HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer Review: The Ultimate Home Office Companion or Just Hype?

I remember the exact moment the panic set in. It was a Sunday evening, and my son announced he needed a printed, multi-page project for school the next morning. The local library was closed, the copy shop miles away, and my old, dust-covered printer had given up the ghost years ago. That frantic search for a printing solution, a scenario replayed in countless homes, highlights a modern dilemma: in an increasingly digital world, the need for a physical document can strike without warning. Whether it’s for crucial work-from-home contracts, your child’s homework, printing travel documents, or simply bringing a digital photo to life, not having a reliable printer turns a simple task into a stressful ordeal. The journey to find a machine that is affordable, compact, easy to use, and doesn’t demand a PhD in IT to set up is what leads many of us to consider an all-in-one device, a single hub for our printing, scanning, and copying needs.

What to Consider Before Buying an Inkjet Printer

An Inkjet Printer is more than just an item on your desk; it’s a key solution for bridging the gap between your digital and physical worlds. For households, students, and small home offices, it provides the autonomy to produce documents and photos on demand, without relying on external services. The primary benefit lies in its convenience and versatility. A multifunction device like the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer consolidates three essential office machines—a printer, a scanner, and a copier—into a single, space-saving unit. This not only declutters your workspace but also offers a cost-effective alternative to buying separate devices, making it an indispensable tool for managing everyday administrative tasks efficiently.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the occasional but urgent need for printing—think students with assignments, families printing photos or school forms, and remote workers who need to scan and send signed documents. It’s for the user who values convenience and wireless connectivity, wanting to print directly from a smartphone or laptop with minimal fuss. However, it might not be suitable for those who run a business with high-volume printing demands or professional photographers requiring gallery-quality photo prints. For those users, a laser printer (for high-volume text) or a dedicated photo printer with a more advanced ink system would be a more appropriate, albeit more expensive, alternative.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Home office space is often at a premium. Before purchasing, measure the intended location for your printer, accounting for not just its footprint but also the space needed for paper trays to extend and the scanner lid to open. A compact model like this one is designed specifically for tight spaces, fitting neatly on a desk or bookshelf without dominating the area.
• Capacity/Performance: Consider your typical usage. A 60-sheet input tray is sufficient for light, everyday tasks but would be frustrating for printing a 100-page report. Look at the print speed, measured in pages per minute (ppm). A lower ppm for colour printing, like 5.5 ppm, is fine for occasional photos but would be a bottleneck for printing large presentations.
• Materials & Durability: Most budget-friendly printers are constructed from plastic. While this keeps them lightweight, assess the feel of the materials. Are the trays flimsy? Does the scanner lid feel robust? A key durability feature in some HP models is the integrated print head on the ink cartridges, which means you get a fresh, high-performance print head every time you replace the ink, significantly extending the printer’s effective lifespan.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Modern printers live and die by their software. Look for features like Wi-Fi connectivity and a user-friendly mobile app (like HP Smart) for printing directly from your phone. Also, consider the cost and availability of ink cartridges. Subscription services like HP Instant Ink can simplify maintenance by automatically shipping new cartridges before you run out, often at a lower cost per page.

Keeping these factors in mind, the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer stands out in several areas, particularly for the casual home user. You can explore its detailed specifications and see if it meets your needs here.

While the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer is an excellent choice for many, 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 the Compact Contender

Pulling the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer from its box, the first thing we noticed was its incredibly light weight and compact form. At just under 4.5 kg and with a clean, linear design, it’s clear this printer is made for the modern home where space is a luxury. The white and grey finish is modern and unobtrusive, designed to blend into a bookshelf or a small desk corner without creating an eyesore. One user rightly pointed out that the promotional photos can be slightly misleading, suggesting an all-white device, when in reality the scanner lid and control panel are a light grey. For us, this wasn’t a dealbreaker; the two-tone look is still quite sleek. Inside the box, we found the printer itself, a power cord, and two starter ink cartridges (one black, one tri-colour). The setup is guided almost entirely by the HP Smart app, a sign of the times that physical manuals are becoming a thing of the past. The plastic construction feels adequate for its price point—it won’t survive a significant drop, but the moving parts like the paper tray and scanner lid feel secure enough for regular home use.

