HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer Review: The Home Office Hybrid Put to the Test

In our household, the demand for a reliable printer comes in waves, but when it hits, it’s a tsunami. One minute, it’s a last-minute school project on the Roman Empire, complete with colour diagrams, due in the morning. The next, it’s a 30-page contract that needs to be scanned, signed, and emailed back before close of business. Then, on the weekend, it’s the sudden urge to finally print those holiday photos that have been languishing on a smartphone for six months. For years, we juggled an old, clunky laser printer for text and a separate, perpetually-clogged photo printer. It was a mess of cables, different paper types, and the constant dread of seeing a “low ink” or “cannot connect” error at the worst possible moment. The search for a single, competent device—a true all-in-one hub for our family’s varied needs—led us directly to the doorstep of the modern multifunction printer, a category where the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer aims to be a standout performer.

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 streamlining the document and photo management of a busy home or small office. It consolidates the functions of a printer, scanner, and copier into a single, space-saving footprint. The main benefit is immense convenience. Instead of multiple devices, you have one central hub that can handle everything from printing high-quality photos and crisp text documents to digitising old paperwork and making quick copies. This integration is particularly powerful when paired with modern wireless and cloud capabilities, allowing you to print directly from your phone, scan to a cloud service like Google Drive, and manage the device without ever touching a PC. For a family juggling work, school, and personal projects, this level of versatile functionality isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity for an organised and efficient household.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a constant mix of printing, scanning, and copying tasks. This includes busy families with school-aged children, students living in shared accommodation, or professionals working from a home office. They value convenience, wireless connectivity from multiple devices (phones, tablets, laptops), and the flexibility to print everything from text-heavy reports to glossy photos. However, an all-in-one might not be suitable for those with very specialised needs. A professional photographer, for instance, would be better served by a dedicated photo printer with superior colour accuracy and archival-quality inks. Likewise, a business that only needs to print thousands of monochrome invoices might find a high-volume laser printer more cost-effective in the long run. For them, the scanning and colour copying features would be an unnecessary expense.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: The convenience of an all-in-one can be negated if it doesn’t fit your space. The HP ENVY Inspire 7920e measures 18.1 cm wide by 15.1 cm deep. Before you buy, measure your intended desk or shelf space, leaving extra room for ventilation and for the paper trays to extend. Consider its height as well, especially if you plan to place it under a shelf, as you’ll need clearance to open the scanner lid.
• Capacity/Performance: Look at key performance metrics. Print speed, measured in pages per minute (PPM), tells you how quickly it handles jobs; this model offers a respectable 15 PPM for black and white and 10 PPM for colour. Paper tray capacity (125 sheets for this model) dictates how often you’ll be reloading paper. For scanning, an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) with a decent capacity, like this model’s 35-page feeder, is a game-changer for multi-page documents.
• Materials & Durability: Most consumer-grade printers are constructed from plastic. The key is the quality of that plastic. We assess how sturdy the paper trays feel, whether the hinges on the scanner lid are robust, and if the overall construction feels solid or flimsy. While you don’t need industrial-grade metal, the printer should feel like it can withstand the daily bumps and usage of a busy home environment.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Modern printers are increasingly reliant on software and apps. Consider how you’ll interact with the device. Is the on-device touchscreen intuitive? How simple is the companion app (like the HP Smart App)? Also, think about long-term maintenance. Ink replacement is the most common task; subscription services like HP Instant Ink aim to simplify this, but they create a long-term commitment.

Keeping these factors in mind, the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer stands out in several areas. You can explore its detailed specifications here.

While the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer is an excellent choice, 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 and Key Features of the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer

Unboxing the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer, the first thing we noticed was its clean, modern aesthetic. The crisp white finish gives it a far more contemporary look than the traditional beige or black office machines of the past, allowing it to blend nicely into a home office or living space. At just over 8kg, it has a reassuring heft without being unmanageably heavy. Lifting it from the box, the plastic construction feels solid and well-engineered. Setup is guided almost entirely by the HP Smart App, which prompts you to remove a few pieces of protective cardboard and tape, install the two ink cartridges (one black, one tri-colour), and load paper. The 2.7-inch colour touchscreen on the front is bright and responsive, though most of the heavy lifting during setup happens on your smartphone. Its key features are immediately apparent: the 35-page Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) sits atop the flatbed scanner, and pulling out the main paper tray reveals a clever, separate 15-sheet photo paper tray above it—a fantastic touch that eliminates the need to swap paper every time you want to print a photo.

Putting the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e Through Its Paces: A Performance Deep-Dive

A printer’s spec sheet only tells half the story. To truly understand its place in a modern home, we put the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer through a comprehensive series of real-world tests, from initial setup to its handling of complex documents and glossy photos. We evaluated its speed, quality, connectivity, and the all-encompassing software ecosystem that HP has built around it. Here is our in-depth analysis of how it performed.

