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Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw  Printer Review

Reviewed Sep 29, 2023 at 11:25am
Retest Jan 16, 2025 at 08:53am
Tested using methodology v1.2 
Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw
5.0
Family 
6.9
Small/Home Office 
7.3
Student 
7.6
Black & White 
1.2
Photo 
0.0
Color Quality 
6.0
Document Quality 
0.0
Scanner 
 7

The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw is a monochrome laser printer. It's a print-only unit with Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB connectivity and support for AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. It's compatible with 071 standard format or 071 H high-yield cartridges. It also features a 150-sheet input tray, a 100-sheet output tray, and a small monochrome LCD display.

Our Verdict

5.0
Family 

The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw is a poor fit for family usage. It can only print in black-and-white, and its highly-pronounced printing pattern makes it unsuitable for printing documents that incorporate photos or detailed graphs. It also lacks a scanner to copy pages from books or magazines. That said, the relatively wide range of connectivity options makes it easy for anyone in your home to connect to the unit, and its high page yield keeps ownership costs low.

Pros
  • High page yield and low cost-per-print.
  • Few maintenance requirements.
Cons
  • Printing pattern obscures fine details.
  • Can't print in color.
  • Can't print on glossy paper.
  • No scanner.
6.9
Small/Home Office 

The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw is an okay choice for home offices. While printing quality is nothing to write home about, with poor resolution of fine details and a lot of graininess, the LBP122dw can output a large number of black-and-white pages in remarkably little time. Its toner cartridge has a high yield, so you won't have to replace it very often, which keeps the cost of ownership low. That said, the lack of a scanner and color printing capability might be limiting to some offices.

Pros
  • High page yield and low cost-per-print.
  • Fast printing speed.
  • Few maintenance requirements.
Cons
  • Can't print in color.
  • No scanner.
  • Mediocre document printing quality.
7.3
Student 

The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw is a decent choice for students as long as you know its limitations. It can't print in color and is best suited for bulk printing text documents, as its obvious printing pattern can obscure fine details in photos and graphs. It lacks a scanner, too, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you frequently need to copy from textbooks. That said, it can quickly print long, multi-page documents, which is great for those last-minute essay submissions. Its relatively inexpensive replacement toner cartridges and high page yield also mean low ownership costs.

Pros
  • High page yield and low cost-per-print.
  • Fast printing speed.
  • Few maintenance requirements.
Cons
  • No scanner.
  • Mediocre document printing quality.
7.6
Black & White 

The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw is a good black-and-white printer. Even its standard-format 071 toner cartridge has a high page yield, though you can buy a high-yield cartridge if need be. The printer also outputs pages very quickly. That said, print quality is mediocre; while text is legible, there's a lot of graininess, and details in photos and graphs are obscured by the low print resolution and obvious printing pattern.

Pros
  • High page yield and low cost-per-print.
  • Fast printing speed.
Cons
  • Mediocre document printing quality.
1.2
Photo 

The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw isn't designed for photo printing. It's a black-and-white-only laser unit, so it can't print in color. Its low print resolution and obvious printing pattern result in photos that look grainy and lacking in detail.

Pros
None
Cons
  • Printing pattern obscures fine details.
  • Can't print in color.
  • Can't print on glossy paper.
0.0
Color Quality 

Pros
None
Cons
None
6.0
Document Quality 

Pros
None
Cons
None
0.0
Scanner 

Pros
None
Cons
None
8.8
Speed 

Pros
None
Cons
None
9.4
Recurring Costs 

Pros
None
Cons
None
  • 5.0
    Family
  • 6.9
    Small/Home Office
  • 7.3
    Student
  • 7.6
    Black & White
  • 1.2
    Photo

  • Performance Usages

  • 0.0
    Color Quality
  • 6.0
    Document Quality
  • 0.0
    Scanner
  • 8.8
    Speed
  • 9.4
    Recurring Costs
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Jan 16, 2025: 

      We've updated the product's 'Depth When In Use' in the Dimensions section to correct an error.

    2.  Updated Sep 29, 2023: Review published.
    3.  Updated Sep 26, 2023: Early access published.
    4.  Updated Sep 21, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.

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    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    There are a few other variants of this printer with slight differences in name, region of sale, and connectivity options.

    Model Name  Region of Sale Connectivity
    imageCLASS LBP122dw North America USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
    i-SENSYS LBP122dw Europe USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
    imageCLASS LBP121dn Asia USB, Ethernet

    We tested the imageCLASS LBP122dw variant, and you can see its label here.

    Let us know in the discussions if you come across another variant of this printer, and we'll update our review.

