Best Wireless Printers Of 2020

Although most devices now have the technology, not all of them are equal. This article from The Independent found the top performers.

The addition of wireless connectivity to printers was a game-changer. No longer is the printer tethered by wires to your computer, or to any wires apart from the electricity. You can print from your bedroom to the printer in the study with ease – though nobody has managed to find a way to overcome the disappointed trudge back upstairs when you find you’ve printed it to one side of the paper instead of both.

The good news is that wireless connectivity is no longer only the preserve of the most expensive, feature-packed printers. Almost all printers have this capability. That doesn’t mean all wireless printers are equal. If your printing needs require A3 paper or extensive home photo printing, for instance, you’ll find you need to spend a bit more.

Similarly, the wireless connectivity should stretch to printing directly from your smartphone or tablet as well as from a computer. There is usually the option of the company’s own app to make this happen, but look out for Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print to print seamlessly from the iPhone or Android phone, respectively.

Some printers use two cartridges: one for black ink and one for colour inks. This can work fine but if the yellow ink, say, runs out before the blue, you’ll need to buy a new colour cartridge even though there’s some left. Printers with more cartridges can offer greater flexibility.

Testing focused on ease of set-up, efficacy of design, breadth of features and above all print performance, in terms of speed and print quality.

Canon pixma TS8350

Scanner? Yes
Scanner resolution: 2,400 x 4,800dpi
Copier? Yes
Ink cartridges: Six
Dimensions: 373 x 319 x 141mm
App printing: Canon app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print

Canon’s printer is a great all-rounder that matches a good price with fast and effective performance. Print quality is consistently impressive, whether for black text pages or colour photos. There are six inks: four dye-based inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, black blue) and two inks which are pigment-based, in photo blue and black.

These are designed, respectively, to deliver better-looking photographs and crisp, deep black ink for text. Though the set-up isn’t all plain sailing – adding the wifi network takes some working out – everyday usage is extremely good. It offers speedy performance with pages printed and copied quickly. The design looks smart and is practical, and there are fun extras like a "nail creator" app, for which nail stickers media is required, available separately.

Epson expression premium XP-6100

Scanner? Yes
Scanner resolution: 1,200 x 4,800dpi
Copier? Yes
Ink cartridges: Five
Dimensions: 349 x 340 x 142mm
App printing: Epson Connect app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print

Epson’s range of printers consistently offer reliability and strong performance, often at a very keen price, like this one. It is business-like enough for a home office but has just enough design chops for the living room. Prints look good and it offers decent speeds, too. Epson kept costs down by omitting a touchscreen control panel and instead placing buttons around the screen. You can also print from a USB stick or SD card and there are two paper trays, one for A4 and the other for smaller paper, such as photo paper, for instance. Epson’s printing app is straightforward enough though there’s integration with Google and Apple smartphone apps here, which works well. Great value and good performance.

HP officejet 8015

Scanner? Yes
Scanner resolution: 1,200 x 1,200dpi
Copier? Yes
Ink cartridges: Four
Dimensions: 460 x 341 x 234 mm
App printing: HP app, Apple AirPrint

If you need a printer that’s as brisk and work-oriented as what you have in the office, something like this may suit. It's fast, reliable and has an automatic document feeder for up to 35 pages. The main paper tray is big, too, so you can fit over 200 sheets into it.

Canon pixma TR8550

Scanner? Yes
Scanner resolution: 1,200 x 2,400dpi
Copier? Yes
Ink cartridges: Five
Dimensions: 438 x 351 x 190 mm
App printing: Canon app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print

Another home office-oriented printer, this is a solid choice that is bigger than some photo printers but still reasonably compact. The fifth ink is a pigment black, which is used both for blacker text and to improve photo quality. As such, print quality across the board is very good. It’s an easy printer to use thanks to a large touchscreen interface which is especially helpful during set-up. It also comes with a now-unusual extra: a fax. If you still use one of these, that could tip the balance in this printer’s favour.

