Below, we’ve highlighted five of the best small printers in our ratings, including one portable model and two laser printers—the latter notable because that tech tends to be more reliable but typically bulkier than inkjets.
Because our printer ratings don’t take size into account, a few of these models don’t achieve CR Recommended status, but they’re still capable of solid performance. Our ratings have also changed recently, placing much more emphasis on the ability to print quality text rather than graphics or photos, which reflects CR’s survey data about how people actually use their printers. We also tweaked the scoring for print speed, given that today’s printers are faster than ever.
The measurements listed for each printer were taken when the model was ready for operation, with paper trays in place, so the footprint may be even smaller when the device isn’t in use. (One way that manufacturers make a printer smaller is by shrinking the capacity of the feed trays, sometimes to under 50 sheets or less.)
These models, like every printer we test, have been evaluated and scored by our testers on almost 250 data points. Check out our printer buying guide to learn more about our tests and explore our full printer ratings to find the best model for your needs.
