HP 935/934XL Ink 4-Pack Review: Reliable, Pricey 8.4/10
A verified buyer on Best Buy shrugged it down to essentials: “it is printer ink.” That’s the real headline around the HP 935/934XL Ink Cartridges (4-Pack)—they’re widely seen as reliable, easy, and predictably expensive. Verdict: 8.4/10 for people who prioritize hassle-free OEM compatibility over cost.
Quick Verdict
For the HP 935/934XL Ink Cartridges (4-Pack): Conditional yes—worth it if you want “snap-in” reliability and consistent print quality, but hard to justify if you print lightly or hate paying OEM prices.
| What shows up most | Evidence from users | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Reliable recognition/fit | Best Buy user wingman 520 said: “work with my hp printer.” | Offices, families needing no-drama installs |
| Strong print quality | Best Buy user jp 87 said: “great quality ink that makes your documents look great.” | Forms, schoolwork, business docs |
| Longevity vs standard carts | Best Buy user happy said: “lasts for quite a while.” | Frequent printers trying to reduce swaps |
| Price pain | Best Buy user jam fish 7 said: “it is too expensive.” | Budget-focused households |
| Ink-level weirdness (some cases) | A Staples reviewer reported cartridges that “quit printing but still showed ink was available.” | Light/occasional printers, troubleshooting-averse users |
Claims vs Reality
HP’s official messaging around the HP 935/934XL Ink Cartridges (4-Pack) leans hard on “works the first time,” crisp text, and dependable performance. Digging into user feedback, the “works” part is where OEM ink tends to shine—while the “value” part is where people hesitate.
One recurring marketing-style promise is worry-free setup and recognition. User stories largely back that up. A verified buyer on Best Buy (phred) boiled it down to: “easy to replace,” while another verified buyer (wingman 520) emphasized compatibility: “work with my hp printer.” In the Trustpilot-style review snippets, the same theme appears as a practical moment of relief: “snapped right in, and my printer was immediately restored.”
The second claim is print quality: crisp text, professional documents, and color that looks right. That’s broadly aligned with what buyers say on retail platforms. Best Buy user jp 87 wrote: “great quality ink that makes your documents look great.” Staples feedback gets even more specific for image-heavy users: one reviewer said, “The color in whatever i print is so accurate. my pictures print beautifully.” For home offices printing invoices or students printing assignments, that kind of consistency matters more than marketing language.
Where the reality bites is cost and perceived waste. Even satisfied buyers keep circling back to price. Best Buy’s jam fish 7 liked not replacing cartridges often, but still concluded: “it is too expensive.” Another Staples customer echoed the same tension in plain terms: “great ink but way too expensive.” And when users believe ink is left behind, trust drops fast—one Staples reviewer complained cartridges “quit printing but still showed ink was available,” turning a premium purchase into a frustration story.
Cross-Platform Consensus
Universally Praised
The most consistent “win” for the HP 935/934XL Ink Cartridges (4-Pack) is straightforward: they tend to work without drama. For people who don’t want to troubleshoot printer errors, OEM compatibility reads like a feature you only notice when it’s missing. Best Buy user big world described the experience as predictable: “it works just fine as i expected to.” Another verified Best Buy buyer (another homeowner) framed it the same way: “it has worked well.”
Closely tied to that is installation ease and physical swap convenience—especially for households where the “printer person” is whoever is closest. Best Buy user jeff highlighted the practical angle: “compact and easy to replace in printer.” Even a mildly lukewarm review from jg 1130 still ends with competence: “once its in it does its business.” For small offices, that means fewer interruptions; for parents printing school forms, it means less time spent deciphering error codes.
Print quality—especially for text—gets repeated praise in simple, lived-in language rather than technical specs. Best Buy user happy called it “bold black,” while jp 87 noted documents “look great.” These aren’t lab measurements, but they’re exactly how office and school users judge ink day-to-day: is the text crisp, does it look “real,” does it embarrass you in front of a client or teacher?
Finally, longevity is frequently mentioned as the reason people tolerate the price. Best Buy user tommy explained the trade-off: “although ink costs a lot, it lasts a long time.” Phred compared it favorably: “lasted longer than others i have used.” For higher-volume printers, fewer cartridge changes can feel like a productivity upgrade even if the upfront cost stings.
