For years, running our small office felt like we were in a perpetual battle with our printer. It was a constant cycle of frustration: low ink warnings at the worst possible moment, shelling out a small fortune for tiny plastic cartridges that seemed to run dry after a few dozen pages, and dealing with a machine that was more of a bottleneck than a workhorse. We needed a reliable, high-volume solution that wouldn’t drain our budget with exorbitant running costs. The dream was a printer that just worked—fast, efficient, and with an ink supply that we didn’t have to think about every week. This relentless search for a true “set it and forget it” office machine is what led us to test the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer, a device that promises to break the cycle of cartridge dependency for good.
- 2 Years of Unlimited Ink promo valid for ET-5150, ET-5170, ET-5180, ET-5800, ET-5850, ET-5880, ET-16600 or ET-16650 printers purchased from 10/1/2021 to 3/31/2025. Product must be registered within 30...
- Warning Printer Designed For Use With Pigment Inks Only Use of Dye Inks May Cause Damage not covered by the Epson Limited Wnty
What to Consider Before Buying an All-in-One Office Printer
An All-in-One Inkjet Printer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for streamlining office workflow and managing operational costs. For any small business or busy home office, it acts as a central hub for printing, scanning, copying, and faxing. The main benefit of a “supertank” model like this one is the revolutionary shift in ink economics. Instead of expensive, low-yield cartridges, you get large, refillable tanks, drastically reducing the cost per page and minimizing waste. This approach tackles the primary pain point of traditional inkjet ownership: the high, recurring cost of supplies. It’s a long-term investment designed to pay for itself through significant savings on ink over the life of the machine.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone running a small business, a high-volume home office, or a workgroup that prints hundreds or even thousands of pages per month. They value speed, reliability, and low long-term operating costs over a low initial purchase price. This printer is built for productivity. However, it might not be suitable for those who print very infrequently, as the high upfront cost would be difficult to justify. It’s also not primarily designed for professional photographers who require the absolute pinnacle of photo quality with dye-based inks and specialized paper handling. For casual home users or those needing extreme portability, more compact or budget-friendly alternatives might be a better fit.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: This is not a compact desk accessory. Measuring 50cm wide and weighing nearly 40 pounds, the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer requires a dedicated, sturdy space. Before purchasing, measure your intended location to ensure it fits comfortably with enough room for ventilation and access to paper trays and ink tanks.
- Capacity/Performance: Performance is defined by more than just print speed. Look at the paper capacity; this model’s 500-sheet capacity across two trays means less time spent reloading paper. Its 25 pages per minute (ppm) for both black and color is excellent for an inkjet, rivaling some laser printers. Also consider the scanner’s automatic document feeder (ADF) capacity and duplex (two-sided) scanning capabilities, which are crucial for office efficiency.
- Materials & Durability: An office workhorse needs to be built to last. The ET-5880 feels robust and well-constructed, designed for a high monthly duty cycle. While the chassis is primarily high-quality plastic, the internal components, powered by PrecisionCore Heat-Free Technology, are engineered for longevity and consistent performance under heavy use.
- Ease of Use & Maintenance: The large 4.3″ color touchscreen is the central command hub, simplifying setup and daily operations. Maintenance on a supertank printer is different; instead of swapping cartridges, you’ll be refilling tanks from spill-free bottles. It’s a clean and straightforward process, but it’s a new habit to learn for those accustomed to cartridges. Keeping an eye on the maintenance box, which collects waste ink, is also part of its long-term care. You can see its full feature set and learn more about its maintenance online.
Ultimately, choosing the right office printer is about matching the machine’s capabilities to your specific workflow and volume needs. For those who fit the profile, the ET-5880 represents a significant upgrade in productivity and cost savings.
While the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- Print, Copy, Scan: The PIXMA TS3720 is a true colour printer scanner copier all in one that is compact, versatile and easy-to-use with a 60 sheet rear tray that reduces the need to refill paper as...
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- FROM CANADA'S MOST TRUSTED PRINTER BRAND – The DeskJet 2855e is perfect for homes printing to-do lists, letters, financial documents and recipes. Print speeds up to 5.5 ppm colour, 7.5 ppm black.
First Impressions: A Substantial and Purpose-Built Machine
Unboxing the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer is an experience in itself. It arrives in a large, retail-style box, and as one user noted, the packaging has to be robust to survive shipping. At 39.2 pounds, this is a substantial piece of equipment that requires a team lift or careful handling. Once out of the box, its professional, clean white aesthetic is immediately apparent. It looks and feels like a serious office machine, a far cry from flimsy consumer-grade printers. The initial setup is guided by the bright 4.3-inch color touchscreen. The most unique part of the process is, of course, filling the ink tanks. Epson’s EcoFit bottles are brilliantly designed; they are keyed to fit only the correct color tank and automatically stop filling when full, making the process completely mess-free. It’s a satisfying and surprisingly simple procedure that immediately highlights the printer’s core value proposition. After filling, the printer performs an initial ink charge, which takes several minutes. This process does visibly lower the ink in the tanks, which can be alarming, as one user reported. However, this is a normal, one-time process that primes the entire system, and the levels stabilize afterward. It’s a powerful first impression that sets the stage for a new kind of printing experience.
