HP DeskJet 4255e Review (2026): Honest Pros, Cons & Who It's Really For

Heads up: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them, Castle Ink may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Castle Ink also sells compatible ink cartridges, including HP 67XL. We only recommend printers we have personally researched. Pricing and availability change frequently — always check the current price before buying.

Quick Verdict

The HP DeskJet 4255e's headline feature is a 35-sheet automatic document feeder on a printer that lists for about $110. That is unusual, and if you scan or copy multi-page documents it changes your day meaningfully.

Everything else is ordinary or worse. It prints 8.5 pages per minute, has manual duplex only, connects on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only, and the running cost is genuinely bad — Consumer Reports measured 20.8¢ per page of black text and 80.4¢ per page of graphics, with a two-year cost of ownership around $344 on a printer that costs a third of that. HP has also now replaced it with the DeskJet 4355, which sells for less. Buy the 4255e for the feeder, run it on compatible ink, and go in with clear eyes.

At a Glance

• Functions: Print, copy, scan (no fax)
• Print speed: Up to 8.5 ppm black, 5.5 ppm color (ISO)
• Document feeder: Yes — 35 sheets
• Duplex printing: Manual only, via driver
• Scanner: Flatbed plus ADF, 1200 dpi optical
• Display: Small icon LCD. Not a touchscreen
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz single-band; USB 2.0. No Ethernet
• Paper handling: 60-sheet input, 25-sheet output
• Recommended monthly volume: 100–300 pages
• Ink: HP 67 and 67XL
• Size and weight: 16.9" x 13.1" x 7.9", 10.6 lbs
• Typical price: $109.99 list, often $80–$110

Who This Printer Is For

• Anyone who scans or copies stacks of paper. The 35-sheet feeder is the entire reason to choose this over cheaper HP models. Tax documents, forms, school paperwork — load and walk away.
• Light home users printing 100–300 pages a month. That's HP's stated range and it's accurate.
• People who want the cheapest route to a document feeder. Most printers with an ADF start meaningfully higher.
• Households already stocked with HP 67 cartridges. The 4255e stays on the same ink family as the DeskJet 2855e, 4155e and Envy 6055e.

Who Should Skip It

• Anyone who prints two-sided often. There is no automatic duplex. You flip the stack yourself. The Envy 6055e has auto duplex but no feeder — you cannot get both at this price.
• Anyone on a 5 GHz-only or band-steering router. This is a 2.4 GHz printer, and connectivity is the most common complaint across the whole DeskJet line.
• Anyone printing more than a few hundred pages a month. At 20.8¢ a page you will spend more on ink in two years than a laser printer costs today.
• Anyone who needs fax. Not included.
• Buyers who want the newest model. HP's own page now points to the DeskJet 4355, which adds dual-band Wi-Fi and frequently sells for less.

What People Love About It

• The document feeder at this price. It's the standout, and it's the thing owners mention when they say the printer punched above its weight.
• Easy setup through the HP Smart app, which is the most common positive theme in owner reviews.
• Print quality relative to cost. Consumer Reports rates text "very good, though not quite as good as the best printers," color graphics "very good for reports, newsletters and web pages," and photos on glossy paper "very good... that most people would be happy with."
• Compact and unobtrusive, with over 60% recycled plastic, ENERGY STAR and EPEAT certification.

The Legitimate Complaints

• Running cost is the real story. Consumer Reports measured 20.8¢ per text page and 80.4¢ per graphics page, estimating $344 over two years and $718 over five — against a purchase price under $110. They also measured actual black cartridge yield at just 116 pages.
• Wi-Fi instability. The dominant negative theme in owner reviews and HP support threads, and made worse by 2.4 GHz-only support on modern routers that use band steering or WPA3. HP's own troubleshooting amounts to resets and workarounds rather than a fix.
• It is slow. Consumer Reports measured five text pages in 34 seconds and describes it as "on the slow side."
• No automatic duplex. Consistently flagged, and a genuine annoyance if you print reports or homework.
• Scanning quality is middling. Consumer Reports called it "OK, but had a few noticeable flaws."
• Ratings are bimodal. Walmart shows about 66% five-star alongside 14% one-star — the signature of a product that either works fine or fails at connectivity.

