-L2717DW MFC-L2730DW MFC-L2750DW
MFC-L2750DWXL MFC-J1010DW MFC-J1170DW
MFC-J1205W MFC-J1215W MFC-J4335DW
MFC-J4535DW MFC-J4345DWXL MFC-J5340DW

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Select new Brother printers now arrive with Refresh EZ Print Subscription-ready cartridges, right in the box. That means you can enroll and enjoy the benefits of Refresh right away. For a low monthly payment, Brother Genuine Ink or Toner is delivered right to your door, before you need it, and shipping is always free. Enroll at printer set-up to get up to 4 months free* plus a bonus offer!*



Try Refresh EZ Print Subscription free for the first 2 months.*


Enroll with the Refresh Subscription-ready cartridge that comes with your printer to get an additional 2 month free trial – that’s up to 4 months free!*


PLUS get 1,000 Bonus Pages when you enroll within the first 7 days of powering on your new Brother printer. *


How it Works


Enroll and Pick Your Plan


Complete your enrollment in Refresh Subscription and pick your print plan. Whether you’re printing once in awhile or all day long, we have a plan to fit your needs.


Delivery Right to Your Door


Your printer lets us know when you’re running low and replacement ink or toner is delivered free, before you need it.


Worry-Free Printing


You never have to worry about running out of ink or toner again with Refresh Subscription! Try us free for up to 4 months.* There’s no commitment and you can always change or cancel your plan at any time.*



Mono Laser Monthly Print Plans



Inkjet Monthly Print Plans



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Mono Laser (Black & White) / Toner Monthly Print Plans

Refresh plans are based on the number of pages you print each month and every page printed costs the same, whether it’s a color photo or text document. Unused pages roll over to the next month, up to a maximum of 2 times your monthly plan. As your printing needs change, you can change or cancel at any time.

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Occasional Plan

Moderate Plan

High Plan

Power Plan

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Inkjet / Ink Monthly Print Plans

Refresh plans are based on the number of pages you print each month and every page printed costs the same, whether it’s a color photo or text document. Unused pages roll over to the next month, up to a maximum of 2 times your monthly plan. As your printing needs change, you can change or cancel at any time.

Occasional Plan

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Here’s everything you need to get started


Your Refresh Ready Printer


Make sure you are near your printer, it is powered on, with paper loaded and ready to print


Network Connection


Have your printer and laptop or mobile device connected to the same network


Your Credit or Debit Card


Have the credit or debit card that you would like to connect to your subscription account

Frequently Asked Questions

A Refresh Subscription reliably delivers Brother Genuine ink/toner to your door before you need it. When your ink/toner starts to run low, Brother’s exclusive printer technology immediately sends out a new supply.

Simply choose a print plan based on your printer type (Mono Laser or Inkjet) and the number of pages you print.

Pay a low monthly subscription fee based on the plan you’ve selected. There is no commitment, you can cancel or change your plan at any time.

Don’t know how much you print? Don’t worry, once you enroll you can see how many pages you’re printing on your account dashboard. Change your plan anytime to best suit your needs.

For further assistance, please call our Refresh Subscription Specialists at (855) 996-0277 Monday-Friday 9am-9pm ET.

Select new Brother printers are Refresh Ready, which means they contain Refresh Subscription-ready cartridge(s) in the printer box.

When you install these Subscription-ready cartridges in your printer and then enroll in a Refresh EZ Print Subscription, you immediately start enjoying your Refresh Subscription without waiting for a Refresh starter kit to arrive.

Brother’s exclusive printer technology monitors your ink/toner levels and immediately sends out new ink/toner when you start to run low, so you never run out.

There is no set schedule; you’ll receive new ink/toner when your printer needs it!

The specialized firmware on your printer has a built-in page counter that tracks the number of pages you print.
Once you sign up, you can monitor how many pages you print on your Account Dashboard 24/7.

After creating an account AND completing your Refresh Subscription enrollment:

If you’ve recently purchased a printer: it may have subscription-ready cartridge(s) already installed and your Refresh Subscription starts immediately after you’ve enrolled.

If your printer does not have subscription-ready cartridge(s) installed: within a week after enrolling, you will receive a welcome kit with Refresh subscription-ready ink or toner cartridge(s), delivered right to your door. Insert the Refresh cartridge(s) into your printer right away to activate and complete your enrollment in the Refresh EZ Print Subscription service.

How do I know if my printer has subscription-ready cartridge(s) installed: At the end of the Refresh Subscription enrollment process on the “Almost Finished” screen, review the “Next Steps” section. If it says “Your Brother printer already has Refresh EZ Print Subscription Ready cartridges” then you’re all set.

You can also check your Account Dashboard after you enroll. At the top of “Your Printer and Plan Details” section you’ll see a notification. If it says “you’re using a non-Refresh cartridge” or “Insert your Subscription Activation Cartridge(s)” then you do not currently have subscription-ready cartridge(s) installed.

Yes, you can cancel or change your plan at any time for any reason with no penalty. There is no commitment and no contract that you are tied to.

You can cancel or change your plan on your Account Dashboard 24/7. Simply go to Menu>My Plans and printers>Click the action you want to take.

A Refresh Subscription Specialist can also assist you at (855) 996-0277 Monday through Friday, 9 am to 9 pm ET.

*Legal Disclaimers

Subscribe & Save; Save up to 50%: Based on monthly subscription cost in U. S. for Mono Laser Power Plan or Inkjet High Plan vs. average cost per page of eligible like standard capacity cartridges.

Free Trial; 2 Month Free Trial: Requires enrollment in monthly billed Brother Refresh EZ Print Subscription Service plan based on monthly printed page allotments. Unused pages roll over, limitations apply. Additional page set charges and taxes apply during trial Plan options, offer and pricing subject to change. Open to new subscribers located in the contiguous United States only. May be canceled at any time. Upon cancellation, cartridge will be deactivated and must be replaced at users’ expense in order to continue printing.

Free Trial; Additional 2 Month Free Trial: Only Applicable for the following qualifying models: DCP-L2550DW, HL-L2370DW, HL-L2325DW, HL-L2350DW, HL-L2390DW, HL-L2395DW, MFC-J1010DW, MFC-J1170DW,MFC-L2690DW, MFC-L2710DW, MFC-L2717DW, MFC-L2730DW, MFC-L2750DW.

After the free trial period your credit card will be charged on a monthly basis for the Plan Fee, Additional page set charges, and Taxes in accordance with the Terms of Service. Overage fees will apply during free trial. Your service will continue on a month-to-month basis until you cancel it. You may cancel at any time by visiting the My Plans and Printers menu option on your dashboard. Additional page set charges may apply during free trial. Limited time offer. Offer and plans subject to change without notice.

Rollover Pages: May not exceed twice as many pages as allotted in your current plan option; rollover page limits change according to plan option selected and must be used during active subscription.

Free Extended Limited Warranty: Limited Warranty Extension is available on printers with at least 3 months of original product warranty remaining with an active Brother Refresh EZ Print Subscription. Maximum warranty coverage period is three years (including Standard and Extended). Terms and conditions apply. See www.RefreshEZPrintSubscriptionTermsandConditions.com for details.

Bonus Offer: Bonus offer provides up to 1000 bonus print pages at no charge (500 month one, 500 month two, while subscription is active.