Are you tired of dealing with unreliable printers that jam constantly and burn through expensive ink cartridges? As someone who’s tested dozens of printers over the years, I understand the frustration all too well. Today, I’m reviewing the Brother HL-L2370DW, a monochrome laser printer that promises reliability, speed, and cost-effective printing for homes and small offices.
This compact laser printer handles all standard paper sizes with ease and offers wireless connectivity that integrates seamlessly with your devices. After using this printer in my home office for three months, I’m ready to share my honest assessment of whether it deserves a spot in your workspace.
Who Is This Printer For?
The Brother HL-L2370DW is ideal for:
- Home office users who primarily print text documents on standard paper sizes
- Small businesses needing a reliable, low-maintenance printer
- Budget-conscious consumers who want to reduce per-page printing costs
- Users who need wireless printing capabilities across multiple devices
- People who primarily print in black and white rather than color
This printer is not the best choice for:
- Photographers or designers who need high-quality color printing
- Users who frequently print photos
- Offices requiring built-in scanning or copying features (this is a print-only model)
- High-volume business environments printing thousands of pages weekly
Quick Facts Summary
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Brother HL-L2370DW |
| Type | Monochrome Laser Printer |
| Print Speed | Up to 36 ppm |
| Resolution | Up to 2400 x 600 dpi |
| Connectivity | WiFi, Ethernet, USB, Mobile |
| Standard Paper Sizes | Letter, Legal, Executive, A4, A5, A6 |
| Paper Capacity | 250-sheet input tray + manual feed slot |
| Dimensions | 14.0″ x 14.2″ x 7.2″ |
| Weight | 15.9 lbs |
| Price Range | $149.99-$179.99 |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty |
| Our Rating | ★★★★½ (4.5/5) |
In-Depth Review
Appearance & Design
The Brother HL-L2370DW strikes a balance between functionality and aesthetics. With its matte black finish and compact footprint (14.0″ x 14.2″ x 7.2″), this laser printer can easily fit on a desk or small shelf without dominating the space. Despite weighing only 15.9 pounds, it feels sturdy and well-built.
The design is minimalist and business-like, with a simple control panel featuring a few buttons and LED indicators on the top surface. While it won’t win any design awards, the printer has a professional appearance that blends well in any office environment.
One of the most practical design features is the 250-sheet capacity paper tray that fully accommodates all standard paper sizes from 3″ x 5″ up to legal size documents. There’s also a manual feed slot for envelopes and thicker media, giving you flexibility when printing on non-standard materials.
Performance & Features
The HL-L2370DW delivers impressive performance for its price point. This laser printer reaches speeds of up to 36 pages per minute, making it significantly faster than comparable inkjet printers. During my testing, it consistently achieved close to the advertised speed when printing text documents on standard letter-sized paper.
Print quality is excellent for text, producing crisp, dark characters even at small font sizes. The printer offers a resolution up to 2400 x 600 dpi, which provides adequate detail for business graphics and simple illustrations, though as expected for a monochrome printer, it’s not suitable for photo printing.
What really shines is the printer’s wireless connectivity. The HL-L2370DW connects via WiFi, Ethernet, or USB, supporting various printing options including:
- Apple AirPrint
- Google Cloud Print
- Brother iPrint&Scan
- Mopria
- Wi-Fi Direct
This allows you to print from virtually any device without complicated setup processes. During testing, I was able to print seamlessly from my laptop, smartphone, and tablet without any connection issues.
The automatic duplex (two-sided) printing feature is particularly noteworthy, as it helps conserve paper when printing longer documents. It handles the standard paper sizes flawlessly during duplex printing with no jams or misalignments.
User-Friendliness
Setting up the Brother HL-L2370DW is remarkably straightforward. The initial wireless setup takes about 10 minutes following the included quick-start guide. The printer comes with a CD containing drivers, but you can also download the latest software from Brother’s website.
The control panel is intuitive with clearly labeled buttons for power, Wi-Fi, and cancel functions, plus LED indicators that communicate the printer’s status. While there’s no touchscreen display, the simple interface is sufficient for a dedicated printer.
The Brother iPrint&Scan app enhances usability, allowing you to monitor toner levels and print directly from mobile devices. The printer also works with standard printing interfaces on Windows and macOS without requiring special software.
One user-friendly feature I particularly appreciate is the toner save mode, which extends the life of your toner cartridge for less critical documents. Replacing consumables is also simple – the toner cartridge slides out easily from the front of the unit when needed.
