HP DeskJet 2855e Review (2026): Honest Pros, Cons & Who It's Really For

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Quick verdict

The HP DeskJet 2855e is the #1 best-selling inkjet printer on Amazon for one simple reason: at roughly $50, it does the basic jobs almost every home needs — print a school assignment, scan a form, copy a recipe — without making you feel guilty about the price. With more than 17,000 customer reviews and 20,000+ units sold in the last month, this is the printer most American households quietly end up buying when they just need a printer.

But that 3.8-star rating tells the rest of the story. The 2855e is genuinely polarizing: 58% of buyers leave 5 stars and 22% leave 1 star. It is a great fit for occasional home printing — and a bad fit for anyone who needs rock-solid Wi-Fi, a separate phone for setup, or who plans to use third-party ink cartridges.

→ Check the current price of the HP DeskJet 2855e on Amazon

At a glance

Type	Cartridge-based color inkjet all-in-one (print / scan / copy)
Print speed	Up to 7.5 ppm black / 5.5 ppm color
Paper capacity	60-sheet input tray, 25-sheet output
Connectivity	Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz only), USB, Bluetooth, AirPrint
Ink	HP 67 / HP 67XL (black and tri-color)
Duplex printing	No (manual only)
Display	Basic LED icons (no screen)
What's in the box	Printer (model 588S5A), HP 67 setup black + tri-color cartridges, power cord, setup guide, 3-month Instant Ink trial
Typical price	~$49.89 (list $89.99)
Amazon rating	3.8 / 5 stars (17,664+ reviews)

Who the HP DeskJet 2855e is really for

This printer is built for a very specific buyer: someone who prints less than a few hundred pages a year, mostly black-and-white documents, and who values up-front simplicity over long-term ink economics. If that's you, the 2855e is hard to beat for the price.

You'll be happy with it if:

• You're a homeschool parent or have school-aged kids who need worksheets, permission slips, and the occasional book report printed.
• You print a handful of return labels, receipts, and tax documents per month.
• You scan or copy a few times a month and don't need an automatic document feeder.
• Your home Wi-Fi network is already running on 2.4 GHz, or you can split your router into 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.
• You're fine using HP's HP+ ecosystem (the Instant Ink subscription is optional, but the 2855e requires HP Smart app setup).

Who should skip it

• Anyone who plans to use third-party / compatible ink. HP+ printers are programmed to reject non-HP cartridges, and you can't opt out after setup. This is the single most common 1-star complaint.
• 5 GHz-only Wi-Fi households. The 2855e only connects to 2.4 GHz networks. If your router doesn't broadcast a 2.4 GHz SSID, setup will fail.
• Anyone printing 50+ pages a week. Cartridge-based printers like this one get expensive fast. You'd save hundreds of dollars a year by stepping up to an EcoTank or HP Smart Tank — see our Epson EcoTank ET-2803 review for the cartridge-free alternative most heavy printers should buy instead.
• Anyone who needs duplex (two-sided) printing automatically or has to print on legal-size paper.
• College students using campus Wi-Fi. Multiple verified reviewers note the 2855e cannot connect to public/university networks during setup.

What people love about it

Sifting through thousands of verified reviews, the praise lands in a few consistent themes:

The price is genuinely hard to beat. At under $50, the 2855e undercuts virtually every other name-brand wireless all-in-one. For a household that only prints occasionally, paying more often feels like overkill.

Setup is fast — when it works. A large slice of 5-star reviewers describe getting unboxed, on Wi-Fi, and printing in under 15 minutes using the HP Smart app. One homeschooling parent summed it up: setup was simple, wireless printing is convenient, and the all-in-one form factor means one device handles printing, scanning, and copying.

The footprint is compact. Reviewers consistently mention it fits on a small shelf or desk where bigger all-in-ones won't.

Print quality is fine for everyday documents. Text is crisp; basic color graphics, school worksheets, and recipe printouts look clean. No one is buying this to print gallery-quality photos, and the reviews reflect that.

It works with Alexa and AirPrint. Phone- and tablet-based printing "just works" for most users once the printer is on the network.

The legitimate complaints

The 22% of 1-star reviews aren't anomalies — they cluster around real, repeatable issues you should know about before buying:

1. Wi-Fi connectivity is the #1 pain point. Amazon's AI-generated review summary specifically calls out "connectivity is problematic, with many reporting issues connecting to WiFi and the device disconnecting frequently." The printer uses Wi-Fi Direct and WSD by default, and many setups silently fail on public, mesh, or enterprise networks.

2. The HP+ / HP Smart software is a love-or-hate experience. You must register an HP account, install HP Smart, and (for the trial) connect Instant Ink. Some buyers find the process trivially easy; others describe getting stuck in setup loops, having the printer mysteriously "disappear" from the app, or fighting with HP customer support for hours.

3. Cartridge lockout is a recurring source of one-star reviews. One verified buyer described purchasing generic HP-compatible ink that worked fine in their Canon, only to have the 2855e refuse it. This is by design. HP+ printers cryptographically verify HP-branded cartridges. If buying compatible ink is a deal-breaker for you, this is not your printer.

4. Ink runs out quickly. The 2855e ships with HP 67 "setup" cartridges that contain a small amount of ink. Replacement HP 67XL cartridges cost roughly $35–$45 — so a single replacement set costs almost as much as the printer itself. Heavy users will want HP's Instant Ink subscription (about $1–$15/month depending on tier) or a different printer category entirely.

