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Brother HL-L2300D Review

This printer does a stellar job at high-speed monochrome document printing, but lacks connectivity options, making it less versatile and convenient
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brother hl-l2300d home printer review
Credit: Brother
Price:  $120 List
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Manufacturer:   Brother
By Alex Hocevar-Smith and Genaveve Bradshaw  ⋅  Jun 14, 2022
71
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#8 of 12
  • Text Quality - 25% 7.8
  • Operating Cost - 25% 8.0
  • Ease of Use - 20% 4.6
  • Graphics and Photos - 15% 5.7
  • Printing Speed - 15% 9.3

Our Verdict

The Brother HL-L2300D is a good buy for the home office that needs a small, affordable printer that spits out monochrome text documents at high rates of speed. We found its overall text quality to be quite good relative to its competitors in our best printer review. Unfortunately, the graphics and photo printing capabilities are lackluster, and the printer has some serious ease of use issues due to limited connectivity options. But the HL-L2300D's speed, affordability, and compact size make it a solid option for students or home offices with simple printing needs.
REASONS TO BUY
Compact design
Good printing speed and quality
REASONS TO AVOID
Very limited connectivity (no WiFi or Ethernet and it doesn't come with a USB cable)
Editor's Note: We updated this review for the Brother HL-L2300D on June 14, 2022, with an unbiased look at value and recommendations for other directly comparable products.

