HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer Review: The Small Office Workhorse We’ve Been Waiting For?

There’s a specific kind of chaos that defines a growing small business or a busy home office. It’s the hum of too many devices, the tangle of cables behind the desk, and the frustrating workflow of printing a document on one machine, walking it over to another to scan it, and then heading to a third to make copies. For years, our office operated in this disjointed fashion. Our trusty but slow laser printer handled text, an aging flatbed scanner managed documents one painstaking page at a time, and a separate copier groaned in the corner. This inefficiency wasn’t just annoying; it was a bottleneck. Time spent managing documents was time not spent on growing the business. We knew we needed a single, powerful command centre—a device that could consolidate these tasks, speed up our workflow, and connect seamlessly with our modern, multi-device way of working. This search for a true office hub led us directly to the doorstep of the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer, a machine that promises not just to print, but to revolutionise office productivity.

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 document management. It serves as a centralised hub, combining the essential functions of a printer, scanner, copier, and often a fax machine into a single, space-saving footprint. The primary benefit is a massive boost in efficiency. Instead of wrestling with multiple devices, drivers, and consumables, you have one integrated system designed to handle everything from printing high-resolution colour reports and scanning multi-page contracts to making quick copies. This consolidation saves not only physical space but also valuable time and mental energy, allowing you to focus on more critical tasks.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a consistent flow of document-related tasks. Think small business owners, freelancers, remote workers managing reports and invoices, or even busy households that function as a headquarters for school projects and family administration. If you regularly find yourself needing to digitise stacks of paper, print professional-quality colour documents, and make multi-page copies, a robust all-in-one is a non-negotiable tool. Conversely, it might not be suitable for those who only print a handful of pages per month. For such light use, a more basic, compact printer would suffice. Similarly, a professional photographer requiring archival, gallery-quality prints might look towards a specialised photo printer instead of a business-focused all-in-one.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: All-in-one printers, especially office-grade models, are substantial pieces of equipment. Before you buy, measure the dedicated desk or counter space you have available. You’ll need to account for not just the printer’s footprint, but also clearance for opening scanner lids, extending paper trays, and accessing ink cartridges.
• Capacity/Performance: Look beyond the initial purchase price to the machine’s core capabilities. Key metrics include print speed (measured in pages per minute or PPM for both black and colour), paper tray capacity (250 sheets is a good baseline for office use), and the presence and capacity of an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF). An ADF that supports automatic two-sided (duplex) scanning is a game-changing feature for productivity.
• Materials & Durability: An office printer is a workhorse that will be used daily. Look for a sturdy build quality that feels solid and doesn’t flex or creak. An increasing number of manufacturers, including HP, are using recycled plastics in construction, which adds an element of sustainability without compromising on durability for the outer casing.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: A printer’s usability hinges on its connectivity options (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, mobile apps), its control interface (a responsive colour touchscreen is a huge plus), and the simplicity of its long-term maintenance. Consider the cost and availability of ink. Subscription services like HP Instant Ink can simplify replacement and potentially lower costs, but they also represent an ongoing commitment.

Keeping these factors in mind, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer stands out in several areas. You can explore its detailed specifications and features here.

While the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One 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: A Professional and Purpose-Built Machine

Unboxing the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer immediately gives the impression of a serious piece of office equipment. The box is substantial, and the printer itself, weighing just over 9kg, feels dense and well-constructed. Inside, everything was securely packed, and the contents included the printer, a full set of HP 937 Setup Ink Cartridges, a power cord, and clear setup guides. Pulling the printer from its packaging, we were met with a sleek, two-tone grey design that looks professional and modern, easily blending into an office environment without being an eyesore. It’s made with at least 40% recycled plastic, a fact that we appreciate, and the build quality feels robust enough to handle the daily demands of a busy workspace.

Setting it on the desk, its footprint is considerable but justified by its feature set. The focal point of the device is the 2.7-inch colour touchscreen, which is bright, responsive, and intuitive to navigate. Compared to older printers with clunky buttons and monochrome LCD screens, this is a significant upgrade in user experience. The paper tray slides out smoothly and has a generous 250-sheet capacity, a clear indicator that this machine is built for volume, not just occasional use. Our initial impression is that HP has designed a printer that is not only powerful on paper but also thoughtfully constructed for the user who will be interacting with it every day.

