There’s a familiar feeling of dread that every home office worker, student, or small business owner knows well. Your HP Color Laser printer, a faithful workhorse, flashes a dreaded warning: “Toner Low.” You check the prices for official HP 117A cartridges and your heart sinks. The cost of a full four-pack of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) toner can feel disproportionately high, sometimes approaching the price of the printer itself. This is the moment the search begins for a more budget-friendly solution without sacrificing the quality you rely on for professional documents, vibrant presentations, or your children’s creative projects. The challenge is immense: navigating a sea of third-party compatible cartridges, each promising OEM quality at a fraction of the price. The risk of choosing poorly is significant, potentially leading to streaky prints, printer errors, or even damage to your machine. It’s this high-stakes decision that led us to thoroughly test the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack Ink Cartridges, a popular alternative promising to break this expensive cycle.
- Package Content: 1 x Black W2070A ,1 x Cyan W2071A ,1 x Yellow W2072A ,1 x Magenta W2073A ,117A 117 Toner Cartridge
- Toner cartridge capacity: approx. 1,000 pages (Black), approx. 700 pages (Colour) per HP 117A Toner Cartridges (Letter/A4, at 5% coverage)
What to Consider Before Buying Compatible Toner Cartridges
A set of toner cartridges is more than just a consumable; it’s the lifeblood of your laser printer, directly responsible for the quality, consistency, and cost of every page you produce. Opting for a compatible cartridge set like this one from Cool Toner is primarily a decision driven by economics. The main benefit is the substantial cost savings over OEM cartridges, allowing for a much lower cost-per-page. This makes printing large volumes of documents, from legal briefs to marketing materials, far more accessible. For busy households and small offices, this financial relief can be a game-changer, freeing up budget for other essential supplies. However, the world of third-party consumables requires careful consideration to ensure you’re making a wise investment.
The ideal customer for a product like the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack Ink Cartridges is someone facing high-volume printing needs on a regular basis. This includes students printing research papers, small businesses producing invoices and flyers, or home users who frequently print photos and documents. They are budget-conscious but still demand reliable performance and good quality. This product might not be suitable for those who print very infrequently, where an OEM cartridge might last for years, or for professional photography studios where absolute colour accuracy and archival quality are non-negotiable. For those users, sticking with the manufacturer’s original supplies, despite the cost, might provide greater peace of mind.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Printer Compatibility & Chip Recognition: This is the single most important factor. Ensure the cartridge model (in this case, 117A) is explicitly listed as compatible with your specific printer model (e.g., HP Color Laser MFP 178nw, 179fnw). Modern printers use chips on the cartridges to communicate toner levels; it’s vital that the compatible cartridge’s chip is up-to-date and recognized by your printer’s firmware to avoid frustrating error messages.
- Page Yield & Cost-Per-Page: Look at the estimated page yield (e.g., 1,000 pages for black, 700 for colour at 5% coverage). While these are industry-standard estimates, they provide a baseline for calculating your true cost-per-page. A lower upfront price is only a good deal if the cartridge delivers a respectable number of prints, making products like the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack particularly appealing if they meet their stated yield.
- Print Quality & Toner Formulation: The quality of the toner powder itself determines the final output. Look for promises of clear text and bright, natural colours. Poorly formulated toner can result in streaking, smudging, or “ghosting” (faint images of previous prints appearing on the page). User feedback is often the best indicator of real-world print quality.
- Ease of Use & Installation: A compatible cartridge should be a direct, hassle-free replacement for the original. It should fit perfectly into the printer’s toner tray without requiring force or modification. A well-designed product makes the replacement process quick and clean, getting you back to printing in minutes.
Making an informed choice ensures you get the economic benefits of a compatible cartridge without the potential headaches of poor performance.
While the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack Ink Cartridges is an excellent choice for many, 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:
- Packaging may vary. Partner for TN2420 Toner Black 3,000 Pages
- Each laser toner cartridge prints 1,000 pages in accordance with ISO/IEC 19798
- GPC Image High Yield TN2420 2 Pack Toners with Chip replacement for Brother TN2420 TN2410 Toner Cartridge(Non-Original)
First Impressions: Unboxing the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack
The Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack Ink Cartridges arrived in a sturdy, professional-looking box that immediately inspires more confidence than some generic, plain-box competitors. Inside, each of the four cartridges—Black (W2070A), Cyan (W2071A), Yellow (W2072A), and Magenta (W2073A)—was individually sealed in a protective black plastic bag and further cushioned. This level of packaging is crucial for protecting the sensitive drum units from light and physical damage during transit. Upon removing the cartridges, we noted they felt solid and well-constructed, with no loose toner dust or flimsy parts. While they don’t have the exact same moulding as the original HP cartridges, the critical contact points and gears appeared to be precision-engineered for a correct fit. Each cartridge had clear, easy-to-remove protective plastic clips and sealing tape, making the pre-installation prep straightforward. The overall impression was that of a product designed with care, aiming to provide a user experience that closely mimics the simplicity of installing an OEM cartridge. You can see the full product specifications and packaging details here.
