The humble Chromebook has become a runaway success, giving rise to a multi-billion dollar industry that supplies us with some of the cheapest and most accessible laptops in the industry. Users rely on them for learning, work, and enterprise, so it’s no surprise that a Chromebook-friendly printer is a necessity for many.
Most printers are compatible with ChromeOS, but a little-known fact is that Chromebooks don’t support Bluetooth printing, which has become popular with innovative portable printers. Whether you want a smart home office printer or a neat solution for printing on the go, get the ideal printing partner for your Chromebook with this roundup of the best printers for Chromebooks on the market.
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Source: Brother
Brother HL-L3270CDW Compact Wireless Digital Color Printer
Best overall
Top Chromebook printers around
Brother HL-L3270CDW Compact Wireless Digital Color Printer
Best overall
Home office printing made easy
$309 $347 Save $38
The Brother HL-L3270CDW Compact Wireless Digital Color Printer is a future-forward home office laser printer that you can put through the paces. It has a 250-sheet capacity and duplex printing of up to 25 sheets per minute. Connectivity is offered with Wi-Fi and NFC communication, Ethernet, and an interactive touchscreen control panel.
- Compact design that can find a home in the smallest spaces
- NFC connectivity bypasses Wi-Fi networks for direct printing
- Works with high-yield toners
- Some unnecessary vendor software and subscriptions
- Ink consumption can run high
Brother has a great reputation for reliable printers, and the Brother HL-L3270CDW Compact Wireless Digital Color Printer doesn’t disappoint. This compact 17.3 x 18.1 x 9.9-inch printer is capable of performance comparable to a basic office printer with a duplex printing rate of up to 25 sheets per minute and the handling of a wide range of paper and card stock. We’re impressed by the versatile connectivity options, some of the best on the market. You can connect to your Chromebook using Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, or the supplied USB cable and port. In addition, the HL-L3270CDW Near Field Communication (NFC), means you can send products to print straight from your smartphone.
Real-world printer value usually depends on the cost of ink or toner, and Brother’s high-yield printer is up to the task. Some users have had problems with the clarity and color richness. Still, overall, this is a great buy with robust manufacturing and reliable performance that ensures the longevity of your purchase.
HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e
Premium pick
Office workhorse that can take on small business tasks
$370 $400 Save $30
HP’s OfficeJet Pro 9025e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer is an excellent buy for a school, a small business, or a super productive household. This printer scanner features dual-sided scanning, and high-resolution color printing with a maximum speed of 24 black and white pages per minute. This printer boasts excellent wireless connectivity and additional features including app-based printing and an ink replenishment subscription via HP+
- Double-sided scanner included
- Dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity
- App-based printing
- Some additional features are dependent on an HP+ subscription
- HP server connectivity issues impact printing
- Arduous setup
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer is a performance model that earns its price tag by combining high-resolution dual-sided scanning, printing, and faxing in a smart unit. This efficient printer handles up to 20 color pages per minute or 24 if you opt for black-and-white printing. The onboard dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity easily wirelessly prints from your Chromebook or remotely from your smartphone using the smart HP+ app.
This feature-packed printer depends on various subscriptions, which you may, or may not, want to continue. The HP+ package offers advanced support for remote printing, enhanced security, and firmware updates. You can also opt for the instant ink subscription that covers you with automatic ink shipping for up to 700 pages per month.
Canon Pixma TS6420a All-in-One Printer
Best value
Print, copy, and scan for a great price
$69 $130 Save $61
The Canon PIXMA TS6420a All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer is a great budget buy, combining printer, scanner, and copier. The printing rate of 13 pages per minute is a little slow, but it does a great job of photo printing and can be wirelessly controlled using Alexa. Connect your Chromebook hassle-free using home Wi-Fi or the supplied USB cable.
- Copier and scanner
- Reliable Wi-Fi connectivity
- Compact design, despite housing 200 sheets of paper
- Comparatively slow printing speed
- Variable print quality
- Printer only works with subscription inks if the subscription is active
Canon printers are the go-to for cost-effective, reliable printers. This entry-level model, the Canon Pixma TS6420a All-in-One Printer, does home printing well and will even work with photo paper to print family snaps. As an all-around printer, its performance doesn’t shine in any particular area, but a Chromebook owner will be satisfied with competent copying, single-sided scanning, and printing at a rate of 13 pages per minute.
Wireless connectivity for your Chromebook is a given, but the Alexa connectivity appears to be largely dedicated to reordering Canon printer ink alongside basic print tasks. As with most contemporary printers, you’ll receive the typical hard sell for a PIXMA Print Plan ink subscription. Beware of this as the printer only operates with subscription inks as long as you have an active subscription.
Canon PIXMA TR150 Wireless Portable Printer
Best portable
Get good-quality inkjet printing on the go
$200 $250 Save $50
The Canon PIXMA TR150 Wireless Portable Printer is a smart battery-powered portable printer. This tidy printer fits in a backpack or luggage, making it perfect for professional or business travel. The printing rate is only nine pages per minute but the TR150 connects easily to Wi-Fi for wireless printing, with a single battery charge for 330 printed pages.
- Lightweight compact model suitable for travel
- Connects to Wi-Fi networks easily
- Alexa control
- Slow printing
- High ink consumption
- Variable battery life
The Canon PIXMA TR150 Wireless Portable Printer is a great partner for professional or business travel as its slimline profile enables it to be readily stowed in a backpack or briefcase. This battery-powered printer unfolds into a decent color inkjet printer, capable of printing up to nine pages per minute. This portable printer travels well and a single battery charge covers up to 330 printed pages.
