Best workgroup printer 2020: the top printers for busy offices

If you're looking for the best workgroup printers for your busy office, then this article from Tech Radar is perfect for you. The best workgroup printers are ideal for large networks in offices, where a large number of PCs need to connect to the printer.

This means the best workgroup printers are faster and powerful, with plenty of on-board memory to store jobs as they are queued. Having a decent amount of RAM, and a fast processor, means they can handle even the most demanding of workloads throughout the day.

Of course, because they are best suited to busy offices, they also need to be able to handle printing out large numbers of documents every month as well. So, speed is important, as well as large trays to hold paper, and they need to be able to offer top-notch print quality as well.

Of course, all the best workgroup printers will have network connections, either wired via Ethernet or Wi-Fi (or preferably both for maximum flexibility).

1. Xerox VersaLink B600DN laser printer

Category: mono laser printer | Print speed: 55ppm | Paper sizes: up to A4 | Paper capacity: 550 | Weight: 22.3kg

With a print speed of 55 pages per minute and room for a whole ream of paper on board, this compact device can keep a large work group printing continuously. While the initial outlay for this monochrome device is high, its running costs are impressively low, so you should find you save money in the long run. Although it only prints in black and white, the print quality is superb.

2. Brother HL-L5100DN laser printer

Category: mono laser printer | Print speed: 40ppm | Paper sizes: up to A4 | Paper capacity: 300 | Weight: 10.7kg

Who says a workgroup printer has to be big and bulky? The Brother HL-L5100DN is a compact printer, but don't be put off – this little workgroup printer can handle plenty of jobs, with a high print speed and large paper capacity. It does lack some features, however, such as Wi-Fi, so you'll need to make sure you can plug it in to your wired network. But for small offices where space is a premium, this is one of the best workgroup printers you can buy – and it's pretty cheap to run as well! Find Brother HL-5100dn toner cartridge here.

3. Xerox VersaLink C400DN

Category: colour laser printer | Print speed: 35ppm | Paper sizes: A4 | Paper capacity: 550 | Weight: 26kg

It might seem expensive for a desktop device, but this colour laser printer comes with impressive specifications and a slick smartphone-style interface. It already has a huge capacity for paper thanks to the 550-sheet tray, but you can double that by adding a second tray. Xerox includes a generous amount of toner too, enough for 2,000 colour or 3,000 mono pages. The five-inch touchscreen makes setup and operation simple and while Wi-Fi is not fitted as standard, it’s a simple £50 upgrade. Most importantly, the print quality is excellent with the Pantone-approved colours really making your documents stand out.

4. Kyocera Ecosys P6230cdn laser printer

Category: colour laser printer | Print speed: 30ppm | Paper sizes: up to A4 | Paper capacity: 500 | Weight: 28.3kg

Kyocera’s printer comes with a capacity for 500 sheets of paper and large toner cartridges, which makes it suitable for a big workgroup or a busy home office. It prints quickly in duplex mode and runs very quietly too. If you're expecting your office to go through a lot of printouts every month, then the fact that the Kyocera Ecosys P6230cdn is built to handle large volumes without you having to restock either paper or toner makes this one of the best workgroup printers money can buy.

5. HP LaserJet Pro MFP M227fdw

Print speed: 28ppm | Paper sizes: up to A4 | Paper capacity: 300 sheets | Weight: 16.9kg

The HP LaserJet Pro MFP M227fdw is a brilliant multifunction device that's one of the best workgroup printers for small and medium-sized businesses. It boasts excellent print quality and very fast print speeds, plus the 300 sheet paper capacity should mean even the busiest of offices shouldn't have to keep refilling the printer too often. It only prints in mono, however, and it's not the fastest laser printer in the world, but it offers a good selection of features for the price. Find HP LaserJet Pro M227fdw toner cartridges here.

6. Canon i-Sensys MF735Cx

Category: 4-in-1 colour inkjet printer | Print speed: 27ppm | Paper sizes: up to A4 | Paper capacity: 250 | Weight: 26.5kg

Canon’s multifunction laser printer has great build quality, a stylish design (as far as printers are go, anyway), and offers plenty of features for printing securely in a large workgroup. You can also scan, copy and fax wirelessly from this device as well. The large touchscreen control panel makes it easy to set up and use, and while it is quite noisey, the print speeds are nice and fast. Though the initial cost is high, it comes with enough toner for up to 6,300 mono, or 5,000 colour pages. This means you shouldn't have to refill for a while.

7. Lexmark B2236dw

Category: mono laser printer | Print speed: 36ppm | Paper sizes: up to A4 | Paper capacity: 250 | Weight: 6/8kg

This unassuming square box provides an affordable means of churning out monochrome pages in a busy small office atmosphere. It can hold 250 sheets of paper and a toner cartridge capable of delivering up to 6,000 printed pages, which makes it one of the best workgroup printers around, especially for smaller offices where you don't want to spend a fortune on a printer. The included starter cartridge can manage only 700 pages, but by including all of the key features, such a Wi-Fi, duplex printing and robust security at a competitive price, we can strongly recommend it.  

8. Ricoh SP C261DNw

Category: colour laser printer | Print speed: 20ppm | Paper sizes: up to A4 | Paper capacity: 250 | Weight: 23.8kg

Ricoh’s colour printer comes with the essential features, such as Wi-Fi connectivity, duplex mode and secure printing built in, which makes it an ideal workgroup printer. Speed isn't the fastest, nor is the 250 sheet capacity the largest, but print quality if fantastic – and don't forget this printer will print in both mono and color.

9. Lexmark MB2236adw

Category: 4-in1 mono laser MDF | Print speed: 36ppm | Paper sizes: A4 | Paper capacity: 250 | Weight: 10kg

If you need an all-in-one device to serve a small workgroup in a small office, this inexpensive laser printer makes a lot of sense. If it looks a little top-heavy, that’s because the impressively small footprint isn’t much larger than a sheet of A4. But that doesn’t stop it from swallowing 250 sheets of paper and offering an automatic document feeder that can hold 50 more. Lexmark includes enough black toner for a somewhat stingy 700 monochrome prints, but high capacity replacements are available that can print 6,000 pages. With duplex printing, Wi-Fi and security features included, it can do nearly everything a much more expensive MFD can.