Printer Review: HP LaserJet Pro M15w Printer

Billed as "the world's smallest laser printer in its class," the HP LaserJet Pro M15w measures just 346x189x159mm.

Despite the small size and low price (RRP $129, street price is around $10 less), the LaserJet Pro M15w prints a respectable 18ppm at 600dpi resolution, with a claimed first-page-out time of less than nine seconds.

Tiny, Quite and Simple to use

Paper handling is limited. The single paper tray only takes 150 sheets, and the output tray has room for just 100 sheets. Media weights between 65 and 120gsm are accommodated, but there's no automatic duplexing (double-sided output). The driver only knows about the A4, A5, A6, C5 and DL paper and envelope sizes, but custom sizes from 10-5x148mm to 216x297mm can also be entered. Minimum margins when using A4 paper are 2mm on each edge.

There is no provision for varying the print quality: 600dpi is what the mechanism supports, and 600dpi is what you get.

The maximum duty cycle is 8000 pages per month, with a recommended monthly volume between 100 and 1000 pages.

• Also read, printer review on HP DeskJet 3720 All-in-One-Printer -World’s smallest inkjet printer.

Features and performance

The "w" suffix in the model number indicates a Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) interface. A smartphone app makes it easy to connect the printer to an existing Wi-Fi network, or it can be set up from a computer via the USB interface (the cable is included). There's also the option of connecting devices to the printer using Wi-Fi Direct rather than going through a router.

Printer software is available for Windows (7 and newer), Mac (El Capitan and newer) and Linux (USB only). Mobile devices are supported through AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria, and HP's Smart app for Android, iOS and Windows 10, which also provides Google Docs, Dropbox and Evernote connectivity.

The LaserJet Pro M15w's power consumption is modest: 210W while printing (laser technology is inherently more power hungry than inkjet), and just 2.W when idle, 0.4W in sleep mode or when switched off but ready to wake on USB activity, or 0.1W when switched off and waiting to be switched back on manually. The auto-on/auto-off feature helps keep power usage to a minimum, and HP says the typical electricity consumption is around 04.kWh per week.

In situations where printing occurs intermittently, inkjet printers either waste ink in order to keep the printhead clean, or they tend to dry out if left disconnected from mains power. Laser models such as the LaserJet Pro M15w don't suffer from that drawback, so they are particularly worth considering if you only print quarterly reports or the occasional letter, for example.

The LaserJet Pro M15w is a monochrome printer. That's fine for many types of report and correspondence, but such documents cry out for double-sided printing, which isn't supported by the hardware. Still, hitting a particular price point or physical footprint often means compromises

Toner cartridges for HP LaserJet Pro M15W

While Ink Depot does not carry the LaserJet Pro M15w, it does stock genuine and compatible toner cartridges.  The two-pack of genuine HP 48A cartridges costs $143.02 (compared with $153.63 elsewhere),  saving around $10 below the price at some other retailers. Since each cartridge has a nominal yield of 1000 pages, that's a running cost of just over 7c per page. (NB: the starter cartridge shipped with the printer is only good for around 500 pages.)

Ink Depot also stocks compatible cartridges for LaserJet Pro M15w at $39.94 each or $75.89 for two. That's approximately 4c per page. Even though HP warns that the "dynamic security" features in the M15w may prevent the use of compatible cartridges, Ink Depot provides a 90-day money-back guarantee on all products it sells.

Whether you buy genuine toner cartridges for HP LaserJet Pro M15w Printers or compatible toner cartridges from Ink Depot, each purchase is rewarded with Loyalty Points that can be used to reduce the cost of subsequent orders.

WHAT THE REVIEWERS SAY

Pros

"not only the smallest in its class, but the cheapest too." TechRadar

"its small size makes it a perfect fit in any home." Good Housekeeping

"would be perfect if it wasn’t so expensive to run" IT Pro

"half the cost [per page] of a comparable inkjet printer." Good Housekeeping

"probably the easiest to install, of any printer we have tested." TechRadar

"Simple to set up" Good Housekeeping

"We like the simplicity: most users just want to print with no frills." IT Pro

"very quiet" IT Pro

"Text was as excellent as we'd expect." IT Pro

Cons

"very basic" TechRadar

"Actual printing it is rather noisy, but it prints quickly, so it won’t annoy you for long." TechRadar

"regrettably, it can print on only one side of the page." TechRadar

"text is a little too light and pale... similar to a full size laser printer on its express, or draft setting." TechRadar

"Can get quite hot after printing" Good Housekeeping