The HP DeskJet 2910 is the best cheap printer for most occasional home users because it costs £39.99 at Currys and combines printing, scanning, copying and Wi-Fi. However, its low purchase price does not automatically make it the cheapest printer to run. Which? warns that replacement ink can cost more than a budget inkjet printer itself, so the right choice depends on how often you print.
These are the five most useful options from the current UK pricing and product information available:
| Printer | Price recorded | Best for | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP DeskJet 2910 | £39.99 at Currys | Lowest-cost all-in-one | Wi-Fi, printing, scanning, copying, USB and AirPrint |
| Canon PIXMA TS3750i | £49.99 at Argos | Wireless printing from a phone | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Canon PRINT app, AirPrint, scanning and copying |
| Epson XP-2205 | £54.99 at Argos | Basic home printing | Inkjet printer compatible with ReadyPrint Flex |
| Epson EcoTank ET-1910 | £139.99 at Argos | Lower ink cost over time | Wi-Fi, AirPrint and three years of ink |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2910 | £179.99 at Argos | Regular home printing | Wi-Fi, AirPrint, printing, scanning, copying and three years of ink |
The prices above were recorded on 9 September 2026. The two EcoTank models cost more initially, but they use refillable ink tanks rather than conventional cartridges. Which? says refillable tanks have a significantly lower ink cost per millilitre, while conventional cartridge printers usually have the lower purchase price.
Buy the HP DeskJet 2910 if you want the lowest confirmed price and only print occasionally. Currys lists it at £39.99, reduced from £54.99, with three months of HP Instant Ink included. It is compact and handles printing, scanning and copying, making it more versatile than a print-only basic home printer.
Its stated paper capacity is 60 sheets. It supports Wi-Fi, USB and Apple AirPrint, and the quoted speed is 7.5 pages per minute in black and 5.5 pages per minute in colour. It uses two HP 308 ink cartridges. Manual double-sided printing is supported, so you need to turn the pages yourself rather than relying on automatic duplex printing.
The HP is a sensible cheap printer for forms, schoolwork, occasional letters and everyday documents. Before buying, check the price of replacement HP 308 cartridges and consider how frequently you will print. A cheap printer that needs frequent cartridge replacements can become poor value.
The Canon PIXMA TS3750i is the clearest choice if phone printing is central to your needs. Argos lists it at £49.99 and describes it as a wireless all-in-one inkjet printer with printing, scanning and copying. It supports the Canon PRINT app, Apple AirPrint and Bluetooth, so it is designed for sending documents and photos from a smartphone or tablet.
Argos records a customer rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 283 reviews. Its customer summary highlights compact design, straightforward use and good print quality. It also raises two practical cautions: cartridges may be expensive and short-lived, and some users may experience difficulties during wireless setup.
There is also a price variation worth checking before ordering. Argos has shown the Canon PIXMA TS3750i at £34.99 in a promotional listing, previously £49.99, while the product page lists £49.99. Treat the lower figure as a campaign price rather than a guaranteed ongoing price.
Choose this Canon over the HP when simple wireless printing from a mobile is more important than paying the lowest confirmed purchase price. Choose the HP when the extra phone-focused features are less important and you mainly want a compact all-in-one.
For occasional colour printing, a cartridge inkjet is usually the easier low-cost entry point. For frequent printing, a refillable ink-tank printer is the stronger value proposition because the ink cost per millilitre is much lower, although the printer costs more at the start.
Which? says its recommended low-cost models are mainly refillable ink-tank printers and advises buyers to focus on running ink costs rather than purchase price alone. Its research also says owners typically keep a printer for at least 10 years, which makes the cost of ink important over the life of the machine.
The Epson EcoTank ET-1910 is the most affordable tank option listed here. Argos gives it a price of £139.99, reduced from £149.99, and includes Wi-Fi, AirPrint and three years of ink. That makes it worth considering for a household that prints regularly and wants to avoid buying standard cartridges frequently.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2910 costs £179.99 at Argos and adds all-in-one functionality: printing, scanning and copying, plus wireless printing and mobile scanning. It is the better fit when scanning and copying matter as much as printing. The ET-1910 is the simpler value option, while the ET-2910 is the more capable home-office choice.
Do not choose an EcoTank solely because it has a lower running cost. Its higher upfront price makes more sense when you print regularly. If you print only a few pages every month, a £39.99 or £49.99 cartridge printer may be easier to justify, provided you have checked the cartridge price.
For standard A4 documents, the best choice depends on the balance between purchase price, connectivity and expected use:
TechRadar names the HP Envy 6555e its “Best overall” cheap printer in its 2026 guide. It also identifies the Canon Pixma G3270 as a low-cost ink-tank option and highlights the value of bottled ink compared with cartridges. Those guide-level recommendations are useful for understanding the categories, but the UK prices confirmed here apply to the models in the table above.
For a wider look at wireless models, see our guide to best-value wireless printers for home and office.
The HP DeskJet 2910 is the best low-price all-in-one option in this selection. It costs £39.99 at Currys and provides printing, scanning, copying and Wi-Fi. For regular printing, consider paying more for an Epson EcoTank, since refillable tanks have a lower ink cost per millilitre than conventional cartridges.
The HP DeskJet 2910 is the strongest cheap printer for general home use because it combines a low purchase price with scanning, copying and wireless printing. It is suitable for everyday documents, schoolwork and photos, but check HP 308 cartridge prices before committing to frequent printing.
The lowest confirmed current price in this selection is £39.99 for the HP DeskJet 2910 at Currys. It is a wireless all-in-one rather than a print-only machine, so it covers more household tasks than a basic printer.
The Canon PIXMA TS3750i is a good quality budget option based on its Argos customer rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 283 reviews. It offers wireless printing, scanning, copying, phone support and AirPrint. Its reported drawbacks are potentially costly cartridges and possible wireless setup problems, so it is best for moderate rather than heavy printing.
