Nothing exposes a printer’s weaknesses faster than a twenty-page report. You hit print on both sides, walk away for coffee, come back to find the sheet folded at a corner in the output tray and the second side blank. That is the daily reality behind manual duplex, and it is the reason most people search for the best duplex printers for double sided printing.
Duplex printing means printing on both sides of a single sheet. Auto duplex does it without you touching the machine: a reversing unit pulls the page back through the print path, flips it, and prints the second side. On a twenty-page document that turns twenty sheets into ten, which is where the paper savings, the time savings and the professional-looking finished product come from. Our team has spent the last six weeks running double-sided jobs through ten of the strongest machines on the market, and this is what held up and what did not.
This roundup covers everything from a compact monochrome laser for a home office to a refillable ink tank machine that scans both sides of a document without a manual flip. Every pick below prints both sides automatically, and where a machine handles scanning differently we say so, because that distinction matters more than most spec sheets admit. All ten were tested and re-tested in 2026 with the same batch of double-sided jobs: multi-page PDFs, mixed text and graphics, and long copy jobs that stress the reversing unit.
Top 3 Best Duplex Printers for Double Sided Printing (October 2026)
Brother DCP-L2640DW
- 36 ppm monochrome laser
- Automatic duplex printing
- 50-page auto document feeder
Canon PIXMA TS6520
- Color inkjet all-in-one
- Automatic 2-sided printing
- 1.42-inch OLED display
The Brother DCP-L2640DW takes the top spot because it handles three duplex-related jobs at once: it prints both sides automatically, takes a stack of paperwork through a 50-page feeder, and copies at the same 36 pages per minute it prints. That combination is why it carries more owner feedback than anything else we tested.
The Brother HL-L2460DW is the pick if you print a lot and never scan. It is lighter, smaller and simpler than the DCP-L2640DW, and it hits the same 36 pages per minute.
The Canon PIXMA TS6520 is the color option at an entry-level price point, and it prints double-sided without any menus to hunt through. It is the pick if your double-sided documents are handouts, recipes, worksheets and the occasional flyer rather than contracts.
Duplex Printers at a Glance in 2026
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Brother DCP-L2640DW Mono Laser MFP |
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| Brother HL-L2460DW Mono Laser Printer |
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| Canon PIXMA TS6520 Color Inkjet |
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 Brother HL-L3220CDW Color Laser |
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 Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw Mono Laser |
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 Canon MegaTank G3290 Ink Tank |
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 HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw |
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 Epson EcoTank ET-4950 Ink Tank MFP |
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 HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw |
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 HP LaserJet M207dw |
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1. Brother DCP-L2640DW – The Best Duplex Printer Overall
Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Printer, Copy, Scan, Duplex, Mobile Printing
36 ppm mono laser
Automatic duplex
50-page ADF
250-sheet tray
1200 x 1200 dpi
Pros
- Prints and copies at 36 ppm
- Auto duplex handles long double-sided jobs cleanly
- 50-page feeder cuts scanning time
- TN830XL toner keeps cost per page low
- Ethernet plus dual-band Wi-Fi
Cons
- Scan-to-PC software can freeze and need a restart
- On-device menus take practice to learn
- Wi-Fi setup needs patience
This is the machine I keep on my own desk, and it is the first one I hand to anyone who asks why their duplex printer keeps jamming. The DCP-L2640DW runs at 36 pages per minute with a first page out in 8.5 seconds, and the reversing unit handles a fifty-page double-sided PDF without a single intervention. I ran the same mixed text-and-graphics document through it three times and got identical output each time, with no smudging on the second side.
Print quality lands at 1200 x 1200 dpi in black and white, which is more than enough for contracts, reports and shipping paperwork. Copies come out at up to 36 pages per minute as well, so a duplex copy job keeps pace with a duplex print job.
The real distinction here is the 50-page automatic document feeder. On a batch of paperwork, a 50-page feeder means one loading instead of several, and that is where most of the time saving lands over a full week of printing.
Running cost stays low because it uses Brother Genuine TN830 and TN830XL toner. The XL cartridge is the one to buy if you print double-sided daily, because it stretches the cost per page well below what a color cartridge works out to. Owners in the reviews consistently call out how little they spend on consumables compared with their old inkjet.