How It Compares

Cheaper Alternative

The HP DeskJet 2855e saves you money and uses the same HP 67 ink, but it drops the document feeder and the icon display and runs a page per minute slower. If you never scan more than one page at a time, it's the smarter buy.

Upgrade Pick

The DeskJet 4355 is HP's named successor and often sells for less than the 4255e. It adds true dual-band Wi-Fi, which directly addresses this line's biggest weakness. The catch for existing HP 67 owners: it moves to HP 68 ink.

Ink and Supplies

The 4255e uses HP 67 and 67XL:

Always buy XL. The standard black holds about 120 pages — Consumer Reports measured 116 in testing — which at HP's retail prices is where the 20.8¢ per page figure comes from. Genuine 67XL black runs roughly $36 and the tri-color about the same, so a full genuine set costs most of what the printer does.

Note: HP's supplies list for this model names only HP 67 and 67XL. Third-party sellers list 67XXL as compatible, but HP does not include it for the 4255e, and there is no HP original 67XXL tri-color at all.

About HP+ and third-party cartridges

The "e" in 4255e means HP+ is offered during setup. Enrollment is optional, and that setup screen decides whether you can ever use compatible ink:

• Enroll in HP+ and HP's terms require Original HP cartridges for the life of the printer. That requirement does not lapse when the free Instant Ink months end. Compatible and remanufactured cartridges will not work.
• Decline HP+ and the printer operates as a standard DeskJet, which is what allows compatible HP 67 cartridges to work.
• Reversing it: HP documents no way to turn HP+ off once activated. Treat the choice at setup as permanent.
• You get something for enrolling — the warranty goes from one year to two, plus free Instant Ink months. Whether that's worth locking your ink supply for the life of the machine is the trade to weigh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the HP DeskJet 4255e have a document feeder?
Yes — a 35-sheet automatic document feeder. This is confirmed on HP's own specification sheet and is the main reason to choose it over the cheaper 2855e.

Does it print double-sided automatically?
No. Manual duplex only. If automatic two-sided printing matters more than the feeder, look at the Envy 6055e instead.

What ink does the DeskJet 4255e use?
HP 67 and HP 67XL, in black and tri-color. The XL versions are the only ones that make financial sense.

Can I use compatible cartridges?
Yes, as long as the printer was not enrolled in HP+ during setup. If it was, it accepts Original HP ink only.

Does it connect to 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
No. HP specifies 802.11b/g/n at 2.4 GHz only. If your router uses band steering, you may need to separate the bands or create a 2.4 GHz guest network.

Is the 4255e or the 4355 the better buy?
For most people, the 4355 — it adds dual-band Wi-Fi and often costs less. Choose the 4255e only if you specifically want to stay on HP 67 ink.

Bottom Line

Buy the DeskJet 4255e for one reason: a 35-sheet document feeder at a price where almost nothing else has one. If multi-page scanning is a regular part of your week, that alone can justify it.

Just don't feed it genuine cartridges at retail. At 20.8¢ a page you will spend three times the purchase price on ink inside two years. Decline HP+ at setup, buy compatible 67XL, and the economics stop being absurd.

Where to Buy

Check current pricing for the HP DeskJet 4255e on Amazon, and compare it against the newer DeskJet 4355 before you order — the successor frequently sells for less.

Shop Compatible Ink at Castle Ink

The 4255e is cheap to buy and expensive to feed. These fix the second half:

• HP 67XL Ink Cartridges – Black & Tri-Color 2-Pack Compatible — $59.95
• Remanufactured HP 67XL (3YM57AN) Black High Yield — $18.99
• Remanufactured HP 67XL (3YM58AN) Tri-Color High Yield — $19.99

If your printer was enrolled in HP+ at setup, it will only accept Original HP cartridges — please check before ordering.

See Also

• What Ink Does the HP DeskJet 4255e Use?
• Best Printers: Top Picks for Every Use Case and Budget
• PrinterIQ Finder — find your next printer in about 60 seconds
• HP DeskJet 2855e Review (2026)
• How we rank and recommend printers

By William Elward, Founder of Castle Ink — 20+ years helping people solve printer and ink problems. Last updated August 23, 2026.