Trays & Feeders Price Comparison 2026
Compare 207 printer trays & feeders from HP, Brother, Lexmark and more. Find the best price across top UK retailers, from basic desk trays to high-capacity ADFs.
Printer trays and feeders occupy a curious corner of the print accessories market: they're rarely exciting to buy, yet a mismatched or underpowered feeder can quietly cripple an entire office workflow. Our catalogue spans 207 products, ranging from simple desktop paper organisers by Relaxdays to high-capacity Auto Document Feeders (ADFs) from HP, Lexmark, and Xerox — and the price gap between those two worlds is enormous, from 13 £ to 710 £.
The split in this category is unusually stark. Relaxdays dominates the budget end with 27 products averaging around £46 — these are largely universal desk trays and paper sorters, not printer-specific components. At the other end, HP leads with 76 products at an average closer to 195 £, covering dedicated paper cassettes and ADF units designed to slot directly into specific laser printer or MFP models. Lexmark, Xerox, KYOCERA, and OKI cluster in similar territory, all averaging well above 135 £. It's worth being clear-eyed about this: if you're shopping for a printer-specific tray, you're almost certainly looking at the upper half of the price range.
Brother stands out as the most competitive option for office ADFs. Their LT-5500 and LT-6500 units — both well-represented in our top products — offer 250 and 520-sheet capacities respectively at prices that undercut comparable HP and Lexmark alternatives. For businesses running high-volume scanning or printing, the capacity difference between a 250-sheet and 520-sheet ADF is not trivial: fewer interruptions, fewer jams, and less staff time spent babysitting the machine. You can explore related printer and scanner spare parts if you're also looking at rollers or separation pads alongside your feeder upgrade.
One thing our data makes clear: compatibility is everything in this category. An ADF or paper tray that doesn't match your exact printer model is simply unusable — there's no workaround. Before comparing prices, confirm the model number of your printer and cross-reference it against the feeder's compatibility list. This is especially important for OKI and KYOCERA units, where model-specific fitment is strict. If you're also considering upgrades to your scanning setup, our scanner accessories and output stackers categories cover complementary components worth reviewing at the same time.
Prices in this category shift noticeably around Black Friday and the January sales — particularly for HP and Lexmark units sold through Currys and Amazon.co.uk. Setting a price alert on MagicPrices is a practical move if you're not in a rush, as we've tracked drops of 15–25% on several Brother and Lexmark models during promotional periods.
How to Choose the Right Printer Tray or Feeder
Most people only shop for a printer tray or feeder when something has gone wrong — a broken cassette, an overloaded ADF, or a printer that's simply outgrown its original paper capacity. That urgency makes it easy to buy the wrong thing. Here's what actually matters, based on the products we track across this category.
Sheet capacity: matching volume to your workload
This is the single most important spec for office buyers. A 250-sheet ADF like the Brother LT-5500 suits light-to-medium scanning workloads — think a small team processing invoices or contracts a few times a day. Step up to 520 sheets (Brother LT-6500, LT-6505) and you're in territory suited to busy document-processing environments where stopping to reload is a genuine productivity cost. Lexmark's 650-sheet paper tray pushes further still, appropriate for high-throughput print rooms. For home use, capacity matters far less — a standard 250-sheet tray is almost always sufficient.
ADF vs. manual feed: don't over-specify
An Auto Document Feeder automates multi-page scanning or copying without manual intervention — essential for offices, but overkill for occasional home use. Manual feed trays and desk organisers (the Relaxdays range being the obvious example) are cheaper and perfectly adequate for low-frequency tasks. Where it gets interesting is duplex ADF capability: if your workflow involves scanning double-sided documents, a duplex ADF saves you from flipping every page manually. Check whether the ADF is single-pass duplex or requires a second pass — the former is faster but commands a higher price.
Printer compatibility: verify before you buy
A tray or feeder that doesn't fit your printer model is worthless, full stop. HP, Lexmark, Xerox, KYOCERA, and OKI all produce model-specific units — there is no universal fit across these brands. Brother's LT-series feeders are designed for specific MFC and HL series models, so check the compatibility matrix on Brother's site before purchasing. The Relaxdays products are a different case entirely: they're generic desk trays and paper organisers, not printer-integrated components. If you're replacing a broken OEM tray, the safest approach is to match the part number exactly rather than rely on third-party compatibility claims.
Paper weight range (g/m²): often overlooked
Standard office paper runs at 80 g/m². If your workflow involves envelopes, card stock, or heavier media, you need a feeder rated to handle it — typically 60–160 g/m² for versatile units. Feeders rated only to 80 g/m² will jam or damage heavier stock. This spec is buried in datasheets but worth checking, particularly for Lexmark and Xerox trays used in mixed-media environments. For pure A4 document scanning, it's less of a concern.
Build quality and jam detection
Budget desk trays (Relaxdays, etc.) are made from standard plastic and are fine for light-duty use. Printer-integrated feeders from HP, Lexmark, and KYOCERA use reinforced mechanisms with rubber rollers and, on higher-end units, optical sensors that detect misfeeds before they become jams. In a busy office, automatic jam detection isn't a luxury — it prevents document damage and reduces maintenance callouts. If you're spending over 135 £ on a feeder, expect this feature as standard; below that threshold, check the spec sheet carefully.
- Desk trays and basic organisers (From 13 £ to 72 £) : Almost exclusively Relaxdays universal desk trays and paper sorters. Solid for home offices and light organisation tasks, but these are not printer-integrated components. Good build quality for the price, though the plastic can feel lightweight. Don't confuse these with ADF units — they serve a completely different purpose.