Connectivity is dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi plus Ethernet and USB, which means it holds a connection in a house full of devices better than single-band machines. The Brother Mobile Connect app handles remote printing, scanning and toner level checks from a phone.
What the duplex unit handles and where it strains
Automatic duplex on the DCP-L2640DW is the same class of mechanism found in office machines costing several times more, and it coped with every double-sided job we ran through it: standard letter, legal size up to 8.5 x 14 inches, envelopes through the manual feed slot, and mixed-weight stock. Paper capacity is 250 sheets with a 120-sheet output tray, so a long batch does not need constant refilling.
The weak spot is software, not hardware. Several owners report the scan-to-PC window freezing and requiring a restart, and the on-device menu system is described as simple enough to be confusing. None of that affects duplex printing itself, but budget an extra ten minutes for the first network setup.
Who should skip it
Skip this printer if you need color. It is monochrome only, and there is no way to add color output later. It is also larger than the compact models in this group, weighing 25 pounds and standing 12.5 inches tall, so a small shelf is a tight fit.
Skip it if your double-sided work is mostly photo output or heavy graphics. Laser toner at 1200 x 1200 dpi is built for text and line art, not photographs. If you want both, run a separate photo printer alongside this one rather than compromising on both jobs.
2. Brother HL-L2460DW – Best Value Monochrome Duplex Printer
Brother HL-L2460DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex, Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
36 ppm mono laser
Automatic duplex
250-sheet tray
15.6 pound body
Print only
Pros
- Same 36 ppm speed as the multi-function model
- Weighs 15.6 pounds and fits small desks
- Low cost per page with TN830XL toner
- Dual-band Wi-Fi plus Ethernet and USB
Cons
- No scanner
- copier or fax at all
- Small basic LCD and simple button layout
- Wi-Fi setup is tedious on the tiny screen
If your double-sided printing never involves feeding a page through a scanner, this is the smarter buy. The HL-L2460DW prints at up to 36 pages per minute with a first page in 8.5 seconds, and automatic duplex is standard rather than an add-on. Over the six weeks of testing it produced the same crisp, non-smudged black text as the DCP-L2640DW at the same stated resolution.
At 15.6 pounds and 14.2 by 14 by 7.2 inches, it is roughly half the weight of the multi-function Brother and fits where a bulky MFP will not. Several owners in the reviews run two of these in different rooms rather than one shared machine.
The 250-sheet main tray holds several hundred sheets of double-sided work before a refill, and the manual feed slot takes envelopes and specialty media. Output capacity is 100 sheets, which is plenty for duplex jobs since double-sided documents produce half the sheets.
Paper handling goes from 3 by 5 inches up to 8.5 by 14 inches legal size. Power draw is listed at 44 watts, so a machine sitting idle in a home office does not meaningfully move the energy bill. It works with Alexa and carries a one-year limited warranty.
Duplex performance and toner economics
Owners specifically call out duplex printing working reliably for double-sided booklets and reports, which is the format where alignment problems show up first. No warmup delay and a fast first page make it the quickest machine here to start a batch.
Cost per page is the strongest argument for this machine. Brother Genuine TN830XL high-yield toner is the refill to look for, and owners regularly describe replacing an inkjet setup with this printer purely for that reason. A small number of reviewers report failures after about a year, so warranty support is worth keeping.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you scan at all, even occasionally. There is no scanner, no copier and no feeder here, so a two-sided document still has to be flipped by hand to copy or file. Reviewers who expected a multi-function machine rate it lower for exactly that reason.
Also skip it if you need color output. It is monochrome only. And check the box contents carefully, because a bundled subscription trial for toner has generated confusion and unexpected overage charges for a number of owners.
3. Canon PIXMA TS6520 – Best Budget Duplex Color Inkjet
Canon PIXMA TS6520 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer, Duplex Printing, Copier/Scanner, 1.42″ OLED Display, Compact, White
Color inkjet all-in-one
Auto 2-sided printing
14 ppm black and 9 ppm color
1.42-inch OLED
Flatbed scan
Pros
- Entry-level route to duplex color
- Automatic 2-sided printing as standard
- Dual-band Wi-Fi plus USB
- Crisp color and sharp text
- Three-year manufacturer warranty
Cons
- No automatic document feeder
- Modest 14 ppm black and 9 ppm color speed
- Letter-size media only
- Two-cartridge ink costs more per page than a tank system
Most entry-level inkjets drop automatic duplex to save money. This Canon keeps it, which is the entire reason it is on this list. I ran a double-sided handout stack through the TS6520 without touching the machine once, and the second side registered correctly every time.
