Canon PGI-1200XL Black Ink Review: Worth It? 8.7/10
“Hundreds if copies later, the ink that came with my printer finally ran out :)” Canon PGI-1200XL Genuine Pigment Black Ink Tank earns a largely positive verdict from buyers who care about long runs, clean installs, and dependable output. Across retail and community reviews, the cartridge is repeatedly framed as a high‑yield, low‑hassle choice for Canon MAXIFY owners. Verdict: recommended for frequent black‑text printing, with cost as the main caveat. Score: 8.7/10.
Quick Verdict
Yes, with conditions: If you print a lot of documents on a MAXIFY MB‑series printer and want predictable results, most users say the PGI‑1200XL delivers. If you’re extremely price‑sensitive or dislike being locked into OEM ink, the cost and Canon‑only ecosystem bother some.
| What users liked | Evidence from users | What users disliked | Evidence from users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long ink life / high yield | Best Buy reviewer preed said: “the large cartridge lasts longer… and always prints well.” | Price feels high | Best Buy reviewer preed noted: “a bit expensive but not more than others.” |
| Easy, clean installation | Best Buy reviewer oh it ikta said: “an easy and clean cartridge to use!” | OEM lock‑in concern | A verified buyer on Shopper+ wrote: “have no choice but to use canon ink.” |
| Good text quality / fast dry | Best Buy reviewer jd 69 said: “copy quality is good and ink dries fast too.” | Some wish it lasted even longer | A verified buyer on Shopper+ said: “i so wish these inks would last longer.” |
| Reliable compatibility | Best Buy reviewer marvelous said OEM ink “works seamlessly.” | Rare device‑failure anecdote | A verified buyer on TheReviewIndex summary quoted: “printer started acting weird… declared dead!” |
Claims vs Reality
Canon and retailers position the Canon PGI-1200XL Genuine Pigment Black Ink Tank as a high‑yield, crisp‑text, smudge‑resistant cartridge designed for big printing tasks. Digging deeper into user reports, that framing mostly holds up, but buyers add nuance about value and ecosystem dependence.
Claim 1: “High yield” around 1200 pages. Official listings peg the black XL yield at roughly 1200 pages. Multiple users say the cartridge does last a long time in real use. Best Buy reviewer allen described it as “long‑lasting… it lasts far longer than i expected,” adding that after a year on a MAXIFY MB2320 they had “to change this and the other color cartridges only once so far.” Best Buy reviewer gabe echoed that the XL “lasts for how long it says it’ll last on the package.” While not every review provides a page count, the recurring story is that the XL meaningfully reduces swap frequency for heavy black‑text users.
Claim 2: Crisp, professional black text with pigment ink. Users consistently connect the cartridge with sharp documents. Best Buy reviewer davidk2470 said “the ink is real good when we print out different things.” Best Buy reviewer jd 69 stressed “copy quality is good and ink dries fast too,” framing it as a major improvement over prior HP experiences. Even casual confirmations reinforce the same idea: Best Buy reviewer southern proud wrote, “this ink prints nicely,” while flower girl summarized, “the print quality is good,” though they don’t print photos. The community narrative aligns with the marketing promise of clean, readable black output.
Claim 3: Easy to install and mess‑free. Installation is repeatedly described as straightforward. Best Buy reviewer oh it ikta called it “simple, clean… easy installation system,” praising packaging that prevents leaks. Best Buy reviewer happy said the high‑yield replacement is “easy to install and reasonably priced,” and edwardson noted it “installs quickly.” The practical impact shows up in buyer behavior: marvel*** said they stick to OEM because it “works seamlessly… extremely easy to take out and put in.” Real‑world reports back the low‑friction setup claim.
Cross-Platform Consensus
Universally Praised
A recurring pattern emerged around ink life. For home offices and small businesses printing invoices, forms, or school packets, long stretches between replacements matter. Best Buy reviewer preed said the XL “lasts longer than the smaller ones,” and hutch wrote the XL size “last for a long time and it’s a better value than buying the smaller size.” For high‑volume users, that translates into fewer interruptions. Best Buy reviewer edwardson went further, describing “seemingly limitless amount of ink” and saying they “rarely need to change” it.
Ease of use is the second strong theme. Users who don’t want to fuss with printer maintenance repeatedly say swaps are quick and intuitive. Best Buy reviewer jeffrey called it “easy to change in my mb series cannon printer,” and mike joked, “this ink is inky!!… easy to install, and has no mess.” oh it ikta’s longer review paints the same daily‑life benefit: once installed, “your life can return to all the blissful greyscale printing your heart desires.”
Print quality for text documents also lands as a near‑universal positive. Best Buy reviewer allen described output as “very good” and paired it with durability. jd 69 compared it to HP costs and still noted, “copy quality is good and ink dries fast too.” For students and budget‑conscious households, their story is that reliable black text is delivered without smearing or delays.
A fourth, quieter consensus is compatibility trust. Buyers who’ve been burned by aftermarket cartridges tend to stick with Canon. Best Buy reviewer marvelous said that even if it’s “a bit more costly,” OEM cartridges “work seamlessly… i will not take the risk of buying after market replacements.” Shopper+ reviewers echoed the same logic, with one noting Canon MB2720 behavior and concluding they “have no choice but to use canon ink, but the ink is fine.” The theme is predictability over experimentation.
