How to choose a printer for your home—this guide has you covered.

To make everyday printing easier, choosing the right printer is essential. So how should you go about selecting a printer? Today, we’ll discuss how to pick the best printer for your home.

1. Printer or all-in-one device

Before making a purchase, it’s essential to clearly define your needs—whether you only require printing, or if you also need copying and scanning. Different requirements call for different types of printers. Generally, printers fall into two categories: standalone printers and all-in-one devices. The distinction lies primarily in functionality: as the name suggests, a standalone printer is limited to printing, offering a more basic set of features. In contrast, an all-in-one device provides a broader range of functions, supporting not only printing but also copying and scanning, making everyday tasks like scanning ID cards or making copies much more convenient.

So if you regularly need to make copies and scans, opting for a multifunction all-in-one printer is the better choice. Moreover, many all-in-one models come equipped with automatic duplex printing, so you can print double-sided documents without having to flip the paper—making the process much more convenient.

2. Color or Black and White

Next, determine whether you need color printing—or even photo printing—and if so, don’t overthink it: just go for an inkjet printer. We recommend choosing a genuine‑brand continuous‑ink‑supply model, which stands out for its exceptionally high yield per cartridge, making long‑term printing much more cost‑effective; a few dozen yuan worth of ink can last half a year or even longer.

If you don’t need color printing, a monochrome laser printer is the way to go. Laser printers offer greater reliability; even if left idle for extended periods, they’re unlikely to suffer from clogged print heads. This makes them particularly user-friendly for home users, many of whom don’t use their printers very often and typically print only when needed. All things considered, if color printing isn’t required, a black-and-white laser printer is a solid choice.

3. Finally, usability should also be taken into account.

Generally speaking, traditional printers don’t support mobile printing and require a connection to a computer to send print jobs, which inevitably limits your printing options. That’s why we recommend choosing models that offer mobile printing—making everyday document printing much more convenient. Today, many printers support both app‑based printing and WeChat mini‑program printing, delivering a solid user experience in either case.