Scanners and printers

MICrowave reviews 

Best printers to buy in Australia

Find the right printer for you – compare laser, inkjet, colour, black and white, standard and multifunction printers.

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52 models rated and ranked

Scientifically tested in accredited labs

Get facts, not opinions or fake reviews. Each printer is tested by a panel of experts, comparing results against standard benchmarks.

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Our experts test and rate

Print and speed quality

We test the quality of each print on different types of documents and measure how long it takes

Ease of use

We test how easy it is to set up and install, replace ink cartridges and how the printer handles paper jams

Ink or toner life

We test how cost-effective each printer is by measuring how much ink was used after a round of printing

Microwaves to avoid

Members can compare all the models we test. Here’s a sample of the Microwaves we suggest you avoid

Microwaves to avoid buying
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We give each printer a CHOICE score made up of:

Print quality (43%)

Our expert panel looks at representing common printing habits: printing a standard letter, printing a colour spreadsheet, printing a document with a mix of graphics and text, and printing a colour photo. We also measure each print for moisture resistance. Photos and mixed documents are printed using the best quality settings while the other documents are printed on standard settings.

Overall ease of use (18%)

Our ease of use test considers set-up and installation, printing standard documents from a computer, printing a 4×6 inch photograph from a computer, handling paper jams, replacing ink cartridges, and setting up wired and wireless connections.

Print speed (11%)

We measure the time it takes to print four types of documents.

Scanning (9%)

Scan quality is assessed on a computer monitor by three expert viewers comparing the results to a high-quality reference scan.

Copying (9%)

Copy quality is assessed by three expert viewers comparing the printed copy to the original magazine page.

Ink wastage (5%)

For inkjet printers, we measure how much ink is used in a cleaning cycle. The printers are run intermittently over a couple of weeks and switched off between uses so the cleaning cycle is triggered.

Networking features (5%)

Our ease of use test considers set-up and installation, printing standard documents from a computer, printing a 4×6 inch photograph from a computer, handling paper jams, replacing ink cartridges, and setting up wired and wireless connections.

See key features side by side

Save time with our easy comparison tool – see how each printer scores on printing quality, ease of use, and running costs.

CHOICE keeps the marketplace honest. Without them, manufacturers will be able to do whatever they want.

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They’re here to make a difference and here to make us safe.

Allison – CHOICE member
CHOICE member Aaron

CHOICE keeps the marketplace honest. Without them, manufacturers will be able to do whatever they want.

James – CHOICE member
Which brands does CHOICE review?

Our experts test dozens of printer models from Brother, Canon, Epson and HP, and have test results for discontinued models from Kyocera, Lexmark, OKI and Ricoh.

How does CHOICE pick products to test?

Our priority is testing the models you’ll see in stores and major online retailers. To do this, we check current market data to find out what’s most popular.

How are printers tested in the lab?

To test as many printers as possible to the depth that’s required, we share costs and expertise with our sister consumer organisations around the world. We use professional labs in Europe that specialise in printer testing and test hundreds of printers every year. From their tests, we pick out the models you can buy in Australia and add them to our results.

Which is the best printer?

We rate the printers we test based on test criteria that consider the print speed and quality, ease of use, networking capabilities, power consumption, running costs and more. Using our ratings, you should be able to work out the printer model that’s best for you.

How does CHOICE get the printers it reviews?

Unlike other product review sites, we don’t accept free test models from manufacturers (and nor does our sister consumer organisation in Europe). This allows us to be independent and review without interference. Instead, we buy products anonymously from a variety of retailers before bringing them into our labs to test. This means we get what you’d get, and can be sure the model hasn’t been potentially ‘tweaked’ for better performance.

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We are nonprofit and have supported Australian consumers since 1959.

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Who we are

We’re a nonprofit that’s been supporting Australian consumers since 1959.

Our mission

We work for fair, just and safe markets to meet the needs of all Australians. Just like you.

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How we’re funded

Our members fund our independent testing, journalism and campaigns.

Peter Zaluzny web
Peter Zaluzny

Peter Zaluzny is a Content producer in the Digital home team. He covers everything from home entertainment and personal safety devices to tech for your car and mattresses. Peter enjoys cutting through the nonsense to help people understand the products they’re considering to buy. He helps consumers make educated, informed decisions. Peter has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wollongong.

Peter Zaluzny is a Content producer in the Digital home team. He covers everything from home entertainment and personal safety devices to tech for your car and mattresses. Peter enjoys cutting through the nonsense to help people understand the products they’re considering to buy. He helps consumers make educated, informed decisions. Peter has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wollongong.

Ben Bridges
Ben Bridges

Ben worked at CHOICE for 15 years, up until 2024.He started out his career as a programmer with IBM back when mainframes with the power of a smartwatch filled a room and their water-cooling heated the whole building, and he spent 35 years there developing software and managing projects. His highlight was managing INFO, the press information system for the Sydney Olympic Games. After that, he found his way to CHOICE as a verifier. He went on to write for CHOICE about computer technology and how to use it. Ben is never far from a computer, but he likes to spend time with his children and grandchildren, mostly here in Australia but also in Portugal. He travels whenever he can, otherwise he can often be found reading science fiction and detective stories or watching similar things on TV.

Ben worked at CHOICE for 15 years, up until 2024.He started out his career as a programmer with IBM back when mainframes with the power of a smartwatch filled a room and their water-cooling heated the whole building, and he spent 35 years there developing software and managing projects. His highlight was managing INFO, the press information system for the Sydney Olympic Games. After that, he found his way to CHOICE as a verifier. He went on to write for CHOICE about computer technology and how to use it. Ben is never far from a computer, but he likes to spend time with his children and grandchildren, mostly here in Australia but also in Portugal. He travels whenever he can, otherwise he can often be found reading science fiction and detective stories or watching similar things on TV.

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