Working from home, running errands, managing schedules — all of it comes with a surprising need to print. Whether it’s permission slips, return labels, or scanned documents, we needed a printer that could handle everything without needing constant maintenance or pricey cartridges.

After trying a few over the past year, we found the one we’ve stuck with:

The Brother MFC-J1205W INKvestment Tank.

It's not just reliable — it's ridiculously low maintenance. For everyday use, this all-in-one printer checks all the boxes: it’s quiet, compact, affordable, and incredibly efficient with ink.

⚙️ What Is the MFC-J1205W?

This model is part of Brother’s INKvestment Tank series — meaning it’s built for users who don’t want to refill ink every month.

• 🖨️ Inkjet Color Printer
  
  

• 📠 Flatbed Scanner & Copier
  
  

• 📡 Wi-Fi, AirPrint & Mobile Support
  
  

• 🧃 INKvestment = high-yield cartridges
  
  

• 💻 Mac & Windows compatible, no drivers needed
  
  

🧠 Why It Works So Well for Everyday Tasks

Here’s how this printer fits into our real-life routines:

• ✅ Printing weekly chore charts and meal plans
  
  

• ✅ Scanning IDs, contracts, and receipts
  
  

• ✅ Copying important letters or forms
  
  

• ✅ Quickly printing return labels from phones
  
  

• ✅ Quietly running in the background — even when we’re on Zoom
  
  

We don’t print 100 pages a day. But we print often enough that we needed something dependable. And this thing just works.

🔹 Highlights That Make It Stand Out

🧃 1. Long-Lasting INKvestment Cartridges

The included cartridges lasted us months — not weeks. No dried-out ink. No warnings after 20 pages.

• Page yield: ~750–1,500 pages
  
  

• Replacement ink is affordable
  
  

• Cost per page is way lower than HP or Canon
  
  

We don’t even think about ink refills anymore. That’s a game-changer.

📡 2. Wireless & Mobile Printing Is Seamless

We set it up in under 10 minutes.

• It showed up instantly on our MacBooks (via AirPrint)
  
  

• Printing from an iPhone or iPad? Just open the doc and tap print
  
  

• Android + Chromebook worked too
  
  

• Brother Mobile Connect app = quick scan-to-phone option
  
  

You can even scan directly to Google Drive or Dropbox from your phone if you want.

🖨️ 3. Color When You Need It, Monochrome When You Don’t

Most of what we print is black & white. But when we need to print a full-color school project or birthday invite — it handles that too.

• Text is sharp and clean
  
  

• Colors are vibrant (but not oversaturated)
  
  

• Doesn’t smudge like some cheap inkjets
  
  

We tested it on regular paper and even glossy photo paper — results were better than expected for an entry-level all-in-one.

🔇 4. It’s Quiet Enough to Live on a Desk

One reason we hated our old printer: startup noise.

This Brother model boots up quietly, prints quickly, and doesn’t rattle the desk. Perfect if you work in the same room where it lives.

🧾 Real-World Use Examples

Here’s what we’ve used it for — just in the past two weeks:

• 🖼️ Printing return labels from Amazon & Etsy
  
  

• 📄 Scanning signed school permission slips to PDF
  
  

• 📠 Copying a handwritten letter for safekeeping
  
  

• 📚 Printing homeschool worksheets
  
  

• 💳 Scanning and uploading utility bills for proof of address
  
  

All without drama, ink errors, or “driver not found” alerts.

🧰 Setup Is Beginner-Friendly

Even if you’re not tech-savvy, setup is simple:

1. Plug it in
   
   

2. Download Brother Mobile Connect (or just use AirPrint)
   
   

3. Connect to Wi-Fi using the control panel
   
   

4. Done — print away
   
   

We had it live and working on 3 devices in under 10 minutes.

👎 Minor Drawbacks

To keep it real: it’s not perfect.

• 🐢 Color printing isn’t super fast (but decent for an inkjet)
  
  

• 📥 The paper tray holds about 100 sheets — not ideal for bulk printing
  
  

• ❌ No ADF (automatic document feeder) — flatbed only
  
  

But for under $150, those aren’t dealbreakers. Especially when it just quietly works.