The Best Printers for Chromebooks in Your Office or at Home

April
30, 2021

6 min read

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Despite giving its catch-all Cloud Print service the ax in December 2020, Google has maintained ubiquitous printer support for Chromebooks through native printing and app drivers ever since. That means, these days, you can use just about any printer with a Chromebook so long as it has the equipment for Wi-Fi or wired network connectivity. Note that Chromebooks still can’t print over Bluetooth, not that most people opt for the short-range wireless standard even when it is available. 

That opens up a wide range of options when it comes to selecting the best printers for Chromebooks as we’ve done below. Because one Chromebook user’s needs may differ from the next, we settled on a top pick for a number of different categories, with the portable and versatile Canon Pixma TR150 taking our number one spot. Whether you already have a particular brand or type of printer in mind or you’re starting your search from scratch, let us help you expedite your hunt so that you can get back to what matters most-running your business from the convenient comfort of a Chromebook.

Best Overall: Canon Pixma TR150 ($199)
Best HP Printer: HP OfficeJet 200 ($300)
Best All-in-One: HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e ($230)
Best Photo Printer: HP Tango X ($200)
Best for Small Business: HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw ($599)
Best Ink Saving Option: HP OfficeJet Pro 8035 ($200)
Best Printer Under $100: Canon Pixma MG3620 ($60)

Best Overall: Canon Pixma TR150 ($199)

One of the major benefits of using a Chromebook is being able to take it wherever you go. But what if you could do the same with your printer? That’s the value proposition of the Canon Pixma TR150, a compact mobile printer capable of jetting out photos and documents up to 8.5 x 11 inches in size. With a form factor measuring only 12.7 x 7.3 x 2.6 inches itself, it’s small enough to fit into a backpack or travel bag. Installing the optional $99 battery gives it enough juice to print 330 pages on a single charge, though it is limited to 50 sheets at a time, so you will have to reload the tray a few times along the way.

Best HP Printer: HP OfficeJet 200 ($300)

For the risk-averse, a good general rule of thumb is to stick to what you know. In the case that what you know is HP, the diminutive OfficeJet 200 is a formidable alternative to the best printer for Chromebooks overall. A built-in 2-inch display makes for an easy setup while a 50-sheet tray ensures you never run out of paper unexpectedly. Best of all, although the OfficeJet 200 is on the pricier side, the battery comes standard, eliminating the need for a separate purchase. You can get it on Amazon or from HP directly.

Best All-in-One: HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e ($230)

Those seeking a more robust option will be impressed by the HP OfficeJet 9015e, available from Amazon and HP. Tailored to the at-home office worker, a 250-sheet input tray provides not only a high capacity for double-sided printing, but it also outputs quickly at up to 22 pages per minute (ppm) in black or 18 ppm in color. 6 months of Instant Ink adds an unbeatable value to the 9015e as well, netting you up to 700 pages a month in free printing. And since it’s delivered straight to your door, there’s no trip to the store necessary. The only downside is that you’re going to have to free up some space on your desk for this inkjet gargantuan. 

Best Photo Printer: HP Tango X ($200)

Described by HP as the “world’s first smart home printer,” the Tango X aims to fill the void of the now-defunct Google Cloud Print by letting you print from anywhere with an internet connection. Whether you’re working from a coffee shop or a  hotel room on your Chromebook, smartphone, or tablet, the HP Tango X stylishly spits out photos and documents up to 8.5 x 14 inches large, boasting image quality that matches that of the displays on your devices. And for a whole 2 months after your purchase, you can enjoy an Instant Ink subscription free of charge. The Tango X is sold on both Amazon and from HP.

Best for Small Business: HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw ($599)

An entry-level commercial printer, the HP Color LaserJet Pro Multifunction M479fdw can be found through Amazon or HP’s own website for a not-insignificant chunk of change. Then again, if you’re looking to cover a modest workforce, not even a 250-sheet feed will cut it. This 300-sheet machine features a 50-sheet automatic document feeder and double-sided scanning, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for the devices that support it. A walk-up USB port comes in handy for wired printing on the fly while a sizable 4.3-inch color touchscreen leaves you in control of any settings that need adjusting. Expect a 28 ppm print speed, regardless of black or color printing, as well as a 150-sheet output capacity, suited for even the wordiest of contracts.

Best Ink Saving Option: HP OfficeJet Pro 8035 ($200)

Print 800 pages a month at 20 ppm with the HP OfficeJet Pro 8035, which you can buy on Amazon or from HP. This all-in-one wireless printer puts ink cost savings first, setting you back a mere estimated 22 cents per page. It also comes with an 8-month subscription to Instant Ink, for 100 pages a month on the house. Made from up to 15% recycled plastic, it strives for environmental friendliness, too, though admittedly it still has a long way to go. Nonetheless, the OfficeJet Pro 8035’s 225-sheet input and 60-sheet output capacities remain on par with its less sustainable predecessor. Three eye-catching color choices are icing on the cake.

Best Printer Under $100: Canon Pixma MG3620 ($60)

Chromebooks are inexpensive, so naturally your instinct might tell you not to spend more on a printer than you did on your laptop. In that case, look no further than the Canon Pixma MG3620, a wireless all-in-one inkjet complete with support for Wi-Fi, AirPrint, Mopria, NFC, and wired USB connections. All that for a sale price of $65 from B&H Photo, at least if you buy it in black. You’ll have to step it up to $80 for the red or white models, but that’s still much lower than you would find this model elsewhere. Or, if it’s still in stock by the time you’re reading this, you could purchase the black color variant from the Canon site for $5 less than B&H. That said, depending on your anticipated print volume, it may be worth the investment to spend more on one of the aforementioned HP models with Instant Ink, especially since the cost per page is a bit steep for a printer in this price range at 24 cents versus the 22 cents with the OfficeJet Pro 8035.