Best Ink Tank printer of 2026: our top refillable picks for home
Reviewed By: Sebastian Kozlowski
Table of Contents
Tank printers produce greater yields at a lower cost per page than even the most efficient cartridge printers. They are easier to operate, cost-effective, and generally don’t need a ton of space. In fact, whether you need an ink tank printer for home use or something more efficient for an office environment, these are some of the best printers for the job.
We found the Epson EcoTank ET-15000 to be the best ink tank printer overall, suitable for a wide variety of use cases at a very reasonable price. It combines excellent print quality, extremely low running costs, high page yields, and all-in-one functionality that suits most home users. If you’re shopping on a tighter budget, the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 offers many of the same advantages at a much lower upfront cost. For those who require something a bit more robust, the premium Epson ET-8550 is one of the best ink tanks available, thanks to its six-color ink system and outstanding performance.
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Best Ink Tank Printer
Epson EcoTank ET-15000
- Printer Output: Color
- Printer Type: InkJet
- Connectivity Technology: USB, WiFi, Ethernet
- Duplex Printing: Yes
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Best Budget Ink Tank Printer
Epson EcoTank ET-2850
- Printer Output: Color
- Printer Type: InkJet
- Connectivity Technology: USB, Bluetooth, WiFi Direct
- Duplex Printing: Yes
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Best Wide Format Ink Tank Printer
Epson EcoTank ET-8550
- Printer Output: Color
- Printer Type: InkJet
- Connectivity Technology: USB, WiFi Direct, Ethernet
- Duplex Printing: Yes
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Best value ink tank printer
HP Smart Tank 7005/7001
- Printer Output: Color
- Printer Type: Ink Tank (HP Thermal Inkjet)
- Connectivity Technology: WiFi, WiFi Direct, USB
- Duplex Printing: Yes, automatic
How we picked the best ink tank printer
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At PCGuide, we evaluate ink tank printers based on the factors that matter most in day-to-day use – print quality, running costs, print speed, ease of setup, connectivity, and overall value for money. We test everything from standard text documents and colour graphics to photo printing, while also assessing features such as scanning, duplex printing, wireless connectivity, and software usability.
Where possible, we conduct hands-on testing in-house and compare results with those of competing models we’ve previously reviewed. We also consider long-term ownership factors, including page yield, ink replacement costs, and reliability, to ensure our recommendations offer genuine value beyond the initial purchase.
The best ink tank printers
After comparing print quality, running costs, features, and overall value, these are the ink tank printers we recommend.
1. Epson EcoTank ET-15000
- Printer Output: Color
- Printer Type: InkJet
- Connectivity Technology: USB, WiFi, Ethernet
- Duplex Printing: Yes
- Low print cost with high yields and lots of tank capacity
- An all-in-one that can handle plenty of needs and connectivity types
- Good quality prints with lots of settings to change
- The high initial cost may put some off considering it
- Doesn’t support duplex scanning even with duplex printing
- Quite heavy and large for a home printer, but due to all its supported features
The first ink tank printer on this list is the Epson EcoTank ET-15000, and when we reviewed it, we were impressed by its quick operation and intuitive interface – making it one of the best inkjet printers on the market. It offers all-in-one functionality, fast print speeds, and high yields. It checks all the right boxes and is sure to add value to any home or office.
This printer comes with ink refills, each capable of printing 6,000 colored and 7,500 black-and-white pages. However, being an AIO printer, it is bulky and weighs nearly 10kg or 22 pounds. It also features a 2.7″ screen, which you can use to interact with it and control its various operations and settings. A neat aspect of the Epson EcoTank ET-15000 is that it supports print sizes from A3 to 10 x 15cm, which makes it a great option if you want more printing options.
In addition, it is also capable of printing on glossy paper, meaning you can create banners right from your home or office. It also has a scanner, copier, and fax machine built in, and while fax might not be as widely used, you’re getting all of these options, which increases its value.
Its color printing performance was top-notch, and only when we set the font to 5 on an A4 paper did we start to see some bolding of letters, which made it just a bit difficult to read. It managed to print these pages in 26 seconds from cold and 22 seconds for each one. However, its speed increased to 17 seconds when we shifted from color to black-and-white prints.
Overall, this is an excellent ink tank printer. While it may cost a pretty penny initially, it should be a worthwhile investment in the long run, given all its features and AIO capabilities.
2. Epson EcoTank ET-2850
- Printer Output: Color
- Printer Type: InkJet
- Connectivity Technology: USB, Bluetooth, WiFi Direct
- Duplex Printing: Yes
- Printer Output: Color
- Printer Type: InkJet
- Connectivity Technology: USB, Wi-Fi Direct
- Duplex Printing: Yes
- Fast print speeds: the ET-2850 offers print speeds as fast as 33 pages per minute, for high productivity.
- Affordable: this ink tank printer is easy to get your hands on thanks to its low upfront and ongoing costs.
