Brother HL-L2480DW Review: Worth It? (November 2026)
The Brother HL-L2480DW suits a compact home office that needs black-and-white printing, copying and flatbed scanning. It pairs automatic duplex printing with wireless, Ethernet and USB connections.
On this page (7 sections)
- Brother HL-L2480DW review: what does it do well?
- How does its printing fit home office work?
- Is the flatbed scanner enough for your documents?
- What paper and toner should you plan for?
- How does the HL-L2480DW compare with nearby Brother models?
- What should you check before setting it up?
- Is the Brother HL-L2480DW right for you?
The Brother HL-L2480DW is a compact monochrome all-in-one for home offices that need printing, copying and flatbed scanning. It offers automatic duplex printing and wireless, Ethernet and USB connections, but prints in black and white only.
Its 250-sheet paper tray and rated print speed of up to 36 pages per minute suit regular document work. The flatbed scanner is useful for individual pages and bound material, though it does not provide an automatic document feeder in the supplied specifications.
Brother HL-L2480DW review: what does it do well?
The Brother HL-L2480DW combines monochrome printing, copying and scanning in one compact footprint. That makes it a practical choice when your home office needs document tools but has limited desk space.
Brother HL-L2480DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Laser: Best for compact monochrome home offices
- Black-and-white printing, copying and scanning
- Flatbed scan glass
- Automatic duplex printing
- Dual-band wireless, Ethernet and USB
A compact 3-in-1 option for a home office that needs monochrome printing, copying and flatbed scanning. Automatic duplex printing and several connection choices suit shared document work.
Pros
- Combines printing, copying and scanning
- Flatbed scan glass
- Automatic duplex printing
- Dual-band wireless, Ethernet and USB connections
- 250-sheet paper tray
Cons
- Prints in black and white only
- Flatbed scanning requires placing pages one at a time
The 2.7-inch touchscreen supports printing from and scanning to popular cloud apps, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote and OneNote. Brother's Mobile Connect app also supports printing, scanning and printer management from a mobile device.
The printer supports dual-band wireless, Ethernet and USB. That range gives you options for a shared network printer or a direct connection to one computer.
How does its printing fit home office work?
The HL-L2480DW is best suited to black-and-white documents, such as forms, letters, reports and drafts. It prints at up to 36 pages per minute and supports automatic duplex printing.
The rated speed is a maximum, so actual output depends on the document and print settings. For routine text printing, the larger paper tray can reduce how often you need to refill it.
Its 250-sheet tray is useful if you print regularly or share the printer with other people. A manual feed slot handles envelopes and specialty paper, which can help keep those jobs separate from plain sheets in the main tray.
This is not a color printer. If your work depends on color charts or image printing, compare other options in our guide to the best Brother all-in-one laser printers.
Is the flatbed scanner enough for your documents?
The flatbed scan glass works well for single pages, book pages and other items that need careful placement. It also gives you a copier and scanner without adding a separate device to your desk.
A flatbed takes more time for multi-page stacks because you place each page on the glass yourself. If you regularly scan many loose pages, look for a model with an automatic document feeder.
For occasional scanning, the touchscreen and cloud app support offer flexible ways to send or store files. Our step-by-step guide explains how to scan with a Brother HL-L2480DW.
What paper and toner should you plan for?
The printer has a 250-sheet paper tray and uses Brother Genuine TN830 or TN830XL toner. The manual feed slot supports envelopes and specialty paper, while automatic duplex printing can reduce paper use for suitable documents.
Toner choice affects how often you replace supplies. Brother also offers a Refresh EZ Print subscription service, but whether that service fits depends on your printing habits and preferences.
The paper tray and toner setup make this model a better fit for recurring document work than occasional color printing. For a broader look at the strengths and trade-offs of this printer type, read the advantages of a laser printer and the disadvantages of a laser printer.
How does the HL-L2480DW compare with nearby Brother models?
The HL-L2480DW makes sense when you want monochrome printing with a flatbed scanner and copier in a compact unit. Compare it with nearby Brother models if you need a different balance of functions or printing capacity.
The Brother MFC-L2900DW is another monochrome all-in-one to consider. See our Brother MFC-L2900DW review for a closer look at that option.
If your work focuses on printing and you want to compare a different Brother model, read our Brother HL-L5210DW review. For a direct model comparison, see Brother DCP-L2640DW vs HL-L2480DW.
What should you check before setting it up?
Check desk space, connection needs and your scanning routine before placing the printer. Its dimensions are 15.7 inches deep, 16.1 inches wide and 10.7 inches high.
Allow room to open the paper tray and reach the touchscreen. Choose wireless, Ethernet or USB based on where the printer will sit and which devices need to use it.
If you plan to scan to cloud apps or print from a phone, confirm your preferred workflow during setup. Follow our guide to Brother HL-L2480DW printer setup to get started.
Is the Brother HL-L2480DW right for you?
Choose the HL-L2480DW if you want black-and-white printing, copying and flatbed scanning in one compact home office printer. Its automatic duplex feature, 250-sheet tray and several connection options suit routine document work.
Choose another model if you need color output or frequently scan large stacks of loose pages. If monochrome document work is your priority and a flatbed scanner meets your needs, the Brother HL-L2480DW review points to a capable all-in-one for a compact workspace.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Brother HL-L2480DW scan documents?
Yes. The Brother HL-L2480DW combines printing, copying and scanning, and has a flatbed scan glass.
Place each page on the glass when scanning bound material or individual sheets; for multi-page jobs, check the scan workflow that best fits your documents.
Can the Brother HL-L2480DW print double-sided?
Yes. The HL-L2480DW supports automatic duplex printing, so it can print on both sides of a sheet without you turning each page by hand.
Duplex printing can reduce paper use for longer documents, though you can choose single-sided output when a form or layout requires it.
What connections does the Brother HL-L2480DW support?
The printer supports dual-band wireless on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, Ethernet and a USB connection to one computer. Choose wireless for flexible placement, Ethernet for a wired network, or USB when the printer will connect directly to a single computer.
Is the Brother HL-L2480DW a color printer?
No. The HL-L2480DW is a monochrome laser printer that produces black-and-white output.
If you need color for photos, charts or color-coded documents, compare a color model; if your work is mostly text and forms, monochrome printing may be all you need.
