HP Printers for Small Businesses: Which Models Are Best?

Small business owners are the backbone of this country and possibly the busiest of all business owners. If you’re a small business owner and you're reading this blog the truth is you probably don’t have the time to spend hours researching the right printer. I do appreciate it is still an important business decision like any other. Choose right, and you’ll be able to maintain smooth, efficient operations without overspending.

HP is one of the most trusted names in the printing industry, known for delivering quality, reliability, and a range of options tailored to different needs. After testing many HP models, I’ve narrowed down the top choices that deliver the best balance of cost, performance, and value for money for small businesses.

This guide dives into three popular HP printer lines for small businesses: the HP OfficeJet, HP LaserJet Pro, and HP LaserJet Enterprise. They each offer unique advantages depending on your business’s size, so let's get into it!

Duty Cycle vs Recommended Monthly Page Volume

Okay, so before I dive into specific recommendations, I want to explain the difference between HP’s Duty Cycle and their Recommended Monthly Page Volume. This is super important when choosing a small business printer because you could choose the wrong printer or break your new printer by overworking it.

What is a Recommended Monthly Page Volume?

Recommended Monthly Page Volume is the advised printing range per month to keep your printer running smoothly. This range is calculated to get the best performance out of your printer including factors like supplies replacement intervals and device life over an extended warranty period.

This will be the most important number to look at when choosing a printer for your office. For example, if you know that your office prints a minimum of 500 pages a month, you’ll want to look for a printer that has a Recommended Monthly Page Volume above 500.

What is a Duty Cycle?

Duty Cycle, on the other hand, is the printer’s absolute max. This is the most pages the printer can handle in a month without guaranteed breakdown. Think of it as the printer’s upper limit.

This figure is just to give you a sense of the printer’s durability compared to other models. So, you’ll look at it for comparison between models but it doesn't actually tell you much about the printers intended use.

Why is it important?

I can’t believe how many people will just look at the duty cycle of a printer and choose based on that. The duty cycle can be 20 times the recommended monthly page volume, so you’re likely going to choose a model that doesn't suit your needs and will lead to frustrating breakdowns very quickly.

The bottom line is that the duty cycle is helpful to give you an idea of the robustness of the printer, but to get a better idea of which printer will fit your office’s printing needs; you need to have a look at the recommended monthly page volume.

Best Printers for Teams of 1-5 - HP OfficeJet Pro

HP OfficeJet Pro Features

OfficeJet Pro is an inkjet series, and is designed as an affordable printer for small teams of up to five people. OfficeJet models start as low as £80, with more feature-rich versions ranging up to £250. Unlike HP’s Envy printers, the OfficeJet series are designed to withstand more frequent printing.

They are compact and super user friendly, featuring touchscreen navigation and an automatic document feeder. Most of the models are all-in-one, meaning they also have scan and copy features to reduce the need for extra devices in your office.

They also all print in colour, unlike a lot of the LaserJet models. That said, you’ll likely be replacing the ink cartridges more frequently than you would with the toner for laser models, so there are pros and cons to each.

Below, I’ll run you through some of the most popular models in this series, and give my personal recommendation based on my tests and some customer feedback. The differences between models are usually small, so I’ve done the legwork and drawn it up into a table to make it easier to compare!

HP OfficeJet Pro 9122e

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9122e is the most affordable in the series, priced between £160 and £190, and provides solid performance for small business needs. With a maximum paper size of A4, this model is geared towards standard-sized printing tasks and supports a recommended monthly page volume of up to 1,500 pages.

It’s compact build, measuring 439.3 x 342.5 x 278 mm, makes it a great choice for smaller offices where space is at a premium. However, with just one input tray and a smaller touchscreen, it may feel a bit limited for teams wanting high-capacity handling or quick navigation. The smaller input and output tray capacity is another trade-off for the compact design, making it best suited for light daily use and lower print volumes.

HP OfficeJet Pro 9730e

The OfficeJet Pro 9730e offers a step up in versatility with support for A3 printing, priced in the mid-range at £210 to £260.

Like the Pro 9122e, it’s recommended for printing up to 1,500 pages per month, ideal for moderate use in busier environments. The A3 compatibility is especially useful for businesses that occasionally need larger prints, such as blueprints, posters, or marketing layouts.

This model also has a high input capacity with two trays, accommodating up to 500 sheets, and accepts a wide range of paper weights, making it adaptable for various document types.

The 9730e is the bulkiest of the series, with dimensions of 581 x 467 x 386 mm and a weight of nearly 20 kg. This added size provides more input and output capacity but may not be ideal for those needing a space-saving design. Another consideration is its lack of fax capability, so it may not suit teams that rely on fax communication.