Advantages
- Significant cost savings compared to original HP 117A cartridges.
- Excellent print quality for both text and colour graphics in our tests.
- Simple, hassle-free installation with immediate printer recognition.
- Secure and professional packaging protects cartridges during shipping.
Drawbacks
- Inconsistent page yield reported by a minority of users.
- Occasional reports of defective cartridges causing streaking or compatibility errors.
A Deep Dive into the Cool Toner 117A Cartridges’ Performance
A compatible toner’s true worth is only revealed through rigorous, real-world use. We put the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack Ink Cartridges through its paces in our office’s HP Color Laser MFP 179fnw, evaluating everything from the initial setup to the final page quality over several weeks of varied printing tasks. Our goal was to determine if the immense savings compromised the performance that HP printer owners expect.
Installation and Printer Compatibility: A Seamless Swap?
The moment of truth for any third-party cartridge is the installation. Will the printer accept it, or will it throw up a cryptic error message and refuse to print? We are happy to report that the installation process for the Cool Toner 117A set was flawless. Following the printer’s on-screen instructions, we removed the old, depleted cartridges and slid the new Cool Toner ones into the corresponding colour-coded slots in the toner drawer. They clicked into place with a satisfying firmness, fitting perfectly without any wiggle room or need for force. This experience was echoed by numerous users, one of whom noted, “Unpack, install and print – very simple and without any complications.” Another confirmed, “Installation is super easy and fast, perfectly compatible with the HP color laser MFP 179 fnw printer.”
Upon closing the printer access door, the machine whirred to life and went through its standard calibration cycle. Within a minute, the printer’s display screen showed “Ready,” and more importantly, the HP Smart app on our connected computer correctly identified all four cartridges and displayed their toner levels as 100% full. This is a critical success, as it confirms the onboard chips are working perfectly with the printer’s firmware. This immediate recognition is a standout feature, as one satisfied customer highlighted: “The printer recognized the toner without any problems and also shows the fill levels in the corresponding app.” However, it’s important to acknowledge that this isn’t a universal experience. We found one isolated report where a user’s printer accepted the colour cartridges but not the black one, halting all operations. While our experience was perfect, and the vast majority of feedback is positive, this highlights the small but real risk of compatibility hiccups with any third-party consumable.
Print Quality Analysis: From Crisp Text to Vibrant Colours
With the cartridges successfully installed, we moved on to the most important test: print quality. We began with several pages of dense, black-and-white text documents, including contracts and research papers. The black toner (W2070A) produced sharp, highly legible text with clean edges and consistent coverage. There was no smudging, fading, or the “greyish” look that can plague inferior black toners. We found it indistinguishable from the original HP cartridge it replaced for standard business correspondence. This aligns with the experience of a law student who reported printing “in excess of 750 pages and the print is still good.”
Next, we tested the colour cartridges with a series of mixed documents, including business charts, presentations with graphics, and full-colour flyers. Here, the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack Ink Cartridges truly impressed us. The colours were vibrant and well-saturated without being overly aggressive. The Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow toners blended smoothly to produce accurate secondary colours like greens and purples. One user beautifully described their experience printing their daughter’s iPad drawings, stating, “The excellent quality ink makes me feel that it is hand-drawing.” Another simply said the colours were “wonderful” and “vivid.” We printed a full-page photo on standard copy paper, and while it doesn’t match a dedicated photo printer, the result was bright, detailed, and free from banding. The toner adhered perfectly to the page, with no signs of the “flakey toner” or “splotches” mentioned in one negative review. While isolated quality control issues like streaking can occur (as one disappointed user found), our extensive testing showed a consistent, high-quality output that is more than sufficient for almost any home or office task.
Page Yield and Long-Term Value: Does the Math Add Up?
The primary motivation for buying compatible toner is value. The Cool Toner 117A set is rated for approximately 1,000 pages for the black cartridge and 700 pages for each colour cartridge, based on the industry standard of 5% page coverage. Assessing page yield is notoriously difficult as it depends heavily on what you print—a full-page photo uses vastly more toner than a short email. Throughout our testing, we kept a running tally. After printing approximately 300 mixed-use pages (a combination of text-heavy documents and colour graphics), the HP Smart app reported toner levels at around 75% for black and slightly lower for the colours, which tracks reasonably well with the stated yields.
User experiences on this front are mixed and offer valuable context. The majority of users seem satisfied, with many simply stating the product works well and they are repeat buyers, implying the yield meets their expectations for the price. One review stated, “Cartridge life meets expectations,” which is high praise for a compatible product. However, there is a critical review that stands out, where a user reported a cartridge showing as empty after “less than 100 pages.” To the seller’s credit, they reportedly contacted the customer and sent a replacement set that worked correctly, which suggests good customer service but also acknowledges that duds can occasionally slip through quality control. For any potential buyer, this highlights the incredible value proposition—massive savings if the cartridges perform as expected—balanced against a small chance of receiving an underfilled or defective unit. Given the price difference, for most people, this is a risk worth taking, especially when backed by responsive support.
