Wireless Color Laser Printers Buying Guide – Top Rated and Bestsellers

When laser printers first appeared at a consumer level, the only options available were monochrome or black and white models. At that time, most consumers opted for less expensive dot matrix or ribbon printers.  Consumers who needed a higher quality level of printing would justify the higher price point in order to utilize the precision a laser printer can give.

When inkjet printers entered the market, they quickly became the go-to type of printer for home use. Full color was finally available at a reasonable price. Although inkjets have improved in recent years, they could never overcome the physical limitations that prevent them from achieving the quality a laser printer can provide.

Today, color laser printers have finally become affordable for many users.  The most popular models on the market are multifunction units that contain scanners and fax capabilities.  In our buying guide, we researched the most popular and highest rated color laser printers from multiple reliable sources. Actual customer reviews are taken into account as well as sales rank data. We break it down for you here.

Highest Rated Color Laser Printers on Amazon

People who bought color laser printers at Amazon rated many different manufacturers in their top ten. Units by Lexmark, Canon, Dell and HP were the most highly favored by Amazon customers, followed by printers by Brother and HP. The highest rated model is the Lexmark CS310n, followed by the Hewlett-Packard M476nw. A Dell model follows. Three units by HP are next in line, two LaserJet Enterprise 500 units and an HP LaserJet Pro model.  Brother makes a showing on the top ten best rated Amazon list, and the last two models are by Hewlett-Packard.

Rating Printer Model
4.8 Lexmark CS310n Color Laser Photo Printer
4.4 HP M476nw LaserJet Pro Wireless Color Laser Printer
4.4 Dell C1760NW LED Printer – Color
4.4 HP LaserJet Enterprise 500 Color M551N
4.4 HP LaserJet Enterprise 500 Color M551DN
4.3 HP LaserJet Pro 200 M251nw Wireless Color Printer
4.1 HP LaserJet Pro 200 M276nw All-in-One Color Printer
4.1 Brother HL-3170CDW Digital Color Printer
4.1 Hewlett Packard M451DW LaserJet Pro 400 Printer
4 HP 400 M451nw LaserJet Pro 400 Color Printer

Bestselling Color Laser Printers on Amazon

Looking at the sales rank data on Amazon, there are quite a few variations between popular sellers and high rated color laser printers.  Some of the same models appear, with others that are not on the top rated list. The top selling color laser printer on Amazon is the Brother HL-3170CDW. The next two are both HP Laserjet Pro 200 models: the M251nw and the M276nw, followed by another Hewlett-Packard printer: The HP 400 M451nw. The next highest seller a Canon model, followed by another printer by HP. The remainder of the top ten bestselling color laser printers on Amazon is comprised of a unit by Brother, another HP unit, a Dell printer, and a Lexmark model.

Rank Printer Model
1 Brother HL-3170CDW Digital Color Printer
2 HP LaserJet Pro 200 M251nw Wireless Color Printer
3 HP LaserJet Pro 200 M276nw All-in-One Color Printer
4 HP 400 M451nw LaserJet Pro 400 Color Printer
5 Canon imageCLASS MF8580Cdw Color Laser Printer
6 HP M476nw LaserJet Pro Wireless Color Laser Printer
7 Brother MFC-9340CDW All-in-One Wireless Digital Printer
8 Hewlett Packard M451DW LaserJet Pro 400 Color Printer
9 Dell Computer C2660dn Wireless Color Printer
10 Lexmark CS410dn Color Laser Printer

Highest Rated Color Laser Printers at Best Buy

The top customer ratings list according to Best Buy shoppers is dominated by Hewlett Packard, with only two other manufacturers making a showing in the top ten: Brother and Canon.  Based on user ratings, the Canon imageCLASS MF8580CDW was the favorite on Best Buy. Four Hewlett Packard LaserJet models follow on the top ten: two LaserJet Enterprise 500 models and two LaserJet Pro models.  The bottom half of the top ten list features two models by Brother, two more HP LaserJet printers, and another Canon laser printer.

Rating Printer Model
5 Canon – imageCLASS Laser Printer – Model: MF8580CDW
4.7 HP – LaserJet Enterprise 500 Color Printer – Model: m551dn
4.7 HP – LaserJet Enterprise 500 Color Printer – Model: m551n
4.6 HP – LaserJet Pro M251nw Wireless Color Printer
4.6 HP – LaserJet Pro M451nw Wireless Color Printer
4.4 Brother – Color Laser Printer – Model: HL-3170CDW
4.4 HP – LaserJet Pro M451dn Color Printer
4 Brother – Wireless Color Laser Printer – Model: HL-3140CW
4 Canon – imageCLASS Laser Printer – Model: MF8280CW
3 HP – LaserJet Enterprise 500 Color MFP M575DN

