For the past three years, I’ve consistently suggested that people purchase whatever Brother laser printer is currently on sale, and surprisingly, I’ve received no complaints. My own Brother laser printer, whose model I no longer remember or care about, has been running without issues for nearly a decade. We primarily use it for printing return labels for online purchases, and as my wife is a lawyer who needs to print various documents daily, it’s been indispensable. Throughout this period, we’ve only replaced the toner once, and it has never required a subscription or disconnected from WiFi.
Our newsroom remains detached from Vox Media’s affiliate partnerships due to our commitment to ethical guidelines, but there’s still a designated area available for the commerce team to insert a purchase link that would generate revenue if you follow through and buy a printer.
This marks the third consecutive year I’ve published a recommendation to simply forget about printers and buy any available Brother laser printer on sale. Unfortunately, no significant changes have occurred in the notoriously unfriendly printer industry during this time. While there’s been some debate regarding the use of third-party toner in Brother printers, it seems to work just fine.
The situation is becoming more competitive because Google recognizes that content farms can pay for top search placements. This means the first four search results for “best printer” are ads for buying guides filled with clickbait titles like “Best printer — the winner is clear.” This is frustrating, and AI advancements could worsen it in ways we can anticipate, yet no tangible solutions seem likely, as acknowledging the problem would require tech executives to reflect on their choices.
That said, I asked an AI model named Gemini to craft a printer-related piece “in the style of Nilay Patel” to help with this content, so here it is. I ask that you share this article widely and express your outrage over the fact that The Verge’s editor-in-chief has published AI-generated content—somehow, it may help.
Why You Should Still Choose a Brother Laser Printer
Let’s face it: No one actually wants to buy a printer in 2025. Printers have become a running joke in the tech world, often being seen as frustrating beige boxes that fail at the most inconvenient times, whether it’s requiring a firmware update or refusing to connect to Wi-Fi for unexplained reasons. In a time dominated by seamless cloud technology and innovative devices, simply printing a return label can turn into an exasperating task.
The worst culprits in this scenario are those inexpensive inkjet printers. These devices often lure you in with a low price, sometimes even offered for free with a computer, but they are misleading. The real profit lies in the overpriced ink cartridges that, ironically, can dry up at a moment’s notice. They tend to push subscription services, DRM-locked cartridges, and software that frequently prompts you about low ink levels. It’s truly a scam.
To put an end to this madness, I urge you to reconsider your printer choice. We’ve made it clear for years on various platforms that if you need a printer for basic tasks—whether it be shipping labels or important documents—an inkjet printer is not the way to go.
Instead, opt for a monochrome Brother laser printer. It might not have the flashiest features or sleek design, but its utility is unmatched. These printers utilize toner instead of ink, which means toner won’t dry out, ensuring consistent functionality. You can let a Brother printer sit for months and it will still perform reliably when powered back on.
Costs might be higher at the outset compared to a cheaper inkjet, yet the longevity and efficiency of toner cartridges make them economically favorable in the long run. They print pages reliably and with quality, without the drama of ink management. Plus, there’s no subscription to worry about; you purchase toner when necessary, which is infrequent.
But of course, there are exceptions—if you require high-quality color printing for photos on a regular basis, you may need to look back toward the inkjet market. However, for the vast majority of everyday printing tasks, a monochrome laser printer remains the best choice. So, the next time your inkjet fails you or demands overpriced cartridges, seek out a Brother monochrome laser printer instead. Sure, it may not be the most thrilling purchase, but it reliably gets the job done without the hassle.