- Poor color accuracy – especially for photos, we found the color gamut on the ET-2850 somewhat lacking.
If you don’t want to spend a couple of hundred dollars on a printer, we recommend the Epson EcoTank ET-2850. This is a tremendous all-rounder printer from Epson that provides stellar results. As we highlighted in our recent review, this printer adds excellent value to any home without removing much value from your bank account.
Another of Epson’s EcoTank range, this unit employs large reservoirs of ink that are slower to drain and more efficient financially. Setting the ET-2850 up is also quick: the printer itself is practically plug-and-play, and the ink bottles are installed easily and drain into the reservoirs in around 60 seconds. In terms of actual printing, the ET-2850 continues its trend of great value.
Standard documents come out quickly at 33 pages per minute in monochrome, but this printer is capable of more. With specialist media compatibility for photo paper, you can create graphics and images in stunning 5,760 x 1,440 dpi resolution up to 8.5″ x 14″ in size. To get your documents or images to the printer, you have a range of options: you can connect via USB or Ethernet cables to a PC or Mac, or wirelessly over WiFi Direct. For smartphones, the ET-2850 comes with compatibility for Apple AirPrint and Morpria – in other words, you won’t struggle to upload your work!
3. Epson EcoTank ET-8550
- Printer Output: Color
- Printer Type: InkJet
- Connectivity Technology: USB, WiFi Direct, Ethernet
- Duplex Printing: Yes
- Has lots of colored inks that are cheap to buy
- Good support of sizes and larger formats
- Large and adjustable touchscreen
- Very high initial cost to purchase
- The scanner does not support the same larger paper sizes i.e A3
- The gimmicky motorized output tray slows down effective initial print time although makes it easier to use
We recommend the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 for those who want a printer with a large capacity and a wide array of colors and format printing. We’ve reviewed this printer, and its excellent features and functionality make it a solid option for anything you can throw its way.
This printer comes with six 70m bottles and weighs around 11.1 kg or 24 lbs, making it a heavy printer. If you plan on purchasing it, you’d better decide first where you’ll put it. The six bottles give it the capacity to print 6,700 black pages, 6,200 color pages, and 1,800 photos. The printing format for the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is 523 x 379 x 169 mm, and you can use it for photo printing, borderless printing, duplex, and more.
It also has excellent printing quality due to its 5,760 x 1,440 DPI with 360 black nozzles and 180 nozzles per color. It can print 16 pages a minute on black-and-white settings and 12 pages of colored pages. Photos take longer to print, but look great on glossy paper due to their high-resolution printing.
Overall, this is a great printer that is inexpensive and can tackle a variety of workloads at speed. On top of that, the low-cost ink combined with a high output means that you’re getting more value and better savings in the long run.
4. HP Smart Tank 7005/7001
- Printer Output: Color
- Printer Type: Ink Tank (HP Thermal Inkjet)
- Connectivity Technology: WiFi, WiFi Direct, USB
- Duplex Printing: Yes, automatic
Looking at the pros and cons, the HP Smart Tank 7005/7001 is a bit of a mixed bag, but it ultimately stands out as a strong budget printer. It lacks some premium features like a wider colour gamut, a better display, and more connectivity options, but it still delivers solid performance for the price.
It isn’t built for high-volume or professional print work, but for everyday documents, casual images, and the occasional photo, it handles the job well. Combined with its low running costs thanks to inexpensive ink refills, it’s a well-rounded all-in-one that suits most home users.
- Comes with plenty of ink and has cheap refills
- A promise of long yields from its ink tank
- Rather impressive print quality in pages and photos
- Easy setup without even needing apps or connection, but it makes it simpler
- Inexpensive to buy in the first place
- Limited interface with a small display
- Paper handling not the best and rather slow
- Still limited in connection options, like host USB or Ethernet
- Slow to warm up and print
- Certain scan qualities do falter
The HP Smart Tank 7005 (7001) stands out as a strong “best value” ink tank printer, offering a solid mix of features and affordability. It combines low upfront cost with excellent ink economy, making it an attractive option for home users who want to avoid the ongoing expense of cartridge-based printing. With support for colour duplex printing, scanning, and a wide range of media types, it delivers a versatile all-in-one package.
In testing, print quality is generally impressive for the price, with sharp text, good colour accuracy, and surprisingly capable photo output thanks to borderless printing and strong saturation. While it isn’t the fastest printer on the market and can show minor artefacts in heavier monochrome workloads, it performs reliably for everyday documents, casual image printing, and occasional photo work.
Where it really earns its “value” label is in running costs. The ink tank system provides extremely low cost-per-page figures, making it significantly more economical than traditional cartridge printers. Combined with straightforward setup and broad wireless and mobile printing support, the HP Smart Tank 7005 (7001) is a well-rounded, budget-friendly ink tank printer that hits a strong balance between cost, quality, and usability.
