Epson EcoTank ET-2850 vs HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e
By Seb Clark, Editor, UniDoc Solutions·Updated
Unless you want an ink subscription, the EcoTank wins on running costs by a mile. The OfficeJet is the better machine only with Instant Ink attached.
Side by side
| Epson EcoTank ET-2850 | HP OfficeJet Pro 9120e | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £240-£300 | £144.97 |
| Speed | 10.5 ppm | 22 ppm mono / 18 ppm colour |
| Brand | Epson | HP |
| Color | Black | Grey |
| itemDimensions | Height 7.3621899924906 inches, Length 13.661389986065 inches, Weight 11.904962148 Pounds, Width 14.763749984941 inches | Height 109.448818786 inches, Length 134.8425195475 inches, Weight 20.4809441398 pounds, Width 172.9527557291 inches |
| PartNumber | C11CJ63401E2 | 403X8B#687 |
| Model | C11CJ63401E2 | 403X8B#687 |
| Warranty | 1 Year | Standard one-year HP commercial hardware warranty. One-year extra HP warranty through HP+ activation at setup; and (3) One year bonus HP warranty through separate online registration, which must be completed at www.hp.com/eu/bonuswarranty/ within 60 days of printer purchase. For up to 3 years of warranty. Warranty and support options vary by product, country, and local legal requirements. See: http://www.hp.com/limitedwarranty. |
| Key points |
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| Best for | Anyone tired of cartridge costs — this is the home-office default in 2026. | Home office all-in-one — but ONLY worth it with Instant Ink, otherwise cartridge costs hurt. |
Which should you buy?
This is the classic "refillable tank vs cartridge" decision. The HP 9120e is the faster, more office-like printer: 22 ppm, a 35-sheet ADF, duplex scanning, Ethernet. The ET-2850 is slower (10.5 ppm), has no ADF, and looks like a home printer. But the HP's 937 cartridges cost around £100 a set for 800–1,250 pages, while the Epson's 104 bottles cost £30 for 4,500–7,500 pages. Over three years of moderate printing the Epson saves several hundred pounds.
HP's answer is Instant Ink, and it does change the maths — on a plan the 9120e is genuinely economical and you never think about cartridges. If you're happy with a subscription tied to the printer, the HP is the nicer machine. If you'd rather own your printing outright, the EcoTank.