5. The control panel is bare-bones. No screen. Status is communicated through a few small LED icons. If you want a touchscreen or even a basic LCD, look at the 4255e (below).

How the 2855e compares to its closest siblings

	Cheaper-shop alt: Canon PIXMA TS3720	HP DeskJet 2855e (this review)	Upgrade: HP DeskJet 4255e
Price	~$63.99	~$49.89	~$79.89
Amazon rating	4.0 ★ (3,013)	3.8 ★ (17,664)	3.8 ★ (6,313)
Print speed (black)	7.7 ipm	7.5 ppm	8.5 ppm
Display	1.5" mono LCD	LED icons only	1.2" icon LCD
Wi-Fi	Single-band 2.4 GHz	Single-band 2.4 GHz	Single-band 2.4 GHz
Ink	Canon PG-275 / CL-276	HP 67 / 67XL	HP 67 / 67XL
Best for	Buyers who hate HP's app	Cheapest reliable HP option	Anyone who wants a screen
Amazon link	View on Amazon	View on Amazon	View on Amazon

Better-rated alternative: Canon PIXMA TS3720

If the HP+ ecosystem makes you nervous, the Canon PIXMA TS3720 is the most natural cross-shop. It costs about $14 more, has a slightly higher 4.0-star rating, includes a small LCD for status, and uses Canon's PG-275/CL-276 cartridges — which (unlike HP+) don't lock out third-party ink. Print speeds and capacity are roughly the same. The trade-off: a much smaller review base (3,013 vs. 17,664), so you have less data to validate long-term reliability. For first-time printer buyers who've had a bad HP experience before, this is the safer bet.

Upgrade pick: HP DeskJet 4255e

If you like the 2855e's price-to-features ratio but want one or two real quality-of-life improvements, spend the extra $30 on the HP DeskJet 4255e. Same HP 67 cartridges, same 2.4 GHz wireless, but you get a basic LCD screen (no more guessing what the blinking lights mean), slightly faster black printing (8.5 vs. 7.5 ppm), and a more refined paper path. Everything else — including the HP+ requirement and the cartridge lockout — is identical. Worth it if you'll keep this printer for 3+ years.

The bigger-step upgrade: HP Smart Tank 5000

If you're printing more than ~40 pages a week, neither the 2855e nor the 4255e is the right printer for you. HP sells the Smart Tank 5000 (~$190) which is their answer to Epson's EcoTank line — refillable ink bottles instead of cartridges, with about two years of ink in the box. You'll pay about 4x as much up front but save dramatically on ink. We'd also strongly suggest cross-shopping our pick in the supertank category — the Epson EcoTank ET-2803 — which has 20,000+ reviews and is what many former cartridge-printer owners switch to.

Frequently asked questions

Does the HP DeskJet 2855e print double-sided?
Not automatically. You can print one side, flip the paper, and re-feed it manually, but there is no built-in duplexer.

Is the 2855e compatible with Mac and iPhone?
Yes. It supports AirPrint out of the box, plus the HP Smart app for macOS, iOS, Android, and Windows.

Can I use third-party / compatible ink in the 2855e?
Generally, no. HP+ printers are programmed to verify HP-branded cartridges and will reject most compatibles. If you want to use third-party ink, look at older non-HP+ models, the Canon TS3720, or an Epson EcoTank.

Does it work with 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
No. The 2855e is 2.4 GHz only. If your router only broadcasts a 5 GHz network, you'll need to enable a 2.4 GHz band (almost every modern router supports both — check your router's admin page).

What ink does the HP DeskJet 2855e use?
HP 67 (standard yield) or HP 67XL (high yield) — one black cartridge plus one tri-color cartridge. The 67XL is much more cost-effective per page if you print regularly.

Do I have to subscribe to Instant Ink?
No. The 3-month trial is included but you can cancel at any time and continue using the printer with standard HP 67 cartridges purchased separately.

Can it print on cardstock and photo paper?
Yes. It accepts paper weights from 16 to 90 lb (60–300 g/m²), so light cardstock and photo paper work. For heavier wedding-invitation-grade stock, you'd want a printer with a rear straight-through paper path.

How loud is it?
Roughly average for a budget inkjet — quieter than most laser printers, louder than ink tank models like the EcoTank line.

Bottom line

The HP DeskJet 2855e earns its #1 Best Seller badge by being the printer that does just enough for the price. If you're an occasional home printer who's fine living inside HP's app ecosystem and buying HP-brand cartridges, it's an easy yes — and at ~$49 with a 3-month Instant Ink trial, the entry cost is genuinely low.

If your tolerance for setup hiccups is low, if you have 5 GHz-only Wi-Fi, or if you've sworn off HP+ for life after a previous frustrating experience, your money is better spent on the Canon PIXMA TS3720 or the HP DeskJet 4255e (one step up in the HP family with a real screen). And if you print enough to care about ink cost-per-page, skip cartridge printers entirely and go ink tank.

Where to buy

HP DeskJet 2855e (this printer): View current price on Amazon

Canon PIXMA TS3720 (better-rated cross-shop): View on Amazon

HP DeskJet 4255e (upgrade pick): View on Amazon

For more printer comparisons and our hand-picked accessories, visit our Castle Ink Amazon storefront.