After that narrative pattern, the praise clusters into a few repeatable themes:
- Compatibility/recognition: “works,” “fits,” “snapped right in”
- Output quality: “bold,” “great quality,” “pictures print beautifully”
- Convenience: easy swap, quick buying/delivery experiences
- Longevity: fewer replacements for frequent printers
Common Complaints
The biggest complaint is not subtle: price. Even positive reviews often carry a frustrated aside. Best Buy user jam fish 7 appreciated the reduced trips—“i dont have to run back so often”—then landed the punchline: “still, it is too expensive.” Staples buyers echo the same frustration with fewer words: “great ink but way too expensive.” For budget-focused households, this becomes a recurring cost stressor rather than a one-time purchase decision.
A second, more worrying complaint appears in Staples feedback around ink behaving inconsistently with the level indicator. One reviewer described a multi-cartridge sequence where cartridges “quit printing but still showed ink was available.” For occasional printers—people who might print a handful of pages a week—this kind of experience can feel like paying premium prices and still getting unreliable outcomes. It also feeds suspicion that the cartridge is “wasting” ink or that the printer is calling time early.
Some users also describe the product category with resignation: it’s necessary, but not exciting, and sometimes feels like a tax. Best Buy user wingman 520 said: “it is printer ink.” Trustpilot-style snippets capture similar minimalism—“what can i say, it’s ink”—which, in context, reads like “it works, but I’m not happy about buying it.” That matters because when users are emotionally neutral (or annoyed) about the cost, they’re more likely to experiment with cheaper compatible cartridges next time.
- Price: repeated “too expensive” sentiment despite satisfaction
- Trust in remaining ink: reports of “still showed ink” but stopped printing
- Emotional tone: “it’s ink” resignation, not delight
Divisive Features
Longevity is praised, but it’s also where expectations can collide with real-world printing patterns. Some buyers celebrate that it “lasts a long time,” but there’s also acknowledgment (especially in the longer review-style content) that yield can vary depending on coverage and graphics. For a home office printing mostly black text, “high yield” feels real; for someone printing graphics or photos, cartridges can burn down faster than hoped.
The other divisive point is whether OEM ink is “worth it” versus compatible replacements. Some Staples reviewers argue it “pays to buy what was made for my printer,” especially after a bad experience with refilled cartridges that “wouldn't quite fit and wouldn't print.” Meanwhile, marketplace listings and compatible cartridge brands emphasize savings and chips that “work immediately,” encouraging bargain-hunting behavior. The split is less about performance (many agree OEM works) and more about whether you’re willing to pay for that certainty.
Trust & Reliability
Digging deeper into user reports, the anxiety isn’t usually “is this fake?”—it’s “will this behave like OEM should, every time, for the price?” The Trustpilot-style review excerpts highlight satisfaction with straightforward outcomes like shipping and working as described—“came in the mail quickly and works great,” and “exactly as described.” That kind of feedback signals buyers often judge reliability by whether the cartridge restores printing immediately without troubleshooting.
But there’s also a trust crack when user experience conflicts with what the printer reports. The Staples complaint that cartridges “quit printing but still showed ink was available” is the kind of story that plants long-term doubt. For people who print sporadically, reliability includes not drying out or behaving oddly after idle periods—an issue also raised in the longer review-style writeup that warns “ink can dry out if the cartridge is left unused for long periods.” Even if that’s not a majority experience, it’s the type of risk that pushes cautious buyers to print a test page regularly or avoid stockpiling.
Alternatives
The data mentions three main alternative paths: compatible multi-packs (Starink, E‑Z Ink, Smart Ink), remanufactured options (Inkjets.com), and simply buying OEM through different channels.
The compatible cartridge pitch is always savings and “newest chip” recognition. For bargain hunters printing lots of drafts, the appeal is obvious: Amazon listings for compatible packs position themselves as high-yield replacements, and Smart Ink’s store messaging promises cartridges that “work immediately upon installation” with “ink level tracking.” For cost-sensitive users, that’s the promise: similar day-to-day usability without paying OEM prices.
