Brother Laser Printers: Complete Review Guide 2026

Last updated: February 8, 2026 | 12 min read

Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Brother has earned its reputation as the "workhorse" printer brand, delivering reliable laser printers that just keep working year after year. If you're tired of inkjet maintenance and want a printer that simply prints when you need it, Brother laser printers deserve serious consideration.

Why Choose Brother Laser Printers?

Brother dominates the small office and home office laser printer market for good reasons. Unlike consumer inkjet printers that require frequent maintenance, Brother lasers are engineered for reliability and longevity.

Key Advantages:

Exceptional Reliability: Brother printers routinely last 5-10 years with minimal issues
Low Cost Per Page: Laser toner yields 1,200-3,000 pages per cartridge
No Ink Drying: Print once a month or daily - toner never dries out
Fast Print Speeds: 30-36 pages per minute on most models
Crisp Text Quality: Superior text sharpness compared to inkjet
Easy Driver Support: Excellent compatibility with Windows, Mac, and Linux

Best Brother Laser Printers of 2026

Brother HL-L2350DW - Best Budget Laser

★★★★★ 4.7/5.0 $129

Best for: Home offices, students, light-duty printing

The HL-L2350DW is Brother's entry-level wireless laser printer, and it's a fantastic value. This compact monochrome printer delivers sharp text at 32 pages per minute and includes wireless connectivity - features you'd normally pay significantly more to get.

Key Specifications:

Print speed: 32 ppm
Print resolution: 2400 x 600 dpi
Paper capacity: 250 sheets
Wireless & USB connectivity
Automatic duplex printing
Toner yield: 1,200 pages (standard) / 3,000 pages (high yield)

Who Should Buy This:

Perfect for anyone who primarily prints black and white documents. Students writing papers, home businesses printing invoices, or anyone who wants reliable printing without the ink cartridge hassle will love this printer.

Cost Per Page: Approximately 3.5 cents per page with high-yield toner (TN760). That's about $35 to print 1,000 pages versus $150+ with typical inkjet printers.

View on Amazon

Brother HL-L2395DW - Best All-in-One Value

★★★★★ 4.6/5.0 $179

Best for: Small offices needing print, scan, copy, and fax

The HL-L2395DW takes the reliable HL-L2350DW and adds scanning, copying, and fax capabilities. It's the Swiss Army knife of home office printers, handling virtually any document task you throw at it.

Key Specifications:

Print speed: 36 ppm
Flatbed scanner with 600 x 2400 dpi
50-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF)
Copy and fax functionality
Wireless, USB, and Ethernet connectivity
2.7" color touchscreen

Why We Love It:

The 50-sheet ADF is a game-changer for scanning multi-page documents. Instead of lifting the scanner lid 20 times, you stack your pages and walk away. The touchscreen makes navigation intuitive, and the wireless printing works flawlessly from any device.

View on Amazon

Brother HL-L3270CDW - Best Color Laser

★★★★☆ 4.4/5.0 $329

Best for: Businesses needing color documents and presentations

If you need color printing but want laser reliability and speed, the HL-L3270CDW is the answer. This color laser printer delivers vibrant graphics and charts while maintaining Brother's legendary reliability.

Key Specifications:

Print speed: 25 ppm (color and B&W)
Print resolution: 2400 x 600 dpi
250-sheet paper capacity
Automatic duplex printing
Wireless, USB, and Ethernet
Color toner yield: 1,800 pages per cartridge

Color Laser vs Color Inkjet:

Color laser printers excel at business documents, presentations, and marketing materials. They print faster than inkjet, toner never dries out, and color documents are water-resistant immediately after printing. However, photo quality lags behind inkjet - this is for documents, not photo printing.

Note: Color toner cartridges are expensive ($70-80 each x 4 colors). Budget approximately $280-320 for a full set of replacement toners, but they'll print 1,800 pages per color.

View on Amazon

Brother vs HP vs Canon: How They Compare

Feature	Brother	HP	Canon
Reliability	Excellent	Good	Good
Toner Cost	Low	Higher	Medium
Print Speed	30-36 ppm	28-40 ppm	25-35 ppm
Driver Support	Excellent	Good	Good
Best For	Reliability & value	Enterprise features	Photo quality
Warranty	1 year	1 year	1 year

Why Brother Wins for Most Users:

Brother printers simply work. They don't have the flashy features of HP's high-end models or Canon's photo capabilities, but they excel at the core mission: printing documents reliably, quickly, and affordably. Brother's toner cartridges also tend to be less expensive than HP equivalents, saving money over the printer's lifetime.

