LC406 LC406XL Ink Cartridges for Brother Printer 406XL LC 40

The Verdict

If you own a Brother inkjet printer, you already know the dirty secret: OEM cartridges cost nearly as much as a new printer. That’s where the LC406 LC406XL ink cartridges enter the picture. These third-party high-yield replacements promise the same page counts as Brother’s official XL cartridges at a fraction of the cost. With a 4.4-star average across 220 ratings, they’re clearly doing something right — but let’s dig into whether they’re right for your workflow.

What’s in the box

The set includes four cartridges: one black LC406XL and three color cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow), all in the high-yield XL format. As shown in the product image, the cartridges come seated in a single plastic tray rather than individual blister packs. The black cartridge is rated for approximately 600 pages, with each color rated around 500 pages — matching Brother’s own XL yield claims. That’s double the capacity of the standard LC406 cartridges, which matters if you print regularly.

Installation is straightforward. The cartridges use the same chip design as OEM versions, so they click into place in your Brother printer’s print head assembly without adapters or modifications. Most users report the printer recognizes them immediately on first install.

Performance and print quality

I tested these in a Brother MFC-J995DW, running through a mix of text documents, spreadsheet printouts, and color photos. Black text comes out crisp and dark — no smudging, no streaking, even on plain copy paper. Color output is noticeably vibrant, with good saturation in graphics and photo prints. Skin tones render naturally without the green or magenta cast you sometimes get from budget inks.

One thing that impressed me: the ink dries quickly on glossy photo paper. No waiting around for prints to set before handling them. Longevity seems solid too — prints left in direct sunlight for two weeks showed no visible fading.

What buyers consistently praise

The value proposition is the headline. One verified buyer noted, “I was paying $60+ for Brother brand cartridges. These cost half that and print just as well. I’ve now bought them twice.” Another reviewer highlighted the yield: “The XL black cartridge lasted me three months of heavy printing — easily double what the standard cartridges gave me.”

Chip reliability also gets consistent mentions. Dozens of reviewers note zero installation issues across Brother models like the MFC-J1010DW, MFC-J497DW, and HL-L2390DW. That’s meaningful — cheap third-party cartridges often fail at chip recognition, triggering “Cannot Detect” errors that waste time and ink.

Where it falls short

Let’s be honest about the downsides. First, the packaging is minimal — cartridges aren’t individually sealed, so they can rattle around in the tray during shipping. In a few cases, this caused minor ink leakage around the print head nozzle. Inspect each cartridge before installing.

Second, Brother occasionally pushes firmware updates that can temporarily confuse third-party chips. If you suddenly see a “Cartridge Error” after an update, remove and reinstall the cartridge, then run a cleaning cycle. It resolves the issue for most users, but it’s an occasional inconvenience you won’t face with OEM cartridges.

Third, this is a third-party product, so Brother’s warranty won’t cover any printer damage attributed to these cartridges. In practice, printer damage from ink is rare, but you should know the risk calculus before you buy.

Who should buy these

• Home office users who print 50–200 pages monthly and want to cut consumable costs without sacrificing output quality
• Students printing assignments and color presentations on a budget — the high-yield format means fewer cartridge swaps mid-semester
• Small business owners with high-volume printing needs who’ve already gone through OEM cartridges and want a proven affordable alternative

Skip them if you rely on Brother’s warranty coverage for your printer, or if you print archival-quality photos where pigment-grade ink matters.

FAQ

Will these cartridges work in my Brother MFC-J995DW? Yes. The LC406/LC406XL format is compatible with most Brother inkjet models that use LC406 cartridges, including the MFC-J995DW, MFC-J1010DW, and MFC-J497DW. Check your printer’s manual for the cartridge list to confirm.

How many pages will I actually get? The black XL cartridge is rated for 600 pages at 5% coverage — typical for text documents. Color cartridges are rated around 500 pages each. Real-world yields vary based on print density and settings.

Do I need to reset the ink level counter after installing? No. The cartridges come with their own chips that communicate with the printer, so the ink level display works automatically. No manual reset required.

The Verdict

Buy it if you want OEM-matching print quality at roughly half the cost, and you’re comfortable with the occasional firmware hiccup that a re-seat fixes.

Skip it if you’re risk-averse about third-party ink and value warranty protection over cost savings.

Rating: 4.2/5 — A solid, reliable third-party alternative that delivers on its promises. The minor packaging and firmware quirks keep it from a perfect score, but for most Brother printer owners, this is a smart buy that pays for itself within the first two cartridge sets.

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.