HP DeskJet 2855e Buying Guide in 2026: Is It Right for You? For light, occasional home printing, the HP DeskJet 2855e offers simple wireless setup, compact size, and an Instant Ink trial that keeps early costs manageable. Final verdict for HP DeskJet 2855e The HP DeskJet 2855e fits homes that print infrequently and value low upfront cost. It handles basic documents and casual scans, while the HP Smart app streamlines setup and mobile jobs. Real?world speeds are slow, print quality is modest, and there is no automatic duplex or feeder. If you print fewer than 50 pages monthly, value is acceptable. Otherwise, look higher. Pros Low purchase price for all?in?one basics Simple Wi?Fi setup with HP Smart app Compact, lightweight, easy to move Instant Ink trial reduces early costs ENERGY STAR build with recycled plastics Flatbed scanner included for quick copies Wi?Fi Direct printing without a router Cons Slow ISO speeds for black and color No automatic duplex or document feeder Tri?color cartridge wastes ink on depletion Monochrome icon display, not touchscreen Borderless photo printing not supported HP DeskJet 2855e deals Walmart around $69.99, Best Buy around $89.99. HP DeskJet 2855e specs Printer type: Color inkjet, thermal Functions: Print, scan, copy Display: Icon LCD, non?touch Cartridges or tank: HP 67 black and tri?color; yields 120/100 pages standard, 240/200 pages XL Resolution: Up to 1200 x 1200 black, up to 4800 x 1200 optimized color Connectivity: Hi?Speed USB 2.0, Wi?Fi 802.11b/g/n, Wi?Fi Direct Compatibility: HP Smart app, Apple AirPrint, Mopria, ChromeOS support Rated speed: Up to 20 ppm black draft, 16 ppm color draft Dimensions: 16.7 x 12.0 x 6.1 in Weight: 7.55 lb Pricing and availability The HP DeskJet 2855e is positioned as an ultra?budget all?in?one, typically selling between seventy and ninety dollars depending on retailer promotions. In the box you get setup cartridges, a power cord, and a three?month Instant Ink trial that can offset initial ink costs for very light users. A standard one?year limited warranty covers defects subject to HP’s terms. Across the United States it appears widely at big?box retailers and online marketplaces, with prices fluctuating most during seasonal sales. Optional HP Care Pack extensions add longer coverage and exchange service, which can be worthwhile if you depend on the printer for school paperwork. Availability in bundles can vary, so check whether trial months or bonus ink are included at checkout. Setting up Out of the box, remove orange tapes, seat the HP 67 setup cartridges, and load plain paper in the rear?access input. Power on the printer, then open the HP Smart app on a phone or computer to discover the device over Bluetooth or Wi?Fi and join your home network. Wi?Fi Direct also allows quick prints without a router when guests or kids need one?off pages. During app setup you can enable cloud features, add mobile fax, and start the Instant Ink trial if desired. Activating HP Plus ties the printer to Original HP cartridges and expects an internet connection for updates and supply management. If you prefer buying cartridges as needed, skip HP Plus and simply complete network setup and alignment with the guided steps. Design and ease of use The HP DeskJet 2855e keeps a small footprint that fits shelves and student desks. A flatbed scanner sits on top for quick copies of IDs, receipts, and homework. Connections are straightforward, with a rear Hi?Speed USB port and dual?band Wi?Fi b/g/n for wireless printing. There is no Ethernet, USB host port, or SD card slot, which matches its entry?level focus. Paper loads into a 60?sheet rear input with an adjustable guide, and finished pages exit to a 25?sheet tray. The top cover lifts smoothly for easy cartridge changes and jam clearance. Day?to?day tasks rely on the HP Smart app more than the panel, which works well for families who mostly print from phones and need simple access to presets, scanning shortcuts, and one?tap copies. Screen and controls The control area uses a small, monochrome icon LCD with membrane buttons for power, copy, cancel, and wireless functions. Icons show ink levels, Wi?Fi status, and error states, plus a numeric indicator for copies. The screen is functional but basic, and it can be harder to read from an angle or in dim rooms compared with larger displays found on midrange models. Navigation is shallow, focusing on essential toggles rather than deep device menus. Most configuration moves to the HP Smart app, where you can manage setup, alignment, and maintenance tasks with clearer prompts. For households that prefer phone?first control, this split works fine. Users