Brother HL-L2460DW vs Canon LBP122dw: Which Wins?

Verdict

Which one should most people buy?

Brother is the better fit for most home offices.

Buy the Brother HL-L2460DW unless compact depth matters more than tray capacity.

Brother wins this head-to-head for most shoppers because its official spec sheet gives it the more forgiving daily setup: up to 36 ppm black printing, a 250-sheet tray, automatic duplex, Ethernet, USB, and dual-band wireless. That combination matters when one printer has to serve a home office, school paperwork, shipping labels, and shared household printing without constant refills.

Choose the Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw if your print volume is lighter and desk depth is the constraint. It has a shallower 11.1-inch depth, a 5-line LCD, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet, USB, and a faster stated first print out time, but its 150-sheet cassette and 30 ppm rating are less comfortable for longer batches.

At a glance

The key specs.

Best for busier home offices

Brother Wireless HL-L2460DW Compact Monochrome Laser Printer

A print-only black-and-white laser printer built around batch speed, a 250-sheet tray, automatic duplex printing, Ethernet, dual-band wireless, USB, and mobile print support.

Model: HL-L2460DW
Print setup: Up to 36 ppm, 250-sheet tray, automatic duplex
Dimensions: 14.0 in W x 14.2 in D x 7.2 in H; 15.6 lb
Best for: Shared home-office printing, longer document batches, and buyers who want fewer paper refills.

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Best for shallower desks

Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw Wireless Laser Printer

A compact print-only Canon laser printer with automatic duplex, a 150-sheet cassette, Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, a 5-line LCD, and a quick stated first-page time.

Model: imageCLASS LBP122dw
Print setup: Up to 30 ppm, 150-sheet cassette, automatic duplex
Dimensions: 14.0 in W x 11.1 in D x 8.4 in H; 12.4 lb
Best for: Lower-volume desks where shallow depth, quick first-page output, and an onboard LCD matter most.

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Buyer guide

Choose by paper volume, not brand habit.

Both printers cover the basic home-office brief: black-and-white laser output, duplex printing, wired and wireless networking, and mobile print paths. The meaningful difference is how often you print enough pages for tray capacity, speed, and setup controls to matter.

Brother HL-L2460DW

Buy this if / skip this if

Buy this if

You print school packets, contracts, tax paperwork, or shipping forms in batches where 36 ppm and a 250-sheet tray reduce waiting and refills.
Your printer has to serve more than one device and you want Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, USB, AirPrint, Mopria, Wi-Fi Direct, and Brother Mobile Connect in one setup.
You expect regular monthly use and want the higher official recommended monthly print volume as a cushion.

Skip this if

Your shelf is shallow; the Brother is 14.2 inches deep before you account for cords and paper handling space.
You rely on the printer panel often and would rather have a multi-line display for setup and status changes.
Most of your jobs are one or two pages, where Canon's faster stated first-page time may matter more than Brother's batch speed.

Canon LBP122dw

Buy this if / skip this if

Buy this if

You need a print-only black-and-white laser printer for short home-office jobs and the desk depth is tight.
You prefer a 5-line LCD for basic menu navigation instead of managing most settings from an app or computer.
Your printing is light to moderate and a 150-sheet cassette is enough between refills.

Skip this if

You print long packets often; the 150-sheet cassette gives you less paper cushion than Brother's 250-sheet tray.
You want dual-band Wi-Fi listed in the official spec sheet; Canon lists Wi-Fi b/g/n plus Wi-Fi Direct.
You want a higher recommended monthly print range for a busier shared printer.

Tray capacity

A 250-sheet tray can take most of a paper ream at once, while a 150-sheet cassette is fine for lighter use but asks you to refill sooner during tax season, school packets, or repeated shipping-label work.

First page vs batch speed

Canon's faster first-page spec helps when you print one page and leave. Brother's higher ppm rating matters more once a job turns into several pages or multiple copies.

Footprint

The Brother is lower but deeper and heavier. The Canon is shallower, so it is easier to place on a narrow shelf, but it gives up tray capacity to get there.

Before you buy

Check these printer-specific fit points first.