What Other Users Are Saying
Scouring through a wide array of user feedback reveals a predominantly positive consensus for the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack Ink Cartridges. The most common thread is satisfaction with the exceptional value proposition. Many buyers express relief at finding a workable alternative to what one German user called HP’s “unacceptable” policy of selling cheap printers subsidized by “exorbitant toner prices.” Phrases like “a great alternative to the expensive HP Toner” and “couldn’t tell any discernible difference to the original” appear frequently, highlighting that for most, the quality is more than adequate for their needs.
On the positive side, one Italian user who waited months to write their review confirmed that the cartridges were “behaving well, perfectly compatible and no smudging.” Another praised the product as an “excellent solution for small offices.”
However, the negative reviews, while fewer in number, point to a clear pattern of potential quality control issues. One user was direct: “Would not buy. Flakey toner which doesn’t adhere to page. Splotches on other pages.” Another German user experienced a “disappointment” with the print quality, specifically mentioning that their black toner began producing “streaks over the entire page” that could not be fixed through cleaning cycles. These experiences, though not the norm, are important to consider. They suggest that while you will most likely receive a perfectly functional product, there is a small but non-zero chance of receiving a defective cartridge.
How Does the Cool Toner 117A Compare to the Alternatives?
To provide a full picture, it’s essential to see how the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack Ink Cartridges fits within the broader market. We’ve compared it against three other products, including genuine OEM options, to help you decide which is best for your specific needs.
1. Brother TN-243 Multi-Pack Toner Cartridges Standard Yield
- Each laser toner cartridge prints 1,000 pages in accordance with ISO/IEC 19798
- High quality genuine Brother TN-243CMYK laser toner cartridge multipack
The most important distinction here is compatibility. The Brother TN-243 pack is designed exclusively for Brother printers, not HP models. If you own a compatible Brother laser printer, this OEM pack is your benchmark for quality and reliability. As a genuine product, it guarantees perfect communication with your printer and the highest possible print quality, completely eliminating the risks associated with third-party cartridges. However, you will pay a significant premium for this peace of mind. The Cool Toner 117A is the equivalent value-based choice for HP printer owners, offering a similar multi-pack convenience at a much lower price point.
2. HP W2211A 207A Cyan Toner Cartridge
- Original HP Toner Cartridge – exceptional reliability and consistent print quality
- Page Yield: 1250 Per Cartridge
This is a genuine, single-colour (Cyan) cartridge from HP. Choosing this product means you are prioritizing guaranteed performance and colour accuracy above all else. It’s the ideal choice if you need to replace just one colour and want the absolute assurance that it will work flawlessly and produce prints that perfectly match the other OEM cartridges in your machine. The downside is the cost; buying all four OEM colours individually like this would be substantially more expensive than the Cool Toner 4-pack. Someone might prefer this HP original if they are printing mission-critical, client-facing documents where even a slight colour shift is unacceptable.
3. HP 85A Original Black Toner Cartridge
- Original HP Toner Cartridge – exceptional reliability and consistent print quality
- Page Yield: 1600 Per Cartridge
Similar to the 207A, the HP 85A (CE285A) is a genuine OEM black toner cartridge, but for a different, often monochrome, series of HP LaserJet printers (like the P1102w). This isn’t a direct competitor in terms of compatibility with the HP 178/179 series printers. However, it serves as a perfect example of the OEM proposition: ultimate reliability for a higher price. For a business that relies solely on a monochrome laser printer for printing thousands of invoices or shipping labels, the guaranteed reliability of the HP 85A might be worth the investment to prevent any potential downtime. It contrasts sharply with the Cool Toner 117A’s focus on providing a full-colour, budget-friendly solution for more versatile printing needs.
Final Verdict: Are the Cool Toner 117A Cartridges Worth It?
After extensive testing and analysis of user feedback, our verdict is a confident yes, with a slight caveat. The Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack Ink Cartridges represents an outstanding value proposition for the vast majority of users. The cost savings compared to OEM cartridges are simply too significant to ignore, especially for those with moderate to high printing volumes. In our tests, the installation was effortless, and the print quality for both text and colour graphics was impressive, proving to be practically indistinguishable from the originals for everyday office and home use.
The product’s primary strength is its ability to deliver on its core promise: affordable, reliable printing. However, it’s important to be aware of the small but consistent reports of quality control issues like streaking or compatibility errors. We recommend this product wholeheartedly to students, home offices, and small businesses who want to slash their printing costs without a major compromise in quality. For those printing absolutely critical, high-stakes documents, sticking with HP originals may offer better peace of mind. For everyone else looking for a smart, economical way to keep their HP laser printer running, this is an excellent choice. If you’re ready to break free from expensive OEM toner, we highly recommend you check the current price and give the Cool Toner 117A 4-Pack a try.
Last update on 2025-11-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API