Epson expression photo XP-8600

Scanner? Yes
Scanner resolution: 1,200 x 4,800dpi
Copier? Yes
Ink cartridges: Six
Dimensions: 349 x 340 x 142 mm
App printing: Epson Connect, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print

Another great all-rounder, with excellent text and document printing. But this printer, as suggested by the word "photo" in its title, is capable of really great photo prints. One of the paper trays is ideal for photo paper. It’s small enough to be able to fit on most desks, and is easy to use, with a touchscreen interface to easily find your way through menus. The only painstaking bit is entering a wifi password which takes careful screen-prodding.

HP tango X

Scanner? Via smartphone
Copier? Via smartphone
Ink cartridges: Two
Dimensions: 377 x 206 x 91mm
App printing: HP Smart app

This is a radically different printer from most others, because there’s no glass document flatbed for scanning and photocopying. This is done on your smartphone using the HP Smart app. Once you’ve photographed the document you want to scan, the image is sent wirelessly from phone to printer, and the software even tidies the image up as it goes. It has an attractive wraparound cover that folds out to become the document delivery tray.

Epson expression home XP-3100

Scanner? Yes
Scanner resolution: 1,200 x 2,400dpi
Copier? Yes
Ink cartridges: Four
Dimensions: 375 x 300 x 170 mm
App printing: Epson app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print

There’s one black cartridge and three individual colour ones here, which helps keep costs down – usually budget-priced printers have much higher ink costs. There are few cut corners, however. It can still print on both sides of the paper, for instance, though the lack of a touchscreen on the control panel is one. Like most printers, it comes with starter ink cartridges rather than full ones, so you’ll need a new set of inks almost immediately.

Canon PIXMA iP110 portable

Scanner? No
Scanner resolution: N/A
Copier? No
Ink cartridges: Two
Dimensions: 322 x 226 x 62 mm
App printing: Canon app, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print

If you need to print on the go, perhaps because your work means you need to print documents on a remote site or you just fancy working in the park, this portable A4 printer may suit. It is mains-powered and has wifi so you can print directly from your laptop, phone or tablet. It has its own battery for complete portability. Print quality isn’t as strong as the best here, but it’s absolutely usable. The printer has been around for a number of years now, but remains a useful alternative to a desk printer.

Epson ecotank ET-2751

Scanner? Yes
Scanner resolution: 1,200 x 2,400dpi
Copier? Yes
Ink cartridges: Four ink bottles
Dimensions: 375‎ x 347 x 187 mm
​App printing: Epson Connect, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print

Epson claims that the cost of replacing inks on this printer can be 90 per cent less than the average. That’s because instead of small ink cartridges, it uses four big ink bottles, which are designed so they empty the ink into the tanks built into the printer in such a way that not a drop gets spilt. The paper feeder sits at the back of the printer, which may not suit you if you want to place it under a low-hanging shelf, for instance. The display is easily readable but is not touch-sensitive.

HP deskjet 2632

Scanner? Yes
Scanner resolution: 1,200 x 1,200dpi
Copier? Yes
Ink cartridges: Two
Dimensions: 425 x 304 x 149 mm
App printing: HP app, Apple AirPrint

It’s hard to imagine a printer costing much less than this with the inclusion of wifi connectivity. It’s unquestionably very good value. It uses the HP Instant Ink system and despite the low price, this model comes with four months’ trial of the service. It delivers acceptable-quality prints, even for photos, but it’s worth noting that there are only two cartridges, black and colour, and that other printers in this round-up outclass it for performance. If you only want a printer for occasional use, it’s pretty tempting.

The verdict: Wireless printers

Canon and Epson dominate the home printer world, and the Canon Pixma TS8350 is a solid and versatile printer that will suit most households. The Epson expression premium XP-6100 has great speed and print quality. If you only print occasionally, a basic but great-value printer like the HP deskjet 2632 may suffice.