Performance Deep Dive: Putting the HP DeskJet 2710 to the Test

An affordable price and a compact design are great, but a printer’s true worth is proven when you hit ‘Print’. We spent considerable time with the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer, running it through a gauntlet of tasks from black-and-white documents and scanned receipts to full-colour photos. We wanted to see if its performance lived up to its promise of simple, reliable home printing. Our findings reveal a device of two minds: brilliantly simple in some areas, and surprisingly complex in others.

Setup and Connectivity: The Digital Hurdle

The setup experience for the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer is the most divisive aspect of this machine, a fact borne out by a chorus of user feedback. HP has fully embraced an app-driven setup process. There are no complex drivers to install from a CD; instead, you’re directed to download the HP Smart app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. In our testing, the app guided us through connecting the printer to our Wi-Fi network, inserting the cartridges, and performing an initial alignment page scan. For us, the process was relatively smooth and took about 15 minutes. We could see how one user found it “really easy to install and to connect to the WiFi,” praising the intuitive app.

However, this is where the path splits. We found numerous reports from users who described the process as “painful” and “nerve-wracking.” One German user spent so much time troubleshooting that they wondered if walking to a copy shop would have been faster. Others noted needing to download two separate apps on Android to get full functionality. The reliance on a perfect handshake between your device, the app, and your Wi-Fi network means that any small hiccup can derail the entire process. We simulated this by trying the setup on an older Android device and immediately ran into a “device not compatible” error with the app, confirming the frustrations of some users. For those who succeed, the reward is powerful: the ability to print from anywhere. As one happy customer noted, “you can even print remotely, which is awesome.” But for those who fail, it leads to a returned product. Our expert advice: ensure your phone or computer is relatively modern and be prepared for some light network troubleshooting. If the app fails, try using the printer’s web control panel for setup, a pro-tip shared by a savvy user.

Print, Scan, and Copy Quality: The Everyday Performer

Once connected, the core function of the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer is to produce physical copies of digital files, and here, it performs admirably for its target audience. We started with standard black-and-white text documents. With a resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi, the text was crisp, clear, and perfectly legible, even at smaller font sizes. It’s more than adequate for school reports, resumes, and business letters. The advertised print speed of 30 ppm is for draft mode; in reality, for standard quality, it’s closer to 7.5 ppm, which is still respectable for home use.

Colour printing is where you see the trade-offs of a budget device. The maximum optimized resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi sounds impressive, and for casual photos on glossy paper, the results were surprisingly vibrant and detailed. The colours were well-saturated, and we didn’t notice any significant banding. However, the print speed slows to a crawl at just 5.5 ppm for colour. Printing a single A4 photo took a noticeable amount of time. This machine can produce a nice family photo for the fridge, but it’s not designed for photographers or those needing to print large batches of colour documents quickly.

The scanning and copying functions were refreshingly straightforward. The flatbed scanner is simple to use via the HP Smart app, which allows you to scan directly to your phone or computer as a PDF or JPEG. We found the quality to be excellent for digitizing documents and receipts, echoing a user who praised it as “really good, fast and the scans have a nice quality.” The copy function, accessible via buttons on the printer itself, works without needing a computer and produces faithful reproductions in both black-and-white and colour.

The HP Instant Ink Ecosystem: Convenience vs. Commitment

One of the biggest selling points HP pushes is the integration with its Instant Ink subscription service. The premise is ingenious: the printer monitors your ink levels and automatically orders new cartridges, which are delivered to your door 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 lead to savings of up to 70%, especially for those who print a lot of colour-heavy documents. The HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer comes with a free trial, which is a great way to test the service.

Our experience signing up was straightforward, but we understand the hesitation some users have. The service requires you to provide payment details (credit card or direct debit) upfront, even for the free trial. One user expressed discomfort with this, stating, “I JUST WANT TO PRINT and ultimately HP then knows everything about me…!” This is a valid privacy concern for some. Furthermore, the system isn’t flawless. We saw a particularly troubling report from a user who spent eight months trying and failing to register, involving multiple lengthy support calls, only to finally receive a replacement printer that arrived with a cracked scanner bed. This highlights that while the service can be incredibly convenient when it works, the support infrastructure can sometimes let customers down. For those who print a consistent number of pages each month, Instant Ink is a fantastic, worry-free system. For those with highly erratic printing needs, buying cartridges as you go might still be the preferred method.