Common Questions About Brother Printers

Are Brother printers compatible with Mac?

Yes, Brother provides excellent Mac support. Most Brother printers work with AirPrint for wireless printing from Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Brother also provides free driver downloads for macOS on their support website.

How long do Brother printers last?

Brother laser printers routinely last 5-10 years with moderate use (up to 5,000 pages per year). Many users report Brother printers lasting even longer. The lack of ink cartridges that can dry out or printheads that clog contributes to their longevity.

Do Brother printers work with third-party toner?

Yes, Brother printers work with third-party toner cartridges. However, results vary by brand. Some users report excellent results with generic toner, while others experience print quality issues or reduced page yields. Brother genuine toner guarantees consistent quality and page counts.

Can Brother laser printers print photos?

Brother monochrome lasers print black and white photos with decent quality for documents. Color Brother lasers can print photos, but quality doesn't match inkjet printers. Laser technology excels at text and graphics, not photo reproduction. For photo printing, consider Canon or Epson inkjet printers instead.

Brother Toner: What You Need to Know

Understanding Brother's toner system helps you save money and avoid surprises.

Standard vs High-Yield Toner:

Example: Brother HL-L2350DW

Standard Toner (TN730):

Page yield: 1,200 pages
Cost: ~$35
Cost per page: 2.9 cents

High-Yield Toner (TN760):

Page yield: 3,000 pages
Cost: ~$70
Cost per page: 2.3 cents

Savings: 0.6 cents per page with high-yield toner. For 10,000 pages, that's $60 in savings!

Pro Tips for Brother Toner:

Always buy high-yield toner - Lower cost per page and fewer replacements
Stock up during sales - Toner doesn't expire, so buy when prices drop
Ignore low toner warnings initially - Brother printers can print hundreds of pages after the warning appears
Shake the toner - When print quality fades, remove the toner and shake it gently side-to-side to redistribute toner powder
Buy genuine for best results - Third-party toner can work but may produce inconsistent quality

Setting Up Your Brother Printer

Brother makes wireless setup straightforward, but here's how to get connected quickly:

Wireless Setup Steps:

Unbox printer and remove all packing materials and tape
Install toner cartridge and drum unit
Load paper in the tray
Power on the printer
Press and hold the WiFi button until WiFi light blinks
On your computer, visit Brother's support website
Download the "Full Driver & Software Package" for your model
Run the installer and select "Wireless Network Connection"
Follow on-screen prompts to connect printer to WiFi
Print a test page to confirm connection

Alternative Method: Many Brother printers support WiFi Direct or WPS (Push Button) setup. Check your router and printer for WPS buttons for the fastest connection method.

Brother Mobile Apps

Brother offers several mobile apps for printing and scanning from smartphones:

Brother iPrint&Scan (Free)

Print from iPhone, iPad, or Android
Scan documents to your mobile device
Print photos, documents, and web pages
Available on App Store and Google Play

Brother Mobile Connect (Free)

All iPrint&Scan features plus cloud services
Print from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive
Scan to cloud services
Print from social media

When NOT to Choose Brother

Brother laser printers aren't perfect for everyone. Consider alternatives if:

You primarily print photos: Choose Canon PIXMA or Epson EcoTank instead
You print less than 20 pages monthly: A budget inkjet might be more economical
You need wide-format printing: Brother doesn't offer 11x17" or larger consumer printers
Color accuracy is critical: Professional photo printers deliver better color
You want integrated fax/scan to email: Some HP enterprise models have better document management features

Conclusion: Is Brother Right for You?

Brother laser printers represent the best value in reliable document printing. If you primarily print text documents, contracts, reports, or homework, a Brother laser printer will serve you faithfully for years while keeping operating costs low.

Our Top Recommendations:

Best Budget Laser: Brother HL-L2350DW ($129) - Simple, reliable, wireless monochrome printing
Best All-in-One Value: Brother HL-L2395DW ($179) - Adds scanning, copying, fax, and ADF
Best Color Laser: Brother HL-L3270CDW ($329) - Fast color documents and presentations

The low cost per page, exceptional reliability, and years of trouble-free printing make Brother the smart choice for home offices, students, and small businesses. While the upfront cost exceeds budget inkjet printers, you'll recoup the investment within the first year through toner savings.

Final Verdict:

Brother laser printers earn our highest recommendation for anyone who values reliability and low operating costs. These printers simply work, year after year, without the maintenance headaches common to inkjet printers. For black and white document printing, Brother is the best choice available.