Top Selling Color Laser Printers at Best Buy

Many of the same printers that appear on the highest rated by Best Buy customers list also make a showing on the sales rank list at Best Buy.  Only one Canon model appears on the ranking, along with a Samsung model that was not among the top rated printers. Much like the top ten highest rated laser printers list, the bulk of the models that appear are HP printers. The number one best-selling color laser printer at Best Buy is the HP LaserJet Pro M251nw. A Brother laser printer follows: the HL-3170CDW. Another HP LaserJet pro unit follows, followed by a Samsung laser printer.  Two more LaserJet Pro models by HP follow along with another Brother printer. The remainder of the top ten best-selling laser printer list at Best Buy includes two more Hewlett-Packard printers and a Canon unit.

Sales Rank Printer Model
1 HP – LaserJet Pro M251nw Wireless Color Printer
2 Brother – Color Laser Printer – Model: HL-3170CDW
3 HP – LaserJet Pro M451nw Wireless Color Printer
4 Samsung – Xpress Network-Ready Laser Printer: C410W
5 HP – LaserJet Pro M451dn Color Printer
6 Brother – Wireless Color Laser Printer Model: HL-3140CW
7 HP – LaserJet CP4020 Laser Printer
8 HP – LaserJet Enterprise 500 Color Printer Model: m551dn
9 Canon – imageCLASS Laser Printer Model: MF8580CDW
10 HP – LaserJet Laser Printer – Model: CP4025DN

Best Rated Color Laser Printers at Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart customers are more generous with their five-star ratings on color laser printers than the other venues we looked at.  Four units were awarded the full five stars: The OKI MC361 laser printer, two Lexmark printers: The CS310N and CX410E, and the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise CP4025dn model. The middle of the best rated list is claimed by a Samsung Multifunction laser printer, followed by an OKI unit and another Hewlett-Packard LaserJet Pro printer. The last three spots on the top rated list at Wal-Mart are all Brother laser printers.

Rating Printer Model
5 OKI MC361 Laser Multifunction Printer
5 Lexmark CS310N Color Laser Printer
5 Lexmark CX410E Laser Multifunction Printer
5 HP Color LaserJet Enterprise CP4025dn Printer
4.7 Samsung Multifunction Printer Xpress C1860FW
4.5 OKI C610N Laser Printer
4.5 HP LaserJet Pro 400 Laser Printer, M451DN
4.3 Brother MFC9460CDN Laser Multifunction Printer
4.3 Brother HL-3140CW Digital Color Printer
4.2 Brother HL-3170CDW Digital Color Printer

Best-selling Color Laser Printers at Wal-Mart

The Best-sellers among the color laser printers at Walmart contain a mix of the highest rated units with some that do not appear on the top ten according to customer ratings. The top seller is the Brother HL-3170CDW unit. The next best-selling color laser printer at Walmart is the HP M476dw. Two more Brother units are next, which makes Brother the most popular selling manufacturer among the top ten sellers at Walmart. Followed by an OKI laser printer, another HP LaserJet and two more Brother laser printers. The top ten is rounded off by a Samsung Xpress printer.

Sales Rank Printer Model
1 Brother HL-3170CDW Digital Color Printer
2 HP M476dw Wireless Color Photo Printer
3 Brother HL-3140CW Digital Color Printer
4 Brother HL-L8350CDW Color Wireless Laser Printer
5 Brother MFC-8950DW Laser Multifunction Printer
6 OKI MC361 Laser Multifunction Printer
7 HP LaserJet Pro 400 M401n CZ195A Laser Printer
8 Brother HL-L8250CDN Color Laser Printer
9 Brother MFC-L8600CDW Color Laser All-in-One Printer
10 Samsung Multifunction Printer Xpress C1860FW

 Conclusion

Across all sources, Hewlett-Packard LaserJet pro printers were consistently rated well and enjoyed a high sales rank. Brother laser printers made a strong showing, with the HL-3170CDW claiming the best-selling title at both Amazon and Walmart, and the second best-selling spot at Best Buy.  The Lexmark CS310n was rated very well at Amazon and Walmart. Canon and Epson printers made a brief showing across most sources but did not claim the highest rankings in general. However, the Canon MF8580CDW is the top rated laser printer according to Best Buy customers.

Most of the color laser printers we researched were multifunction units that have the ability to scan, copy and fax. Take note of the features of the printer you are leaning toward to ensure it meets your needs. Compatibility is important as always, but most of the models listed above will be compatible with the typical modern computer.

We recommend reading the customer reviews across multiple sources if you are seriously considering a specific printer model. If a certain topic appears more than once in the reviews, it is likely that is a common issue with that model.

Sources: Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com, Walmart.com

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