Why You Can Trust CNET Get a Dell E525w all-in-one color laser printer for $129.99
Finally! This full-featured MFP is on sale again at last. But it probably won't last long, even if it is one of the uglier printers you'll see.
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It ain't pretty, but it's inexpensive and very, very capable.
This is another rerun, and actually with a slightly higher price than last time (just $10) -- but also way lower than usual. I've actually been tracking this model like crazy, waiting for it to finally go on sale again. Because, to my thinking, it's the single best printer deal you can get.
See, when it comes to printers, laser beats inkjet in much the same way rock beats scissors. Better print quality (especially on plain paper), lower cost of consumables and none of the aggravation of throwing away an expensive ink cartridge that's clogged or dried up because you didn't print for a month.
And if you're going to spring for a color laser, you might as well get one that's also a scanner, copier and fax machine -- in other words, an all-in-one (aka multifunction, or MFP).
Like this one: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Staples has the Dell E525w color laser all-in-one printer for $129.99 shipped (plus tax). Note that shipping is expected to take 7-10 business days.
As of this writing, the printer was still in stock -- but Staples has an unfortunate history of rapid sellouts. So I apologize if it's gone by the time you get there.
Why is this likely to sell out? The E525w lists for $329.99 and sells elsewhere for at least $200.
Two things you should know right away: Although Staples' product page still says otherwise, this printer does not offer duplexing. Dell's own product page doesn't mention the feature, and a third-party review calls out the omission. Second: This may be the ugliest printer I've ever seen.
That's not a deal-breaker, of course -- it's not like a printer has to be sexy. I just find the boxy all-black design rather off-putting, to the point where I'm not sure I'd want this sitting on my desk.
Fortunately, because it has Wi-Fi, you can stick it just about anywhere -- like, say, a closet. And that Wi-Fi includes support for both AirPrint and Google Cloud Print.
The real question when considering any color laser printer is the cost (and capacity) of replacement toner cartridges. The E525w comes with "starter" cartridges, alas, each good for about 700 pages (way more than you'd get from any ink cartridge, though). But here's the good news: You can buy a set of all four cartridges (high-yield) for $55-$65. And from there you'll be good for up to 2,000 black pages and 1,400 color.
Three car-mount options for the price of one.
The aforementioned review praised the printer's output quality and great connectivity options, but dinged its lack of duplex printing and low-capacity (150-sheet) paper tray. Of course, that review was based on a $329.99 list price.
At $129.99 and change, this is mighty compelling. I just need to find a closet that has an AC outlet.
Bonus deal: What? Another phone car mount? Yeah, but hear me out: If you don't already have one, it can be hard to know what style will work best in your vehicle. Windshield mount? Dashboard? Air-vent? Nothing worse than ordering one and discovering it's not a good fit.
Here's one solution: the Vansky 3-in-1 universal smartphone car mount for $9.76 when you apply promo code LP3FA4H5 at checkout. It comes with air-vent, dashboard and windshield mounting options, so you can see which one you like best.
This is, I think, a new product, with just 11 (very positive) reviews -- and although many of them sound kind of fakey, both Fakespot and ReviewMeta say they're genuine.