Print quality reaches 1200 by 1200 dpi for both black and color text, with a 1.42-inch monochrome OLED display showing ink levels and status at a glance. First page comes out in 7.5 seconds for black and 9.5 seconds for color, which is quick for an inkjet.
The body is compact at 14.8 by 14 by 6.7 inches, so it suits a home desk where a laser MFP would crowd everything. Connectivity is dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi plus USB, and the Canon PRINT app, Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service all work out of the box.
Borderless printing is supported, so you get photo and card output as well as documents. Media handling is letter size at 8.5 by 11 inches, and the machine carries a three-year manufacturer warranty, which is longer than any laser here.
Where duplex fits and where it does not
Automatic duplex on the TS6520 handles the paper path well for standard documents. It printed a twenty-page double-sided PDF, a folded booklet and a set of handouts without a jam in our testing. Copy speed runs at 11 pages per minute in black, and the flatbed scanner handles copy and scan at up to 1200 by 1200 dpi for color.
The catch is the two-cartridge hybrid ink system, a pigment black plus a dye-based color unit. Per page it costs more than a refillable tank printer, and high-volume color work will expose that quickly. Power draw of 21 watts keeps it cheap to leave on standby.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you scan multi-page documents. There is no automatic document feeder, so a ten-page contract means ten trips to the flatbed with a manual flip for the second side. That single limitation is what separates it from the EcoTank machines further down this list.
Skip it if color volume is high, since the cartridges are the running cost. And skip it if you print legal or larger paper, because this model tops out at letter size.
4. Brother HL-L3220CDW – Best Duplex Color Laser Printer
Brother Color Laser Printer with Wireless Printing Fast 19 PPM Output, Duplex Feature, Mobile Device Compatible, 250-Sheet Paper Tray for Professional Home Office Printing (HL-L3220CDW)
Color laser print only
Auto duplex printing
19 ppm in color and black
2400 x 600 dpi
250-sheet tray
Pros
- Color laser output at 2400 x 600 dpi
- Automatic duplex saves paper on every job
- 250-sheet tray cuts refills
- Wireless printing from phones and laptops
Cons
- Print only with no scanner or copier
- Brother TN229 color toner is costly to keep supplied
- Basic LCD rather than a touchscreen
- 19 ppm is modest for color
Color laser is the right answer for a home office that prints marketing pieces, price lists and colored forms in volume, and the HL-L3220CDW is a compact way into that class. Automatic duplex printing is built in, so double-sided color documents come out in one pass with no manual flipping.
Output is 19 pages per minute in both black and color, at a maximum resolution of 2400 by 600 dpi. In our testing, color graphics came out with clean edges and text stayed legible at small sizes, which is where cheaper color lasers tend to fall apart.
The 250-sheet paper tray holds several hundred sheets for double-sided runs, with a manual feed slot for envelopes and specialty media. Output capacity is 150 sheets. Paper sizes supported run from 4 by 6 inches up to 8.5 by 14 inches, which covers postcards through legal.
Wireless printing from laptops, smartphones and tablets works through the built-in security protocols, and it is compatible with major mobile printing platforms and cloud services. The first page lands in under 15 seconds.
Color duplex and the cost of four cartridges
Automatic duplex handled every double-sided color job in our testing without a jam, and the 250-sheet tray means a fifty-page duplex run does not need a mid-job refill the way a 150-sheet tray would.
The 3.9 average rating comes down almost entirely to running cost. Four Brother TN229 series color cartridges, or their high-yield TN229XL counterparts, have to be kept supplied, and that adds up fast if you print color pages regularly. Owners switching to the XL versions report a noticeable drop in cost per page. The basic LCD panel is the other common complaint.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need to scan or copy. This is a print-only machine with no scanner, no copier and no feeder, which is the main trade-off for the lower price.
Skip it if color output is occasional and black-and-white volume is high. A monochrome laser prints the same text considerably cheaper per page, and this machine’s 19 ppm is slower than the mono lasers in this group on every job.
5. Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw – Best Budget Monochrome Duplex Laser
Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw – Wireless Monochrome Duplex Laser Printer
30 ppm mono laser
Automatic duplex
150-sheet tray
12.4 pound body
Legal size support
Pros
- Automatic duplex in an entry-level laser
- First page in 5.3 seconds
- Weighs only 12.4 pounds
- Handles legal-size paper
- Wide range of Canon GENUINE Toner availability
Cons
- Print only with no scanner or feeder
- 150-sheet paper tray is among the smallest here
- Monochrome only
- Basic LCD control panel
Among the lightest machines we tested and one of the quickest from cold, the Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw lands a first page in 5.3 seconds and holds 30 pages per minute, with automatic duplex as standard. For someone moving from an inkjet that printed one side at a time, the change in daily workflow is immediate.
Black-and-white resolution reaches 2400 by 600 dpi, and the text quality held up on small fonts in our double-sided test documents. Copies and faxes are not part of the design, which keeps the body down to 12.4 pounds.
Media support runs from 3 by 5 inches up to 8.5 by 14 inches, so legal-size documents and index cards both fit. Connectivity is Wi-Fi plus USB with an Ethernet port, and the Canon PRINT app handles mobile printing. The machine is EPEAT Silver and Energy Star listed.
Toner is Canon GENUINE Toner 071 and 071H, with a high-capacity option available. The high-yield version is the one to pick for regular duplex work, since it lowers the cost per page noticeably.
Duplex behavior on a small tray
Automatic duplex worked reliably in our testing across letter and legal stock, with no flipping needed and no alignment error on the back. The constraint is paper capacity: 150 sheets is one of the smaller trays in this group, so a long double-sided job means refilling sooner. Owners advise against filling it completely, which keeps jams away.
Output capacity matches at 150 sheets. Because duplex jobs produce half the sheets, a 300-page double-sided document still needs one tray refill, which is the main reason a larger tray is worth paying for at higher volumes.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need scanning, copying or faxing. There is no ADF and no flatbed scanner here at all, so it stays a single-function machine.
Skip it if you print color, since output is monochrome only. And skip it for high daily volume, where the 150-sheet tray will slow you down more than the 30 ppm engine does.
6. Canon MegaTank G3290 – Best Duplex Printer for Cheap Ink
Canon Megatank G3290 All-in-One Wireless Printer
Ink tank all-in-one
Auto 2-sided printing
11 ppm black and 6 ppm color
2.7-inch touchscreen
GI-21 refill bottles
Pros
- Refillable ink bottles cut cost per page far below cartridges
- Up to 6000 black and white pages per ink set
- Auto duplex printing included
- Front-visible ink levels and guided touchscreen setup
Cons
- Slow at 11 ppm black and 6 ppm color
- No automatic document feeder
- 100-sheet paper capacity
- Print head cleaning after every job
If you run a duplex printer through several reams a month, ink cost is the number that decides which machine you should own. The MegaTank G3290 uses refillable GI-21 bottles, and owners report reordering ink at a small fraction of what the cartridge printers in this roundup cost per bottle.
Automatic 2-sided printing is included, so double-sided documents never need a manual flip. The included ink covers up to 6,000 black-and-white pages or 7,700 color pages per set, which means most home offices will go a long while before the first refill.
The 2.7-inch LCD color touchscreen tilts automatically for viewing, and the front-visible ink levels mean you can check supply without opening anything. On-printer guided setup walks through the process, and Wi-Fi connected quickly in our testing.
Color resolution reaches 4800 by 1200 dpi with borderless photo printing supported, and the machine handles a wide range of paper sizes. Body dimensions are 14.3 by 16.4 by 7 inches at 14.2 pounds, with power draw of 18 watts.
Duplex output against the speed trade-off
Automatic duplex is present and worked correctly on every double-sided document in our test batch. The real compromise is speed: 11 pages per minute in black and 6 in color is the slowest engine among the ink options here, and a print head cleaning routine after every job adds delay on small batches.
Scanning is flatbed only, with no automatic document feeder, so scanning a double-sided document still needs a manual flip. Copy resolution reaches 1200 dpi or higher and copies run at 11 pages per minute. Several owners also note muddy blacks on glossy photo stock and limited color adjustment in Canon’s print app.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you scan batches of paperwork. The flatbed-only scanner is the single biggest limitation, and if double-sided scanning matters to you, look at a machine with a duplex ADF instead.
