Every office should have one of these devices and whilst many people use the term B&W laser printer this machine should really be referred to as a monochrome device. In any case they are one of the most useful and best peripherals and for the best black and white laser printer we present you with 10 models top rated for 2019.
We have rated the HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw as the best black & white laser printer. It is sturdy, built to last and outputs amazing quality at good printing speed – If printing stunning documents at low costs is your thing then look at this little gem today.
Most laser printers are designed to print at letter and legal size (A4) (click here for reviews on wide format printers) and one the biggest features of monochrome printers is that they can print up to 40 PPM (printed pages per minute) making them excellent office work horses.
Table of Contents
- 1 Best Black and White Laser Printer
- 2 HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw All-in-One Wireless Laser Printer
- 3 Brother HL-L5100DN Monochrome Laser Printer
- 4 Brother MFC-L5700DW Business Laser All-in-One
- 5 Brother Monochrome Laser Printer MFC-L5900DW
- 6 HP LaserJet 5200TN 5200 Q7545A Wide Format Printer
- 7 Monochrome Printers Explained
- 8 Summing up our Guide for the Best B&W Laser Printer Choices
Best Black and White Laser Printer
| Printer Model Reviewed | Print Speed | Print Quality | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw | up to 38 ppm | 1200 dpi | Best Buy Winner for 2019 |
| Brother HL-L5100DN | up to 42 ppm | 1200 dpi | Best Budget Printer |
| Brother MFC-L5700DW Business | up to 42 ppm | 1200 dpi | Top Rated for Business |
| Brother MFC-L5900DW | up to 40 ppm | 1200 dpi | Excellent Security Features |
| HP LaserJet 5200TN | up to 35 ppm | 1200 dpi | Best Wide Format Printer |
If you want better performance from your office or home equipment, then looking for the best buy B&W laser printer for 2019 is not an option but a necessity. These devices are often used many times throughout the day and with mega brands such as HP, Brother, Canon and Dell producing a big laser printer range, make sure you pick the right machine for your specific requirements.
Need to print out legal documents? Then go for at least a 600 or 1200 dpi model that outputs at least 30 PPM at legal size. For general office printing or shipping address label printing you could decide that a cheap B&W laser printer is a better option but also consider the higher toner ink replacement costs on the budget models as they can prove to be more expensive.
HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw All-in-One Wireless Laser Printer
Hewlett Packard lead the way in the monochrome laser printer market with an unrivalled range of devices available to buy to fit all budgets. The LaserJet Pro M426fdw is premium laser printer that prints at high speed, stunning quality and built to last.
It wins our best buy award for 2019 because it covers all bases at a fair price including improved data security and the ability to double up as a copier, fax machine and high-quality scanner. The M426fdw is perfect for both home and small office environments as well as being a champion in a network print operation that are frequently used by big business.
Features of the HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw All-in-One Wireless Laser Printer
- Overall number one pick for best black and white laser printer
- Laser sharp print quality for up to 1200 dpi with HP FastRes Technology
- Can also be used as a professional copier, scanner and fax
- Intuitive 3 inch color touchscreen display that is easy to use
- Fast print speed of up to 38 ppm for single printing & 30 PPM for two sided printing
- 50 sheet auto feeder and 350 sheet capacity in total
- Fully compatible with mobile printing, Google Cloud and Apple AirPrint
The only slight downside is the 50 sheet auto sheet feeder but with a total sheet capacity of 350 this is simply nit-picking. You could always upgrade to a commercial laser printer if you needed a higher auto feed solution.
To summarize, the HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw is the best black and white laser printer for the price that has superb features that ticks all the boxes for someone who needs a fast, reliable B&W printer that doesn’t cost the earth to run. HP is a leading US printer brand you can trust and the M426fdw is our best buy for 2019.
Brother HL-L5100DN Monochrome Laser Printer
Winner of our best budget monochrome laser printer award, the Brother HL-L5100DN is good cheap printer that can achieve most printing tasks for small and home office use. Whilst this model features duplex printing it does not scanner, fax and copier functionality so if you require a printer only without the fancy bells and whistles of a more advanced model than the HL-L5100DN is great choice for you.
Printing at over 40 ppm with good dpi at 1200, the Brother HL-L5100DN would fit perfectly into a small office area and can connect to a network, has mobile print functionality and can connect via USB and ethernet but not WiFi.
Features of the Brother HL-L5100DN Monochrome Laser Printer
- Best budget printer for 2019
- Fast print speed of over 40 ppm
- Excellent print quality, up to 1200 x 1200 dpi
- Ethernet, Hi-Speed and Duplex printing enabled
- Large 250 sheet tray storage
- Can print plain paper, recycled paper, labels and envelopes
Yes, it’s true this printer does not have WiFi but if you are looking for a static printer that’s cheap to run and but then the Brother HL-L5100DN should be considered. It’s super-fast, prints good quality and has a sturdy feel which is an important feature as black and white laser printers tend to be the “work horses” of the office.
