Best Compatible Toner for HP 210X & 210A (2026): Prices and Chips Compared

Last updated: October 28, 2026.

Quick answer: For a non-HP+ HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw or MFP 4301fdw, the set we sell is our compatible HP 210X BCMY 4-pack with chips at $399.95 for a rated 24,000 pages, about 1.7 cents a page. Staples' genuine HP 210X 4-pack is $1,044.59 for the same rated yield, 4.4 cents a page, so ours saves about 62%, or roughly $645 a set. It is the only HP 210 product we carry: no singles, no 210A, no no-chip version. The caveat is bigger than the saving: this printer generation carries two separate locks, HP+ on the "e" models and dynamic security on all of them.

We'll say the obvious thing up front: we sell these cartridges, so our recommendation is not neutral. To make up for that, the table below puts LD Products, 4inkjets, Staples, YB Toner and a marketplace brand next to our price, and most of them undercut us. This post covers which printers take HP 210, the "e" versus plain model distinction, every option's cost per page as of October 2026, and what HP has done about non-HP chips on the 4201 and 4301.

What printers use HP 210A and 210X toner?

HP 210A and 210X are the same four cartridges (W2100, W2101, W2102, W2103) in standard and high-yield fills, for HP's 2022-generation Color LaserJet Pro 4200 and 4300 series. The suffix on your model number matters more here than on any other HP printer we write about.

• HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dn and 4201dw (not HP+)
• HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dne and 4201dwe (HP+)
• HP Color LaserJet Pro 4202dn and 4202dw
• HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301dw, 4301fdn and 4301fdw (not HP+)
• HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301dwe, 4301fdne and 4301fdwe (HP+)
• HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4302dw and 4302fdn

The "e" models are HP+ printers. HP's HP+ FAQ says HP+ "requires an HP account, Internet connection, and use of Original HP Ink for the lifetime of the printer," and that activation can be skipped during setup but never reversed. Once an "e" printer is activated, every compatible or remanufactured cartridge is rejected with a "Cartridges Rejected" message, and no seller, including us, can get around it. The plain 4201dn/dw and 4301dw/fdn/fdw are not HP+, but they still carry dynamic security. On a new non-"e" printer, skip the HP+ step at setup if you want the option of third-party toner later.

HP 210X prices compared: OEM vs Castle Ink vs other sellers

Prices checked October 2026 at the sellers' sites; they change often.

We are the most expensive compatible 210X set in the table. 4inkjets is $263.96, YB Toner $284.95, the marketplace sets about $271, and ours is $399.95; only Staples' remanufactured set at $754.96 costs more. If you need a single black, we cannot help, and LD's $69.99 is where we would look. What we charge for is the part after the sale: the product page tells you the chips are new aftermarket chips, so you know what dynamic security will see; the set ships the same day from stock in Greenlawn, NY on orders placed by 4 PM ET Monday through Friday; you have a full year to return it for a full refund, which covers a firmware update that lands six months in; and US phone support means someone who has heard of "Non-HP Chip Detected" answers. We replace or refund any cartridge that arrives defective.

Our pick: the compatible HP 210X 4-pack, with eyes open

The 210X BCMY 4-pack at $399.95 is the only HP 210 product we stock, so it is our pick by default, and we would rather say that than pretend we chose it from a lineup. On its merits: four high-yield cartridges with chips pre-installed, 24,000 rated pages at 1.7 cents against 4.4 cents for the genuine bundle, and all four chips from the same batch. The trade-off is in two parts. First, the competitors above sell comparable sets for $115 to $136 less. Second, this is a with-chip compatible on a dynamic-security printer, and we have no reused-HP-chip or no-chip version the way we do for the HP 414X. If you want the one arrangement HP says it accepts, a reused genuine HP chip, Staples' remanufactured set is that, at $754.96 and with no toner gauge. Ours suits owners of a plain 4201, 4202, 4301 or 4302 who have set firmware updates to notify; it does not suit anyone with an "e" model and HP+ active.

Dynamic security, HP+ and the "Non-HP Chip Detected" block

HP is unusually explicit about this printer. The store page for the 4201dw states: "This printer is intended to work only with cartridges that have a new or reused HP chip, and it uses dynamic security measures to block cartridges using a non-HP chip." The 4201 user guide adds that firmware updates "can also block cartridges using a non-HP chip from working in the printer," including cartridges that work today, and that the printer can be set to notify before updating. HP has acted on this: 2025 firmware 2513A locked out aftermarket chips on the sibling mono LaserJet Pro 4001, 4002, 4101 and 4102 (The Recycler), and HP's own 210X review page carries 2025 and 2026 owner comments that compatibles are "programmed to be rejected" and that "after a firmware update only HP's proprietary and very expensive cartridges worked" (hp.com reviews).

Three things follow. Set firmware updates to notify-only in the printer's embedded web server or HP Smart before installing any with-chip cartridge, ours included. Keep your empty genuine 210 cartridges; a reused HP chip is the one thing HP's policy says it accepts. And get the seller's firmware promise in writing: YB Toner markets a "firmware-safe" chip revision with 2 years' cover, LD offers a lifetime guarantee, we offer a year and a phone call. HP+ is a separate lock on top. On an activated "e" model the message is "Cartridges Rejected", it applies to reused HP chips too, and HP says it cannot be undone (YB Toner's explainer shows what owners see).

How to choose an HP 210X cartridge

• Check the model suffix before anything else. 4201dwe, 4301fdwe or any "e" is HP+ and, once activated, takes Original HP only for life. Plain 4201dn/dw and 4301dw/fdn/fdw are not HP+.
• Set firmware updates to notify, not automatic, before installing a with-chip compatible from anyone.
• Buy 210X, not 210A. Genuine 210X black is 2.9 cents a page against 5.7 for 210A.
• Keep your empty genuine 210 cartridges; a reused HP chip is the one thing dynamic security accepts.
• Ask the seller in writing what happens if the printer shows "Non-HP Chip Detected" after an update.

HP 210X Compatible Toner FAQs

The bottom line

For a non-HP+ 4201 or 4301 with firmware updates set to notify, the compatible HP 210X 4-pack at $399.95 saves about 62% against the genuine bundle and comes with a year to return it and a person to call if "Non-HP Chip Detected" ever appears. 4inkjets, YB Toner and the marketplace brands sell comparable sets for $115 to $136 less; their numbers are in the table. If your printer is an "e" model with HP+ active, buy genuine.

Related reading: best compatible ink brands, what toner does the HP 4301fdw use, best compatible toner for HP 414X, compatible vs OEM HP ink and toner, and our HP toner cartridge collection.