HP OfficeJet Pro 9132e

Priced between £240 and £280, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9132e is the premium model in the series. With dimensions of 437 x 396.3 x 318.3 mm, it’s slightly more compact than the 9730e while still offering robust capabilities.

It stands out with the fastest print speeds among the three models - 25 pages per minute (ppm) for black and 20 ppm for colour - ideal for teams that need quick turnaround times on multiple documents. It also has the highest output tray capacity at 100 sheets, making it well-suited to slightly busier environments.

Although it lacks A3 printing, it offers excellent A4 performance. This model supports a variety of paper types, but with a slightly narrower range of paper weights than the 9730e, so it’s best for teams focused on A4 work.

My printer recommendation for teams of 1-5

Okay, so all things considered, my top pick is the HP OfficeJet Pro 9730e for teams of up to five.

While the HP OfficeJet Pro 9132e does offer faster print speeds and a slightly higher recommended monthly page volume, the difference doesn’t quite justify the extra cost in my opinion. The 9730e provides awesome value, with all the core features a small team would need at a lower price point.

Of course, the 9730e doesn’t offer fax capabilities and is a bit bulkier than the other models. So, for offices that are tight on space or use fax communication, check out the other options.

Best Printers for Teams of 5-10 - HP LaserJet Pro

HP LaserJet Pro Features

The HP LaserJet Pro series is designed for office use in teams between five and ten. What stands out about this range is its focus on high-speed, high-volume printing while keeping operational costs manageable.

Unlike inkjet printers, LaserJet Pros use toner cartridges, which not only last longer but also make these printers faster. They aren’t known for their print quality like inkjet models but they are much cheaper to run long term, making them better suited to high-volume document printing.

All models in the LaserJet Pro line are built with durability and ease of use in mind. They feature HP’s signature technologies like “Instant-On” for rapid warm-up times, which means they’re ready to print when you are.

Most LaserJet Pros also offer wireless connectivity and support for mobile printing, so your team can easily print on the go. With straightforward control panels and an emphasis on productivity, LaserJet Pro printers provide professional-grade results in a compact, user-friendly package.

HP LaserJet Pro 3002dw

For £120–£200, the HP LaserJet Pro 3002dw is a solid budget model. It’s designed for straightforward black-and-white printing, which keeps things simple and cost-effective for small businesses or home offices that don’t need colour.

With a 250-sheet input capacity, it can handle a decent stack of paper without needing constant refills. If all you need is reliable black-and-white printing, this model is a good choice.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4202dw

Priced in the mid-range at £200–£300, the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4202dw steps things up with colour printing and a recommended page volume of 750 to 4000 pages per month – a noticeable jump from the 3002dw. It also features an easy-to-navigate LCD screen, which I find makes it a bit more user-friendly.

It has a higher input capacity than the 3002dw, meaning you can load more paper at once and spend less time managing refills. However, it lacks copy, scan, and fax capabilities, which might be a downside for businesses needing multiple functions. Plus, it’s limited in terms of supported paper sizes.

HP LaserJet Pro MFP 4102fdn

At £250–£350, the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 4102fdn is a premium model with some excellent features. This printer offers an impressive 900-sheet input capacity, along with a quick 40 ppm print speed. Like the 4202dw, it’s recommended for a monthly volume of up to 4000 pages, which is great for heavier use.

I especially like that this model is an all-in-one option, providing copy, scan, and fax functionality, which limits your need to purchase separate machines. The touchscreen interface is also a nice touch that I always think modernises a printer. The only drawback here is that it’s monochrome-only, so you won’t have any colour printing.

Summary of differences

My printer recommendation for teams of 10+

For most medium sized offices, I’d recommend the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M554dn.

It’s an absolute workhorse of a printer and has that extra 1000 monthly page volume compared to the model down. Customers usually prefer this bit of wiggle room when they’re on the higher end of the monthly page volume range, just so the printer can handle busy periods like end of financial year.

For me, the HP Colour LaserJet Professional CP5225n is only worth it for teams that will use the colour and A3 features, so maybe marketing professionals or offices that print a lot of promotional material.

Summary of differences

My Key Takeaways

Each of the HP models I’ve discussed offers something unique to small businesses, whether you prioritise print quality, speed, or cost-efficiency.

After years in the printing industry, I can confidently say HP provides options that fit a range of needs. Just find the one that matches your business requirements best, and you’re set for reliable, hassle-free printing.

And if you’re ready to buy some supplies for your new printer, check out my latest blog: Is it OK to Use Cheap Ink Cartridges?

Blog Author: Simon Cross is the engaging and knowledgeable voice behind the insightful articles on printers and printer consumables at IJT Direct, an ecommerce store renowned for its comprehensive selection of printers, printer consumables, and hardware. View Simons author page to find out more about him.