EcoTank vs Smart Tank
At their core, Epson EcoTank and HP Smart Tank printers are all part of the tank family. Differences are negligible, but if we have to talk generally about each range, we would say that EcoTank printers offer the best value, high page yields, and excellent print quality. HP, on the other hand, tends to be faster and offers great value.
The tank designs are fairly similar, so either will save you some money in the long run. Canon’s Supertank range is often considered affordable, with several budget-friendly options. The ink yields on Canon Supertanks are moderate, though.
Is an ink tank printer worth it?
While you may find that tank printers cost more upfront than your traditional cartridge models, the long-term running costs are usually dramatically reduced. For anyone printing regularly, whether that’s school work, business documents, shipping labels, or photos, an ink tank printer will usually work out cheaper over its lifespan.
The biggest advantage is page yield. Most ink tank systems can print thousands of pages before requiring a refill, whereas cartridge printers often need replacing after only a few hundred pages. However, ink tank printers aren’t the best choice for everyone. If you only print occasionally, a cheap cartridge printer may make more financial sense, while businesses that primarily print black-and-white documents at high volume may benefit more from a laser printer.
Choose an ink tank printer if:
- You print frequently throughout the month
- You want the lowest possible running costs
- You print both colour and black-and-white documents
- You need photo printing capability
- You want to avoid constantly replacing cartridges
- You want a cost-effective sublimation printer
What is an EcoTank printer?
EcoTank (or ET) printer models are regarded as some of the best Epson printers that use a unique tank system in which you install bottles instead of cartridges. According to Epson, one set of bottles is equivalent to up to 3 years’ worth of ink, and in the same time frame, plenty of cartridges would be used.
The series is a more cost-effective, environmentally safe printing solution when compared to traditional inkjet printers. Saving money is the main selling point behind this type of printer, and over long periods, you find the cost per page to be very affordable.
There are also plenty of benefits of using an EcoTank printer. The tanks are really easy to refill, and the bottles feature a drip-free nozzle so that the ink doesn’t spill out and create a mess. You don’t have to guess how much ink your printer has or wait for the pages to date, indicating that the ink is running low; these printers have a transparent window at the front of the tank through which you can see how much ink is left.
These printers also require very little energy to operate using the Heat-Free technology, which means that you’re using less electricity while getting the same printing output as before. In addition, Epson has a one-year return policy, which can be extended to two years by simply registering the printer. This means that any issues that you might run into using an EcoTank printer will be covered, fixed, or replaced by Epson.
What is a Smart Tank printer?
Smart Tank printers by HP work almost exactly like the ET series. These types of printers also use the tank system, with specialized bottles of ink that are, again, very easy to use. These printers have high ink capacity, and while upfront costs may be high, the savings are passed on to users over time with low per-page costs. Just like Epson’s ET printers, the Smart Tank models come with desirable features such as wireless connectivity and mobile printing.
Besides that, there are plenty of helpful features in a Smart Tank printer. The bottles that come with a Smart Tank printer are resealable, meaning no accidental spilling of ink before, after, or during refilling. It also features a printhead cleaning function, which ensures great printing quality, and keeping it clean extends the printer’s lifespan.
As for connectivity options, Smart Tank printers can be used with Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Bluetooth, Mopria, HP ePrint, and Print Anywhere. You can also use a USB port for a wired connection and print the documents from there. An environmental benefit of moving away from cartridges is that less plastic is being used, and the overall manufacturing process of these printers results in less waste being produced and materials being used, which is great for the long and short run.
However, this point applies to both EcoTank and Smart Tank printers. Besides that, the sleep mode ensures that it isn’t running at full power all the time and only turns on when you need it, saving on electricity bills in the long run.
Ink Tank printer FAQs
Are ink tank printers more cost-effective than ink cartridge printers?
Ink tank printers are significantly more cost-effective than traditional cartridge printers, especially when it comes to high-volume printing. They use refillable reservoirs, reducing the overall cost per page and requiring fewer replacements. While the initial investment is higher, long-term savings are substantial due to lower ink costs and reduced waste.
Better yet, ink tanks hold more ink, minimizing refills and interruptions. However, they require regular use to prevent drying. For frequent printing, ink tanks offer superior efficiency and affordability, whereas occasional users may find cartridge printers more practical.
Are ink tank printers more economical than laser printers?
Both ink tanks and laser printers can be economical. The exact cost per page will vary depending on the printer models and what you’ll be printing. Laser printers are ideal for volume document printing and are very competent in this use case. On the flip side, a tank printer is better for multi-purpose printing needs, including documents, photos, envelopes, and more.
Final word
The best ink tank printers simply give you the greatest value when printing at home. This type of printer continues to offer some of the lowest running costs in the printer market, making them an excellent choice for anyone who prints regularly. While the upfront investment is usually higher than that of a traditional printer, the eventual savings can be substantial, especially for households, students, home offices, and small businesses that print hundreds or thousands of pages each year.
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