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The Epson XP-420 isn’t a titan of the printing industry. But for only $79.99, you can’t ask for transcendance. What you get here is a device that does everything pretty well, pretty fast and for a low, low price. It’s not going to be as fast as more expensive models, and its images won’t be as complex, but you won’t be disappointed.
We liked
You can’t beat the price. For only $79.99, you’re getting as much bang for your buck as you can hope to expect. This device is almost as good as printers that cost three times as much money, and it blows similarly-priced devices out of the water.
Your images will be more than satisfactory (albeit not professional), your print speeds will be manageable (although not quite blazing) and you’ll get everything in a compact and light frame. I found the navigation to be top-notch, thanks to good, old-fashioned buttons, rather than a cramped touchscreen.
Finally, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy-to-install the XP-420 is. First-time printer owners will thank me for recommending this device.
We disliked
This printer is designed like every other printer on the market. Black, glossy, plastic, boring. And the boring plastic doesn’t even feel like it can withstand many bumps and bruises. (That said, I am speculating about this. Nothing actually broke on me.)
I hate to say I disliked the images the printer produced, but they aren’t top-of-the-line. And, if color complexity is your top priority, then you should look elsewhere. The same thing can be said about print speeds.
This machine isn’t slow, but it isn’t a conveyor belt either. If you want to spit out a ton of documents at a rapid clip, don’t buy this device.
Final verdict
At the heart of every TechRadar review, we try to weigh functionality, design and value equally. Often times, the functionality is so impressive, we’re willing to overlook a high price tag (yes, Apple, we’re talking about you).
In this case, I’m using the reverse equation: the Epson XP-420 does everything only moderately well, but it is so inexpensive you can’t help but want one. If you don’t need professional-level photo prints, and you don’t mind an extra few seconds for every B&W document you print, then you’d be wise to buy this machine, which performs just a bit less remarkably than printers 300% more expensive.
