Top 10 Best Home Printers in NZ

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The best home printer in NZ for most people is a refillable ink-tank all-in-one such as the HP Smart Tank 5105 , because it keeps running costs low while handling documents, photos, copying and scanning. If you mostly print black text and want speed, a mono laser like the Brother MFC-L2880DW makes more sense, and photo-focused homes are best served by the Epson Expression Photo XP-970.

This guide ranks 10 home printers sold in New Zealand (and across the Tasman) spanning inkjet, ink-tank and laser types. Most current models print wirelessly, so you can send jobs from a laptop or from the best tablets in NZ over the same Wi-Fi network.

The 10 Best Home Printers in NZ

1. HP Smart Tank 5105

Best for: the lowest-cost everyday printing at home, thanks to refillable ink tanks instead of pricey cartridges.

This refillable ink-tank all-in-one suits households that want cheap running costs without a big upfront spend. It prints, copies and scans, and the front-facing tanks let you see ink levels at a glance so refills are simple.

It is a compact A4 unit with a 100-sheet input tray, so it slots onto a small desk or shelf. Setup runs through the HP Smart app over Wi-Fi, with Bluetooth to get started and a USB port if you prefer a cable. Owners report the visible tanks and low-ink sensors make maintenance easy, and controls are simple buttons rather than a touchscreen.

On performance it reaches up to 12 ppm in black and prints colour at up to 4800 x 1200 dpi. It is a sensible pick for families printing a steady mix of homework, forms and the occasional photo.

Pros:

• Very low cost per page from refillable ink tanks
• Print, copy and scan in a compact A4 body
• Easy app setup with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB

Cons:

• Two-sided printing is manual – you flip the paper yourself
• Small paper tray and no touchscreen
• Slower than a laser for large text jobs

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2. Brother MFC-L2880DW

Best for: a busy home office that prints a lot of black text and wants speed plus scanning, copying and faxing.

This mono laser all-in-one is built for document work. It pairs fast printing with a 50-sheet automatic document feeder and an 8.8cm colour touchscreen, so multi-page scans and copies are quick to set up.

Connectivity covers wired Ethernet plus 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, and automatic two-sided printing helps trim paper use. Reviewers note the in-box and replacement toners are rated up to 5,000 pages, which keeps top-ups infrequent for a household.

It runs at up to 34 ppm, so it clears long documents without fuss. The trade-off is that it prints in black only.

Pros:

• Fast 34 ppm mono printing
• 50-sheet ADF plus fax, scan and copy
• Wired and dual-band wireless, with auto duplex

Cons:

• Black and white only – no colour
• Larger footprint than an inkjet
• Toner replacement is a bigger single outlay than ink cartridges

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3. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw

Best for: a home office with steady document volumes that still relies on a fax line.

This monochrome laser all-in-one covers print, scan, copy and fax, making it a tidy hub for paperwork. It has a 250-sheet tray, an automatic document feeder and a 2.7-inch colour touchscreen that tilts for easier viewing.

It offers Ethernet and Wi-Fi plus automatic two-sided printing. Owners report crisp text output and reliable networking, though some note the HP account and HP Smart app requirements can be fiddly during first setup.

Print speed reaches up to 35 ppm, so it handles heavier mono workloads comfortably. As with any mono laser, colour is off the table.

Pros:

• Print, scan, copy and fax in one unit
• Up to 35 ppm with auto duplex and a 250-sheet tray
• Colour touchscreen and solid wired or wireless networking

Cons:

• Mono only
• HP account and app setup can frustrate some owners
• Heavier and larger than an inkjet

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4. Brother HL-L8240CDW

Best for: crisp colour documents at laser speed, if you already have a scanner and only need to print.

This compact colour laser is a single-function printer – it does not scan or copy – aimed at people who want fast, sharp colour pages. It has a 250-sheet main tray plus a 30-sheet multipurpose tray and a 6.8cm colour touchscreen.

