VerdictAI

Reviewer consensus · 2026

Best Inkjet Printers of 2026What 73 reviewers actually think, trust-weighted

Inkjet (and ink-tank) printers span everything from $54 budget all-in-ones to $670 wide-format photo machines, so we synthesized what independent testing labs, verified-purchase reviewers, and specialist printer communities have already written about each candidate. The picks below weight high-trust sources like RTINGS and TechGearLab and verified-purchase retailer reviews most heavily, and we surface the recurring complaints (muted colors, finicky Wi-Fi, slow speeds) rather than smoothing them over. This is a trust-weighted summary of consensus, not a hands-on test.

Sources behind this verdict

73 reviewers, weighted by source trust

73reviewers read

Weighted by source trust

We don’t review products. We read what other reviewers wrote, score each source for trustworthiness, and synthesize the consensus.

How sources are scored →

Trust hierarchy

Trusted3
Verified0
Supporting32
Flagged0

Source mix

73signals
  • 3Retailer
  • 42Community
  • 28Video

Trusted · 3 sources

Independent · documented methodology
r/printersr/photographyBest Buy customers

Supporting · 32 named sources

RetailerCommunityVideo
Target customersr/Epsonr/artbusinessr/homelabr/homeofficer/magicproxiesr/homeschoolr/buildapcsalesr/M43r/Travelersnotebooksr/scrapbookingr/australiar/mildlyinfuriatingYouTube · 8550 Review for Making Art PrintsYouTube · review videoYouTube · Watch Before You ...YouTube · Never seen prints like thisYouTube · My Full ReviewYouTube · Epson ET2800 Ecotank Printer ReviewYouTube · Depth ReviewYouTube · My honest review...YouTube · 2980 Printer : Pros & ConsYouTube · One Supertank ...YouTube · One Color Supertank PrinterYouTube · A Photographer's GiftYouTube · Liene Pearl N200 Pro vs ...YouTube · Setup & In Depth REVIEWYouTube · 4950 Full Review 2026YouTube · ADF & 3 ...YouTube · Best Ink Tank Printer for Home ...YouTube · One ...YouTube · Function Home Printer

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Highest-rated by the consensus

#1 of 7
Top pick · #1Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Wireless Wide-Format Color All-in-One Supertank Printer with High Resolution…
Best premium photo printer

Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Wireless Wide-Format Color All-in-One Supertank Printer with High Resolution…

★★★★★4.1(2,470)86Great

Across the reviewers we read, the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is the consensus choice for serious home photo printing. RTINGS measured fast photo output (a 4x6 print in just over 48 seconds) while noting document speed is slower, and high-trust community voices are emphatic: an r/photography thread calls it 'the best "under $5000" photo printer I have ever used,' saying side-by-side with service-bureau prints 'you can't tell the difference,' and an r/printers reviewer rates it the easiest and cheapest-to-run quality printer they've owned on a per-dollar basis.

Price

$669.99

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The rest of the rankings

#2,7

Frequently asked

5 questions
Are ink-tank (EcoTank/MegaTank) printers cheaper to run than cartridge inkjets?
Across the reviewers we read, the consensus is yes for anyone printing regularly: refillable supertank models ship with one to three years of ink and dramatically lower cost-per-page, which high-trust expert coverage repeatedly calls the main reason to buy one. The trade-off is a higher upfront price and the requirement to print often enough to keep the print heads from clogging.
Which inkjet is best for printing photos at home?
For lab-quality A3+ photo output, reviewers across specialist communities and high-trust expert coverage favor the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550, though it's slow and pricey. For inexpensive, consistent 4x6 snapshots, dedicated dye-sublimation units like the Liene M100 draw strong praise on print quality, with the caveat that they only do 4x6.
Why do EcoTank printers sometimes get criticized for color quality?
Several specialist-community threads we read flag that some EcoTank all-in-ones produce muted or light colors and weaker scans compared with photo-oriented models. The photo-focused ET-8550 is the exception that reviewers single out for genuinely vibrant output; the document-first tanks prioritize running cost over color punch.
Are cheap sub-$100 inkjet all-in-ones worth buying?
Verified-purchase reviewers say budget models like the Canon PIXMA TS4320 and Brother Work Smart 1360 handle basic home printing well, but high-trust community threads warn about slow speeds, small paper trays, and expensive cartridge ink over time. They make sense for light, occasional use rather than high-volume printing.
Is HP's Smart Tank or Instant Ink ecosystem reliable?
The HP ink-tank and Instant Ink models in this pool carried little independent testing signal and, in the case of several Smart Tank units, notably low average customer ratings, so we did not rank them. Specialist communities also raise recurring print-head reliability concerns about HP tank printers, so cross-check current reviews before committing.