The Setup Experience: Seamless Dream or Digital Nightmare?

The setup process for modern printers is a frequent point of contention, and the user feedback for the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer is a perfect example of this divide. Many users report an “infuriating” and time-consuming experience, while others describe it as “very easy” and “seamless.” In our own testing, we landed somewhere in the middle, leaning towards the positive. The entire process is managed through the HP Smart App, which you must download to your smartphone or PC. After creating an HP account, the app quickly located the printer on our Wi-Fi network. From there, it guided us through installing the ink, loading paper, and printing an alignment page, which the printer’s scanner then uses to calibrate itself. All told, we were up and running in about 20 minutes.

However, we can easily see where things could go wrong. The process is entirely dependent on a stable Wi-Fi connection and the app functioning perfectly. Any hiccup—a momentary network drop, an app glitch, or the printer failing to be discovered—can bring the entire process to a grinding halt with little in the way of manual override. This confirms the reports from users who spent hours reinstalling the app and rebooting their devices. The key takeaway is this: for those comfortable with app-driven ecosystems and who have a robust home network, the setup can be straightforward. But for those who are less tech-savvy or have spotty Wi-Fi, the lack of a simple, old-fashioned USB-cable-and-driver-disc setup method could be a significant source of frustration.

Print Quality & Speed: From Crisp Text to Family Photos

Once connected, the printer’s core function is, of course, printing. For standard office and school documents, the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer performs admirably. With a rated speed of up to 15 pages per minute (PPM) for black and white, it churned out multi-page reports with impressive speed. The text was consistently sharp and clear, with no smudging or fuzziness even on standard copy paper. The automatic duplex (two-sided) printing is a standout feature in this price range, working flawlessly and proving invaluable for saving paper on longer documents. We printed a 20-page PDF report, and the duplexing added very little extra time to the overall job.

When it comes to colour and photos, the story is more nuanced. The printer boasts a high resolution of 4800 x 1200 optimised dpi, and for casual use, the results are quite good. We printed several 4×6 and 5×7 photos using the dedicated photo tray, and the convenience is undeniable. The printer automatically detects the photo paper and adjusts its settings accordingly. The resulting prints were vibrant and detailed enough for a family album or to be framed on a desk. However, we did notice what some other users have reported: a slight colour shift. In our tests, reds appeared a little oversaturated, and some subtle shades in landscape photos were lost. One user noted seeing “stripes on our A4 photos,” and while we didn’t experience that specific issue, it points to a potential for inconsistency. Our conclusion is that this is a fantastic document printer that can also produce very good, but not perfect, photos. It’s more than sufficient for family snaps and school projects but wouldn’t satisfy a serious photography enthusiast chasing perfect colour accuracy. If that’s you, a more specialized printer is likely a better investment, but for all-around family use, this printer’s photo capabilities are a significant bonus.

Scanning, Copying, and the 35-Page ADF

The ‘all-in-one’ promise hinges on strong scanning and copying capabilities, and this is an area where the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer largely delivers. The star of the show is the 35-page Automatic Document Feeder (ADF). We tested it by scanning a 25-page, single-sided contract into a single PDF file. The ADF fed each page through smoothly without a single jam, completing the entire job in just a few minutes. This is a transformative feature for anyone who regularly needs to digitise multi-page documents, saving an enormous amount of time and effort compared to scanning each page individually on the flatbed.

The flatbed scanner itself is also high-quality, perfect for scanning photos, book pages, or delicate documents that can’t go through the ADF. Scans initiated from the HP Smart App were quick, and the resolution was high enough to capture fine details in photographs. The copy function, accessible from the printer’s touchscreen or the app, works just as you’d expect. It produced sharp, accurate duplicates of both text documents and colour images. There is one notable limitation, as pointed out by a user: while the printer can print double-sided, the ADF can only scan one side of a page. This means if you need to scan a two-sided document, you’ll have to scan one side, flip the stack over, and scan the other, then manually collate the pages in software. It’s a small omission but one to be aware of for those with heavy-duty scanning needs.

The HP+ and Instant Ink Ecosystem: Convenience at a Cost?

It’s impossible to review a modern HP printer without discussing the HP+ and Instant Ink ecosystem. During setup, you are strongly encouraged to activate HP+, an optional system that nets you an extra year of warranty and a trial of Instant Ink (the length of the trial varies). The catch is that by activating HP+, you commit to two things for the life of the printer: maintaining a constant internet connection and using only Original HP Ink cartridges. This is the source of the “always on” and “hidden info” complaints from some users.

