HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer Review: The Ultimate Budget Printer for Casual Home Use?

It’s a scenario I’ve lived through more times than I care to admit. You’ve just received an email with an “urgent” document to sign and return. Or perhaps it’s the concert tickets for tonight that need to be printed, a shipping label for a parcel, or your child’s last-minute homework assignment. The digital world is convenient, but the physical world still demands paper. It’s in these moments that the lack of a reliable home printer transforms from a minor inconvenience into a major source of stress. The frantic search for a local print shop, the costs, the wasted time—it’s a familiar frustration. A simple, dependable machine that can quietly sit in the corner of a room, ready to spring into action, is no longer a luxury but a fundamental part of a functional modern home. This is the exact problem the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer aims to solve: affordable, accessible, and on-demand printing for the everyday user.

What to Consider Before Buying an All-In-One Printer

An All-in-One Printer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for consolidating tasks and saving space in a home or small office. By combining printing, scanning, and copying into a single device, it eliminates the need for multiple bulky machines, streamlining your workflow and decluttering your workspace. The main benefit is multifaceted: you gain efficiency by handling all document-related tasks from one central hub, save money on purchasing separate devices, and enjoy the convenience of modern features like wireless printing directly from your phone or laptop. For families managing schoolwork, professionals working from home, or anyone needing to digitise documents, an all-in-one is an indispensable tool.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing sporadic but essential printing needs. This includes students, families, and remote workers who print a few dozen pages a month, scan receipts for expenses, or copy important documents. They value convenience, a small footprint, and a low upfront cost. Conversely, it might not be suitable for those who run a business with high-volume printing demands, require professional-grade photo output, or need advanced features like an automatic document feeder (ADF) for multi-page scanning. For those users, a more robust office-grade inkjet or even a laser printer would be a more economical and efficient long-term investment.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Measure the intended location for your printer carefully. While many modern all-in-ones are compact, you still need to account for the space required for paper trays to extend and the scanner lid to open fully. The HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer is notably lightweight and has a small footprint, designed specifically for tight spaces like a bookshelf or a small desk, but always double-check the exact measurements against your available area.
• Capacity/Performance: Look at print speed, measured in pages per minute (PPM), and paper tray capacity. A home printer with a 60-sheet tray and a speed of 5-10 PPM is fine for occasional use. If you’re printing long reports frequently, you’ll want a larger tray (150+ sheets) and higher PPM to avoid constant reloading and long waits. Also, consider if you need automatic duplex (two-sided) printing, a feature that saves paper but is often missing on entry-level models.
• Materials & Durability: Most budget-friendly printers are constructed from plastic. While perfectly adequate for home use, it’s worth noting that they aren’t built for the rigours of a busy office. A significant plus for this HP model is its construction from at least 60% recycled plastic, indicating a commitment to sustainability without compromising on a sturdy build for its intended purpose.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: The setup process and ongoing maintenance are critical. Look for printers with intuitive app-based setups and reliable wireless connectivity. The biggest ongoing cost is ink. Consider the price of replacement cartridges and whether the manufacturer offers a subscription service like HP Instant Ink, which can offer convenience and savings but may also lock you into using their proprietary cartridges.

Keeping these factors in mind, the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer stands out in several areas, particularly for users prioritising space and simplicity. You can explore its detailed specifications and current offers here.

While the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer is an excellent choice for its target audience, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: Unboxing a Minimalist Workhorse

Upon unboxing the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer, the first thing we noticed was its clean, minimalist aesthetic and remarkably light weight. At just over 3.4kg, it’s incredibly easy to handle and position. The crisp white finish, accented with subtle grey tones, allows it to blend seamlessly into almost any home decor without looking like a bulky piece of office equipment. The design is compact and efficient, with foldable paper input and output trays that keep the footprint to a minimum when not in use. Inside the box, we found everything needed to get started: the printer itself, a power cord, a setup guide, and two HP 305 setup cartridges—one for black and one tri-colour. There is no USB cable included, which underscores HP’s “wireless-first” approach for this device. The initial feel is that of a well-designed, modern appliance built for simplicity and convenience, aimed squarely at users who want to get up and running with minimal fuss.