OEM defenders tend to anchor their argument in fit, recognition, and avoidance of printer headaches. A Staples reviewer who tried refilled ink reported it “wouldn't quite fit and wouldn't print,” then concluded, “pays to buy what was made for my printer.” If your livelihood depends on printing shipping labels or invoices, that narrative makes third-party experimentation feel risky.
Remanufactured options sit between the two: cheaper than OEM, but marketed as closer to OEM behavior. Inkjets.com claims “remarkably sharp and vibrant” results comparable to OEM. The data provided doesn’t include direct user quotes about that specific remanufactured pack’s real-world reliability, so the strongest “story evidence” here remains polarized between OEM success stories and cautionary tales about refills that don’t fit.
Price & Value
Sticker shock is part of the HP 935/934XL Ink Cartridges (4-Pack) experience. Amazon lists the OEM 4-pack around $92.83, and Office Depot shows $111.89, while compatible packs on Amazon are dramatically lower (for example, Starink at $21.99 for a 4-pack listing). That gap explains why even satisfied OEM buyers complain about cost: Best Buy user jam fish 7 said, “it is too expensive,” despite liking fewer replacement trips.
Resale and market pricing adds another wrinkle: eBay listings show new OEM multipacks appearing at much lower prices (examples include “$17.00 new” for a 4-pack listing in the provided data). That suggests a secondary market where price-conscious buyers may hunt for deals—though buyers should be mindful of expiration dates and packaging condition, since listings also include “open box” and older stock.
Community buying behavior, as reflected in retail reviews, often frames value through convenience. Best Buy buyers mention easy purchasing and delivery—bbuy said: “delivered on time,” and big world highlighted it being “easy to buy.” For time-strapped households, paying more can feel acceptable if it avoids printer downtime—especially when printing is needed for work or school deadlines.
Practical buying takeaways based on the feedback patterns:
- Frequent printing: OEM cost feels “worth it” when longevity reduces swaps (“lasts a long time”)
- Infrequent printing: risk stories center on drying out or confusing ink-level behavior
- Deal seekers: eBay pricing can undercut retail, but stock age/condition likely varies
FAQ
Q: Do the HP 935/934XL cartridges work reliably with OfficeJet Pro printers like the 6830?
A: Yes—many buyers describe straightforward compatibility. Best Buy user wingman 520 said the cartridge “work with my hp printer,” and another reviewer (zookeeper) specifically mentioned “good quality ink for my hp officejet pro 6830 printer.”
Q: Is the HP 935/934XL 4-pack worth it compared to compatible ink?
A: It depends on your tolerance for risk and troubleshooting. A Staples reviewer warned refilled cartridges “wouldn't quite fit and wouldn't print,” then said “pays to buy what was made for my printer.” But compatible packs are far cheaper in listings, which appeals to budget-focused buyers.
Q: What do buyers say about print quality for documents and photos?
A: Document quality is praised as crisp and bold. Best Buy user jp 87 said: “great quality ink that makes your documents look great.” For photos, a Staples reviewer reported: “The color in whatever i print is so accurate. my pictures print beautifully.”
Q: Are there complaints about ink levels or cartridges stopping early?
A: Yes, at least one Staples reviewer reported cartridges that “quit printing but still showed ink was available.” That kind of experience is especially frustrating for users who expect the printer’s ink indicator to match real remaining ink.
Q: What’s the biggest downside people mention?
A: Price. Best Buy user jam fish 7 wrote: “still, it is too expensive,” and a Staples reviewer summarized it as “great ink but way too expensive,” even while generally approving of performance.
Final Verdict
Buy the HP 935/934XL Ink Cartridges (4-Pack) if you’re a home office user, parent, or small business that values reliable recognition, consistent print quality, and fewer cartridge swaps—Best Buy user phred’s “easy to replace” and tommy’s “it lasts a long time” capture that appeal.
Avoid if you print only occasionally or you’re highly price-sensitive, because the most repeated frustration is cost—“it is too expensive” (Best Buy user jam fish 7)—and there are scattered trust issues like cartridges that “quit printing but still showed ink was available” (Staples reviewer).
Pro tip from the community: when bargain attempts go wrong, people retreat to OEM fast—one Staples customer who tried refilled ink said it “wouldn't quite fit and wouldn't print,” then concluded, “pays to buy what was made for my printer.”
