Canon CLI-251XL Gray Ink Review: Worth It? 7.6/10
“Works fine!! … ink just way too expensive!” That single Staples line captures the tension around Canon CLI-251XL Genuine Gray Ink Tank: dependable output, painful pricing. Verdict: a solid choice for owners of compatible PIXMA printers who want OEM consistency—just don’t expect it to feel like a bargain. Score: 7.6/10.
Quick Verdict
For photo-focused home users and small offices running compatible Canon PIXMA models, Canon CLI-251XL Genuine Gray Ink Tank is a Conditional Yes: buy it if you value predictable print quality and fewer streaks over cost-per-page.
Digging deeper into the feedback, the strongest theme isn’t “bad prints”—it’s frustration with the ecosystem: separate gray cartridge logistics, confusing labeling, and pricing that feels out of step with what people want from a “high yield” tank. One Staples reviewer summarized the emotional arc bluntly: “rip off by canon and stables… wound up paying over $90.00… should have bought a new printer.”
At the same time, there are users who simply want the correct cartridge fast, and when it arrives fresh and works, they’re satisfied. A Staples customer framed it as a straightforward win: “xl gray cartridge… good price, quick delivery, fresh ink.”
| Decision | Evidence from user feedback |
|---|---|
| Buy? | Conditional |
| Best for | Compatible PIXMA owners who print photos/documents regularly and want OEM reliability |
| Biggest strength | Print results and “works fine” dependability |
| Biggest risk | High price + cartridge hunting/availability frustrations |
| Watch-out | Labeling/XL confusion and occasional defective unit reports |
Claims vs Reality
Canon’s own positioning emphasizes quality, consistency, and grayscale/photo performance. The official copy for the CLI-251XL gray ink tank promises it “delivers true grayscale images” and that the “gray ink actually stabilizes colours,” with the broader assurance that prints “won’t have strange lines or streaks” (Canon Canada product page).
But consumer feedback shows the lived experience is less about grayscale artistry and more about whether the cartridge is easy to identify, find, and afford. A recurring pattern emerged: customers aren’t necessarily disputing quality—they’re struggling with the buying process and the cost. A Staples customer put it plainly: “i like the cannon ink , just wish it was cheaper.”
Canon also frames genuine ink as a reliability play—helping “guard your canon printer against damage and possible machine malfunction” (Canon Canada product page). User stories don’t directly confirm printer-protection claims, but they do show that OEM buys peace of mind for many: “canon ink cartridge… just what i needed ! .” At the same time, that peace of mind isn’t absolute; defects happen. One Staples buyer reported: “light didn’t work… got a bad one …inklifelightdead . associateallowmetoreplacebadwithgood.”
Finally, “XL” and “high yield” can create expectations that the whole set is XL or that buying should be straightforward. In reality, some customers describe labeling confusion and mismatch expectations. A Staples reviewer warned: “labeling is misleading… didn’t even look at the small print… only the black was xl , and rest were the small , or regular size.”
Cross-Platform Consensus
Universally Praised
“Just what I needed!” shows up as a theme not because the gray ink is exciting, but because it’s specific—and when you’re out of it, your printer can become unusable for certain jobs. For people who rely on their PIXMA for photos or routine printing, getting the correct cartridge quickly matters. A Staples customer who faced shutdown pressure praised availability and speed: “hard to find ink color… got here fast before my printer ran out and shut down.”
Print performance itself is treated as dependable when the cartridge works as expected. The praise is often unglamorous but consistent: “works fine ! !” Another Staples buyer highlighted the end result rather than the specs: “i have a new printer and it uses this gray ink… it prints beautifully.” For home photo printers, that “prints beautifully” sentiment is the real-world payoff of Canon’s “true grayscale” and color-stabilization messaging.
There’s also a subset of users who deliberately choose XL for longevity, even if they dislike the price. A Staples reviewer said: “i always buy the xl cartridges they last much longer and i am sure to have ink when needed!” For busy households or small offices, the value isn’t just yield—it’s fewer interruptions and less last-minute scrambling.
Common Complaints
Cost is the dominant complaint, and it’s not subtle. One Staples customer wrote: “works fine ! ! ink just way too expensive !” Another echoed the same tradeoff with calmer resignation: “i like the cannon ink , just wish it was cheaper.” For price-sensitive users printing frequently, the frustration becomes existential—why keep feeding a printer that feels punitive to maintain?
A second, very practical pain point is the “cartridge hunt.” Multiple comments describe the gray ink as harder to find or inconveniently separated. One Staples reviewer missed the old bundled approach: “it was far easier when all the ink cartridges were in the same box… having to hunt for the ink you need and not finding it is not good.” Another asked why the gray isn’t included with other colors: “why can’t they include this cartridge in with the other colors… very frustrating.”
Labeling confusion adds another layer, especially around “XL” expectations. The most pointed complaint: “labeling is misleading… very unhappy with labeling.” This matters for less technical shoppers who assume a multipack or shelf display implies everything inside matches the XL claim they’re looking for.
