So far I haven't needed my CO2 kit for cycling. I only got it for group rides so folks wouldn't be waiting longer than necessary for me. On solo or casual group rides I use pumps.
But for many years I used CO2 pellet guns for target shooting, including paper punching and metal silhouettes. This was before the more practical compressed air tank generation of pellet guns. Never had a CO2 cartridge dud or failure, even the cheap stuff. Any leaks were always the doodad that penetrates the seal, the O-rings or baffles that trap the expanded gas, not the cartridge itself. Sometimes on really hot days we had to be careful to keep the equipment out of direct sun, but that didn't affect the CO2 cartridges.
If I bought CO2 spares for my bikes, I'd just get whatever is cheapest.