Brother MFC-L2900DW review: a small laser and speedy copier

The Brother MFC-L2900DW is a compact monochrome laser printer that serves as a scanner, copier, and fax machine. With its focus on efficiency and affordability, it’s designed for small offices or home setups that want a reliable device for quick hard copies.

The best all-in-one printers keep your home business rolling and smooth out hectic days. I researched upfront and long-term costs, and went hands-on to explore the design, features, and performance to see if Brother’s new multifunctional laser printer has everything you need.

Specs

Design

Brother gave the MFC-L2900DW an all-black exterior with a lightly textured surface that resists fingerprints and hides dust. To minimize the unavoidable boxy look, the base tapers slightly.

With a footprint of 16 by 16.5 inches and height of 12.5 inches, it’s compact for an all-in-one laser printer. The 25.9-pound weight is substantial enough to feel sturdy but easily manageable.

The main paper tray at the bottom is removable and holds 250 sheets. Above that, a single-sheet media tray makes one-off prints of an envelope or label easy. The automatic document feeder (ADF) accepts up to 50 sheets. All trays are clearly marked to indicate paper orientation.

The MFC-L2900DW has a 3.5-inch color touchscreen set at a fixed angle, tilted down seven degrees from horizontal. It makes operation and maintenance quick and simple.

Overall, it’s a good functional design that should fit well in most workspaces.

Printing performance

Brother’s MFC-L2900DW is built for speed. It’s rated at 36 pages per minute for long documents, among the fastest I’ve reviewed. The first page out is also quick at under seven seconds. If you need large documents and multiple copies quickly, you’ll be pleased with the MFC-L2900DW’s performance.

In terms of performance, it’s a strong competitor to HP’s LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw. However, print quality is somewhat mixed. While text documents are sharp and dark, the printer struggles with graphics, which often show banding. It is not a photo printer and produces noticeable lines in images.

Like many printers, envelopes print correctly from Windows and macOS computers, but fail on mobile devices. Despite showing the correct media type on my phone, alignment is off in envelope prints from iOS and Android devices. I tried AirPrint and Brother’s mobile app without success.

Special features

As an all-in-one, Brother’s MFC-L2900DW offers scan, copy, and fax capabilities. Scanning is smooth and quick, with results that are clean and detailed. When scanning from a mobile device, resolution is capped at 300 dots per inch (dpi), while computer scans allow the maximum resolution of 1200 dpi.

Copies are as fast as prints, particularly when using the ADF. The MFC-L2900DW can create duplex copies in a single pass, simultaneously scanning both sides of a page. The ADF can hold 50 sheets, so copying multi-page documents is efficient. Faxing is simple as well.

Copies looked a bit light at first. The color touchscreen makes adjustments easy, and increasing the density setting corrected the problem. Afterward, copies had better contrast and sharpness. The banding issue that detracted from prints also affects copies.

While the MFC-L2900DW’s ADF has a maximum resolution of 600 dpi, the flatbed scanner doubles that to 1200 dpi, a nice option for copying fine print or scanning photos.

Software and compatibility

Setting up the MFC-L2900DW is straightforward and the small quick start guide reflects that. I opened the front panel, slid in the toner cartridge, inserted paper, and powered it on in under a minute.

Brother stuck a QR code on the top that my iPhone camera app scanned for a quick link to the mobile app. Brother’s Mobile Connect app found the MFC-L2900DW and guided me through connecting it to Wi-Fi. It’s also possible to use a wired connection via USB or Ethernet to a Windows or Mac computer.

Everything works as expected when using a computer and mobile printing is good overall. Scans are simple and the results look nice, but scanning from a phone has an arbitrary limitation of 300 dpi. Mobile envelopes were the only other software issue.

Price

At $300, the Brother MFC-L2900DW is a relatively inexpensive option for a small business or home office, though are more affordable than all-in-one monochrome laser printers. While it’s a bit slower, the Canon imageClass MF275dw is a bargain at just over $200.

Initial cost isn’t the only consideration since toner costs add up over time, particularly in a print-heavy office. Brother sells standard and high-capacity cartridges that hold enough toner for 1,200 and 3,000 pages, respectively.

Print costs range from 3 to 4 cents per page for toner plus the cost of paper. Brother is one of the best printer brands, and its toner prices are competitive with HP and Canon.

Brother ships the MFC-L2900DW with a starter cartridge that should last about 700 pages. That could run out quickly in a busy office, so it’s best to sign up for Brother’s EZ Print subscription or order another toner cartridge right away.

Is this the printer for you?

Brother’s MFC-L2900DW is fast and handles text well, but photos and graphic quality isn’t the best. The full-duplex single-pass ADF churns through multi-page double-sided documents quickly, making it a good choice for legal documents and text-heavy reports.

Monochrome laser printers are the unsung heroes of the office, taking care of the day-to-day work of invoices, receipts, contracts, and labels. The MFC-L2900DW will work well in this role. For sales sheets and varied materials, the best color laser printers will produce more eye-catching documents.

While the MFC-L2900DW is affordable, it’s not a budget printer. That puts it in competition with printers like the HP Laserjet Pro MFP 3101fdw, which matches the speed and offers better graphics quality.

The Brother MFC-L2900DW is a solid choice for users seeking a fast, inexpensive monochrome laser printer with scanning and copying capabilities. Its compact size, quick print speeds, and excellent ADF make it a practical option for small businesses or home offices focused on text-heavy workflows.

Brother recommends 2,500 pages pages per month, but the MFC-L2900DW has a maximum monthly duty cycle of up to 35,000 pages. This is a sturdy printer. If you intend to print at high volume, Brother’s MFC-L2900DW XL is the same printer bundled with a full TN830XL toner cartridge at a bargain price.