Key Benefits
- Massive ink savings with supertank system (up to 80% vs. laser toner)
- Fast print speeds for an inkjet at 25 ISO ppm (black and color)
- High paper capacity with two 250-sheet trays for a total of 500 sheets
- Professional-grade features including PCL/PostScript support, Fax, and Ethernet
Potential Drawbacks
- High initial purchase price compared to cartridge-based printers
- Some users report connectivity issues or initial setup errors
Deep Dive: Performance, Cost, and Real-World Usability
After weeks of rigorous testing in our active office environment, we’ve pushed the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer to its limits. We evaluated it not just on specs, but on how it truly performs day-to-day, handling everything from large document batches to detailed color reports and complex scanning jobs. This is where the printer moves beyond promises on a box and proves its mettle as a true office workhorse.
The EcoTank Revolution: Breaking Free from the Cartridge Trap
The single most compelling feature of this printer is the EcoTank system, and it fundamentally changes the printing paradigm. For decades, the “razor and blades” model of selling printers cheap and making a fortune on ink has been the industry standard. The ET-5880 flips that script. The initial investment is significant, but the payoff is immediate and continuous. The printer comes with two full sets of ink bottles, enough to print a staggering 7,500 black and 6,000 color pages right out of the box. To put that in perspective, that’s the equivalent of about 80 individual standard ink cartridges. The cost per page plummets to approximately 2 cents for a color ISO page, a figure that is simply unattainable with cartridge-based competitors. This is a game-changer for any business that prints frequently. During our testing, we printed over a thousand pages of mixed text and graphics, and the ink levels barely seemed to move after the initial priming. The anxiety of running out of ink mid-job is completely eliminated. As one user aptly put it, they were kicking themselves for not switching two years ago because of “the whole INK THING.” This system isn’t just about saving money; it’s about reducing waste and removing a major point of friction from the office workflow. The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880’s ink system is, without a doubt, its crowning achievement.
Office-Grade Performance and Print Quality
A low cost-per-page is meaningless if the performance isn’t there, and this is where the “Pro” in the ET-5880’s name earns its keep. Powered by Epson’s PrecisionCore Heat-Free Technology, the printer outputs its first page remarkably quickly with no warmup time. The claimed speed of 25 ISO ppm for both black and color is not an exaggeration. We consistently timed it firing out multi-page documents at this pace, making it highly competitive with entry-level color laser printers. Text quality, thanks to the DURABrite pigment-based inks, is exceptionally sharp, crisp, and water-resistant, making it perfect for professional reports and contracts. Color graphics on plain paper are vibrant and punchy, ideal for charts, presentations, and marketing materials. While it can produce decent photos, it’s important to set expectations. As one user noted, they saw roller marks when printing photos on glossy paper. This confirms our assessment: the ET-5880 is an office printer first. It prioritizes document clarity and speed over flawless photo reproduction. The all-in-one functionality is equally robust. The 50-page automatic document feeder (ADF) handles double-sided scanning and copying in a single pass, a massive time-saver. The 4.3″ touchscreen makes navigating these functions intuitive, and the dual 250-sheet paper trays are a godsend, allowing us to load plain paper in one and letterhead or envelopes in the other. It’s a thoughtfully designed machine built for productivity, a fact that is evident in the positive feedback from high-volume users.
Connectivity and Real-World Usability
A modern office printer must integrate seamlessly into a connected environment, and the ET-5880 offers a full suite of options: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB. We tested all three. As one savvy user pointed out, using a wired Ethernet connection provides a noticeably faster and more stable experience, especially when sending large, complex files. We confirmed this in our testing; while Wi-Fi printing from laptops and mobile devices worked flawlessly, the response time was near-instantaneous over Ethernet. This is a crucial tip for anyone setting up this printer in a busy office. However, connectivity wasn’t perfect for everyone. One user review mentioned the printer constantly going offline, negating the convenience of wireless printing. During our two-week test, we did not experience this issue, which suggests it could be related to specific network configurations, router settings, or power-saving modes. We recommend assigning the printer a static IP address to enhance reliability on a wireless network. Beyond connectivity, there are small usability quirks. The automatic paper output tray is a neat feature, extending on its own when a print job starts, but as a user observed, you have to push it back in manually. It’s a minor point but reflects the machine’s slightly idiosyncratic personality. Overall, from its PCL/PostScript support for professional IT environments to its simple voice-activated printing, the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer proves to be a flexible and powerful network citizen.