A Deep Dive into the HP DeskJet 2810e’s Performance

A printer’s value isn’t just in its price tag or design, but in how it performs day-to-day. We put the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer through its paces, testing everything from the initial setup to its core functions of printing, scanning, and copying, all while keeping a close eye on the controversial HP+ and Instant Ink ecosystem. Here’s our detailed breakdown.

Setup and Connectivity: The HP Smart App Experience

HP has heavily invested in its HP Smart app to streamline the setup process, and for the most part, it pays off beautifully. Gone are the days of installing drivers from a CD. We simply downloaded the app on a smartphone, created an HP account, and followed the clear, step-by-step animated instructions. The app found the printer on our Wi-Fi network, guided us through inserting the ink cartridges and loading paper, and completed an alignment page print-out. From unboxing to our first successful print, the entire process took about 15 minutes. This ease of use was a highlight for us and echoed by many users who found it “super easy” and appreciated the “clear, concise instructions.”

However, connectivity isn’t without its potential pitfalls. A crucial point to note is that the printer operates exclusively on the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band. While most modern routers are dual-band (offering both 2.4GHz and 5GHz), some may require you to manually connect your phone to the 2.4GHz network during setup. One user reported spending hours trying to connect due to this, a frustration that can be avoided by checking your network settings beforehand. Once connected, we found HP’s self-healing Wi-Fi to be reliable, automatically reconnecting after a router restart without any intervention. The ability to print from anywhere—whether from a laptop in the same room or a phone on the other side of the world—is a genuinely powerful feature for a printer at this price point.

Print, Scan, and Copy Quality in the Real World

Let’s be clear: the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer is not a speed demon. With quoted speeds of 7.5 ppm for black and 5.5 ppm for colour, it’s one of the slower printers on the market. During our tests, a 10-page text document took just under a minute and a half to print. As one user aptly put it, the printing is “a bit slow but not ridiculous.” This pace is perfectly acceptable for printing a few pages at a time—a concert ticket, a report, a recipe—but would become tedious for anything more substantial. We also tested the “Quiet Mode,” which, as promised, reduces the operational noise significantly, but at the cost of even slower printing. It’s a nice feature for a shared living space or late-night work.

Where the printer truly delivers is on quality for its intended purpose. Text documents were crisp and highly legible, with sharp black text that rivals more expensive machines. Colour prints on plain paper, such as charts or school handouts, were vibrant and accurate. We found it “brilliant for household printing for bills, tickets ect,” just as many users have. However, when it comes to photo printing on glossy paper, the limitations become apparent. While the results are acceptable for a casual snapshot, they lack the depth, detail, and colour fidelity that a dedicated photo printer would provide. As one review noted, it’s “not to print photos as the colours won’t be as good.”

The scanning and copying functions are equally straightforward and effective. The flatbed scanner provides a resolution of up to 1200 dpi, which is more than sufficient for digitising photos or creating sharp digital copies of documents. We loved the ability to initiate a scan directly from the HP Smart app and have the file sent straight to email or cloud storage. The copy function works with a single button press, creating a faithful reproduction of the original document. The key limitation here is the lack of an automatic document feeder (ADF) and automatic duplexing. For multi-page documents, you have to scan each page individually, and for two-sided printing, you must manually print the odd pages, flip the stack of paper over, and then print the even pages—a process that can be prone to error.

The HP+ and Instant Ink Dilemma: Convenience vs. Commitment

No review of a modern HP printer is complete without a deep dive into the HP+ and Instant Ink program, and the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer is intrinsically linked to it. Upon setup, you are heavily encouraged to activate HP+, which includes a promotional offer of 5 months of Instant Ink. Instant Ink is a subscription service where the printer monitors its own ink levels and automatically orders new cartridges before you run out. The plans are based on the number of pages you print per month, not the amount of ink you use, which can represent a significant saving (up to 70%, according to HP) for those who print a lot of colour-heavy pages.