Common Complaints
The biggest complaint is cost, especially relative to how often black ink is used. Best Buy reviewer preed called it “a bit expensive,” and Shopper+ reviewers were more blunt: “they are expensive and get used quickly.” Even those praising value sometimes separate product quality from price fatigue. This affects frequent printers most — small offices or families printing homework daily — where replacement cycles feel constant despite the XL yield.
Closely tied is frustration with being locked into OEM supplies. Several stories suggest Canon printers can be picky, nudging people toward genuine cartridges. A verified buyer on Shopper+ wrote that their MAXIFY “will not eject empty… cartridges. have no choice but to use canon ink.” Another Shopper+ buyer warned that Canon printers “may malfunction if one tries compatible inks,” so they keep buying OEM despite wishing for cheaper options.
A rarer but notable negative is an anecdote about hardware trouble following installation. TheReviewIndex summary includes a verified comment: “the ink was fine… shortly there after was declared dead!” There aren’t many similar reports in the provided data, so it reads as an outlier rather than a trend, but it’s the main story hinting at possible risk beyond price.
Divisive Features
Value perception splits depending on what buyers compare against. Some frame the XL as cost‑saving because of yield. Best Buy reviewer jd 69 calculated savings versus HP, saying copies are “now 2 cents each… ideal choice for students and those on a budget.” zippy similarly called it a “good price and good value.” On the other hand, Shopper+ reviewers who print heavily still feel the sting, saying, “i so wish these inks would last longer,” even while admitting “the quality is good.” The divide hinges on whether users benchmark against other brands or against their own printing volume.
Trust & Reliability
On trust, cross‑posted retailer reviews don’t show widespread scam or counterfeit anxieties in the text itself; instead, trust is built through repeat‑purchase behavior. Best Buy reviewer gabe said they’ve bought it “more than 10x” and it “has never disappointed.” flower girl noted they’ve been “buying this ink for a few years now.” Those long‑term stories suggest dependable supply and consistent performance.
Durability stories focus less on the cartridge failing and more on it lasting in real homes. allen’s year‑long ownership without frequent changes and preed’s “never had any problems” framing point to reliability over time. The only cautionary reliability note is that single ReviewIndex anecdote about the printer dying after a swap, which stands in contrast to many multi‑year, no‑problem accounts.
Alternatives
Only HP appears as an explicit competitor in user discussion. Best Buy reviewer jd 69 contrasted their prior HP ownership, saying HP cartridges cost “almost 10 cents per copy” and “didn’t last very long,” while PGI‑1200XL brought them down to about “2 cents each.” No other rival brands or specific alternative cartridges are mentioned in the provided data, so the comparison stays limited to that recurring HP vs Canon framing: Canon OEM ink is portrayed as longer‑lasting and cheaper per page, even if the upfront price feels high.
Price & Value
Current retail pricing across sources clusters around $49.99 per black XL cartridge (Best Buy, Office Depot), while bundle pricing on Amazon for a 4‑color XL pack is higher. eBay listings show lower market prices — many genuine cartridges in the $15–$30 range — indicating a resale/secondary market that can undercut retail, though condition varies (new sealed, open box). Users themselves mostly evaluate value through yield and per‑page cost. jd 69’s story is the clearest calculation: “copies are now 2 cents each… with this cannon car trige which yields 1200 sheets.” That aligns with the official 1200‑page rating, and multiple reviewers say the XL’s long life makes it “better value than buying the smaller size.”
Community buying tips are implicit rather than explicit: reviewers highlight ordering convenience and quick delivery. Best Buy reviewer kenm praised the process: “ordered on the spot… received them several days later… able to complete my project on time.” For users who need reliable supply for deadlines, speed and OEM compatibility are part of the value equation, not just price.
FAQ
Q: Does the Canon PGI-1200XL actually last close to the rated 1200 pages?
A: Many buyers say yes in practice. Best Buy reviewer gabe reported the XL “lasts for how long it says it’ll last on the package,” and allen said it “lasts far longer than i expected,” with infrequent replacements over a year of use.
Q: Is installation messy or difficult?
A: Users consistently describe it as easy and clean. Best Buy reviewer oh it ikta called it “an easy and clean cartridge to use,” praising leak‑proof packaging, while happy and edwardson both said it installs quickly.
Q: How is the print quality for regular documents?
A: Feedback centers on sharp, reliable black text. Best Buy reviewer jd 69 said “copy quality is good and ink dries fast too,” and allen described print quality as “very good.” flower girl also noted good quality for non‑photo printing.
Q: Is it worth paying for genuine Canon ink instead of compatibles?
A: Several buyers think so for reliability. Best Buy reviewer marvelous said OEM cartridges “work seamlessly” and avoided aftermarket risks. Shopper+ buyers mentioned Canon printers can be picky, saying they “have no choice but to use canon ink,” even if it’s pricier.
Final Verdict
Buy if you’re a MAXIFY MB‑series owner printing lots of black text and want long runs with minimal fuss; users repeatedly emphasize that the XL “lasts… a long time” and swaps are “easy and clean.” Avoid if you print lightly or are frustrated by OEM‑only ecosystems and upfront costs. Pro tip from the community: go XL for black — hutch said it’s “better value than buying the smaller size,” and multiple repeat buyers agree.