Divisive Features
The separate gray ink tank is both a strength and an annoyance. For photo-oriented users, having a dedicated gray tank can support smoother grayscale and tonal transitions (as Canon markets). But for everyday users, it reads like extra complexity and extra trips. One Staples user described the drip-by-drip replacement reality: “the grey cartridge worked great . then i needed black . then blue . i still have red and yellow to go .” That’s a tolerable workflow if you like individual tanks; it’s maddening if you want one-box simplicity.
There’s also a split between people who see OEM as non-negotiable and those who feel trapped by the pricing model. The angriest version of this is the “new printer” threat. A Staples reviewer vented: “wound up paying over $ 90 . 00 . should have bought a new printer.” Meanwhile others are content as long as the cartridge is correct and fresh: “good price , quick delivery , fresh ink.”
Trust & Reliability
The most “trust” related concern in the data isn’t scams—it’s whether the cartridge is authentic, functional, and correctly labeled. Canon’s official positioning leans heavily into reliability and reduced streaking (Canon Canada product page), and many user stories align with simple, consistent functionality: “works fine!!” and “prints beautifully.”
Still, there are reliability hiccups at the unit level. The Staples report of a defective cartridge—“light didn’t work… got a bad one”—shows that even OEM can arrive flawed. The mitigating factor is retailer support: “associate allow me to replace bad with good.” For buyers who can’t tolerate downtime, purchasing from a retailer with easy exchanges seems to matter as much as the cartridge itself.
Long-term durability stories (“6 months later…”) don’t appear in the provided community excerpts; the available comments skew toward immediate purchasing, installation, and first-impression performance.
Alternatives
The dataset doesn’t include named competitor cartridges as direct alternatives in user discussions; the closest “alternative” path is buying through different retailers or marketplaces. Some buyers may look to marketplaces like eBay for lower prices on “genuine” listings (eBay market pages provided), while others stick to big-box retailers for easy returns when issues arise (“associate allow me to replace bad with good”).
For users tempted by cheaper third-party options, Canon’s own warning is clear: “third party inks may cause photo colours to fade faster, or papers to curl due to incompatibility” (Canon Canada product page). The user feedback provided doesn’t confirm or refute those specific failure modes, but the pricing anger suggests why shoppers consider alternatives in the first place.
Price & Value
Pricing is where the real story lives. Canon Canada lists the CLI-251XL ink tank “as low as $29.99” (Canon Canada product page), while retailer listings in the dataset show variation (e.g., Office Depot listing at $24.99 and a claim of “yields up to 3,300 pages” on that page). Meanwhile, the emotional “value” metric in reviews trends negative: “ink just way too expensive.”
Resale/secondary market pricing (eBay) suggests many people try to buy the CLI-251XL gray cheaper via listings that range widely. That can be appealing for cost-driven buyers, but the practical value question becomes: is the savings worth the risk of getting an old, open-box, or problematic cartridge? The Staples “bad one” story shows that even legitimate units can have issues—so returnability and seller reliability become part of the value equation.
Community buying tips, implied through complaints, point to two strategies: buy before you’re desperate (“got here fast before my printer ran out and shut down”), and double-check labeling/compatibility to avoid returns and wasted trips (“purchased but thought it was black , was able to exchange for correct color”).
FAQ
Q: Is the Canon CLI-251XL Genuine Gray Ink Tank worth it if it’s expensive?
A: Conditional. Some users accept the cost because “it prints beautifully” and “works fine!!” but multiple buyers complain it’s “way too expensive.” It fits best for people who prioritize OEM consistency and don’t want to gamble on compatibility.
Q: What’s the biggest frustration buyers mention?
A: Price and hassle. One Staples reviewer said, “having to hunt for the ink you need and not finding it is not good,” while another complained, “why can’t they include this cartridge in with the other colors… very frustrating.”
Q: Are there reliability issues with the cartridge itself?
A: Occasionally. One Staples customer reported, “light didn’t work… got a bad one,” but also noted the retailer replaced it. Many other comments are simple confirmations like “works fine!!” suggesting defects aren’t the dominant experience.
Q: Is labeling/XL branding confusing?
A: It can be. A Staples reviewer warned: “labeling is misleading… only the black was xl , and rest were the small , or regular size.” Checking the exact SKU and the “XL” marking on the specific color tank helps avoid surprises.
Q: Is the gray ink hard to find compared with other colors?
A: Some shoppers say yes. A Staples buyer called it a “hard to find ink color” and appreciated fast delivery before their printer “shut down.” Others dislike that gray isn’t bundled with the rest, creating extra purchases and trips.
Final Verdict
Buy Canon CLI-251XL Genuine Gray Ink Tank if you’re a compatible Canon PIXMA owner who values predictable OEM output and wants prints that “come out clear and sharp” (Canon Canada product page) with real-world satisfaction like “prints beautifully.”
Avoid it if you’re highly price-sensitive or hate managing individual tanks—because the loudest frustration is cost (“ink just way too expensive!”) and the inconvenience of tracking down a separate gray cartridge (“having to hunt for the ink you need”).
Pro tip from the community: don’t wait until the last second—one buyer praised ordering because it arrived “fast before my printer ran out and shut down,” and another highlighted the practical win of “good price, quick delivery, fresh ink.”
