What Toner Does the HP LaserJet Pro M402dn Use?

Quick answer: The HP LaserJet Pro M402dn uses HP 26A (CF226A) (~3,100 pages) or HP 26X (CF226X) high-yield (~9,000 pages) black toner cartridges. They are the same cartridge in two capacities, and the imaging drum is built in — there is no separate drum to buy. For most owners the HP 26X (CF226X) gives the lowest cost per page.

HP LaserJet Pro M402dn Toner Cartridges at a Glance

The M402dn is a fast, network-ready mono laser built for steady office work, and it is one of the better-value machines HP has made on a cost-per-page basis — largely because of the 26X. It uses an all-in-one cartridge with the drum built in.

Standard vs. High-Yield: Which One Should You Buy?

Almost everyone with a HP LaserJet Pro M402dn should be buying the high-yield HP 26X (CF226X) rather than the standard HP 26A (CF226A). The high-yield cartridge is physically the same size and installs identically — it is simply filled with more toner. At roughly 9000 pages versus 3100, it prints about 2.9x as much for a price that is nowhere near 2.9x higher, which is why the cost per page always lands in its favor.

The only reason to choose the standard cartridge is if you print so little that a cartridge would sit in the machine for years. Toner is a dry powder and does not dry out the way inkjet ink does, so even very light users are usually better off with the high-yield version.

To run the math on your own printer, our Printer Ink Cost Calculator will show you the cost per page for any cartridge price and yield combination.

Good News: There's No Separate Drum to Buy

Unlike most Brother mono lasers, the HP LaserJet Pro M402dn uses an all-in-one cartridge. The imaging drum is built into the HP 26X (CF226X) itself, so every time you replace the toner you are also fitting a brand-new drum. There is no second consumable to track, no drum-life counter to watch, and no separate part to order.

This matters when you compare running costs across brands. A Brother machine may show a lower price per toner cartridge, but a drum unit comes due every few cartridges on top of that. With the HP LaserJet Pro M402dn, the cartridge price is the whole story — which also means print quality resets completely with every replacement.

It is also why you should be sceptical of any listing offering a "drum unit" for this printer. If you see one, it is either for a different model or it is a refill kit, and neither is what you want.

What Actually Ships in the Box

Unlike most printers in this guide, the M402dn ships with a full 26A cartridge rated at around 3,100 pages — not a starter. That is a genuine advantage of HP's JetIntelligence models and is worth factoring in when you compare purchase prices.

Chips and Compatibility

The 26A and 26X carry HP JetIntelligence chips. Compatible cartridges for this printer should be bought in their chipped form so the printer reports toner levels correctly. Unlike the later M404/M428 series, this model is not a Dynamic Security printer, so compatible cartridges have historically been reliable — though it is still sensible to keep automatic firmware updates switched off if you depend on them.

How to Replace the Toner in the HP LaserJet Pro M402dn

1. Open the front cartridge door. On most models this is the panel just above the paper tray.
2. Grip the handle on the used cartridge and pull it straight out toward you.
3. Take the new HP 26X (CF226X) out of its packaging and rock it gently back and forth several times to loosen the toner inside.
4. Pull the orange tab to remove the full length of the sealing tape from the cartridge, then remove the orange protective shield from the drum if one is fitted. Do not touch the green or grey drum surface with your fingers.
5. Line the cartridge up with the rails inside the printer and slide it in until it seats firmly.
6. Close the door and wait for the printer to finish its calibration cycle.
7. Print a configuration or test page to confirm the printer recognises the new cartridge and the supply level has reset.

Keep the packaging for a few days. If the cartridge turns out to be faulty, most sellers — Castle Ink included — will want it returned in its original box.

Troubleshooting Tips

"Cartridge Low" appears very early: HP's low-toner threshold on this series is conservative. You will typically get several hundred more pages after the first warning.

Print quality drops on one edge: Rock the cartridge gently end to end. Because the drum is inside the cartridge, persistent edge defects mean a replacement rather than a service part.

Printer rejects a compatible cartridge: Confirm the cartridge is the chipped, North American version. Power the printer fully down, reseat the cartridge, and power back up.

Slow first page after idle: The M402dn drops into a deep sleep state. Adjusting the sleep timer in the Embedded Web Server improves wake time at a small cost in power.

Duplex output curls badly: Try a heavier paper stock and check the fuser temperature setting for your media type in the driver.

Which Other Printers Use the Same Cartridge?

The HP 26A / 26X cartridge is used across a wide range of machines, which is good news for buyers — high production volume keeps compatible cartridge prices low and availability high. If you run more than one of these printers, a single cartridge type covers all of them:

• HP LaserJet Pro M402d / M402dn / M402dne
• HP LaserJet Pro M402n / M402dw
• HP LaserJet Pro M403 series
• HP LaserJet Pro MFP M426dw / M426fdn / M426fdw
• HP LaserJet Pro MFP M427 series

Always confirm the cartridge number printed on the supply you are replacing before ordering, since manufacturers occasionally use similar-looking numbers across families. You can also look your machine up on our Find Ink by Printer directory, which lists the correct cartridge for several hundred printers.