Deep Dive: Performance Under Pressure

A printer’s true worth is revealed not on its spec sheet, but in the heat of a busy workday. We put the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer through a comprehensive gauntlet of tests, from large print jobs and multi-page scanning to complex network setups, to see if its real-world performance lives up to its professional branding. We evaluated it on the three pillars of a great office machine: setup and software integration, core performance and quality, and the reliability of its connectivity and security.

Setup, Software, and The HP+ Ecosystem

HP has heavily invested in its HP Smart app and HP+ ecosystem, and this printer is designed to be a showcase for that system. The setup process is almost entirely managed through the app, which you download to your smartphone or computer. We found the guided instructions to be clear and straightforward. The app quickly discovered the printer on our Wi-Fi network, guided us through removing the packaging materials, installing the four HP 937 setup ink cartridges, and loading paper. The entire physical-to-networked process took less than 15 minutes.

A critical part of the setup is activating HP+, a mandatory step to unlock the printer’s full potential, including an extended warranty and eligibility for the Instant Ink subscription trial. This is a crucial point of consideration: activating HP+ means you are committing to using only genuine HP ink for the life of the printer. For us, this wasn’t an issue, but it’s something potential buyers must be aware of. The final step was activating the promotional Instant Ink subscription. Our activation went through seamlessly, with the app confirming our trial period and the printer’s dashboard reflecting the status correctly. However, we are aware this isn’t always a flawless experience for everyone. We’ve seen user reports mentioning difficulties with this specific step, where the promotional ink trial didn’t register on the printer’s screen immediately after setup. While our unit synced perfectly, it highlights the importance of double-checking your subscription status within the HP Smart app itself to ensure everything is active before you begin printing in volume.

Performance in Action: Print, Scan, and Copy Speed & Quality

This is where the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer truly shines and justifies its “Pro” moniker. We started with what most offices do: printing text-heavy documents. A 20-page black-and-white report printed in just over a minute, with the first page out in seconds. The claimed 22 ppm speed for monochrome is not an exaggeration. The text, rendered at 1200 x 1200 dpi, was laser-quality sharp, with crisp edges and no smudging, even on standard office paper.

Next, we moved to mixed-use documents—presentations with colour charts, graphs, and embedded images. The colour print speed was equally impressive, churning out vibrant, well-saturated pages at a pace close to the advertised 18 ppm. The 4800 x 1200 optimized dpi for colour printing delivered excellent results, with accurate colour reproduction and smooth gradients. We even tested it with a few photos on HP glossy photo paper, and while it’s not a dedicated photo printer, the results were more than acceptable for business use or personal snapshots.

However, the absolute star of the show for us was the 35-sheet, two-sided Automatic Document Feeder. For any office that deals with contracts, invoices, or records, this feature is a productivity multiplier. We loaded a 30-page, double-sided agreement into the ADF and, with a few taps in the HP Smart app, scanned the entire document to a single, searchable PDF file that was sent directly to our cloud storage. The printer scanned both sides of each page in a single pass, making the process incredibly fast and efficient. This feature alone is a compelling reason to choose this model over less expensive all-in-ones that lack a duplexing ADF. Copying performance mirrored the print and scan speeds, delivering sharp, accurate duplicates quickly and reliably, whether from the flatbed or the ADF.

Connectivity and Security for the Modern Office

In today’s interconnected office, a printer’s reliability is defined by its network performance. The HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer features what HP calls “self-healing, dual-band Wi-Fi.” To test this, we intentionally placed the printer in a corner of our office with notoriously patchy Wi-Fi coverage. The printer connected without issue and, more importantly, stayed connected. During our testing week, we experienced only one momentary drop, and the printer automatically reconnected itself within seconds without any intervention from us—it genuinely works as advertised. For offices demanding absolute stability, a dedicated Ethernet port is also available, providing a rock-solid wired connection.

Mobile printing is another area where the integration with the HP Smart app excels. We were able to print documents directly from our phones (both iOS and Android), scan documents using the phone’s camera to then be printed, and check ink levels and printer status from anywhere. This level of remote access and control is invaluable for a flexible work environment.