Durability & Quality
Brother has a reputation for building durable printers, and the HL-L2370DW upholds that standard. With a monthly duty cycle of up to 15,000 pages (recommended monthly volume of 2,000 pages), this printer is built to handle consistent use in a small office environment.
The paper handling mechanism works reliably across all standard paper sizes with minimal jams. During my three months of testing, printing approximately 500 pages, I experienced zero paper jams – a refreshing change from many other printers I’ve used.
The included starter toner cartridge yields approximately 700 pages before requiring replacement. Standard replacement cartridges yield about 1,200 pages, while high-yield options can print up to 3,000 pages, reducing the frequency of replacements.
Build quality seems solid throughout, with sturdy plastic construction and smoothly operating trays and covers. The printer produces relatively little noise during operation compared to older laser models.
Value for Money
At a price point ranging from $149.99 to $179.99, the Brother HL-L2370DW offers excellent value for its feature set. The initial investment is higher than budget inkjet printers, but the total cost of ownership is significantly lower due to the economical toner cartridges.
Printing costs average around 3.5 cents per page with standard cartridges and can drop to about 2.5 cents with high-yield cartridges – roughly half the cost of printing with typical inkjet printers. For users who print primarily text documents on standard paper sizes, this translates to substantial savings over time.
The inclusion of automatic duplex printing, wireless connectivity, and support for mobile printing further enhances the value proposition, providing features typically found in more expensive models.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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Alternatives & Comparisons
The most direct competitor to the HL-L2370DW is the HP LaserJet Pro M15w. Both are compact monochrome laser printers designed for home and small office use, but there are some notable differences:
The HP M15w is smaller and less expensive (typically around $109), making it attractive for users with very limited space. However, it lacks automatic duplex printing, has a slower print speed (19 ppm vs. 36 ppm), and comes with a smaller paper capacity (150 sheets vs. 250 sheets). The HP also handles fewer standard paper sizes, with more limited support for legal and other larger formats.
For those who need occasional color printing while maintaining the reliability of a laser printer, the Brother HL-L3270CDW could be worth the upgrade. At around $279, it’s significantly more expensive but adds color printing capability while maintaining similar speed and reliability features.
If you’re considering the Brother HL-L2370DW but need scanning and copying functions, the Brother MFCL2710DW multifunction printer offers these features for about $50-70 more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this printer work with Chromebooks?
Yes, the Brother HL-L2370DW is compatible with Chromebooks through Google Cloud Print. You can print directly from Chrome OS without requiring additional drivers.
How long does the toner last?
The included starter cartridge yields approximately 700 pages. Standard replacement cartridges (TN-730) provide about 1,200 pages, while high-yield cartridges (TN-760) can print up to 3,000 pages before replacement. Actual yield depends on your typical print density and document types.
Can this printer handle cardstock and envelopes?
Yes, the manual feed slot accommodates thicker media like cardstock and envelopes. The printer handles paper weights up to 60-163 g/m². For best results with envelopes, use the manual feed rather than the main paper tray.
Is this printer compatible with macOS?
Yes, the Brother HL-L2370DW works with macOS (10.10.5 and later versions). Drivers can be downloaded directly from Brother’s website if you don’t use the included installation CD.
Does it print on all standard paper sizes?
The printer handles all common standard paper sizes including Letter, Legal, Executive, A4, A5, and A6. It also supports custom sizes through the manual feed slot, ranging from 3″ x 5″ to 8.5″ x 14″.
Conclusion
The Brother HL-L2370DW offers an impressive balance of performance, reliability, and value for home and small office users who primarily print text documents. Its ability to handle all standard paper sizes, combined with wireless connectivity and duplex printing, makes it a versatile workhorse for everyday printing needs.
While it lacks color printing capabilities and the multifunction features of more expensive models, it excels at its primary purpose: producing clear, crisp text documents quickly and economically. The low cost per page and minimal maintenance requirements make it particularly attractive for budget-conscious users who print regularly.
After three months of testing, I can confidently recommend the Brother HL-L2370DW to anyone looking for a reliable, cost-effective laser printer for text-heavy documents. Its combination of quality output, convenient features, and reasonable price earn it a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Ready to upgrade your printing experience? Click here to check the latest price on Amazon and see why the Brother HL-L2370DW is a top choice for home office professionals who need reliable printing on all standard paper sizes.
