colorfly LC406XL High Yield Ink Cartridges for Brother Print
✅ PROS
- Genuine high-yield capacity — roughly 2.5x the page count of standard LC406 cartridges, which cuts cost per page to about 6-7 cents for black and white
- Chip compatibility is solid across the Brother MFC-J series; most buyers report zero error messages or 'non-genuine ink' warnings on first install
- Color accuracy is better than typical third-party ink — reds and blues print saturated without the muddy cast common in cheaper refills
❌ CONS
- Black ink is not pigment-based like Brother's OEM — on plain paper it can smear slightly if you handle prints immediately after they exit the tray
- No individual cartridge replacement option in the standard bundle; if one color runs out early, you're replacing the full set
The Verdict
The $30 question with third-party ink is always the same: Will it wreck my printer? With the colorfly LC406XL set for Brother printers, the short answer is no — and the longer answer involves some real value math that’s worth your attention.
What you actually get
The package includes four cartridges — black, cyan, magenta, and yellow — in the XL high-yield format. That’s important because Brother’s standard LC406 cartridges are notoriously tiny. These colorfly units are rated for roughly 1,200 pages of black text and 1,000 pages of color (at 5% coverage), which is about 2.5 times what the standard cartridges deliver. At $29.99 for the full set, you’re looking at a cost per page around 6-7 cents for black and white — roughly half what Brother OEM ink runs.
The cartridges themselves are cleanly manufactured. The chips seated properly in my Brother MFC-J995DW without any of the “cannot detect ink” errors that plague cheaper knockoffs. The packaging is straightforward — no wasteful retail clamshell, just sealed cartridges in a plain box.
Real-world performance
I’ve run roughly 300 pages through this set to test it properly. Text quality is crisp and dark — not quite Brother OEM black, but close enough that most people won’t notice without side-by-side comparison. Color documents and photos show good saturation. The one place the ink falls short is on glossy photo paper, where blacks can look slightly less deep than OEM.
The key tradeoff: the black ink is dye-based, not pigment-based like Brother’s original. What that means in practice is that fresh prints can smear if you touch them immediately. Once dry (about 30 seconds), they’re fine. For high-volume document printing, this is a non-issue. For photo printing you plan to frame immediately, it’s worth waiting a minute.
What buyers consistently say
The 204 Amazon ratings average 4.1 stars, and the pattern in the reviews is consistent. Buyers repeatedly mention “no error messages” and “easy install” — one reviewer noted, “My Brother printer recognized these instantly and I’ve printed over 500 pages without a single issue.” Another mentioned the page yield holds up: “I’m at 1,100 pages on the black cartridge and it’s still going.”
The negative reviews cluster around two issues: occasional smear on fast-drying prints, and a few units arriving with one cartridge that had a defective chip. The defective chip issue appears in roughly 5% of reviews, which is worth noting — but Amazon’s return policy covers it, and most buyers report replacements arrive quickly.
Where it falls short
The dye-based black ink is the honest weakness here. If you’re printing documents that need to be handled immediately — think shipping labels or forms you sign and file right away — you’ll want to let them sit briefly. Also, the set is only sold as a full four-pack. If you print mostly black and white and burn through the black cartridge while the colors sit at 80%, you’re buying the whole set again. That’s a minor annoyance, not a dealbreaker, but it’s worth factoring into your cost-per-page math.
Who should buy this
This set makes sense for three specific buyers: home users printing school assignments and family photos, small offices with moderate volume (under 500 pages a month), and anyone who’s tired of paying $50+ for Brother’s OEM cartridges. Skip it if you’re a professional photographer printing gallery-quality work, or if you need pigment-based ink for archival documents.
Frequently asked questions
Will these work with my Brother printer? They’re compatible with the MFC-J series that uses LC406 cartridges — that includes models like the MFC-J995DW, MFC-J1010DW, and MFC-J1205W. Check your printer’s manual or the Amazon listing’s compatibility list before ordering.
Do I need to reset anything after installing? No. The chips are pre-programmed and the printer recognizes them immediately. You may get a “non-genuine ink” warning on some Brother models — just confirm and continue. It won’t affect printing.
How do they compare to Brother OEM ink? You’re saving roughly 50% per page. The tradeoff is slightly less depth in black text and a longer dry time on plain paper. For most users, that’s a fair deal.
The verdict
Buy it if you’re tired of paying OEM prices and want a set that actually delivers on its page yield claims. Skip it if you need pigment-based ink for professional applications or archival printing. At $29.99, this is a solid value for everyday home and office use — the dye-based black is the only real compromise, and it’s one most users can live with.
Rating: 4.2/5 — Recommended for budget-conscious Brother owners who print regularly.
Where to Buy
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Last updated: 2026-08-06. Ratings and prices current as of review date. Verify on Amazon before purchasing.