# TLDR Review: Canon PGI-250XL and CLI-251 Ink Cartridges Pack

*Published: 2025-01-30 | Updated: 2024-12-29 | Source: https://shopsavvy.com/reviews-tldr/canon-pgi-250xl-and-cli-251-ink-cartridges-pack*

---

## Verdict

The Canon PGI-250XL Black High Yield and CLI-251 Color Ink Cartridges offer good print quality typical of Canon products, but they come with several headaches. Be wary of confusing labeling about cartridge capacities and the high costs of ink. The packaging and potential authenticity issues might lead you to purchase from a reliable source like BestBuy to ensure product integrity and avoid aftermarket chips. While these cartridges tend to run out quickly, sticking with Canon's factory cartridges is crucial for maintaining your printer's performance. If you're looking for the reliability of Canon while switching to a cost-effective alternative, it's best to tread carefully.

**Top pro:** Factory ink cartridges are necessary for optimal performance, ensuring consistent quality.
**Top con:** Frustration with the requirement to purchase color cartridges, even for black-only printing.

## Product: Canon PGI-250XL and CLI-251 Ink Cartridges Pack
**Brand:** Canon
[Compare prices and price history on ShopSavvy](https://shopsavvy.com/products/canon-pgi-250xl-and-cli-251-ink-cartridges-pack)

## Pros
- Factory ink cartridges are necessary for optimal performance, ensuring consistent quality.
- Generally reliable printer with a long history of satisfactory use.
- Canon inks are generally of good quality.
- The installation of cartridges is generally easy.
- Willingness to purchase from the seller again despite issues, indicating responsive customer service.

## Cons
- Frustration with the requirement to purchase color cartridges, even for black-only printing.
- Misleading product labeling regarding cartridge capacities led to confusion.
- Some cartridges arrived with defects like broken clips and tabs, rendering them unusable.
- Packaging was inadequate, potentially leading to damage and doubts about cartridge authenticity.
- High ink cost, with ink depleting quickly even with minimal printing.
- Concerns about the overall value, not as great as initially thought.
- Risk of printer damage due to potential aftermarket chips.

## Pros vs Cons at a Glance

| Pros | Cons |
|------|------|
| Factory ink cartridges are necessary for optimal performance, ensuring consistent quality. | Frustration with the requirement to purchase color cartridges, even for black-only printing. |
| Generally reliable printer with a long history of satisfactory use. | Misleading product labeling regarding cartridge capacities led to confusion. |
| Canon inks are generally of good quality. | Some cartridges arrived with defects like broken clips and tabs, rendering them unusable. |
| The installation of cartridges is generally easy. | Packaging was inadequate, potentially leading to damage and doubts about cartridge authenticity. |
| Willingness to purchase from the seller again despite issues, indicating responsive customer service. | High ink cost, with ink depleting quickly even with minimal printing. |
|  | Concerns about the overall value, not as great as initially thought. |
|  | Risk of printer damage due to potential aftermarket chips. |

## Last Seen Prices

*Each price is the last one ShopSavvy observed, between 2024-12-29 and 2026-05-27; it may have changed since.*

| Retailer | Price | Availability | Last seen |
|----------|-------|-------------|-----------|
| [Amazon](https://shopsavvy.com/api/redirect/products/PyxI3NTwcu3bPablb1GF/offers/0837a84e-5139-5357-d43a-a4fd2a4f3573?source=shopsavvy&medium=article-review-tldr) | $69.81  | In Stock | 2026-05-27 (may have changed) |
| [Quill.com](https://shopsavvy.com/api/redirect/products/PyxI3NTwcu3bPablb1GF/offers/TF26UBpKGEuTmnOgeHyz?source=shopsavvy&medium=article-review-tldr) | $78.99  | In Stock | 2024-12-29 (may have changed) |
| [Staples](https://shopsavvy.com/api/redirect/products/PyxI3NTwcu3bPablb1GF/offers/6hoSgR9fRmqoBacBIfzQ?source=shopsavvy&medium=article-review-tldr) | $80.99  | In Stock | 2024-12-29 (may have changed) |

[See every retailer and the full price history on ShopSavvy](https://shopsavvy.com/products/canon-pgi-250xl-and-cli-251-ink-cartridges-pack)

---

*About this review: it summarizes the professional reviews and customer ratings ShopSavvy collected for this product, alongside prices from ShopSavvy's price data (each price shows when it was last seen).*

*Machine-readable access: append `.md` to any ShopSavvy URL, or send `Accept: text/markdown`, to get this page as Markdown. For the same catalogue as structured JSON — product lookup by barcode/ASIN/URL, live prices across retailers, and price history — see ShopSavvy's MCP server at https://shopsavvy.com/agents and the Data API at https://shopsavvy.com/data.*