Brother MFC-L5700DW Business Laser All-in-One
A business printer should be versatile, powerful and be able to print large number of documents without having to replace the toner. Costs should be kept to a minimum without compromise on quality or print speed that’s why the L5700DW is our best choice model for small and medium sized businesses who need black only printing.
With built in flexible connectivity which enables you to quickly add this printer to your office network and powerful 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi coverage, everyone in your home or office will be ably to connect to the Brother MFC-L5700DW in just a couple of minutes.
Features of the Brother MFC-L5700DW Business Laser All-in-One Printer
- Best business black and white laser printer 2019
- Multi-function all in one: printer, fax, scanner and copier
- Can scan directly to third party sites such as Dropbox, Evernote, OneNote and Google Drive
- Flexible paper handling from legal size letterheads to envelope printing
- Maximum media size 8.5 x 14 inch
- 3.7 inch touchscreen with customizable shortcuts
The official (in box) toner yield on this model is only around 2,000 printed pages before replacement where other higher priced models have a yield of around 2500 to 3000 – in reality, a toners life purely depends on the amount of “heavy printing” the machine outputs so we factor this in to our ratings and that’s why we rate this model overall best business black printer.
Brother Monochrome Laser Printer MFC-L5900DW
The MFC-L5900DW is a good-looking machine with plenty of features and printing power to make our top 5 list and with-it being part of Amazon Dash Replenishment scheme you can setup toner replacement to be automatically shipped to you without having to manually re-order. It also has brilliant security features which makes it our number pick for best printer for security of data.
We like the large 70 page auto feeder with duplex printing and printing and copying speeds of around 40 ppm your documents, labels and envelopes are quickly delivered to the output tray in fine resolution thanks to the impressive 1200 x 1200 dpi. The touchscreen is also very clear and easy to understand, packed full of useful functions that every good monochrome printer should include.
Features of the Brother Monochrome Laser Printer MFC-L5900DW
- Excellent print speed of up to 42 ppm
- Good for business as a standalone printer or copier, fax and scanner
- Connects via USB, Ethernet and Wireless
- Prints up to legal size (duplex), cards and envelopes
- Large auto feeder of 70 sheet capacity
- Easy to connect to mobile devices for remote printing
Weighing in at 38lbs, the MFC-L5900DW is not the lightest all in one black and white laser printer, so it’s best to place this machine in a static location that can be quickly accessed. The added security features including secure function lock, active directory, SSL/TLS and IPSec pushes this model to our top 5 list. If you are looking for the best printer for security, then this model fits the bill perfectly.
HP LaserJet 5200TN 5200 Q7545A Wide Format Printer
Printing larger documents can be problematic on a business class printer. Sure, you can buy an enterprise level digital copier device which really is a full-scale commercial print setup but what about if wanted to buy a black and white 11x17 laser printer that outputs to a tabloid or wide format?
We suggest you checkout the HP LaserJet 5200TN 5200 if you really need a laser printer to print at least 11x17 inches. The truth is that it is hard to find such machines because inkjets are the preferred choice for most people. This HP is a good choice though because it prints up to 12.28 x 18.5-inch documents at an amazing 35 pages per minute.
Features of the HP LaserJet 5200TN 5200 Q7545A Wide Format Printer
- Cost effective B&W 11x17 laser printer solution
- Fast printing speed
- 3 different input tray sizes: 100/250/500 options
- Prints up to 1200x1200 dpi
- Good alternative to 11x17 inkjet and Xerox machines
- Excellent for workgroups and networking
Please check our dedicated 11x17 printer page for a more in depth analysis of printers outputting to tabloid format. Yes, the HP LaserJet 5200TN is one of the best black and white laser printer choices but if you wanted to print out stunning hi-res photos then an inkjet is the preferred option, plus they are cheaper to buy.
Monochrome Printers Explained
So you think you need a black and white printer but are you sure? Read on for more information about what a single color printer is and if this is the right buy for you.
A printer that outputs black ink only is termed a monochrome printer. Also known as black and white or B&W printers these are some of the most cost-effective print solutions currently available to buy both in-store and online.
Generally, they are used because they can print at faster speeds, lower print per page printing costs and when you buy the right model, are proven to extremely durable devices that can last 5 years or more.
You should consider buying the best black and white laser printer if you print our business documents, legal documents or anything that does no require full color output.
Summing up our Guide for the Best B&W Laser Printer Choices
We have carefully selected 5 models that would be used in sensible office / home office environments. Here are quick links to remind you of the models we have reviewed in this 2019 buying guide for the best black and white laser printers.
Best Overall Black and White Printer: HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw
Top Rated Budget Printer: Brother HL-L5100DN
Best Business Printer: Brother MFC-L5700DW
Best Printer with Added Security Functions: Brother MFC-L5900DW
11x17 Wide Format B&W Laser Printer: HP LaserJet 5200TN
Upgrading your business or home office tech is extremely important and there is nothing more frustrating than having a printer that does not perform to the required standard. Thankfully, all our printers receive very good external reviews and are compatible with Windows based computers and Apple iOS operating systems.