While homeschooling might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s still a teaching method that some parents choose for their kids. But even with homeschooling, there will be times when you will need to print some documents or an essential resource for your child. In order to do that, it’s important that you invest in the best printer for homeschool.
However, choosing a printer in today’s saturated market can be quite a task. In addition, different printers have different features, which can even make the process more difficult. Nonetheless, when choosing a printer for homeschooling, it’s important to narrow down on the features that you will need without which the homeschooling process won’t be complete.
To assist you make a wise buying decision and prevent you from buyer remorse, we have reviewed some of the best printers for homeschool that you can consider getting for your home.
Epson EcoTank ET-2720 Printer
When it comes to homeschooling, saving on ink and paper costs ranks high. The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 printer is designed to help you save big on ink. Besides the features that it comes packed with, it’s also very affordable.
- Pros
- This Epson printer is an all-in-one printer which means you can print, copy as well as scan
- It’s available in two different styles
- From the name, EcoTank, this Epson printer saves you up to 90 percent on ink costs thanks to their low-cost replacement ink cartridges and bottles
- Comes with ink cartridges that can last you up to two years depending on your printing needs
- Compatible with various versions of Windows and Mac operating systems
- The ink bottle is not only convenient but of good value, as you can print up to 7,500 pages in color and 4,500 pages in black and white
- This printer guarantees less waste as one ink bottle replacement is equivalent to 80 individual cartridges
- With registration, you get to enjoy a 2-year limited warranty on your printer
- Enjoy wireless printing thanks to Wi-Fi Direct which means you can print from your smartphone, iPhone, tablet or iPad
Cons
- Doesn’t support auto 2-sided printing and third-party ink cartridges
Canon TS5120 Printer
Another excellent printer for homeschooling is the Canon TS5120 printer. It has a compact design and just the right size for your studying desk. In addition, it also comes packed with features to help make your printing experience seamless.
Pros
- You can get it in two different colors – black and white
- Comes from a trusted brand that’s an industry leader in the printer business
- It’s an all-in-one printer which means you can scan, print and copy
- Being a wireless printer, you get to enjoy the freedom of wireless printing from your smartphone, tablet, iPhone or iPad
- This printer allows you to print from the cloud, via Bluetooth or social media
- It’s compatible with certain versions of Windows and Mac operating system
- Print detailed documents thanks to this printer’s excellent combination of performance, cost, and quality
- Has duplex printing which enables you to save on your paper costs
- It has a compact design which means it can fit in almost any desk or space
- Has a 2.5-inch LCD screen for easy navigation
- It has a front and rear paper support and a paper tray that can accommodate 100 sheets of paper
Cons
- It has no automatic document feeder and only has two ink cartridges
HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 Printer
This HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 printer is excellent for homeschooling. It has an auto duplexing feeder, is an all-in-one device with a print quality that is above average. It also comes with the Amazon Dash Replenishment feature, which means you will never run out of ink.
Pros
- It’s an all-in-one printer that enables you to print, scan, copy and even fax
- Offers two-sided scanning and duplex printing
- It’s Instant Ink ready thanks to the Amazon Dash Replenishment feature that tracks your ink usage making sure that you’ll never run out of ink when printing
- It has a color touchscreen to help navigate the printer
- Auto two-sided document printing and scanning means you don’t necessarily need to supervise the printing job which helps save any homeschooler time
- Has a monthly duty cycle of 20,000 pages which means you can print as many documents as you want before the printer starts developing any issues
- Various connectivity options such as Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB among other mobile printing options allowing both the student and instructor connect to the printer simultaneously
- Features the HP Instant Ink subscription service that makes you eligible for buying ink cheaply
Cons
- Users tend to incur high ink costs if they don’t register for HP’s Instant Ink subscription
HP Envy 5055 Printer
The HP Envy 5055 is a good all-in-one budget printer for basic printing. It’s the perfect printer if your child won’t be printing a lot of assignments and projects. It’s available in four different styles and has a simple yet compact design.
Pros
- This HP printer replaces the HP Envy 4520 which means it comes packed with features that will offer you seamless printing
- Print, scan and copy any documents or photos
- This printer produces high-quality documents that boast of sharp, crisp text
- With the HP Smart app, you can wirelessly set up this printer, use your camera to scan documents as well as print from cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and social media
- Features both the Amazon Dash Replenishment feature or the HP Instant Ink replenishment service that ensures you will never run out of in as both services track your ink usage and place reorders for you
- Supports a variety of paper sizes
- Comes with a one-year limited warranty and you get to enjoy free HP web support 24/7
- Auto 2-sided printing which helps you save money on printing paper
- It has an input tray capacity that accommodates 100 sheets while the output tray can handle 25 sheets of paper
Cons
- There are some complaints about the customer support and printer set up
Brother HLL2350DW Printer
Brother has a wide variety of printers for various needs, and the Brother HLL2350DW is a good printer choice for homeschooling. This printer is not only affordable, but it also has a very low running cost long term.
Pros
- It has an amazingly easy set-up which means you can set this printer up in under five minutes
- This printer can fit nicely in your home office or your child’s study area thanks to the small design
- It has a paper input tray that can accommodate 250 sheets. This means that you don’t have to constantly worry about refilling the papers
- Has a monthly duty cycle of 15,000 which allows you to print as many pages as you need
- It has a duplexer which allows you to print two-sided documents saving you on paper
- With a print volume of 2,000 pages per month, your child won’t be limited on the assignments or content they can print
- Enjoy fast printing speeds as this printer can print 32 pages per minute
- Has various connectivity options such as Wi-Fi Direct, USB, Wi-Fi Protocol, etc.
- Compatible with AirPrint, Brother iPrint and Google Cloud Print
Cons
- It’s a monochrome printer hence you won’t be able to print in colored
Epson EcoTank ET-2760 Printer
The Epson EcoTank ET-2760 is an upgrade from the ET-2720 and features a duplex printing system making it a good printer choice for homeschooling. The duplex printing feature means you get to save on operating costs.
Pros
- Has a duplex printing feature that saves you printing costs with double sided printing
- This printer is available in three different styles
- The Epson EcoTank model are the best-selling super tank printers
- This printer comes with 2 years of ink which for homeschooling, will go a long way
- It’s an all-in-one printer which means you can print, scan, copy and also fax even though faxing might not be a key feature for a homeschool
- Enjoy cheap printing costs at 0.3 cents and 0.9 cents for black & white and color respectively
- It has various connectivity options besides mobile printing options such as USB 2.0, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct
- It has a memory card slot which allows you to print directly from your memory card
- Has a comfortable touchscreen that will enable you to easily navigate the printer especially when setting it up
- Comes with a 2-year limited warranty
Cons
- Has no automatic document feeder which means you’ll lose some productive time
Final Thoughts
When it comes to choosing a homeschool printer, it’s not much about the cost but the features that you would be using every so often. If you anticipate that you’d need to do a lot of printing day in day out, investing in a printer that is both fast and one that will lower your printing costs will go a long way. However, you also need to consider the paper handling capacity. A student who needs to print often would rather a printer that has a higher paper capacity handling compared to one that prints once or twice a week. In addition, also consider the size, ink costs, and whether you are keen on an auto-duplexing.