Gadget Review: Canon i-Sensys LBP6230DW laser printer

A basic mono laser printer that stands up well to intensive use

Speed is Canon's budget mono laser printer's greatest strength. Picture: Contributed

Gadget Review: Canon i-Sensys LBP6230DW laser printer

Price: £96

ONCE the preserve of workplaces, the tumbling price of laser printers means that they are becoming an increasingly viable alternative to inkjets, for years the dominant home printer type. Traditionally bulky and far from user friendly, laser devices are not immediately appealing options for ordinary consumers, particularly for those who value being able to print photos, but new, budget options offer a great deal in the way efficiency and productivity for users who want to print text, and lots of it.

Priced at the budget end of the laser printer market, there are no complex features or extensive set up options to this mono Canon model. This is a workhorse of a printer designed to meet intensive use and deliver consistent quality. The Canon’s greatest asset is its speed. Even on its double sided print setting - which is the default option but can be turned off - word processing documents are whisked out at a startling pace of up to 25 pages per minute, with text that is crisp and graphics and images produced with punch and contrast.

Installation is straightforward, but remember to remove the plastic

Setting up the printer is a reasonably straightforward task, made easier if you choose to pair it wirelessly with your router - simply press the wireless button on the printer and then press the WPS button on your router, and they will marry up automatically. The alternative is to use a USB cable which comes in the box to hook up the device to your computer. Once unpacked and various stickers are removed, the toner simply drops into place, although watch out for a rectangle shape of protective orange plastic where the bottom end of the cartridge sits. It is mentioned nowhere in the installation guide and must be removed before you can the device up and running.

At 39cm x 29cm x 24cm, the printer is compact and fits easily under or to the side of a desk. The economy of its design also translates to its control panel, where things are kept very simple. There are four operation keys and a few LED indicators allowing you to turn it on and off, connect it to a WiFi connection and cancel a print job. Some may favour a few more bells and whistles on their device, but as an exercise in functionality, the Canon does its job very well indeed.

Speed and efficiency combine in a printer that’s fit for the home or office

The one area where this pared back approach counts against the model is in its lack of AirPlay or Google Cloud Print options. Tested using the Canon Mobile print app on iOS, which features an in-built browser, it is easy to pair a device and print websites, but less so with dedication application document types. One easy workaround is to take a screenshot and then print it as an image. These gripes aside, however, Canon deserve praise for producing a printer that combines speed and efficiency. Provided you don’t want anything too fancy, this is a fine choice for the home or small office.

The Canon i-Sensys LBP6230DW laser printer is available from eBuyer