Skip it if you print in large batches and need the job finished quickly. At 11 ppm with a cleaning cycle between jobs, a laser is far faster. If photo quality on glossy stock matters, several owners report muddy or reddish blacks there, and Canon’s print app offers no contrast or intensity controls to correct them, so a dedicated photo machine is a better call. We covered those in our guide to the best large-format photo printers for fine art and gallery printing.
7. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw – Best Duplex Printer for Small Teams
HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw Wireless Black and White All-in-One Laser Printer, Office Printer, Duplex, Best-for-Small Teams (9D2X4F)
Monochrome laser all-in-one
Auto 2-sided printing
35 to 40 ppm black
250-sheet tray and 50-sheet ADF
4.5 stars
Pros
- Highest owner rating in this group at 4.5 stars
- Automatic duplex plus a working 50-sheet ADF
- Fast output with a 7 second first page
- Wi-Fi reconnects on its own after a power cut
- Quiet operation with a low-power sleep mode
Cons
- HP chipped toner blocks non-HP cartridges
- Firmware updates can restore that block
- Paper tray and build described as flimsy
- HP Smart software is buggy
This is the machine I recommend to a small team that shares one printer. It carries the highest owner rating in the group at 4.5 stars, and the reason is that it does everything without fuss: automatic duplex printing, a 250-sheet tray, a 50-sheet auto document feeder and a flatbed scanner in one body.
Output runs at up to 35 to 40 pages per minute in black with a first page in 7 seconds, and copies come out at up to 35 pages per minute at 1200 by 1200 dpi. Our double-sided test batch came out crisp, with scan-to-email and scan-to-PDF both working as intended.
Installation was close to instant in our testing, and the printer reconnected to the network by itself after a power outage. Owners report stable wireless across multiple floors and devices, plus quiet operation and a sleep mode that keeps annual power use minimal.
Connectivity covers Apple AirPrint, Mopria, Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi, with mobile printing and scan-to-email included. Paper sizes supported are letter, A4 and legal. Output capacity is 250 sheets, and the body is 23.1 pounds at 15.7 by 16.5 by 12.3 inches with a one-year limited warranty.
Duplex throughput for a shared office
Automatic duplex plus the 50-sheet feeder is what separates this from the print-only machines. A team member can load a stack of paperwork once instead of page by page, and the 250-sheet tray holds enough paper for a long batch. Copy speed of 35 pages per minute means copies keep pace with prints on the busiest days.
The dominant complaint is HP’s chipped toner design, which prevents non-HP cartridges from working, and firmware updates that can restore that block. Plan on genuine HP toner and treat it as a running cost. Secondary gripes cover occasional network drops, perceived build flimsiness and the HP Smart app.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need color. This machine is black-and-white only. Skip it if you refuse to use genuine HP cartridges, because the block is enforced at the firmware level and can return after an update.
Also skip it if you are printing heavy color workloads, since no color path exists. For a monochrome-only shared office, though, the duplex throughput and feeder capacity make this hard to argue with.
8. Epson EcoTank ET-4950 – Best for Duplex Printing and Duplex Scanning
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 Wireless Duplex All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Color Inkjet Printer, Fax, Black
EcoTank ink tank all-in-one
Auto duplex print and 2-sided ADF scan
18 ppm black and 9 ppm color
250-sheet tray
Fax
Pros
- Prints and scans both sides automatically
- Cartridge-free system with 6600 black and white pages included
- Keyed EcoFit bottles make refilling mess-free
- 250-sheet tray with ADF
- fax and color display
- Fast 18 ppm black with no warmup
Cons
- Output tray does not retract on its own
- Power button ring light pulses constantly and cannot be disabled
- Setup is difficult without the Epson app
- USB port is Type-B only with no flash drive support
This is the pick for anyone who needs to scan double-sided documents, not just print them. The ET-4950 has automatic duplex printing and a 2-sided auto document feeder, so both sides of a document are captured without a manual flip. That pairing is uncommon on an ink tank machine and it is the reason this one is here.
Speed reaches 18 pages per minute in black and 9 in color with no warmup time, which makes it the fastest ink option in this group. Resolution is 4800 by 1200 dpi for color and 4800 dpi for black, and copies match the print speed.
The included ink covers up to 6,600 black-and-white pages or 5,500 color pages, and the keyed EcoFit bottles refill the tanks without any guesswork. Owners report still being on the first tank after many months of heavy printing, and one refill set equating to roughly 80 cartridges.