expecting a touchscreen with guided wizards on the printer itself should set expectations accordingly. Paper handling A 60?sheet input and 25?sheet output suit light home use such as forms, tickets, and homework. Supported sizes include common letter, legal, and smaller photo sizes, along with DL envelopes. There is no borderless printing mode, so photo edges retain margins unless you trim. The engine supports manual duplex, which requires reinserting pages following the on?screen or in?app prompts. There is no automatic document feeder, so multi?page copies and scans happen on the flatbed one sheet at a time. The recommended monthly volume sits around fifty to one hundred pages for best reliability. If you routinely print beyond that, the small trays and manual duplex steps become tiresome, and a model with an ADF and auto duplexer will save time week after week. Print speeds Manufacturer draft claims peak at up to twenty pages per minute in black and sixteen in color, which do not reflect typical office templates. In standardized testing, single?sided text landed near seven and a half pages per minute, while mixed color documents hovered around five and a half. First pages arrived in roughly fifteen seconds for black and under twenty seconds for color. Manual duplex doubles handling time because you must flip the stack, so long readings and study notes take noticeably longer to finish. For occasional forms and tickets the pace is acceptable, but students producing frequent multi?page assignments will wait more than they would with midrange office inkjets. Plan print runs ahead when you have mixed charts and images in school reports. Results Text simplex: 7.5 ppm (rated 20) Mixed text and graphics: 5.5 ppm Copy and scan speeds Flatbed copy: Color ~20 seconds, black and white ~10 seconds ADF throughput: N/A single sided, N/A duplex Print quality Text pages are readable yet not razor sharp, with slight softness and visible pass patterns on closer inspection. Duplex pages, performed manually, look consistent with simplex once you align the stack. For basic letters, shipping labels, and worksheets the output is fine, but it lacks the crispness demanded for client?facing proposals or small legal footnotes. Color documents fare better for charts and classroom graphics, with decent fills and gradients that remain stable on plain paper. Photo printing exposes limitations: the color gamut is narrow, blues and skin tones can shift, and fine textures like feathers or hair may merge. Glossy photo paper improves saturation, though the lack of borderless mode leaves white margins around images. Ink costs and plans The printer uses HP 67 cartridges in standard and XL sizes. Standard yields are low at roughly one hundred to one hundred twenty pages, which means frequent replacements. XL versions double capacity to about two hundred to two hundred forty pages and lower the effective cost per page. Because the color supply is a single tri?color cartridge, replacing one depleted hue wastes the remaining ink. Instant Ink offers a subscription billed by pages instead of milliliters, starting at a very low monthly tier suitable for casual users. It can meaningfully reduce costs for households that print a few pages weekly, particularly photos or color forms. Activating HP Plus during setup enables the trial but permanently restricts the printer to Original HP cartridges and expects a stable internet connection. Calculated CPP Black: $0.10 per page Color: $0.12 per page Instant Ink value Best for light, irregular 15–50 pages monthly Break even near 50 pages per month Comparisons HP DeskJet 2855e versus Canon PIXMA MG3620 Speed: Lose CPP: Lose Features: Canon supports borderless photos, similar basics HP DeskJet 2855e versus Epson EcoTank ET?2800 Speed: Lose CPP: Lose Features: Epson uses refillable tanks, ultra?low running costs FAQs Does HP DeskJet 2855e require HP Plus? It does not require HP Plus. If you choose to activate HP Plus and the Instant Ink trial, the printer accepts only Original HP cartridges and expects an internet connection. What operating systems are supported? Works with Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android through the HP Smart app, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria?compatible workflows. What is the real world duplex speed? There is no automatic duplex; manual two?sided printing depends on you reinserting pages, so overall time is roughly double simplex runs. Is Instant Ink worth it for home use? Yes for under fifty pages monthly or color?heavy pages. If your volume grows beyond that, consider higher?yield cartridges or a tank printer.