Connectivity should be straightforward as this printer can connect to available wireless networks for no-brainer wireless printing from your Chromebook or other computers. If you do run into connectivity issues, opt for the USB-C connection. When this portable printer is not traveling, you can also control it using Alexa on your home network.
Itari Q302 WiFi Inkless Thermal Printer
Best thermal
Save on ink and print wherever you want
The Itari Q302 Wi-Fi Inkless Thermal Printer is a lightweight and compact thermal printer. It is 100% portable and will print 18 pages per minute with a decent 300 dpi resolution. Its extended battery life and reverse charging make it perfect for travel, and ink-free printing will save you money in your home office.
- No need for ink
- 300 dpi resolution
- Lightweight and portable
- Pricey
- Thermal paper is an expense
- Thermal-printed documents eventually degrade
Say goodbye to buying ink for your printer. With this neat thermal printer from ITARI, you’ll never need ink again, while enjoying decent 300dpi black and white printing. This smart thermal printer is also surprisingly compact; its 13.66 x 3.11 x 4.25-inch dimensions make it perfect for travel or school. The device’s battery capacity is respectable, and you can use the USB-C connection for reverse charging on the go.
With a printing speed of 18 pages per minute, ITARI’s printer fulfills your home office needs. However, thermal printing paper will be needed, and it is important to note that thermal printing eventually degrades, making it unsuitable for the most sensitive documents.
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300
Best for artists/photographers
A capable printer suitable for professional creatives
$850 $900 Save $50
The imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is a professional inkjet photo and fine art printer featuring nine individual pigments and Canon’s Chroma-Optimizer technology. Fine artists, photographers, and other serious creatives can use this capable printer for high-quality printing. The printer includes embedded technologies that ensure accurate image alignment, ink nozzle blockage prevention, and a 13-inch printing width suitable for producing banners and other large images. Wi-Fi connectivity and its 3-inch color LCD monitor full image production control.
- Professional print quality
- Prints banners
- Flawless grayscale print output
- Requires specialist paper rolls
- Quality of support is variable
- Struggles with stiff artboard
Canon’s reputation for advanced photographic technology makes this professional-quality photographic printer well worth considering if you are an artist, designer, or photographer. The imagePROGRAF PRO-300’s price point is warranted for its suitability for professional work; its 13-inch printing width produces large images with detailed nine-color pigment-based printing. This printer will also seal pictures with a protective coating that intensifies the hues. The device can also be paired with a Chromebook using Wi-Fi or a direct USB connection. Its color LCD digital display allows you to control print alignment and layout and match print pigments and techniques to your premium paper using International Color Consortium (ICC) standards and Canon’s Professional Print and Layout (PPL)[2] software.
The imagePROGRAF PRO-300 can also handle banner printing, though sourcing the required specialist paper rolls is not always easy. We’re impressed by the CD and DVD printing attachment, too. Users report that support, which is necessary for such an advanced device, can also be sketchy, but overall, this printer will produce beautiful art in professional hands.
HP OfficeJet 250 All-in-One Portable Printer
Best for Alexa
Alexa-friendly smart printing on the move
$400 $490 Save $90
HP OfficeJet 250 All-in-One Portable Printer can print, scan, copy, and even print photos on the go. Its print quality and performance are comparable to a desktop printer despite having ‎7.8 x 14.96 x 3.6-inch dimensions. The OfficeJet250 delivers ten pages per minute output with a 50-sheet input tray capacity, with a rechargeable onboard battery, Wi-Fi Direct, and Alexa control.
- 50-sheet input tray despite being portable
- Printing resolution and quality comparable to a desktop printer
- Portable photo printing
- Heavier than many portable printers
- Some problems with scan alignment
This HP portable printer has ink economy and print quality worthy of a much larger desktop printer. Despite its compact 14-inch dimensions, the HP OfficeJet 250 includes a scanner and copier and can complete competent photo printing. Its ten-pages-per-minute printing rate is typical for a portable printer, but the print quality, depth of pigment, and resolution are so much better, with high-yield ink cartridges that offset the upfront cost.
Wireless connectivity is another excellent aspect of this printer. Despite being so small, HP has been able to onboard Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and Alexa-based printing. Just pair this little printer with the Alexa device of your choice or print directly by connecting a USB drive to the printer. The OfficeJet 250 can even integrate a 2.65-inch touchscreen control panel to control its scanning and copying functions on the move.
Chromebook printing has never been so easy
Chromebook’s hardware is becoming more advanced. The emergence of the Chromebook Plus range makes it increasingly necessary to pair these laptops with capable printers. As Chromebooks provide portable productivity that can be used for business, art, or study, pair them with future-forward printers that deliver high-resolution printing in your home office or while you travel.
the Canon PIXMA TS6420a All-in-One Printer is an affordable partner for any Chromebook, especially as you can print, copy, and scan for under $150. At the opposite end of the price scale, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e similarly delivers print, copy, and scanning, but with better resolution, speed, and capacity, making it a great investment for a small business. But the best overall choice, the Brother HL-L3270CDW, delivers high-capacity, great-value laser printing in a robust desktop unit that your Chromebook or smartphone can easily connect to using Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi Direct.
Brother HL-L3270CDW Compact Wireless Digital Color Printer
Home office printing made easy
$309 $347 Save $38
The Brother HL-L3270CDW Compact Wireless Digital Color Printer is a future-forward home office laser printer that you can put through the paces. It has a 250-sheet capacity and duplex printing of up to 25 sheets per minute. Connectivity is offered with Wi-Fi and NFC communication, Ethernet, and an interactive touchscreen control panel.
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