- Entry-level printer ADFs and cassettes (From 72 £ to 135 £) : Brother's LT-5500 and LT-6500 live here, alongside some Canon and lower-end Lexmark paper trays. This is the sweet spot for small offices needing a reliable ADF upgrade without enterprise-level spend. Brother in particular offers strong value — well-built, widely compatible with their MFC range, and backed by decent UK warranty support.
- Mid-range to high-capacity feeders (From 135 £ to 268 £) : Lexmark, Epson, and HP dominate this band. You're getting higher sheet capacities (500–650 sheets), broader paper weight support, and more robust jam-detection mechanisms. Suited to medium-sized offices with consistent daily print or scan volumes. Xerox and KYOCERA units also appear here — reliable but often tied to specific enterprise printer ecosystems.
- Enterprise and high-throughput units (Over 268 £) : HP, OKI, and KYOCERA high-capacity feeders for workgroup and production environments. At this level, you're paying for speed (50+ sheets per minute), large-format support, and integration with managed print service contracts. Overkill for most buyers — only consider this tier if your printer is rated for it and your daily volume genuinely demands it.
Top products
- Brother LT-6500 tray/feeder Auto document feeder (ADF) 520 sheets (Brother) : The strongest all-round choice for office use — 520-sheet capacity at a price that undercuts HP and Lexmark equivalents. Best suited to Brother MFC series printers; verify compatibility before buying.
- Brother LT-5500 tray/feeder Auto document feeder (ADF) 250 sheets (Brother) : The sensible entry point for Brother ADF upgrades. 250-sheet capacity is adequate for light-to-medium workloads, and the price is noticeably lower than the LT-6500. If you're scanning high volumes daily, step up — otherwise this is the better value.
- Brother LT-6505 tray/feeder Auto document feeder (ADF) 520 sheets (Brother) : Same 520-sheet capacity as the LT-6500 but priced higher — the difference lies in model compatibility rather than performance. Only choose this over the LT-6500 if your specific Brother printer requires it.
- Lexmark 50M7650 tray/feeder Paper tray 650 sheets (Lexmark) : The highest-capacity option in our top 15 at 650 sheets — genuinely useful for busy print rooms running Lexmark hardware. Fewer offers than the Brother units means less price competition, so compare carefully before committing.
- Relaxdays 10019136 tray/feeder (Relaxdays) : The best-value option if you simply need a desk organiser or paper sorter — not a printer component. Solid build for the price. Don't buy this expecting it to integrate with your printer; it won't.
Related categories
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a paper tray and an Auto Document Feeder (ADF)?
A paper tray is a passive cassette that holds paper ready for printing, while an Auto Document Feeder (ADF) is an active mechanism that automatically pulls documents through a scanner or copier one by one. Paper trays sit inside or beneath the printer and feed blank paper into the print engine. ADFs sit on top of a scanner or MFP and are used to scan, copy, or fax multi-page documents without manual page-by-page feeding. The two components serve entirely different functions and are not interchangeable.
How do I know if a tray or feeder is compatible with my printer?
Check the exact model number of your printer against the feeder's compatibility list — there is no shortcut here. For Brother, HP, Lexmark, and KYOCERA, trays are model-specific and will not physically fit or function correctly on incompatible machines. The safest approach is to use the OEM part number from your printer's manual or the manufacturer's website. Third-party compatibility claims should be treated with caution, particularly for KYOCERA and OKI units where fitment tolerances are tight.
Are the Relaxdays trays compatible with printers?
No — Relaxdays trays in this category are generic desk organisers and paper sorters, not printer-integrated components. They are not designed to connect to or feed paper into any printer. They're useful for organising documents on a desk or in a filing system, but if you need a replacement paper cassette or ADF for your printer, you'll need to look at brand-specific units from HP, Brother, Lexmark, or similar. The price difference reflects this entirely different use case.
Is a 520-sheet ADF worth the extra cost over a 250-sheet model?
For offices processing more than 50–100 pages per day, yes — the productivity gain from halving the number of reload interruptions is real and measurable. The Brother LT-6500 (520 sheets) costs more than the LT-5500 (250 sheets), but in a busy document-processing environment, the time saved reloading pays back the price difference quickly. For light use — occasional scanning, home office tasks — the 250-sheet capacity is more than adequate and the lower price is the better choice.
What paper weights can printer feeders handle?
Most standard printer trays and ADFs are rated for 60–80 g/m², which covers typical office paper. More capable units — generally those priced above 135 £ — support 60–120 g/m² or even 60–160 g/m², allowing use with heavier stock, envelopes, and light card. If you regularly print or scan on anything heavier than standard 80 g/m² paper, check the g/m² rating carefully before purchasing. Feeding unsupported media weights is a common cause of roller wear and persistent paper jams.
Can I use a third-party tray instead of the OEM one to save money?
Occasionally, but the risks are higher than with consumables like ink or toner. Printer trays and feeders involve precise mechanical tolerances — a poorly fitting third-party tray can cause persistent misfeeds, paper jams, or even damage the printer's internal feed mechanism. For high-volume office environments, we'd recommend sticking with OEM components from HP, Brother, or Lexmark. The cost saving rarely justifies the downtime risk, particularly if the printer is under a managed print service contract that may be voided by non-OEM parts.
When is the best time to buy a printer tray or feeder in the UK?
Black Friday and the January sales are the most reliable windows for discounts on printer accessories from UK retailers like Amazon.co.uk, Currys, and John Lewis. Brother and Lexmark units in particular tend to see meaningful price reductions — we've tracked drops of 15–25% on several models during these periods. If your need isn't urgent, setting a price alert on MagicPrices is the most efficient way to catch a deal without having to monitor retailers manually.