Review
HP’s DeskJet 2955 is a small print, scan and copy machine for light home use. HP recommends 50 to 100 pages a month on it. Its HP 68 cartridges are the main recurring supply to budget for.
The figures here come from HP’s store page and manual, and EPA’s ENERGY STAR listing supplies the power draw. The manual is also where HP spells out which refilled cartridges the printer accepts and what a firmware update can block.
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The DeskJet 2955 suits occasional home printing. Its small standard black cartridge is rated for about 160 ISO pages, so frequent use makes cartridge replacement a regular cost.
HP's US store page supplied the HP 68 cartridge yields, the ink types, the recommended monthly volume, the speeds, the tray sizes and the box contents used in the cartridge and paper sections. HP's manual for the DeskJet 2900 series explains the chip rule, the firmware update settings, the Instant Ink exception and the advice to switch the printer off, which the firmware and power sections rest on. EPA's ENERGY STAR listing for model A24HJA supplied the certified sleep and off power.
The power figures are ENERGY STAR certifications. Every other figure is an HP rating, and our arithmetic turns the cartridge yields into weeks of printing.
We have no independent measurement of print speed, print quality or real cartridge yield, so HP's ISO page counts stay its own ratings.
Two HP 68 cartridges go in, one black and one tri-color. HP rates the standard black at about 160 pages and the tri-color at about 120. Both ratings come from ISO/IEC 24711, the standard test that prints the same set of pages over and over until a cartridge runs dry. A 68e EvoMore black is rated at about 320 pages. The black ink is pigment-based and the color inks are dye-based.
At 100 pages a month, dividing the rated black yield by monthly use gives about seven weeks. At 50 pages, a little over three months. Those are illustrations using HP's test yield, not a promise: actual coverage, cleaning and use affect cartridge life.
The 68e has twice the rated black yield, so compare its price per rated page with the standard cartridge before buying. Printing much more than that is a job for a supertank printer such as the Epson EcoTank ET-2903, which you fill from bottles of ink.
HP calls the 2955 a dynamic security printer. Its chip rule permits new or reused HP electronic circuitry, including in refilled or remanufactured cartridges. Modified or non-HP circuitry can be blocked. That rule is not a guarantee of the quality or compatibility of every refill.
The DeskJet 2900 series manual warns that firmware updates can block cartridges that previously worked if they use modified or non-HP circuitry. By default, an internet-connected Wi-Fi printer or connected computer checks regularly for updates.
The manual says most HP printers offer automatic updates or an update notification unless a program such as Instant Ink requires automatic updates. It gives Tools > Printer Updates > Firmware Updates in the printer's built-in web page as the update route. Check the options your printer actually offers rather than assuming every installation has the same control.
HP advertises three months of Instant Ink with the 2955, subject to enrollment and the offer's terms. Factor the subscription conditions into that choice. Buying a refill with an unknown third-party chip carries a firmware-compatibility risk that its low price alone does not resolve.
HP rates it at up to 7.5 pages a minute in black and 5.5 in color. The first black page comes out in as little as 16 seconds. The input tray holds 60 sheets and the output tray 25.
Two-sided printing is manual, with help from HP's driver. The scanner is a flatbed only, so a ten-page document means ten trips to the lid, and copying stops at nine copies per job. The HP DeskJet 4355 adds a document feeder for anyone who scans multipage forms.
There is no USB cable in the box, so use the dual-band Wi-Fi or buy a suitable cable. Firmware updates can contain functional and security fixes as well as cartridge controls. Assess both when choosing whether to install one.
ENERGY STAR certifies the printer at 1.2 W asleep and 0.1 W switched off. Left asleep around the clock, that's about 10 kWh a year by our arithmetic.
The manual asks you to turn the printer off with its power button anyway, to keep the cartridges from drying out. We'd follow that advice for the ink, since the electricity saved is tiny.
In-stock offers for this exact model, sorted by item price in USD. Shipping is not included unless a retailer supplies it. Not every retailer is listed. Prices last checked 2 hours ago.
| Retailer | Item price | Shipping | Availability | Checked | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com | $89.99 | See retailer | In stock | Check price at Amazon.com |
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This review gives no score out of 10, because no section rests on a measurement by an independent body. The recommendation and the written verdict stand on their own.
Compare the printer price with the cartridges you expect to buy. The 68e offers twice the standard black cartridge's rated yield, while HP's firmware and chip rules limit which refills are suitable.
Our take
The 2955 is worth considering for occasional print, scan and copy jobs. Frequent printing makes the small standard cartridges less convenient. Compare supply costs before choosing it over a refillable-tank model.
HP says its circuitry policy permits refilled and remanufactured cartridges using new or reused HP circuitry. This does not guarantee every refill. Modified or non-HP circuitry can be blocked, including by a later firmware update.
No. Two-sided printing is manual, with driver support, and the flatbed scanner has no document feeder.
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