Compatible vs. OEM: What You're Actually Buying

The single biggest cost decision for a HP LaserJet Pro M402dn owner is whether to buy HP-branded cartridges or compatible ones. It is worth understanding what the difference actually is, because the marketing on both sides tends to obscure it.

An OEM cartridge is made by HP and sold under its brand. A compatible cartridge is newly manufactured by a third party to the same physical and electrical specification. A remanufactured cartridge is an original shell that has been collected, stripped, cleaned, fitted with new wear parts and refilled. All three will print on a HP LaserJet Pro M402dn; what varies is price, consistency and who stands behind it.

The honest summary is that quality in the compatible market is uneven, and that is exactly why the seller matters more than the label. A cheap cartridge from a marketplace listing with no return path is a gamble. Castle Ink tests HP 26X (CF226X) cartridges individually before they ship and backs every one with a replacement-or-refund guarantee, which is what turns a 50–70% saving from a risk into a straightforward decision.

One myth worth putting to rest: using a compatible cartridge does not void your printer warranty. In the United States, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prevents a manufacturer from conditioning warranty coverage on the use of its own consumables. A manufacturer would have to demonstrate that the third-party cartridge itself caused the specific failure being claimed.

How to Make a Cartridge Last Longer on the HP LaserJet Pro M402dn

Toner yields are quoted at 5% page coverage, which is a fairly sparse business letter. Real documents are often denser than that, which is why so many people feel their cartridges run out early. A few settings changes genuinely stretch a cartridge:

• Use draft or toner-save mode for internal documents. It reduces toner density and can extend a cartridge noticeably. Reserve full-quality output for anything leaving the office.
• Print duplex. It does not save toner, but it halves paper use, and on most machines it is a one-time driver setting.
• Rock the cartridge when the low warning first appears. Removing the cartridge and tilting it gently end to end redistributes the remaining powder and commonly yields another hundred pages or more.
• Do not print a test page after every job. Configuration and status pages are full-coverage prints and add up faster than people expect.
• Choose a smaller, lighter font for drafts. Moving from a 12pt heavy serif to an 11pt lighter face measurably reduces coverage across a long document.

Ignore advice to store cartridges in a freezer or to drill and refill them yourself. Neither helps, and both are good ways to ruin a cartridge and make a mess.

Official HP LaserJet Pro M402dn Resources

• HP LaserJet Pro M402dn support page
• HP driver and software downloads
• How to stop HP firmware updates from blocking your ink
• How to recycle used cartridges

Bottom Line

The M402dn is one of the cheapest printers to run in this whole roundup, provided you buy the 26X rather than the 26A. At roughly 9,000 pages the high-yield cartridge nearly triples the standard yield, and because the drum is built in there is nothing else to buy. A compatible 26X from Castle Ink drives the cost per page down further still.

Frequently Asked Questions

What toner does the HP LaserJet Pro M402dn use? HP 26A (CF226A, ~3,100 pages) or HP 26X (CF226X, ~9,000 pages) black toner cartridges. The drum is built into the cartridge.

Is the 26X worth the extra cost over the 26A? Almost always. It prints close to three times as many pages for far less than three times the price, so the cost per page is meaningfully lower.

Does the M402dn need a separate drum unit? No. Both the 26A and 26X are all-in-one cartridges with the imaging drum integrated.

Is the M402dn a Dynamic Security printer? It is a JetIntelligence-era model but is not identified as Dynamic Security enabled in the same way as the later M404 and M428. Buy chipped compatible cartridges and keep automatic firmware updates off as a precaution.

Does the printer come with a full cartridge? Yes — the M402dn ships with a full 26A rather than a reduced-capacity starter, which is unusual and welcome.

What other printers use 26A and 26X? The same cartridges fit the LaserJet Pro M402d, M402n, M402dw, M402dne, M426dw, M426fdn and M426fdw.

Does compatible toner void the warranty? No. US law prevents a manufacturer voiding a warranty solely because a compatible consumable was used.

Written and reviewed by William Elward — Founder of Castle Ink, 20+ years in the printer and ink industry. Last updated August 2026.

Shop Compatible Toner at Castle Ink

Save 50–70% on replacement toner for the HP LaserJet Pro M402dn. Every cartridge is individually tested before it ships and backed by Castle Ink's compatibility guarantee — if it does not work in your printer, we replace it or refund you.

• HP 26A (CF226A) black toner (compatible)
• HP 26X (CF226X) high-yield black toner (compatible)
• Shop all HP toner at Castle Ink

Buy the HP LaserJet Pro M402dn on Amazon: HP LaserJet Pro M402dn on Amazon

See also: Find Ink by Printer | Printer Ink Cost Calculator | Best Printers Buying Guide