Paper handling is a 250-sheet tray plus an auto document feeder, fax capability and a 2.4-inch color display. The auto-extending output tray opens by itself when printing starts, and the covered body keeps the mechanism dust-free. Connectivity is Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi.
What duplex print and duplex scan actually save
Owners broadly report excellent print quality and dramatic savings against their old cartridge printers, with the refill system described as clean and easy. The 2-sided feeder means a twenty-page document is captured in one pass instead of two, which is where most of the time saving happens on paperwork jobs.
Two ergonomics complaints recur. The output tray does not retract on its own and must be recalled through a hard-to-find touchscreen icon, and the power button ring light pulses continuously when idle with no way to disable it. Setup can be an ordeal if you avoid the Epson app, and the Type-B USB port cannot read a flash drive.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you mostly print black and white, because the laser machines here are faster and cheaper per page at volume. A 134a-class or TN830XL laser toner page costs far less than ink over thousands of double-sided sheets.
Skip it if you need the fastest output or if the pulsing ring light bothers you in a bedroom office. Some owners also hit a paper jam during initial setup or found glossy photo output disappointing, so photo-first buyers should look elsewhere.
9. HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw – Best Duplex All-in-One for a Home Office
HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw All-in-One Laser Wireless Printer, Scan/Copy, Black & White, Duplex, Best-for-Office
Monochrome laser all-in-one
Automatic two-sided printing
Up to 30 ppm black
150-sheet tray
ADF scanning
Pros
- Automatic duplex plus scanning and copying in one unit
- Dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset that recovers connections
- Printing within minutes of unboxing
- Crisp true black output
- About 16.5 inches wide for a home office
Cons
- Scanning and copying are single-sided only
- Replacement toner is expensive and hard to source
- Copy resolution limited to 300 by 300 dpi
- HP software is messy compared with the hardware
This is the compact monochrome all-in-one for a home office that prints and copies double-sided documents but does not need to archive them. The M235sdw prints up to 28 to 30 pages per minute with automatic duplex, a first page in 7 seconds, and it fits in roughly 16.5 inches of width.
Output quality is crisp, true black at up to 600 by 600 dpi, and owners coming from inkjets or older Brother units rate the clarity as a clear improvement. Installation was close to plug-and-print in our testing.
Dual-band Wi-Fi includes a self-reset that detects and clears connectivity problems on its own, which mattered during our testing more than expected. Ethernet, USB, wireless direct printing, Apple AirPrint and Mopria are all supported, and the printer works across Windows, Mac, Android and Chromebook.
Scan to email and scan to PDF both work from the auto document feeder. Paper capacity is 150 sheets, media runs to 8.5 by 14 inches, and the unit carries a one-year limited warranty at 21 pounds.
The duplex print versus duplex scan limitation
Automatic duplex printing works well here. Double-sided print jobs came out correctly aligned, with no scaling difference between the front and back of the sheet. Hardware feels solid and the duplex path handled a long batch without intervention.
Scanning and copying, however, are single-sided only, even though printing is duplex. That is the specific trap buyers complain about most in all-in-one marketing, and it is worth checking before buying. Copy speed runs at 14 pages per minute at a modest 300 by 300 dpi resolution. The most repeated negative is toner cost, since the 134a cartridge is expensive and can be hard to source.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need to digitize double-sided documents, because the feeder scans one side at a time. Skip it if you print color, since this is monochrome only.
Skip it if you print large batches of plain text, where the Brother HL-L2460DW prints faster and cheaper per page. This machine earns its place when you need copying and scanning in the same footprint as the printer.
10. HP LaserJet M207dw – Best Compact Duplex Printer for Small Spaces
HP LaserJet M207dw Laser Wireless Printer, Black and White, Duplex, Best-for-Office
Compact mono laser print only
Automatic standard duplex
28 ppm black
12.4 pound body
150-sheet tray
Pros
- Very compact footprint at 11 by 14 by 8 inches
- Weighs only 12.4 pounds
- 28 ppm with a 7 second first page
- Printing within about five minutes of setup
- Tray can be refilled during an active print job
Cons
- Print only with no scanner or feeder
- 150-sheet paper capacity
- Network recognition can need a reboot
- HP driver install is slow and over-engineered
If space is the constraint, this is a compact duplex laser. The M207dw measures 11 by 13.98 by 8.07 inches and weighs 12.4 pounds, and it still delivers automatic standard duplex printing at up to 28 pages per minute.
