As hard as we’re all trying to become “paper-free,” there are still times when you just need a printer. My go-to printers have always been Brother, so when I was offered the chance to test the Brother MFC-L2900DW All-in-One, I was happy to give it a try. Here’s what I found after using it for a few weeks.

Key Features and Findings

I’ve been a Brother printer user for a while. I’ve typically found them to be workhorse printers that can really get the job done, so I was excited to test out the MFC-L2900DW printer and scanner all-in-one device. Here’s what I learned:

1. Print Speed. One thing I’ve always loved about Brother printers is their printing speeds. The MFC-L2900DW is a black-and-white laser printer, so as expected, it can knock out pages quickly. One thing I particularly liked about this model is that it processes documents for print much faster than other Brother printers I’ve used. It also has duplex printing, which can save on paper use.
2. Setup. Setup is relatively simple. To get started, you can scan a code on the top of the printer. You will need to install the Brother app, but once that’s done, follow the instructions, and you’ll be printing in no time. This model has wireless and mobile printing as well as ethernet capabilities.
3. Scanning and Faxing. It’s pretty rare these days that I need to fax something, but the MFC-L2900DW printer and scanner handle faxing as you would expect it, as does the scanning feature. It’s good-quality, full-color scanning (up to 1200 DPI in the flatbed and 600 DPI using the automatic document feeder). I use it to scan artwork for printing, and I haven’t been disappointed yet.
4. Compatibility. Probably my favorite feature of the MFC-L2900DW is the compatibility with various cloud services. You can print from and scan to One Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and even Evernote. It also has 18 customizable shortcuts that make it easy to scan and send in one touch. I set up one to scan to my email, and I use it more than I could have imagined.
5. The Noise: If I have one complaint about this printer, it’s how loud it is—and not just when it’s printing. The noises the machine makes—like the beep to indicate a document has been sent—are loud. Even after lowering the volume as much as possible without muting it completely, I still find the noise jarring.

Important Specs to Know