Instant Ink is a subscription service where you pay a monthly fee based on the number of pages you print, not the amount of ink you use. The printer monitors your ink levels and automatically orders new cartridges before you run out. For many, this is the ultimate convenience, eliminating late-night trips to the store for ink. The plans are flexible and can be cost-effective for those with consistent printing habits. However, it locks you into HP’s ecosystem. If your subscription lapses or is cancelled, your printer may cease to function with the subscription cartridges, and you cannot use third-party or refilled cartridges if you’ve opted into HP+. This business model is a trade-off: you gain convenience and peace of mind in exchange for flexibility and control. It’s a brilliant system for the “set it and forget it” user, but a significant drawback for those who prefer to shop around for their own supplies.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our experience with a product is just one data point, and the user reviews for the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer paint a picture of a device that people either love or loathe. The positive feedback often mirrors our smoother moments. One user celebrated, “Very easy to setup… the final configuration via the app was seamless and I can print from all devices without issue. AirPrint from iOS devices worked first time.” Another praised its performance, stating it’s “a lot quicker and quieter” than their older HP model and that the “scan function easy to copy and paper feed good.”

On the other hand, the negative feedback is equally passionate and points to significant quality control and software issues. One user called it “the most infuriating and impractical printer I’ve encountered in 25 years,” citing constant hassles and the need for the device to be powered on at all times. Another detailed a setup nightmare: “I’ve set up a lot of printers in my time but this was 6 hours of my life I’ll never get back.” These starkly contrasting experiences suggest that while the printer is capable of excellent performance, it may be prone to frustrating software glitches and connectivity problems that can completely derail the user experience.

How Does the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e Compare to the Competition?

The HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer operates in a crowded market. While it offers a compelling blend of features for the modern family, several alternatives might be a better fit depending on your specific needs and budget.

1. Epson WorkForce WF-7840DTW A3+ 4-in-1 Printer

The Epson WorkForce WF-7840DTW is a step up in terms of raw capability and is geared more towards a demanding home office or small business user. Its defining feature is the ability to print, scan, and copy up to A3+ size, making it indispensable for anyone working with larger formats like spreadsheets, posters, or architectural drawings. With faster print speeds (25 ppm black) and the inclusion of a fax machine, it’s a true office workhorse. If your needs go beyond standard A4 printing and you require more robust, high-volume performance, the Epson is a powerful alternative, albeit at a higher price point and with a much larger physical footprint.

2. HP DeskJet 4220e All-in-One Printer Wireless

If you like the HP ecosystem but are looking for a more compact and budget-friendly option, the DeskJet 4220e is worth considering. It’s essentially the ENVY’s smaller sibling, offering the same core print, scan, and copy functionalities and integration with the HP Smart App and Instant Ink. However, it makes compromises to achieve its lower price and smaller size. It’s slower, lacks the convenient separate photo tray of the 7920e, and has a less advanced ADF. This printer is an excellent choice for a student or someone with lighter, more occasional printing needs who still wants the convenience of modern wireless features without paying for the more advanced hardware of the ENVY Inspire.

3. Epson WorkForce WF-2110W

The Epson WorkForce WF-2110W represents a completely different approach. This is not an all-in-one device; it is a dedicated, single-function wireless printer. If you have absolutely no need for scanning or copying and simply want an affordable, compact machine for printing documents from your computer or phone, this is a strong contender. It strips away all the extra features—and cost—of a multifunction device. It’s the ideal choice for someone who already has a separate scanner or whose workflow is purely digital, aside from the occasional need to print a hard copy of a document.

Our Final Verdict: Is the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e the Right All-in-One For You?

After extensive testing, our verdict on the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer is one of qualified recommendation. When it works as intended, it is a truly excellent all-in-one for a modern, connected family or home office. The combination of solid document printing, convenient photo capabilities with its dedicated tray, automatic duplexing, and a capable ADF makes it a versatile and powerful hub. It successfully solves the problem of needing multiple devices for different tasks.

However, that recommendation comes with a significant caveat. The printer is deeply embedded in the HP Smart App and HP+ ecosystem. Its performance and ease of use are contingent on a stable internet connection and your willingness to commit to using only HP’s ink through a subscription or direct purchase. The highly polarized user reviews cannot be ignored; while we had a relatively smooth experience, it’s clear that many have faced immense frustration with setup and reliability. Therefore, we recommend this printer to the tech-savvy user who values the convenience of the app-driven, ink-subscription model and is prepared to troubleshoot potential connectivity issues. If you prefer offline control and the freedom to choose your own ink, you should look elsewhere. For those who fit its ideal user profile, it’s a feature-packed and capable machine that can tame the chaos of home document management.

If you’ve decided the HP ENVY Inspire 7920e All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer is the right fit, you can check its current price and purchase it here.