Best Epson EcoTank UK 2026 — Refillable Ink Printer Guide
EcoTank printers refill from bottles instead of cartridges — one set of ink usually lasts 2-3 years of normal home use. The up-front cost is higher than a cartridge inkjet but the running cost is roughly 90% lower per page.
Six current EcoTanks are worth a look. Buying the cheapest sometimes makes sense; buying the most expensive sometimes makes sense; what to avoid is buying the middle one for no reason.
At a glance — the shortlist
| # | Model | Best for | Speed | Price band | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Epson EcoTank ET-2850 | Best entry-level — the default | 10.5 ppm | £240-£300 | Amazon |
| 2 | Epson EcoTank ET-2950 | Latest gen — buy if you want current model | 10 ppm | £254.99 | Amazon |
| 3 | Epson EcoTank ET-3850 (with Ethernet) | Best with Ethernet + ADF | 15 ppm | £340.58 | Amazon |
| 4 | Epson EcoTank ET-2860 | Mid-tier alternative to ET-2850 | 10 ppm | £154.99 | Amazon |
| 5 | Epson EcoTank ET-4850 | Best full small-office MFP | 15.5 ppm | £449.95 | Amazon |
| 6 | Epson EcoTank ET-5800 (business) | Best for higher-volume business | 25 ppm | £500-£620 | Amazon |
Epson · 10.5 ppm
Best entry-level — the default
£240-300. Refillable ink tanks. Wi-Fi, auto duplex, print/scan/copy. Up to 3 years' ink in the box. This is the printer to buy if you want to stop buying cartridges forever and don't need an ADF.
For most home users this is genuinely the right answer. The newer ET-2950 is £40 more for a slightly nicer screen — usually not worth it.
Epson · 10 ppm
Latest gen — buy if you want current model
£280-340. Successor to the ET-2850. Adds a 3.7-inch colour LCD and minor refinements. Identical core experience.
Epson · 15 ppm
Best with Ethernet + ADF
£330-400. 15 ppm (faster than the 2-series), wired Ethernet, 30-page ADF for scanning stacks. The step-up most small offices actually want — not the 2-series, not the more expensive 4-series with fax.
Epson · 10 ppm
Mid-tier alternative to ET-2850
£260-320. Sits between the 2850 and 2950 with a different LCD. Skip in favour of whichever of the 2850 or 2950 has the lowest price when you buy.
Epson · 15.5 ppm
Best full small-office MFP
£380-450. Print, scan, copy, fax. ADF + duplex. 6.1-inch colour touchscreen. The complete small-office EcoTank. Buy this when the 3850 isn't enough machine.
Epson · 25 ppm
Best for higher-volume business
£500-620. 25 ppm — significantly faster than the 4-series, with higher duty cycle. The right EcoTank when you genuinely print all day. For most home offices, overkill.
Two things people get wrong about EcoTanks
1. Ink doesn't last forever in the tank. Once filled, Epson guarantees about 2 years before the ink degrades. If you print twice a year, an EcoTank is wasted on you — buy a mono laser instead.
2. The third-party ink question. Yes, you can refill with third-party bottles for about a third the price. Yes, this works fine in practice. No, it doesn't void the warranty in the UK as long as you can show the printer fault is unrelated to the ink (Consumer Rights Act 2015). Just don't expect Epson to be helpful about it.
EcoTank vs laser for mono prints: If you print mostly black text, a mono laser is still cheaper per page than even an EcoTank. EcoTank wins for mixed colour-and-mono home use.