Connectivity is generous for the class, with USB, wired LAN, Wi-Fi and NFC, and it prints two-sided automatically. Reviewers note the whisper-quiet operation and steady output for a home office that runs a lot of colour.

It prints up to 30 ppm in colour or black at 600 x 600 dpi. The catch is that it prints only, so you will need a separate scanner if you copy documents.

Pros:

• Fast 30 ppm colour laser output
• Two paper trays and auto duplex
• USB, LAN, Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity

Cons:

• Single function – no scan or copy
• Four toners plus a drum add to running costs
• Larger and heavier than an inkjet

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5. HP Smart Tank 7005

Best for: high-volume colour printing with automatic two-sided output and a big block of ink in the box.

This refillable ink-tank all-in-one is the step up from the 5105, adding automatic two-sided printing and up to two years of Original HP Ink included. It prints, copies and scans from a 250-sheet tray with a flatbed scanner on top.

Setup uses the HP Smart app over self-healing dual-band Wi-Fi, and smart-guided buttons walk you through common tasks. Owners report the included ink lasts a long time, with bottles rated up to 8,000 colour or 6,000 black pages.

Speeds reach up to 15 ppm black and 9 ppm colour. It is a strong choice for a household that prints plenty of colour and wants low per-page costs.

Pros:

• Cheap colour printing with up to two years of ink included
• Automatic two-sided printing
• Dual-band Wi-Fi and a 250-sheet tray

Cons:

• No automatic document feeder
• Single paper tray
• Fax is mobile send-only

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6. Brother HL-L5210DW

Best for: the fastest mono printing in a print-only home office that gets through high page counts.

This single-function mono laser is all about speed and cheap high-yield toner. There is no scanner or copier, so it is best as a dedicated document printer for someone who prints a lot.

It has a 250-sheet main tray plus a 100-sheet multipurpose tray, Gigabit Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi. Automatic duplex runs at up to 24 sides per minute, and the super-high-yield toner is rated up to 11,000 pages, so refills are rare.

Print speed tops out at up to 48 ppm, the quickest in this guide. For light users it is overkill, but for heavy document printing it is hard to beat on speed and cost per page.

Pros:

• Blistering 48 ppm mono speed
• Very high-yield toner keeps cost per page low
• Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi and auto duplex

Cons:

• Print only – no scan, copy or fax
• Black and white only
• More printer than light users need

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7. Brother DCP-L3520CDW

Best for: a compact colour laser three-in-one for a family or home office that does not need fax.

This compact colour laser prints, copies and scans, bringing colour laser output into a small body. It measures about 410 x 443.6 x 355 mm and weighs around 18.6 kg, with an automatic document feeder for multi-page scans and copies.

It supports Wi-Fi Direct and AirPrint and prints two-sided automatically. Reviewers note it is a quiet, tidy unit for a shared desk. Print speed sits at up to 18 ppm in both colour and black.

One thing to flag for NZ buyers: the L3520CDW is mainly ranged in Australia, and the closest New Zealand-stocked sibling is the Brother DCP-L3560CDW, so you may end up ordering this exact model across the Tasman.

Pros:

• Colour print, copy and scan in a compact laser
• Automatic document feeder and auto duplex
• Wi-Fi Direct and AirPrint support

Cons:

• No fax
• Slower than dedicated mono lasers
• Mainly stocked in Australia – NZ ranges the DCP-L3560CDW instead

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8. Brother DCP-T580DW

Best for: low-cost colour printing for families and students who print a lot on a budget.

This refillable colour ink-tank all-in-one is aimed squarely at high-volume home users who want cheap colour. It prints, copies and scans, with a mess-free key-lock bottle system that makes refills clean and simple.

It has a 150-sheet tray, dual-band Wi-Fi, the Brother Mobile Connect app and automatic two-sided printing. Owners report very long intervals between refills, with ink rated up to 7,500 black or 5,000 colour pages.