Leave room behind the printer for the power cable, USB or Ethernet cable, and paper access; listed dimensions are the unit size, not a full working clearance plan.
Confirm toner availability before you commit. Brother lists TN830 family toner and DR830 drum parts; Canon lists Toner 071 and 071 High Capacity.
If you print from phones, check your preferred path: Brother lists Brother Mobile Connect, AirPrint, Mopria, and Wi-Fi Direct; Canon lists Canon PRINT Business, AirPrint, Mopria, and Wi-Fi Direct.
Buy a monochrome laser only if black-and-white documents are the job. Neither printer is meant for color graphics or photo printing.

Side by side

Compare the trade-offs.

The table focuses on official specs that change ownership: batch speed, paper capacity, footprint, connectivity, and monthly-use headroom.

Brother HL-L2460DW vs Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw official spec comparison.
Metric	Brother HL-L2460DW	Canon LBP122dw
Best fit	WinnerShared home-office printing, longer document batches, and buyers who want fewer paper refills.	Lower-volume desks where shallow depth, quick first-page output, and an onboard LCD matter most.
Model	HL-L2460DW	imageCLASS LBP122dw
Print setup	Up to 36 ppm, 250-sheet tray, automatic duplex	Up to 30 ppm, 150-sheet cassette, automatic duplex
Dimensions	14.0 in W x 14.2 in D x 7.2 in H; 15.6 lb	14.0 in W x 11.1 in D x 8.4 in H; 12.4 lb
Connectivity	Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, AirPrint, Brother Mobile Connect, Mopria, and Wi-Fi Direct.	USB 2.0, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Canon PRINT Business, AirPrint, and Mopria Print Service.
Main drawback	It is deeper and heavier than the Canon, and the one-line display is less helpful for menu navigation.	The smaller cassette, slower rated speed, and lower recommended monthly volume make big batches feel less comfortable.
Buyer fit summary	The Brother is the practical pick when refills and network flexibility matter more than the smallest possible footprint.	The Canon is the better fit when your printer sits on a tight shelf and most jobs are short black-and-white documents.

How we compared

The criteria behind the pick.

We compared manufacturer-published specifications, setup paths, paper handling, dimensions, and product-specific retailer listings. Prices, ratings, review counts, and availability were intentionally left out because they can change and were not needed for this buying decision.

Specs checked

Official Brother and Canon pages supplied the print speed, paper capacity, duplex, connectivity, dimensions, weight, recommended monthly volume, toner family, and warranty notes used here.

Fit checked

The recommendation favors the printer that is easier to live with for repeated document work: fewer paper refills, stronger wired and wireless flexibility, and enough monthly-use headroom for a shared home office.

Best fit

Pick Brother for a busier home office. Pick Canon when a shallower printer, multi-line display, and short-job convenience matter more than tray capacity.

Source trail

What the recommendation is based on.

Brother HL-L2460DW

The Brother is the practical pick when refills and network flexibility matter more than the smallest possible footprint.

Sources: Brother and retailer listing.

Canon LBP122dw

The Canon is the better fit when your printer sits on a tight shelf and most jobs are short black-and-white documents.

Sources: Canon and retailer listing.

FAQ

Questions before checkout.

Which printer is better for a home office?

The Brother HL-L2460DW is the better all-around home-office pick if you print batches or share the printer because it has a faster rated print speed, larger 250-sheet tray, Ethernet, dual-band wireless, USB, and a higher recommended monthly print volume.

Which printer takes up less desk depth?

Canon is shallower on paper. Canon lists the LBP122dw at 14.0 inches wide by 11.1 inches deep by 8.4 inches high, while Brother lists the HL-L2460DW at 14.0 inches wide by 14.2 inches deep by 7.2 inches high.

Do both printers support automatic two-sided printing?

Yes. Brother lists automatic duplex printing for the HL-L2460DW, and Canon lists auto 2-sided printing for the imageCLASS LBP122dw.

Which one has better connectivity?

Brother has the stronger official connectivity mix for most homes because it lists Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, AirPrint, Brother Mobile Connect, Mopria, and Wi-Fi Direct. Canon also covers USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Canon PRINT Business, AirPrint, and Mopria, but does not list dual-band Wi-Fi in the same way.

Should I buy either one for color or photo printing?

No. Both are monochrome laser printers. They make sense for black-and-white documents, labels, forms, and drafts, not color presentations or photo output.

Related comparisons

Keep comparing adjacent categories before you buy, especially if counter space, storage, power, maintenance, or daily handling are part of the decision.

Best overall