Printers, ranked by critic score

2 ranked by critic score · 4 more not yet ranked · 16 professional reviews

Home and home-office printers, judged on print quality, running costs and setup.

Epson EcoTank ET-2980Image: Epson
The critics' pick

Epson EcoTank ET-2980

80
Well liked
Average of 6 professional reviews
5 of 6 recommend it · broad agreement
Where the 6 reviews landedRange 66–83
Score printed by the outlet Estimated from the verdict

6 professional reviewers tested the Epson EcoTank ET-2980, and 5 recommend it. Most praised: ease of use and performance. Most common complaint: price.

The catch: The display is tiny, and it has only a rear paper feed.

5 of these 6 outlets print no score. We estimated theirs from the review text, then adjusted the estimates against the ratings outlets actually print (ours ran slightly low). An estimate is never higher than 92.

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Read all 6 reviews →
  1. 1
    Epson EcoTank ET-2980Image: Epson
    Epson EcoTank ET-2980Top pick, narrowly6 reviews80
  2. 2
    Brother HL-L3280CDWImage: Brother
    Brother HL-L3280CDWBest for mostly black-and-white4 reviews · early score79
The short answer

Of the 2 printers we score so far, the highest-rated by professional reviewers is the Epson EcoTank ET-2980: critic score 80 out of 100 from 6 reviews, 5 of them positive. Most praised: ease of use and performance. Most common complaint: price.

Early reads · 4 not yet ranked

Not ranked, listed A to Z. We publish a critic score once at least 4 professional reviews of the exact model exist; with 2 or 3 we show a provisional average.

How we score →Only professional reviews, never shop or customer reviewsEvery score links to its sourceCommissions never change a score

Common questions

Which printer do critics rate highest?

Of the 2 we score, the Epson EcoTank ET-2980, with a critic score of 80 from 6 professional reviews. Most praised: ease of use and performance. Most common complaint: price.

Epson EcoTank ET-2980 vs Brother HL-L3280CDW: which is better?

Critics score the Epson EcoTank ET-2980 80 and the Brother HL-L3280CDW 79. We list the Brother HL-L3280CDW under “Best for mostly black-and-white”. Its main drawback: color toner is expensive, and there is no scanner or copier.