HP 952 vs HP 952XL Ink: Which Should You Buy? 🖨️
The HP OfficeJet Pro 8710 and 8720 are among the most widely sold business inkjets in Australia today — fast, duplex, wireless, capable of handling the print volume of a small team. And unlike consumer inkjets, they're designed to be run hard.
That means getting the ink right matters — both for cost and reliability. Noodle's done the full analysis, and Ollie agrees: always XL (🐾).
Which Printers Use HP 952 and HP 952XL?
HP 952 covers a very broad range of current HP OfficeJet Pro models:
OfficeJet Pro 7700 series (wide-format):
- OfficeJet Pro 7720, 7730, 7740 — A3-capable business printers
OfficeJet Pro 8200/8700 series:
- OfficeJet Pro 8210, 8216 — printer-only models
- OfficeJet Pro 8702 — wireless all-in-one
OfficeJet Pro 8710/8720/8730 series (most common AU business models):
- 8710, 8715, 8716, 8717, 8718, 8719
- 8720, 8721, 8722, 8723, 8724, 8725
- 8730, 8731, 8732, 8733, 8734
- 8740
Page Yield: HP 952 vs HP 952XL
| Cartridge | Standard 952 | XL 952XL | |-----------|-------------|---------| | Black | ~1,000 pages | ~2,000 pages | | Cyan | ~700 pages | ~1,600 pages | | Magenta | ~700 pages | ~1,600 pages | | Yellow | ~700 pages | ~1,600 pages |
Yields based on HP ISO standard at 5% coverage.
HP 952XL black delivers double the pages vs standard. XL colour delivers 2.3× more. Standard 952 at ~1,000 pages black is adequate for light use, but for regular office printing the XL is clearly better economics.
Cost Per Page: Genuine vs Compatible
At typical Australian retail prices:
| Cartridge | Genuine XL (est.) | Compatible XL | Saving | |-----------|-------------------|---------------|--------| | 952XLBK | ~1.8¢/page | ~0.7¢/page | ~60% | | 952XL colour (each) | ~3.8¢/page | ~1.5¢/page | ~60% |
For a business printing 1,000 pages/month, compatible XL saves approximately $250–$350 per year vs genuine standard.
The 4-Cartridge Individual System
HP 952/952XL uses a 4-cartridge individual colour system:
- HP 952XLBK (black, pigment-based)
- HP 952XLC (cyan)
- HP 952XLM (magenta)
- HP 952XLY (yellow)
HP 952 black is pigment-based — sharp, smudge-resistant text. Colour cartridges are dye-based. Replace individual cartridges as they deplete — no need to swap the full set. At typical business print ratios (document-heavy), black depletes 3–4× faster than individual colour cartridges.
HP 952 vs HP 950 — The Succession Confusion
HP 952 replaced HP 950 as the consumable for HP's mid-range business OfficeJet Pro line:
| | HP 950 / 951 | HP 952 | |--|-------------|--------| | Fits | OfficeJet Pro 8600/8610/8620 | OfficeJet Pro 8710/8720/8730 | | Era | 2012–2017 | 2017–present | | Interchangeable? | ❌ No | ❌ No |
If you recently upgraded from an 8610 to an 8720, you need HP 952 — not HP 950/951.
Ollie & Noodle's Verdict
- ✅ Always buy XL — double pages from black, 2.3× from colour
- ✅ Compatible XL saves ~60% — approximately $250–$350/year at 1,000 pages/month
- ✅ Individual 4-colour system — replace only the depleted colour
- ✅ Don't confuse with HP 950/951 — previous OfficeJet Pro generation
- ✅ No warranty risk under Australian Consumer Law
Australian Consumer Law and HP Warranties
HP Australia cannot void your statutory warranty because you used compatible ink. Under the Australian Consumer Law (Competition and Consumer Act 2010), HP must demonstrate the compatible cartridge directly caused a specific fault. Routine business printer faults are mechanical and unrelated to ink brand.
Summary
- ✅ HP 952XL: ~2,000 pages (black) and ~1,600 pages (colour) — 2–2.3× more than standard
- ✅ Compatible XL saves ~60% — approximately $250–$350/year at 1,000 pages/month
- ✅ 4-cartridge individual system — separate black + C/M/Y
- ✅ Very broad model coverage: 8710–8740 series, 7720–7740 wide-format, 8702, 8210
- ✅ NOT interchangeable with HP 950/951 (previous OfficeJet Pro generation)
- ✅ No warranty risk under Australian Consumer Law