The 1720dn Laser Printer offers a lot of features and flexibility for an accessible price. A small office with big ambitions won't have to leave this printer behind.

The focus of the Brother HL-2140 is clear, and as a good little text churner this laser packs the goods. Use it extensively and, in the long-term, you'll end up paying considerable amounts. But for the typical family, this is an excellent complement to a quality inkjet and thus an ideal way to arm your home with strong text to go along with great colour graphics.

The LBP 3100B’s low initial cost is well complemented by attractive design and decent printing speeds. Still, some odd design choices and slightly inaccurate printing mar this printer a little — it’s good but it doesn’t excel when compared to the competition.

A reasonably quick model which provides excellent print quality for text. As the name indicates however, stay away if you want a graphics printer.

HP’s LaserJet P1005 puts its best foot forward. But it’s crippled with slower performance and a more expensive price point than the Brother HL-2140. It’s a good printer, but it simply isn’t competitive enough.