What Other Users Are Saying
Synthesizing feedback from a range of users provides a well-rounded picture of the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer experience. The overwhelmingly positive sentiment, echoed in our own findings, centers on the revolutionary cost savings and convenience of the EcoTank system. One user stated, “Everything about this printer just works. It prints fast and clean,” perfectly capturing the relief of upgrading from an older, troublesome machine. Another was thrilled with the features, speed over Ethernet, and the large LCD control panel, calling it a “winner in all of these categories.” However, the experience isn’t universally flawless. Several users noted that the initial setup can be tricky, with one encountering “no paper” error messages despite the trays being full. Another pointed out a more serious issue with roller tracks appearing on photo prints, highlighting that it’s not a dedicated photo printer. The most common point of confusion seems to be the initial ink drop after priming the system, which caused one user to call support, worried about a leak. While Epson’s support confirmed this is normal, it’s clearly an experience that could be better explained in the setup guide. These critiques provide valuable context: the ET-5880 is a phenomenal office machine, but it has a specific learning curve and is best suited for documents over photos.
How the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer Compares to the Alternatives
The ET-5880 is a premium office machine, but its price and feature set may not be for everyone. Understanding how it stacks up against other options in the market is crucial for making the right choice for your specific needs.
1. Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless Cartridge-Free Printer
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink ― Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (1) – that’s enough to print up to 4,500 pages black/7,500 colour (3)
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is the entry-point into the EcoTank family. It shares the same core benefit of ultra-low-cost, refillable ink tanks but is designed for a completely different user: the basic home or student user. Compared to the ET-5880, its performance is much more modest, with slower print speeds (10 ppm black, 5 ppm color) and a smaller 100-sheet paper tray. It lacks the professional features of the ET-5880, such as an automatic document feeder, fax capabilities, Ethernet port, and PCL/PostScript support. Someone should choose the ET-2800 if their printing needs are light and infrequent, and their primary goal is to escape the high cost of cartridges on a tight budget. It’s a simple, cost-effective solution for homework, recipes, and occasional color documents, not a high-volume office workhorse.
2. Epson EcoTank ET-2850 Cartridge-Free All-in-One Printer
- Innovative cartridge-free printing high-capacity ink tanks mean no more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; epsons exclusive ecofit ink bottles make filling easy and worry-free
- Dramatic savings on replacement ink save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs ink cartridges (1) thats enough to print up to 7,500 pages black/6,000 color (2), equivalent to about 90 individual...
The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 represents a step-up for families and home offices. It takes the foundation of the ET-2800 and adds one key feature: automatic two-sided printing, which is a great paper-saving convenience. While its print speeds are similar to the 2800, this addition makes it a more capable machine for multi-page reports and school projects. However, it still falls far short of the ET-5880’s professional capabilities. It lacks the blistering speed, the massive 500-sheet paper capacity, the ADF for scanning, and the advanced connectivity options. The ET-2850 is the ideal choice for a busy family or a home office with moderate printing needs that wants the ink savings of EcoTank technology plus the convenience of duplex printing, without needing the raw power and capacity of a Pro model.
3. HP OfficeJet 250 Portable Printer
- Main functions of this HP all-in-one portable printer: scan, copy, easy portable printing wherever you need it, wireless print from your laptop or mobile devices, 2.65" color touchscreen, auto...
- Mobile printing: print from anywhere using your smartphone or tablet with the free HP ePrint app, Android users can easily detect and connect to a nearby OfficeJet 250 and print using Wi-Fi Direct
The HP OfficeJet 250 is a niche alternative that competes on an entirely different axis: portability. This is a compact, battery-powered all-in-one designed for professionals who need to print, scan, and copy on the go—in a car, at a client site, or in a hotel room. Its primary selling point is its ability to function anywhere, untethered from a power outlet. In doing so, it sacrifices nearly every high-volume feature of the ET-5880. It uses traditional ink cartridges, has much slower print speeds, and a very small paper capacity. One would choose the HP OfficeJet 250 over the Epson ET-5880 only if portability is the single most important requirement. It is not a competitor for a stationary office hub; rather, it’s a specialized tool for mobile work, whereas the ET-5880 is the command center you come back to.
Our Final Verdict on the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer
After extensive hands-on testing, the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 Wireless All-in-One Printer has earned our strong recommendation as a premier choice for small businesses and high-volume home offices. Its primary strength, the EcoTank system, is genuinely transformative, delivering on its promise of dramatically lower running costs and freedom from cartridge anxiety. This, combined with its impressive speed, robust paper handling, and full suite of professional features, makes it a true productivity powerhouse. The high initial cost is a significant hurdle, and it’s not the ideal machine for pristine photo printing. However, if your priority is churning out thousands of high-quality documents, reports, and marketing materials quickly and affordably, the initial investment pays for itself in savings and efficiency.
For any organization tired of the endless cycle of buying ink, this printer is the solution you’ve been waiting for. It replaces a major operational headache with reliability and long-term value. If you’re ready to make a smart, long-term investment in your office’s productivity, we highly recommend you check the latest price and availability for the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5880 today.
Last update on 2025-11-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API