HP Smart Tank 7305 printer review

This review is difficult. Not because the HP Smart Tank 7305 printer is bad; completely the opposite actually, it’s the best home printer I’ve ever used. No, it’s tricky because I fundamentally don’t think the modern Kiwi needs a home printer beyond some niche use cases, and I find it hard to recommend superfluous things.

But the printer is great. Let’s find out why (I already know, though).

Printers Gonna Print

Technically, the HP Smart Tank 7305 printer is indeed a printer. Grey and beige box, got a scanny bit, some foldy flaps, and a bit to put paper in. So far, so printer. Installing ink was easy and weirdly satisfying. You click the bottle in, and it all glugs down like a thirsty mechanical baby (there’s a quote HP’s PR will definitely never use).

The app setup was very convenient, even if it took a bit of finicking around to get the wifi to connect. Once it did, though, we were away and printing. I especially like that anyone connected to your wifi can use it; the prank potential would be legendary if this were 2012. As of 2023, it’s just very convenient, which means my husband could also print things with minimal fuss.

A Tale of Several Documents

But print what? There’s the question. The last thing I needed to print was my immigration documentation, and I’ve been a permanent resident for half a decade. So what could I print?

Well, lots of things.

I printed out some proxy Pokémon cards to fill a mini binder with cards I need to finish my collection, leading me to realise I’m never finishing it because one of them is like $2500 and I’m not rich or insane enough to do that.

Then I printed out a draft of a story I wrote, which really drove home how much more work I need to put into drafts because at one point it just lapses into broken German, a language I do not fluently speak.

I also printed a full-colour picture someone on Bluesky edited of one of my cats, and I like that very much and intend to frame it.

And I printed the return label for a Lenovo Legion Pro 5i laptop that I was reviewing; that was actually very handy, since I would not have been able to do that had I not had the HP Smart Tank 7305 printer.

Beyond this? Who knows.

It’s Literally A Home Printer

In the interest of balance, I tried to find something about this printer that I didn’t like. And, while it’s been a long time since I used a home printer, are they usually this slow? Like 30 seconds for a page. It’s still fast enough for any of my needs, mind you, but it feels slow. Vin Diesel would not approve, since he needs things to be prompt and angry, while this was merely slow and ambivalent.

That’s literally the worst thing I can say about the HP Smart Tank 7305 printer. It’s fine, it’s easy to use, and it prints things good. Otherwise, there is not much else to say. It’s a great machine with a niche use case, considering no one prints anything anymore.

Basically, I don’t think anyone truly needs their own printer. But if you do, this one is an easy buy.

And you were wondering how long I could talk about a printer.