First page comes out in 7 seconds. In our testing setup was fast and quiet, and the printed output was good for everyday black-and-white documents with a maximum resolution of 600 by 600 dpi.
The tray layout is unusual in a good way: you can load paper without interrupting an active print job. That detail matters more than it sounds when you are printing a long double-sided batch and realize the tray is nearly empty.
Dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset is included, along with Ethernet and USB. The printer handles media from 4 by 6 inches up to 8.5 by 14 inches and works with Microsoft, Mac, AirPrint, Android and Chromebook.
Duplex performance on a print-only machine
Automatic duplex handled the same double-sided test batch cleanly, at 28 pages per minute single-sided. Output tray and input tray are both 150 sheets, which means refilling partway through a long job.
Some owners found network recognition temperamental and needed a reboot to resolve it, and the HP driver install is described as slow and over-engineered on older machines. A few report that third-party chipped cartridges work inconsistently, so cost per page is less predictable than on a Brother.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need scanning, copying or faxing. This is a print-only device with no flatbed scanner and no automatic document feeder.
Skip it if you print color or run heavy daily volume. It is black-and-white only, and the 150-sheet tray plus 28 ppm speed will limit you long before the toner does. For a shared office, the LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw covers the same ground with a feeder and a larger tray.
How to Choose a Duplex Printer Without Regretting It
Duplex is not one feature, it is three separate ones, and most buyers confuse them. Before you look at speed or ink cost, confirm which of the three you actually need.
Auto-duplex printing versus duplex scanning versus duplex ADF
Auto-duplex printing feeds the sheet back through the machine and prints the reverse without you touching it. Duplex scanning means the scanner captures both sides of a page in one pass, which is only possible when the scanner has two sensing elements. A duplex ADF, short for duplex automatic document feeder, is the hardware that makes duplex scanning happen automatically without you flipping each sheet.
Here is the trap. Plenty of all-in-one printers print both sides automatically but scan one side only.
If you need to digitize double-sided paperwork at volume rather than just print it, we covered dedicated hardware separately in our guide to the best duplex document scanners for high volume scanning.
Every printer in this roundup does automatic duplex printing. Only some of them are documented as scanning both sides through the feeder, and those are the ones worth paying more for if you handle paperwork.
The Epson EcoTank ET-4950 is the clearest example in this group, with automatic duplex printing and 2-sided scanning through its auto document feeder. The Brother DCP-L2640DW and the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw pair automatic duplex printing with 50-page feeders. The Canon MegaTank G3290, the Canon PIXMA TS6520 and the HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw have feeders or flatbeds that are not documented as duplex, so check the specification for that machine before you buy.
Manual duplex is the old fallback: the driver prompts you to load the stack back in upside down. It works, but on a twenty-page document it means ten trips to the machine. If you print more than a few double-sided pages a week, auto duplex is not optional.
Inkjet, laser or ink tank for double-sided work
Laser wins on speed and cost per page for black text. Most of the lasers here print at 28 pages per minute or faster, and a high-yield toner cartridge stretches far beyond what an ink cartridge delivers. This is the right call for contracts, invoices, manuals and anything monochrome-heavy.
Color laser, represented by the Brother HL-L3220CDW, produces sharper color graphics than ink at similar speed, but four color cartridges have to be kept in supply. Running cost only makes sense if you print color regularly rather than occasionally.
Ink tank printers, like the Canon MegaTank G3290 and the Epson EcoTank ET-4950, win on color cost per page and photo quality. They are slower and, in the Canon’s case, need a print head cleaning after every job. For a home office that prints color charts, lesson plans or flyers in volume, refillable bottles beat cartridges by a wide margin.
Standard inkjet, such as the Canon PIXMA TS6520, is the entry point. Two cartridges mean a higher per-page cost, so it suits light use rather than a regular double-sided workload.
Duplex jams: what causes them and what to do
Duplex jams are the most common complaint we encountered from people researching these machines, and the causes are usually boring. Paper that is too dry or too curly sticks to the reversing roller. A tray packed completely to its rated capacity is the other regular cause. Mixed paper weights in one batch trip the sensor.
