HP Smart Tank 210 review: The company's cheapest ink tank printer is basic, but I cant fault the quality at this price

Date:
Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:05:00 +0000

Description:
If you can live without auto-duplex, this inexpensive ink tank is a bargain.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Specs Type: color inkjet tank printer Functions: Print only Connectivity: USB,
Wi-Fi Data storage slots: None Max print speed: 22ppm (draft mode) Max paper size: Letter/A4 Print quality: 600x600dpi; 4800x1200dpi (enhanced) Memory: 64MB Apple AirPrint: yes Consumables included: 4 x bottled ink (6,000 black
or color pages) Dimensions/Weight: 434 x 360 x 134 mm (WxDxH)/8.3lb/3.75kg Meet the smallest and cheapest member of HPs Smart Tank family, lowering the entry point for cartridge-free printing in the home or home office.

Its a severely stripped-back print-only device with no auto-duplex mode, no ethernet port or paper drawer and a very basic display. but the print engine is the same as that of the more expensive HP Smart Tank 5100, so Im hoping
for decent prints with an unbeatable cost-per-page. If you can live without the extras, this could be the lowest total cost of ownership of any home printer. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: HP Smart Tank
210 at Amazon for 129.99 HP Smart Tank 210: Design and build (Image credit: Future) From its sustainable packaging and neat design, to its seamlessly integrated ink tanks, this is a very well-designed product. As well as being the cheapest ink tank printer Ive tested, its also the smallest.

The footprint is the same as the average Letter/A4 printer, but the height is just 134cm, so no bigger than a cartridge inkjet, and I think it looks pretty smart in HPs off-white livery.

With no integrated scanner, the lid is just a fixed steel panel, and with no front media tray either, your paper must be loaded via the rear input tray. This will hold up to 100 sheets, while the output tray will take up to 30.
The display is a postage stamp-sized affair to let you know when its
connected to the network and not much else.

The HP Smart Tank 210 weighs just eight pounds, but despite that, it feels well made and its using 45% recycled plastic. Im glad to see the packaging is all cardboard too. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners
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Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. HP Smart Tank 210: Features & specifications (Image credit: Future) To keep costs down, the HP Smart Tank 210 dispenses with all unnecessary features. Theres no Ethernet port or USB Host port and the display is small and basic. Theres no scanner bed, which is available on the step-up HP Smart Tank 5100.

These are all features I can live without, but limiting it to manual duplex seriously slows down your workflow and encourages wasteful one-sided
printing. So, think carefully before springing for this model. I think its a step too far.

Printing is for the most part slow at just 5ppm (pages per minute) for color pages and 12ppm for black, but thankfully, there is a draft mode for when speed is more important than quality and that cranks it up to 22ppm for black pages. HP Smart Tank 210: Setup and operation (Image credit: Future) HPs printers tend to be the quickest to get up and running thanks to their integrated Bluetooth and Im glad to see its included on this entry-level model. With the HP Smart app on your phone, you can quickly connect it to the printer via Bluetooth, so you can then let the app get your printer onto your local wi-fi network. Dual-band Wi-Fi, AirPrint and Chromebook ensure its
quick to connect and the app makes it quite easy to print wirelessly.

Things get fiddlier when it comes to installing the two printhead cartridges that distribute the black and tri-color inks to the ink jets. Yes, there are still cartridges, but dont worry, theyre not the kind that need replacing.
The only way to get at them is through the front panel, so you need quite
long fingers.

That done, youre ready to pour in the ink, and thats much easier. The individually shaped bottle necks means theres no danger of getting the colors the wrong way around and for three of the tanks, the bottle capacity matches that of the reservoirs. The black bottle holds more, but the tank stops filling automatically when full. I did it quite hurriedly and didnt spill a drop. HP Smart Tank 210: Performance (Image credit: Future) The HP Smart Tank 210 turned out crisp and colorful test pages without any crashes or paper
jams throughout the test. It prints slowly, especially in color, but the
pages are worth waiting for. HPs dye-based C/M/Y inks are bold and bright, so the colors are pleasingly vivid.

As with most business inkjet printers, the black ink is pigment based because that tends to give quick drying and robust prints that are good for handouts. Black text on plain paper looks sharp enough and it passed the finger smudge test. However, it began to lose clarity when printing characters as small as point 3 print size.

Print resolution is the standard 600x600dpi resolution, but this is enhanced when printing on photo paper at fine quality to 4800x1200dpi. It means the HP Smart Tank 210 makes a reasonable photo printer. and the results are on par with more expensive printers like the Brother DCP-T580DW . HP Smart Tank 210: Consumables (Image credit: Future) The HP Smart Tank 210 ships with three years of ink according to HP. To be precise, thats three 50ml bottles of colored ink and one 375ml bottle of black ink, which should yield up to 6,000 black or color pages.

Compared with cartridge printers like the HP Envy 6530e which comes with ink for 120 black pages and just 75 color, the advantage of bulk tank printing is clear. The difference in price between cartridge and bottled ink is equally dramatic, with cartridge ink costing around 36 times as much for whats essentially the exact same stuff. HP Smart Tank 210: Maintenance (Image credit: Future) Like any inkjet printer, the printheads are liable to clog if the ink is allowed to dry when left unused for a length of time. Its easily solved by running a maintenance cycle.

There are three to choose from with the most thorough using the largest
amount ink to flush the printheads. If this were a cartridge inkjet, youd be reluctant to choose that option, but with bottled ink being relatively cheap, its not an issue.

If even this doesnt solve the problem, you can replace the print head cartridges easily, but its unlikely youll need to do this in the printers lifetime. HP Smart Tank 210: Final verdict Image 1 of 3 (Image credit:
Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Image 1 of 3 View Original Image 2 of 3 View Original Image 3 of 3 View Original Im delighted
to see the entry point for cartridge-free printing lowered by this innovative budget solution. Admittedly, a lot of features have been cut to get here - theres no scanner, ethernet port, touchscreen, paper tray or auto-duplex.

However, the print quality is the same as the HP Smart Tank 5100 and comparable with HPs more expensive HP Smart Tank 7001 , which is very good news. Text pages look just as sharp while photos have vivid color and
clarity.

It has the same crisp design and easy setup as HPs other printers too, thanks to its inbuilt Bluetooth and seamlessly integrated ink tanks. Theres plenty
of ink in the box and the low cost of HPs bottled refills means you wont find another printer with a lower cost of ownership.

For me, auto-duplex is a must-have feature, but if you can live with manual duplex this stripped back ink tank is a bargain. For more options, I've
tested out the best home printers and the best ink tank printers . HP Smart Tank 210: Price Comparison 159.99 129.99 View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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