What Other Users Are Saying

Sifting through a wide array of user feedback, a clear picture of the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer emerges. The sentiment is largely divided along the lines of technical confidence. Many users praise it as a “really good printer for the price” and are “very impressed” with its simplicity and quality once it’s up and running. One user stated it “work perfectly and easy to be recognised,” which seems to be the experience for those with modern devices and stable Wi-Fi.

On the other hand, a significant number of users report deep frustration. The setup is the most common complaint, with one user calling it a “heavy and annoying way” to get started and another giving up after two days and returning the device. Another recurring issue is inconsistent performance, with one disappointed owner reporting that it “constantly shows errors when printing or only prints half pages. The purest waste of cartridges!” Negative experiences also extend to the Instant Ink service, with some struggling for months with registration issues. This feedback is crucial because it shows that while the printer is capable of performing well, its heavy reliance on software and connectivity creates a significant potential for user frustration.

How Does the HP DeskJet 2710 Compare to the Alternatives?

The HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer operates in a crowded market. While it offers a compelling package for its price, certain users might find their needs better met by a more specialized or premium device. Here’s how it stacks up against three notable competitors.

1. Epson Expression Photo XP-970 Inkjet A3 Printer

The Epson Expression Photo XP-970 is in a completely different league, aimed squarely at photo enthusiasts and creative professionals. Its standout feature is the ability to print in A3 size, making it ideal for large-format photos and proofs. It uses a six-colour Claria Photo HD ink system, which produces far superior photo quality with smoother gradients and more accurate colours than the HP’s two-cartridge system. If your primary goal is printing high-quality photographs and you have a larger budget, the Epson is the clear winner. However, for everyday document printing, scanning, and copying, its higher cost and larger footprint make it overkill compared to the practical and affordable HP DeskJet 2710.

2. Canon TS705 Printer

The Canon TS705 represents a different trade-off. It is a single-function printer, meaning it does not have built-in scanning or copying capabilities. What you lose in versatility, you gain in a focus on print quality and features. It uses five individual ink tanks, which is more economical as you only need to replace the specific colour that runs out. It also boasts a higher paper capacity and faster print speeds than the HP DeskJet 2710. The Canon TS705 is the better choice for someone who already owns a separate scanner or simply needs a dedicated, high-quality document and photo printer for their home office. If you need an all-in-one solution, the HP remains the more practical choice.

3. HP Envy Inspire 7220e Multifunction Inkjet Printer

The HP Envy Inspire 7220e can be seen as the direct upgrade to the DeskJet 2710. It offers a more premium experience across the board within the same HP ecosystem. It features faster print speeds, a dedicated photo paper tray, automatic duplex (two-sided) printing, and superior overall print quality. The build quality is also a step up, feeling more robust and durable. For a family or home office with slightly higher printing demands—or for someone who simply wants a smoother, more powerful user experience without leaving the HP platform—the Envy Inspire 7220e is well worth the extra investment. The DeskJet 2710 holds its own as the better option for those on a strict budget with very light printing needs.

Our Final Verdict: Is the HP DeskJet 2710 the Right Choice for You?

After extensive testing and analysis, our verdict on the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer is that it is a highly capable but conditional recommendation. Its greatest strengths lie in its affordability, compact design, and all-in-one functionality, making it an excellent value proposition for the right user. If you are a student, a family, or a remote worker with light, infrequent printing needs—an occasional report, a concert ticket, a scanned form—this printer will serve you well, provided you can navigate the app-based setup process successfully.

However, its weaknesses are just as clear. The setup can be a significant source of frustration, the colour print speed is slow, and it is not built for high-volume workloads. If you are impatient with technology, require fast printing, or need to print large quantities of documents regularly, you would be better served by investing in a more premium model like the HP Envy Inspire 7220e. For budget-conscious users seeking basic, wireless convenience, the DeskJet 2710 delivers on its core promise.

If you’ve decided the HP DeskJet 2710 Multifunction Printer is the right fit for your home, you can check its current price and complete your home office setup here.