    Popular Printer Comparisons

    The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw is a basic print-only monochrome laser unit. Compared to similarly-priced models like the Pantum P2502W, it feels considerably better built and offers niceties like automatic duplex printing and an LCD status display, though it's worth noting that the latter is really rudimentary. Its page yield is fairly high, though not class-leading amongst other laser printers, and its mediocre document printing quality means that it's best suited for text-only documents.

    If you're looking for an alternative, see our recommendations for the best laser printers, the best office printers, and the best black and white printers.

    Pantum P2502W

    The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw is better than the Pantum P2502W. While the Pantum has a marginally higher page yield, the Canon has many other advantages on its side. The Canon feels better built, prints faster, and has an Ethernet port and a basic LCD status screen.

    Brother HL-L2325DW

    The Brother HL-L2325DW and Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw are both monochrome print-only units with different strengths. The Brother offers noticeably superior print quality for documents that occasionally incorporate photos or graphs. That said, the Canon prints faster, uses toner cartridges with a higher page yield, and incurs lower ownership costs, so it's a better option for bulk printing of text documents.

    Canon imageCLASS MF3010

    The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw is a better printer than the Canon imageCLASS MF3010. The LBP122dw feels noticeably sturdier, has a slightly more informative status screen, supports duplex printing, and offers a wide range of wireless printing options that the MF3010 does not, including Wi-Fi as well as Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. The MF3010 holds an advantage with its flatbed scanner, so it could be a better fit if you don't mind the lack of wireless connectivity and frequently copy from textbooks or magazines. It also uses cartridges with a much higher page yield than the 071 format cartridges used by the LBP122dw.

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    8.0
    Build Quality
    TypePrinter Only

    This printer feels well-built. It's made of fairly dense plastic and has no obvious weak points. It also has a detachable power cable and solid-feeling input connections. The LBP122dw features adjustable sliders to align sheets and prevent paper jams; they're easy to move and have distinct notches corresponding to different paper sizes. The input tray has a cover to protect any paper inside and can be tucked away. Opening the top of the printer gives you easy access to the toner cartridge, but note that there's no damper for the lid, so it'll slam shut if you don't gently close it. If you want to access the sheet rollers, you can open the panel at the rear of the printer, as seen here.

    Dimensions
    Height8.5" (21.5 cm)
    Width14.0" (35.6 cm)
    Depth11.2" (28.5 cm)
    Height When In Use
    10.3" (26.2 cm)
    Width When In Use
    14.0" (35.6 cm)
    Depth When In Use
    ≈ 18.0" (45.8 cm)
    Weight
    12.3 lbs (5.6 kg)
    7.5
    Expected Maintenance
    Ink Related Maintenance
    Not Needed
    Drum Unit
    In The Cartridge

    The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw doesn't require much maintenance, as unlike an inkjet printer, there's no risk of printhead clogging. That said, if you encounter any print quality issues, you can resolve them by running the built-in 'Cleaning the Fixing Assembly' or 'Cleaning the Drum' routines in the printer menu. The toner cartridge's high yield ensures you won't need to replace it too often. Replacing the cartridge is pretty simple, with the top cover opening wide to give you ample access to the printer's internals. The drum is also built into the cartridge, so there's no need to replace it separately. The input tray holds 150 sheets of paper, so depending on how much you print, you may need to refill it regularly.

    You can see the online manual here.

    4.0
    Display Screen
    Display ScreenYes
    Display Screen Size
    1.8" (4.6 cm)
    TouchscreenNo

    This printer's display is pretty simple. It's a small monochrome LCD that roughly estimates the remaining toner levels and Wi-Fi connectivity status. Its reflective surface, low brightness, and fixed position make it very hard to see, even when looking at it directly. You do have the option of inverting the display colors, but this doesn't improve its overall legibility.

    8.5
    Cartridge
    TechnologyLaser
    SuperTank
    No
    Photo Cartridge
    No
    ColorNo
    Number Of Color Cartridges
    N/A
    Black Cartridge Model
    Toner 071 Black
    Tested Black Page Yield
    99.96 prints
    Estimated Black Page Yield
    1,899 prints
    Color Cartridge Model
    No Color Cartridge
    Tested Color Page Yield
    N/A
    Estimated Color Page Yield
    N/A
    Third Party Cartridge
    Not Found At Time Of The Review
    Ink Type
    Toner
    High Yield Cartridge
    Yes

    The Canon LBP122dw has a fantastic page yield, even with its standard 071-format cartridge; if needed, the printer is also fully compatible with 071 H high-yield cartridges. While the printer will issue an alert when running low on toner, it won't stop you from printing.

    0.0
    Scanner Features
    Scanner
    No Scanner
    ADF Capacity
    N/A
    Scan Speed
    N/A
    Duplex Scanning
    No
    Max Flatbed Scan Size
    No Scanner
    Max ADF Scan Size
    No Scanner
    Flatbed Hinge Adjustability
    N/A
    Fax
    No
    Copy
    No
    OCR Included
    No Scanner

    This is a print-only unit without a scanner.