Keep paper in the sealed package it arrived in and let it acclimate to the room before loading it. Leave a few sheets of headroom in the tray rather than filling it to the stated maximum, which is what most owners who report trouble are doing. If a jam does occur, open the rear panel and pull the sheet in the direction of paper travel rather than pulling it back.
Clean the reversing roller with a dry cloth every few months. Dust and paper fibre build up there over time, and that is usually the difference between a duplex unit that runs cleanly for years and one that starts catching sheets.
Match the machine to your monthly page volume
Under roughly 250 double-sided pages a month, any machine here will cope, and running cost matters less than purchase simplicity. Between 250 and 1,000 pages a month, toner cost starts to dominate, so a monochrome laser with a high-yield cartridge is the sensible choice.
Above 1,000 double-sided pages a month, look for a 250-sheet tray so you are not refilling constantly, an automatic document feeder if paperwork comes in batches, and a duty cycle the manufacturer states plainly. Print speed matters less at that volume than paper handling and consumable availability.
If your work is mostly color, add a separate monochrome machine rather than stretching one printer to cover both. Several small businesses in our research run exactly that setup, using a fast mono laser for daily documents and a color ink tank for the work that needs it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a printer print both sides automatically?
Yes, but only if it has an auto-duplex print engine. Such a printer pulls the sheet back through the print path, flips it and prints the second side without any involvement from you. Printers without it use manual duplex, where the driver stops and asks you to reload the stack upside down. Every printer in our roundup includes automatic duplex printing as standard.
Which ink tank printer is best for auto duplex printing?
The Epson EcoTank ET-4950 leads our picks because it combines automatic duplex printing with a two-sided auto document feeder, so it prints and scans both sides of a sheet. It runs at 18 pages per minute in black and 9 in color, holds 250 sheets in the main tray and includes enough ink for up to 6,600 black-and-white pages. The Canon MegaTank G3290 is the cheaper ink tank option with a 2.7-inch touchscreen, but it scans one side at a time.
Which HP printer can print double-sided?
Three HP models in our roundup include automatic duplex printing. The LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw pairs it with a 50-sheet auto document feeder and a 250-sheet tray, making it the pick for a small team. The LaserJet MFP M235sdw adds scanning and copying in a home office footprint, though it scans single-sided only. The LaserJet M207dw is the most compact option at 12.4 pounds.
What is the best monochrome laser printer for duplex printing?
The Brother DCP-L2640DW is our pick for most buyers. It prints and copies at up to 36 pages per minute, includes automatic duplex printing, has a 250-sheet tray and a 50-page auto document feeder, and reaches 1200 by 1200 dpi in black and white. If you never scan or copy, the Brother HL-L2460DW is lighter and cheaper per page while hitting the same 36 pages per minute.
What type of printer is good for occasional use?
For occasional double-sided printing, an entry-level machine is enough. The Canon PIXMA TS6520 gives you automatic 2-sided color printing, a flatbed scanner and a 1.42-inch OLED display in a compact 14.8 by 14 by 6.7 inch body. If you only print black and white, the Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw runs at 30 pages per minute with automatic duplex and weighs just 12.4 pounds.
Is duplex printing worth it on a home printer?
For most home users, yes. A twenty-page document becomes ten sheets, which roughly halves paper consumption and the paper component of printing cost. It also removes the step of walking to the machine to reload a stack upside down, and the finished document looks more professional. The exception is someone printing only one or two pages at a time, who will rarely use the feature.
The Duplex Printer to Buy in 2026
All ten machines here print both sides automatically, so the decision comes down to what else you need. For most people the Brother DCP-L2640DW is the answer: 36 pages per minute, a 250-sheet tray and a 50-page feeder for handling stacked paperwork.
Print only and nothing else? The Brother HL-L2460DW gives you the same speed in a lighter, cheaper body. Need duplex scanning as well as duplex printing? The Epson EcoTank ET-4950 is the pick, with a 2-sided feeder alongside automatic duplex output.
Color on a budget points to the Canon PIXMA TS6520, while refillable ink and low color cost per page point to the Canon MegaTank G3290. Serious color volume belongs on the Brother HL-L3220CDW. Small desk and shared office are covered by the HP LaserJet M207dw and the HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw.
Whichever one you choose, check the scanning side of the specification before you buy, not just the printing side. That single check is where most disappointed buyers went wrong.