Speeds reach up to 16 images per minute in mono and 9 ipm in colour. It is a practical, economical pick for busy households and keen crafters, provided you do not need the speed of a laser.

Pros:

• Very low colour running costs from refillable tanks
• Print, copy and scan with auto duplex
• Mess-free key-lock refill bottles and dual-band Wi-Fi

Cons:

• Slower than a laser for heavy text jobs
• No automatic document feeder
• No fax

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9. Epson Expression Photo XP-970

Best for: home photo printing, with six-colour ink and borderless prints up to A3.

This six-colour photo all-in-one is the pick for households that care most about photo quality. It prints borderless up to A3 through a rear feed and handles everyday documents from dual front trays. A 4.3-inch touchscreen and memory card slots let you print without a computer.

It connects over dual-band Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet and AirPrint. Reviewers note rich, accurate photos from the Claria Photo HD inks, with a 4×6 print in about 11 seconds. The body measures 479 x 356 x 148 mm and weighs 8.7 kg.

Print resolution is 5760 x 1440 dpi, and plain-paper speeds sit around 8 to 8.5 ppm. It leans toward photos rather than office volume, and the running costs reflect that.

Pros:

• Six-colour ink for excellent photo quality
• Borderless printing up to A3 with dual trays plus a rear feed
• 4.3-inch touchscreen, card slots and full wireless

Cons:

• Six separate cartridges cost more to run
• Slower for plain document work
• Photo-focused rather than built for office volume

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10. Canon PIXMA Home Office TR8660a

Best for: a compact home-office all-rounder that includes fax and an automatic document feeder.

This five-ink inkjet all-in-one covers print, copy, scan and fax, with a 20-sheet automatic document feeder and a 4.3-inch touchscreen. It is a tidy hub for a small home office that wants a bit of everything in a small footprint.

It connects over dual-band Wi-Fi with AirPrint and prints two-sided automatically, and a memory card slot lets you print photos directly. The five individual inks mean you only replace the colour that runs out rather than a whole tri-colour cartridge. That is handy if you like to print straight from your phone.

Print resolution is 2400 x 1200 dpi, with speeds of up to 15 ppm black and 10 ppm colour. It is a versatile choice, though the cartridge running costs add up for heavy users.

Pros:

• Print, copy, scan and fax with a 20-sheet ADF
• Five individual inks – replace only what runs out
• Compact body, touchscreen, card slot and auto duplex

Cons:

• Five-cartridge running costs add up for heavy use
• Small ADF
• Not built for high monthly volumes

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How we chose Home Printer

These rankings are independently researched. The team compared current specifications from New Zealand and Australian manufacturer and retailer listings (HP, Brother, Epson and Canon, plus stockists such as PB Tech, Noel Leeming, Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi), confirmed each model is a live, in-stock product, and weighed running costs, print speed, connectivity, footprint and functions.

We did not physically test these printers. Picks and comments are based on published specifications and verified owner reviews, not hands-on measurements. If you are building out a home office, it is worth pairing your printer with one of the ergonomic office chairs for comfort during long sessions.

Crafters print a lot too. A colour ink-tank model like the Brother DCP-T580DW pairs well with Cricut cutting machines for card-making and school projects, keeping colour costs down.

Verdict

For most Kiwi homes, the HP Smart Tank 5105 is the best all-round pick: cheap to run, compact, and able to print, copy and scan. Choose the Brother MFC-L2880DW or HL-L5210DW if you print heavy volumes of black text, the HP Smart Tank 7005 or Brother DCP-T580DW for low-cost colour, and the Epson Expression Photo XP-970 if photos matter most.

Whichever you choose, set it up over Wi-Fi so the whole household can print from a laptop, from mid-range smartphones , or from a desk paired with one of the best computer monitors in NZ . Match the printer to how your household actually prints and you will spend less over the life of the machine.

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