The convenience is undeniable. The fear of running out of ink mid-project is eliminated. However, there is a monumental trade-off that every potential buyer must understand. As we and numerous users confirmed, activating HP+ is an irreversible decision that permanently locks the printer to using only genuine HP ink cartridges for its entire lifespan. You will no longer be able to use third-party or refilled cartridges, which are often a cheaper alternative for those who opt out of subscription models. If you cancel your Instant Ink subscription after the trial, the cartridges you received through the service will be remotely disabled, and you must purchase new, genuine HP cartridges to continue printing. This lock-in is the single biggest drawback. As one user warned, “the second you enable hp plus you are locked to hp cartridges unfortunately for the lifetime of the printer.” Our advice is to carefully consider your printing habits. If you value convenience above all and your printing volume fits one of the Instant Ink plans, it can be a great system. If you prefer flexibility and the freedom to choose your ink source, you should decline the HP+ activation during setup.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our findings align closely with the broader consensus from other users. The overwhelming positive feedback centres on the printer’s value proposition: it’s a “great compact printer at a great price.” Many, like us, praised the straightforward wireless setup, with one person calling it the “best printer I’ve had in years.” The convenience of printing directly from a phone is a frequently cited benefit, with one user loving that they “can print anything directly from my phone and from anywhere in the world using WiFi.”

On the critical side, the slow print speed is a common theme, though most agree it’s acceptable for “light home use.” The most significant and recurring complaint, however, revolves around the ink. The low yield of the included setup cartridges (“the ink runs out quickly”) and the binding nature of the HP+ ecosystem are points of contention. One user was particularly direct, warning others to “do your research” on the ink trial, stating that if you cancel, the “ink stops.” A few users also reported technical frustrations with Wi-Fi setup, describing it as “PAINFULLY SLOW” when the connection is unstable, highlighting that while the experience is smooth for most, it can be a significant hurdle for some.

How Does the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer Compare to the Alternatives?

While the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer excels in its niche, it’s important to see how it stacks up against other options in the market. Depending on your specific needs for features, performance, or ecosystem flexibility, one of these alternatives might be a better fit.

1. HP DeskJet 2820e All-in-One Wireless Printer

The HP DeskJet 2820e is, for all intents and purposes, the twin sibling of the 2810e. It shares the exact same technical specifications, including print speeds, resolution, paper capacity, and connectivity options. Both are deeply integrated with the HP Smart app and the HP+ with Instant Ink ecosystem. The only discernible difference is the colour—the 2820e comes in a “Cement” finish as opposed to the 2810e’s “White.” The choice between these two models comes down purely to aesthetic preference and which one is available at a better price at the time of purchase. If you like everything about the 2810e but prefer a slightly different look, the 2820e is your go-to alternative.

2. Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer

If the HP DeskJet’s limitations feel too restrictive, the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 represents a significant step up in performance and features, targeting a demanding home office or small business user. It leaves the DeskJet in the dust with a much faster print speed, a large 250-sheet paper tray, and crucially, an automatic document feeder (ADF) for effortless multi-page scanning and copying. It also supports automatic duplex (2-sided) printing. While its initial cost is higher, its individual ink tank system can be more economical for high-volume printing. This printer is the superior choice for anyone who prints frequently, scans multi-page documents, and needs a machine that prioritises productivity over compact size.

3. Canon PIXMA MG3650 Multifunction Inkjet Printer

The Canon PIXMA MG3650 is a more direct competitor to the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer. It’s another affordable, compact, wireless all-in-one designed for home use. Its key advantage is the inclusion of automatic duplex printing, a feature sorely missing from the HP model that can be a major paper-saver. While it doesn’t have a subscription service as deeply integrated as HP’s, it offers users more flexibility in purchasing ink, including support for higher-yield XL cartridges and third-party options. For users who want a simple home printer but are wary of being locked into HP’s ink ecosystem and value automatic two-sided printing, the Canon PIXMA MG3650 is an extremely compelling alternative.

Our Final Verdict on the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer

After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer is a fantastic device for a very specific user. If you are someone who prints infrequently—perhaps a handful of pages a month for shipping labels, tickets, schoolwork, or forms—and you value a low upfront cost, a compact design, and dead-simple wireless operation from any device, this printer is an outstanding choice. Its print quality for documents is excellent, and its app-driven experience is smooth and modern.

However, this recommendation comes with a strong caveat: you must be comfortable with its deliberate trade-offs. The printing speed is slow, and more importantly, the HP+ and Instant Ink ecosystem is a long-term commitment. If you are a high-volume user or someone who cherishes the flexibility to choose third-party ink, you should look towards the alternatives. But for the casual home user who wants a printer that just works when they need it, the 2810e delivers on its promise of affordable, hassle-free printing.

If you’ve decided the HP DeskJet 2810e All-in-One Printer is the right fit for your home, you can check its current price and purchase it here.