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brother hl-l2300d home printer review
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Brother HL-L2300D
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Price $120 List
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$125 List
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Pros Compact design, good printing speed and qualitySturdy, well-built, awesome interface, strong all-around performanceFast printing, low operating cost, great text qualityLow purchase price, compact size, consistent performanceSmall size, good graphic and photo quality for its price class
Cons Very limited connectivity (no WiFi or Ethernet and it doesn't come with a USB cable)Lacks duplex scanning, proprietary ink onlyTiny display screen, moderately responsive buttonsExpensive operating costs, manual duplex printingExpensive operating cost, no duplex printing, inconsistent quality for print jobs, HP ink cartridges only
Bottom Line This printer does a stellar job at high-speed monochrome document printing, but lacks connectivity options, making it less versatile and convenientA strong all-around printer where photo and graphic printing, cost efficiency, user interface, and print speed all score highSolid performance, fast printing speed, and accessible operating costs make this printer a winner for monochromatic printingA very accessible entry cost and solid performance across the board make this printer a great pick, but its long-term operational costs offset some initial savingsA simple, small printer that excels at photos, but is costly to operate
Rating Categories Brother HL-L2300D Epson Workforce Pro... Brother Monochrome... HP DeskJet 2755e HP DeskJet 4155e
Text Quality (25%)
7.8
8.0
7.8
8.3
7.3
Operating Cost (25%)
8.0
7.5
9.0
3.0
1.5
Ease of Use (20%)
4.6
7.9
5.8
7.8
7.7
Graphics and Photos (15%)
5.7
8.7
6.3
7.3
8.5
Printing Speed (15%)
9.3
8.5
9.3
6.8
7.4
Specs Brother HL-L2300D Epson Workforce Pro... Brother Monochrome... HP DeskJet 2755e HP DeskJet 4155e
Type laser all-in-one inkjet laser all-in-one inkjet all-in-one inkjet
Capabilities print print, scan print print, scan, copy print, scan, copy, fax
Resolution (Black) 2400 x 600 4800 x 2400 2400 x 600 1200 x 1200 1200 x 1200
Resolution (Color) unspecified 4800 x 2400 unspecified 4800 x 1200 4800 x 1200
Supported Paper Sizes Tray 1: A4; A5; A6; B5 (JIS); Oficio; 16K; 16K 16K ; Japanese Postcard; Double Japan Postcard Rotated; Envelope #10; Envelope Monarch; Envelope B5; Envelope C5; Envelope DL; Custom Size; 4 x 6", 5 x 8"; Statement; Tray 2 & Tray 3: A4; A5; A6; B5 (JIS); Oficio; 16K ; 16K ; 16K, Custom Size; A5-R; 4 x 6"; B6 (JIS) 3.5 x 5", 4 x 6", 5 x 7", 8 x 10", Letter, Legal, A4, A6, Half Letter, Executive, user-definable (3.5 — 47.2"L), Oficio 9; 8.5 x1 3"; Mexico Oficio Letter, Legal, Executive, A4, A5, A6, B5, B6 (tray)
Envelope, Custom Sizes (3.0-8.5" (w), 5.0-14" (l)) (manual feed)
Letter; legal; 4 x 6"; 5 x 7 "; 8 x 10"; No. 10 envelopes, Letter; HP envelopes; HP cards; HP 4 x 6" photo paper Letter, Legal, Executive, A4, A5, A6, B5, B6
Dimensions (excludes extensions) 16.5" x 15.4" x 12.7" 16.7" x 15.3" x 10.9" 14.0" x 14.2" x 7.2" 16.7" x 12" x 6" 14.0" x 14.2" x 7.2"
Weight 27.8 lbs 22.5 Ibs 15.1 Ibs 7.7 Ibs 15.0 Ibs
Paper Handling Input (sheets) 100-sheet tray 1, 250-sheet input tray 2; 50-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) 250 sheets 250 60 250 sheets
Monthly Duty Cycle 10,000 33,000 15,000 1,000 1,000
2-Sided Printing yes yes yes yes (manual, no duplex printing) yes (manual, no duplex printing)
Ink Cost per Ream: B/W $16.66 $28.56 $13.42 $49.98 $66.63
Ink Cost per Ream: Color NA $13.40 NA $62.48 $84.95
Estimated Lifetime Cost of Ownership $410 $583 $351 $872 $1,174
Claimed Pages Per Minute 27 25 (black) or 12 (color) 32 7.5 (black)
5.5 (color)
20
Measured Pages per Minute: Single-Sided B/W 22 10 13 4 8
Connectivity USB 2.0 - no wireless connection WiFi, Ethernet, USB 2.0 Wireless 802.11 b/g/n, Hi-Speed USB 2.0, Wi Fi Direct Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n; 1 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 1 Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth® 4.2; 1 Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Operating System Compatability Windows Server®
2008 R2 Mac OS X
10.7.x, 10.8.x,
10.9.x Windows® XP
Home Edition
Windows® XP
Professiona
Windows® 10, Windows 8, 8.1 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Vista® (32-bit, 64-bit), Windows Server® 2003 SP27 — Windows Server 20197 Mac® OS X® 10.6.8 — macOS® 10.15.x8 Windows® 7 SP1 / 8 / 8.1 1 4 Windows® 10 Home / 10 Pro / 10 Education / 10 Enterprise Windows Server® 2008 Windows Server® 2008 R2 Windows Server® 2012 Windows Server® 2012 R2 Windows Server® 2016 macOS v10.10.5 macOS v10.11.x macOS v10.12.x Windows 11; Windows 10; Windows 7; macOS 10.12 Sierra; macOS 10.14 Mojave; macOS 10.15 Catalina; macOS 11 Big Sur; Chrome OS Windows 11; Windows 10; Windows 7; macOS 10.12 Sierra; macOS 10.14 Mojave; macOS 10.15 Catalina; macOS 11 Big Sur; Chrome OS
Google Cloud Print no yes yes yes yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Brother HL-L2300D is a great printer for those that need something small, affordable, and super fast but don't care about WiFi or Ethernet connectivity. While not very good at printing photos or graphics, the HL-L2300D is not a bad option if you just need something that spits out lots of text documents quickly and doesn't cost much to maintain.

Performance Comparison


brother hl-l2300d home printer review - the brother hll2300d is one of the fastest printers we tested, and...
The Brother HLL2300D is one of the fastest printers we tested, and with its affordable price, could be a great option for those with simple printing needs.
Credit: Laura Casner

Text Quality


The Brother HL-L2300D performed well here, earning a solid score in the text quality metric. We saw consistently good print quality and sharp text with the occasional fuzziness (though not enough to detract much from its score).

brother hl-l2300d home printer review - overall, the hll2300d performed well in our text quality tests...
Overall, the HLL2300D performed well in our text quality tests. Here, our print test sheet is shown.
Credit: Laura Casner

For its text quality and fast printing speed, the HL-L2300D provides a nice package for those looking for something that pumps out quality, monochrome documents at an affordable price.