    N/A
    Scan Quality
    Max Scan Resolution
    N/A
    Max Scan Color Depth
    N/A

    This is a print-only unit without a scanner.

    In The Box

    • Canon 071-format black toner cartridge
    • Power cable
    • User Software CD-ROM
    • Setup guide

    Battery
    Advertised Battery Life
    N/A
    Tested Charging Time
    N/A

    This is a corded unit.

    Document
    6.0
    Black & White Documents
    Color Ink Needed For Black & White
    No

    The print quality for black-and-white documents is mediocre. Text is legible, but the dotted printing pattern can slightly obscure really fine details, and it can be hard to see delineations between slightly different shades of gray. The printer also seems to print at a slightly tighter crop than other models, though not to the point where information is lost at the edges of the page.

    Note: Printed pages from our test unit are slightly crooked. This issue persisted even after ensuring proper alignment within the paper tray. Let us know in the discussions below if you have this printer and have encountered a similar issue.

    0.0
    Color Documents

    This is a black-only printer.

    9.4
    Cost-Per-Print
    See details on graph tool
    Black Cartridge Price
    50.99 US$
    Color Cartridge Price
    N/A
    Black-Only Printing Cost
    0.027 US$/print
    Color Printing Cost
    N/A
    Photo Printing Cost
    N/A
    Ink Subscription
    Optional

    The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw's cost-per-print is exceptionally low due to the toner cartridge's high page yield and relatively low price of replacements. The drum is built into the cartridge, so you won't have to spend extra to replace the drum separately and ensure consistent print quality. That does come with a few trade-offs: if the drum is damaged or defective, you'll need to replace the cartridge, regardless of the remaining toner quantity. Since drum units tend to have a fairly long lifespan, you might also view it as wasteful to toss out a perfectly serviceable part with an empty toner cartridge.

    The LBP122dw is also compatible with Canon's Auto Replenishment Service, which will ship new toner to your door when the printer is running low.

    8.8
    Printing Speed
    Black Only Text Document
    28 PPM
    Color Document
    N/A
    Photo Printing Time
    13.5 s
    Single Page Out Time (Black Only)
    11.0 s
    Duplex Printing
    Automatic
    Input Tray Capacity
    150 pages

    The overall printing speed is amazingly fast. The Canon LBP122dw doesn't take too long to warm up and print the first page; subsequent pages come out quickly. This printer also supports automatic duplex printing, so you won't have to flip over sheets manually like on similarly-priced alternatives like the Pantum P2502W.

    Document Printing Sizes
    Letter (8.5" x 11")Yes
    Legal (8.5" x 14")Yes
    Tabloid (11" x 17")No
    A6 (105mm x 148mm)Yes
    A5 (148mm x 210mm)Yes
    A4 (210mm x 297mm)Yes
    Max Paper Weight
    120 g/m²

    You can set custom paper sizes from 127 mm to 356 mm (5" to 14.02") in width and 76.2 mm to 216 mm (2.99" to 8.5") in length.

    Photo
    0.0
    Color Gamut

    The Canon LBP122dw can't print in color.

    0.0
    Color Accuracy
    Average Color dE
    N/A

    The Canon LBP122dw can't print in color.

    1.0
    Small Details
    Max Print Resolution (DPI)
    600 x 600

    This printer does a terrible job of resolving fine details, though that's normal for a monochrome laser unit like this. The halftones (dot effect) and low print resolution obscure most fine details.

    0.0
    Photo Printing Sizes
    Glossy Paper (4" x 6")No
    Glossy Paper (5" x 7")No
    Glossy Paper (8" x 10")No
    Glossy Paper (8.5" x 11")No
    Glossy Paper (13" x 19")No
    Borderless Printing
    No

    This printer is incapable of printing on glossy photo paper.

    Mobile App And Connectivity
    8.0
    Connectivity
    Ethernet
    Yes
    USB Input To Computer
    Yes
    Wireless
    Yes
    Bluetooth
    No
    Wi-Fi via Router
    Yes
    Wi-Fi Direct
    Yes
    External Storage Support
    No
    Apple AirPrint
    Yes
    Mopria Print Service
    Yes

    The Canon imageCLASS LBP121dn variant lacks Wi-Fi connectivity, though it does support Ethernet and USB printing.

    9.5
    Mobile App
    Mobile AppYes
    App NameCanon PRINT Business
    iOSYes
    AndroidYes
    Photo (JPEG, PNG)
    iOS Only
    PDF
    Android and iOS
    Microsoft Office Files
    Android and iOS
    Text Files (TXT)
    iOS Only
    Webpages (HTML)
    No

    You can use the Canon PRINT Business app to print documents. While the printer doesn't have a scanner, you can capture photos of documents with a mobile device to effectively 'scan' them. The maximum scan resolution when scanning with your smart device's camera is 300 DPI.

