HP 218A multipack (4 colors): is a set worth it?

Not automatically. HP sells the cartridges individually; U.S. "4-packs" are retailer or marketplace bundles of the same four Original HP cartridges (for example model W2180AQ1 or W2180XQ1). Our checks have found a four-pack that cost more than the same four singles at the same retailer, and another that cost less.

Always compare the set price with the sum of the four single prices on the multipack pages. Some marketplace sets are sold "without manufacturer warranty" — read the listing title before you buy.

Both fit the same printers and print the same quality; the difference is how much toner is inside. HP states about 1,300 pages for 218A black and about 3,200 for 218X black; for the colors about 1,200 versus 2,500 (ISO/IEC 19798, continuous printing).

Which one is cheaper per page follows from one division: price ÷ stated yield. That depends on today's prices, not on how much you print — our 218A vs 218X page does the math with the prices we checked.

Your volume decides something else: how many cartridges you buy per year, how much cash you tie up at once and how often you swap. Light users may prefer 218A's lower upfront price; heavy users save swaps with 218X.

Yes. Every color slot takes either the A or the X version of that color, so you can mix freely — for example 218X black with 218A cyan, yellow and magenta. HP lists all eight cartridges as replacements for each of the U.S. 3201/3301 models.

Mixing is often the most sensible setup for offices that print mostly black: the black cartridge empties first because it is used on color pages too.

We check the exact listings at HP Store, Staples, Best Buy, Walmart, Newegg, Quill and Toner Buzz for the originals, plus specialist sellers for compatibles. Prices move often and several stores tend to cluster within a few cents of each other, so the useful differences are shipping, the actual seller and the return route.

The comparison on each product page ranks by checked price and shows who sells and ships the item, the shipping we saw and the date of the check. We never rank by commission.

Best Buy, Walmart, Newegg and Amazon run marketplaces: the website is the platform, but another company can be the seller and ship the order. Returns, warranty handling and shipping then follow that seller's terms.

We record the platform, the seller and (where shown) who fulfils the order separately, and show the seller on every row. A marketplace listing of an Original HP cartridge is not the same as buying from HP or from the platform itself — check the seller before you order.

No. U.S. prices are shown before sales tax, because the tax depends on your address and is only calculated at checkout. Where the listing showed the shipping cost, we add it and label the result "before sales tax"; where shipping was not shown, we say so instead of treating it as free.