Finally, HP has included its Wolf Pro Security suite. In an age where any network-connected device can be a potential vulnerability, this is a crucial, if often overlooked, feature. It provides built-in security to help protect the printer from malware and ensure that it doesn’t become an entry point for cyberthreats onto your office network. This enterprise-grade security provides peace of mind, distinguishing the OfficeJet Pro from more consumer-focused printers and reinforcing its suitability for a professional setting where data security is paramount.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our positive experience with the printer’s performance is largely echoed across the user community, with many praising its incredible speed and the efficiency of the duplex scanning ADF. The professional quality of the printed documents is another frequently mentioned highlight. However, feedback is not without its criticisms, and these tend to centre on the mandatory HP+ ecosystem and the setup process for the Instant Ink service.

One of the most common friction points we’ve seen reported aligns with a specific user’s feedback, who noted their frustration at being unable to confirm the promotional Instant Ink subscription on the printer’s display upon installation. They stated, “Can’t review printer performance, as upon installation, the promised instant 3 month ink wasn’t showing up in the cartridge (as reported by the printer screen).” This highlights a potential communication gap between the printer’s firmware and the app-based activation system that can cause confusion and concern for new owners. While often resolved by checking the HP Smart app or restarting the device, it’s a valid point of frustration in what should be a seamless onboarding experience.

How Does the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer Compare to the Competition?

While the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer is a formidable machine, the market is filled with strong contenders. Understanding where it fits requires looking at a few key alternatives that cater to different needs and budgets.

1. Epson WorkForce WF-2110W

The Epson WorkForce WF-2110W is geared towards the solo entrepreneur or the very small office where space is the primary concern. It boasts an impressively compact footprint, making it much easier to place on a crowded desk. While it offers solid print quality and wireless connectivity, it makes significant compromises compared to the HP 9120e. It lacks an Automatic Document Feeder entirely, meaning all scanning and copying is a manual, one-page-at-a-time affair. Its print speeds are also considerably slower, and its paper tray is much smaller. Someone who values space above all else and has minimal scanning needs might prefer the Epson, but for any level of volume, the HP’s efficiency is in another league.

2. HP DeskJet 2820e All in One Printer Wireless

This alternative from HP’s own lineup helps to clarify the target audience for the OfficeJet Pro. The DeskJet 2820e is an entry-level, home-use printer. It’s perfect for families printing homework, recipes, or the occasional photo. It is much smaller, quieter, and more affordable upfront. However, it is not built for office productivity. It lacks an ADF, has much slower print speeds, a tiny paper tray, and is not designed for the high-volume output the 9120e handles with ease. If your printing needs are light and infrequent, the DeskJet 2820e is a sensible, budget-friendly choice. If you’re running a business, the OfficeJet Pro 9120e is the appropriate tool for the job.

3. Canon PIXMA TS3750i Wireless All-in-One Printer

The Canon PIXMA series has a strong reputation for excellent colour and photo printing, and the TS3750i is no exception. This model is best suited for creative home users or home offices where printing high-quality photos or colour-rich marketing materials is a priority. It’s a compact and stylish printer that offers borderless photo printing, a feature the more business-oriented HP 9120e lacks. However, it falls short on business productivity features. Like the other alternatives, it has no ADF, its print speeds for text documents are significantly lower, and its paper handling is designed for light, not heavy, use. A user who prioritises photo quality over document-scanning efficiency would likely lean towards the Canon.

Our Final Verdict: Is the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer Worth It?

After weeks of intensive testing, our verdict on the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer is overwhelmingly positive. This is a true office workhorse that delivers on its promises of speed, quality, and efficiency. The fast print speeds for both monochrome and colour documents, combined with the game-changing two-sided scanning ADF, make it an incredibly powerful productivity tool for any small business, remote worker, or power user.

The robust connectivity, reliable self-healing Wi-Fi, and added layer of Wolf Pro Security provide the stability and peace of mind required in a professional setting. The only significant caveat is the complete commitment to the HP ecosystem through the mandatory HP+ activation, which locks you into using genuine HP ink. For users who are comfortable with this and the Instant Ink subscription model, the benefits in performance and convenience are undeniable. It’s a powerful, reliable, and intelligently designed machine that can genuinely serve as the central hub for all your document management needs.

If you’ve decided the HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e All-in-One Printer is the right fit for your office’s demanding workflow, you can check its current price and purchase it here.