Operating Cost


The HL-L2300D is a very affordable monochrome, laser printer. Its initial purchase price is low, and its lifetime operating cost is fairly low. It's worth noting that a replacement cartridge costs almost as much as the printer itself; however, you can potentially get 3,000 pages of prints out of each. That comes out to about $18.50 per black and white ream (500 pages). The HL-L2300D cannot print color, so you won't ever need to worry about color cartridge replacement costs. It's also one of the least expensive printers in our lineup to own over time, making it a great choice for those whose top priorities are price and speed.

brother hl-l2300d home printer review - the hll2300d has very straightforward, minimalist interface despite...
The HLL2300D has very straightforward, minimalist interface despite its connectivity drawbacks.
Credit: Laura Casner

Ease of Use


Some of the hiccups we experienced here really hurt the HL-L2300D's overall score. We're not sure how the manufacturers seem to have missed some key issues here, and ultimately the HL-L2300D received a low score in this metric. The initial setup was involved but not particularly difficult. You first have to remove a piece from inside the printer and connect it to the drum found separately in the box.

brother hl-l2300d home printer review - be aware, while not massive, the hll2300d is on the larger side of...
Be aware, while not massive, the HLL2300D is on the larger side of printer footprints and weight.
Credit: Laura Casner

The real issues began when we tried to connect our computer to the printer. The HL-L2300D's drivers only seem to be available on the supplied install CD that it comes with. This wouldn't be a big issue ten years ago, but in the 2020s, not many computers come supplied with CD drives anymore. For some reason, the Brother website had no compatible drivers available for download. We were forced to use their live chat customer service, only to be left with no solution other than to cannibalize another device's USB cable (the HL-L2300D came with no cables other than its power cord). You can see why we scored this printer so poorly here. The onboard controls weren't terrible, but there is no display screen to navigate settings, which is expected of an inexpensive device.

brother hl-l2300d home printer review - the hl-l2300d is very limited in terms of connectivity, and has to...
The HL-L2300D is very limited in terms of connectivity, and has to be hardwired with a USB cable.
Credit: Laura Casner

If it weren't for the glaring connectivity issues, the HL-L2300D actually would've scored higher. Unfortunately, as it stands, our experience led to a low score in this metric and a disclaimer that you should understand before purchasing this printer.

Graphics/Photos


Being an affordable monochrome laser printer, the HL-L2300D has no real graphic or photo capabilities, thus its lower score in this metric.

brother hl-l2300d home printer review - this is how you would access the hll2300d's drum.
This is how you would access the HLL2300D's drum.
Credit: Laura Casner

We measured the HL-L2300D's ability to use the grayscale to represent colors in images and photos. Discounting its inability to print color, it could not produce accurate photo prints in black and white. The images appeared darker than their original, and there was noticeable striping in the upper portion of the page. We also noticed some irregular pigmentation in business graphics, and while the text was mostly legible, some boxes had obvious blurring. Overall image resolution was also subpar: there was a general softness to images where there should've been clear detail. The grayscale display was also quite lackluster, and while there were clear differences between shades, black and darker hues blurred together. Ultimately, you shouldn't buy this printer for its photos and graphics ability.

Printing Speed


This printer is one of the faster models that we tested, as the HL-L2300D can pump out full-page (low quality) photos in just 6 seconds and 12 duplex and 22 simplex pages per minute.

brother hl-l2300d home printer review - here you can find the front (main) hideaway paper tray.
Here you can find the front (main) hideaway paper tray.
Credit: Laura Casner

This is where this printer shines: speed and affordability. If you can forgive the ease of use oversights, or if using your own, self-supplied USB cable doesn't bother you, and you want an inexpensive, fast printer, the HL-L2300D is a solid option. We see this printer performing well in an environment like a dorm room or a home office that needs something fast, small, and simple that can be set on the same desk as the computer that it's plugged into. There are only a couple of other top ranked printers in our lineup that were faster than the HL-L2300D, and both are nearly five times the initial purchase price, nearly triple the lifetime cost.

Should You Buy the Brother HL-L2300D?


Despite its flaws, the HL-L2300D does fill a niche in the market: it's small, very affordable, and super quick. We think students and home offices who don't mind plugging in when they need to print and whose priority is speed and price might find the HL-L2300D a worthwhile investment.

What Other Printers Should You Consider?


The Brother HL-L2300D is a solid buy for those in need of a fast, affordable, monochrome printer, but it does have some serious drawbacks. The specific downfalls of connectivity and lack of color capability are offered by similarly economic options like the Brother MFC-J4335DW.

Alex Hocevar-Smith and Genaveve Bradshaw
 

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