    OS Compatibility
    WindowsFully
    macOSFully
    Chrome OSFully

    This printer is fully compatible with Windows, macOS, and Chrome OS devices out of the box.

    Comments

    1. Product

    Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw: Main Discussion

    Let us know why you want us to review the product here, or encourage others to vote for this product.

    PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
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    1. 2
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      Hello @devynosborne, To answer the recommendation side of your questions

      Thanks for taking the time to explain in detail your recommendation process. Very helpful!

    2. 2
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      I’m curious why this printer isn’t recommended more? Specifically, it rates higher in almost every category (and at least equal in others) compared to the Brother HL-L2460DW. Yet the Brother is included on 15 different recommendation lists versus none for this Canon. The only significant difference I can see is cost: the Canon is ~$170 while the Brother is ~$120. Maybe that cost bumped it out of consideration?

      Hello @devynosborne, To answer the recommendation side of your questions (rather than the dimensions - great catch, by the way!), there are a few reasons the Canon doesn’t make our recommendations. Starting with performance, while the Canon has a slight edge in our scoring, the black and white document print quality is worse than the Brother (I’ll come back to this in a moment), it prints a bit slower (though still a respectable 28 pages per minute), and our prints kept coming out crooked with the Canon. While the crookedness may have been an issue with our unit, it’s still a consideration.

      Now, for the scoring of the black-and-white document quality: the Brother has the same score as the Canon because its out-of-the-box performance isn’t great. However, you can produce much better-looking documents with a couple of tweaks. We outline this process in the Brother’s full review, and we don’t consider these changes to be so onerous as to be unmanageable for most users. We mention this as a caveat in almost every recommendation article as well.

      Finally, as you mention, the cost. We recommend a variant of the Brother HL-L2460DW as our budget pick. At its MSRP, this takes the Canon out of the running. However, the Canon is available for around $100 on sale. Unfortunately, even at that price point, we still feel the Brother offers better value overall.

      I hope this explains our thought process, and again, thank you for reaching out!

      Edited 6 months ago: Formatting was obscuring reply.
    3. Update: We’ve updated the product’s ‘Depth When In Use’ in the Dimensions section to correct an error.

    4. 2
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      Hello, Thank you for bringing this to our attention! After reviewing the issue, it seems you’re correct. I found documentation stating that the depth when in use should be closer to 18 inches. Unfortunately, we no longer have the printer in stock to measure it directly, but I double-checked the in-use photo and counted the squares on our dimension box. Based on that, I can confirm the depth is closer to 18 inches.

      Thanks! Though I think the original dimension may be correct in a significant way.

      Looking at Canon’s site, they show paper in the tray without the tray extension arm extended - and I assume that’s 8.5"x11" paper. I think that extension arm is for 8.5"x14" paper and that’s what gets it to ~18".

      So – ~15.1" is for 8.5"x11" and ~18" is for 8.5"x14".

    5. 2
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      Can you confirm the “Depth When in Use” dimension? Based on the images, it looks closer 17.75" rather than 15.1", when you count the tray extension arm that indicates the actual end of the paper. This is a critical dimension for my purposes, as I’m hoping to fit it in a cabinet.

      Hello, Thank you for bringing this to our attention! After reviewing the issue, it seems you’re correct. I found documentation stating that the depth when in use should be closer to 18 inches. Unfortunately, we no longer have the printer in stock to measure it directly, but I double-checked the in-use photo and counted the squares on our dimension box. Based on that, I can confirm the depth is closer to 18 inches.

    6. 2
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      Can you confirm the “Depth When in Use” dimension? Based on the images, it looks closer 17.75" rather than 15.1", when you count the tray extension arm that indicates the actual end of the paper. This is a critical dimension for my purposes, as I’m hoping to fit it in a cabinet.

      Unless that extension is for 8.5"x14" paper rather than 8.5"x11"? That would make sense.

    7. 2
      1
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      1
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      Can you confirm the “Depth When in Use” dimension? Based on the images, it looks closer 17.75" rather than 15.1", when you count the tray extension arm that indicates the actual end of the paper. This is a critical dimension for my purposes, as I’m hoping to fit it in a cabinet.

    8. 2
      1
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      1
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      I’m curious why this printer isn’t recommended more?

      Specifically, it rates higher in almost every category (and at least equal in others) compared to the Brother HL-L2460DW. Yet the Brother is included on 15 different recommendation lists versus none for this Canon.

      The only significant difference I can see is cost: the Canon is ~$170 while the Brother is ~$120. Maybe that cost bumped it out of consideration?

      Edited 6 months ago: Clarifying my question.
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