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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Best 3D Printer Overall
Original Prusa MK4
The Original Prusa MK4 provides some significant enhancements over the previous-generation Prusa i3 MK3S+, itself an Editors’ Choice winner: a thicker aluminum frame, an improved bed-leveling system, a redesigned extruder, and a touch screen. The MK4 retains Prusa’s traditional ease of use and setup, superior print quality, and problem-free operation, while providing a speed boost.
The Prusa MK4 is for hobbyists and makers who are willing to spend a bit of money to get a dependable, high-quality, open-frame 3D printer. Plenty of less-expensive 3D printers are available, but all too often they suffer frustrating issues in build-plate leveling and other fundamentals. The MK4 is the culmination of years of refinement of Prusa’s flagship product, which was reflected in its easy setup and problem-free operation in our testing.
3D-Printing Technology
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Materials Supported
ABS, PLA, HIPS, Nylon, PETG, ASA, Wood, Composite
Number of Print Colors
1
Number of Extruders
1
Frame Design
Open
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
9.8 by 8.3 by 8.6 inches
Top Print Resolution
50 microns
Primary Interface(s)
USB Thumb Drive
Dimensions (HWD)
19.6 by 21.6 by 15.7 inches
Weight
15.4 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year(s)
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Best Overall Budget 3D Printer
Creality Ender-3 V3
The Creality Ender-3 V3 is a great pick for curious tinkerers looking for an easy-to-use introduction to 3D printing. It shows improvements in print speed, auto-calibration, and cooling over other Ender-3 models we’ve tested. Though not without hiccups—including noise, vibration, and a print bed that needs to be treated with glue—it’s a highly capable and affordable budget 3D printer.
The Ender-3 V3 is an easy-to-use printer that produces speedy, high-quality prints and appeals to beginners and veterans alike. And it does so at a budget price.
3D-Printing Technology
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Materials Supported
PLA, TPU, PETG, ABS, PLA-CF, PETG-CF, CR-Carbon
Number of Print Colors
1
Number of Extruders
1
Frame Design
Open
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
7.8 by 7.8 by 9.8 inches
Top Print Resolution
350 microns
Primary Interface(s)
Wi-Fi
Dimensions (HWD)
14 by 14.7 by 19.6 inches
Weight
17.2 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
12 months
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Best Budget 3D Printer for Fast Prints
AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer
The AnkerMake M5C open-frame 3D printer is easy to assemble and to use. It has a generous print area for its price, and the prints we produced were of high quality, even with the default settings in the slicer software. Having the ability to control the printer from a mobile device is a nice touch. We also like the availability of the fast 500mm-per-second mode. The M5C supports printing with a wide variety of filaments including PLA, PLA+, PETG, ABS, TPU, carbon fiber, and wood composite. AnkerMake provides its own software for print preparation, but according to the company you can alternatively use UltiMaker Cura or PrusaSlicer.
The M5C’s included tool kit adds even more value for people just starting a 3D printing hobby, with Allen wrenches, a filament cutter, and an extra extruder nozzle. Overall, the $400 AnkerMake M5C is an excellent choice for both beginners and 3D-printing veterans.
3D-Printing Technology
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Materials Supported
ABS, Composite, PLA
Number of Print Colors
1
Number of Extruders
1
Frame Design
Closed
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
9.3 by 9.2 by 9.8 inches (HWD)
Top Print Resolution
50 microns
Primary Interface(s)
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB Type-C
Dimensions (HWD)
18.9 by 18.9 by 14.7 inches
Weight
24.2 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year(s)
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Best Multi-Color Budget 3D Printer
Bambu Lab A1 mini
The Bambu Lab A1 mini is not only an affordable 3D printer, but also offers an inexpensive add-on module that can print with any or all of four different-colored filaments, making multi-color creations easy. It generates high-quality prints at a relatively high speed, too. The A1 mini is exceptionally easy to get up and running and continues to be problem-free while you’re printing.
The Bambu Lab A1 mini is a filament-based 3D printer suitable for beginners and budget-minded hobbyists alike. It’s the lowest-cost four-color fused deposition modeling (FDM) printer currently on the market and a superb choice for someone who wants a stellar out-of-the-box experience, simple operation, and some money left in the bank.
3D-Printing Technology
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Materials Supported
PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA
Number of Print Colors
4
Number of Extruders
1
Frame Design
Closed
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
70.9 x 70.9 x 70.9 inches (HWD)
Top Print Resolution
100 microns
Primary Interface(s)
Wi-Fi, microSD card
Dimensions (HWD)
13.7 x 12.4 x 14.4 inches (HWD)
Weight
12.12 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year(s)
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Best 3D Printer for Product Designers/Engineers
MakerBot Replicator+
The MakerBot Replicator+ produced prints of good to excellent quality in our testing. It has a wide range of connectivity choices: You can print from a computer over USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi, as well as over Wi-Fi from a phone or tablet with the MakerBot Mobile app installed. You can also print files from a USB thumb drive. MakerBot provides its own software, which can be tailored to a user’s experience level. Although the Replicator+ is an open-frame printer, the extruder nozzle is placed in back of the extruder assembly and is hard to reach, minimizing the risk of a user being accidentally burned by touching the hot nozzle.
The Replicator+ is a good fit for product designers, architects, and engineers, as well as small businesses, schools, and community centers (not to mention individuals with money to spare who are looking for a high-quality 3D printer). MakerBot’s latest releases, the Method and Method X, have larger build areas and can produce prints to meet exacting engineering standards, but they are much pricier. The Replicator+ is a more affordable general-purpose model that should appeal to a wider audience.
3D-Printing Technology
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Materials Supported
ABS, PLA
Number of Print Colors
1
Number of Extruders
1
Frame Design
Open
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
6.5 by 11.6 by 7.6 inches (HWD)
Top Print Resolution
100 microns
Primary Interface(s)
Ethernet, USB 2.0
Dimensions (HWD)
16.2 by 20.8 by 17.4 inches
Weight
40.4 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
6 months
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Best 3D Resin Printer for Rapid Prototyping and Parts Production
Formlabs Form 3+
Formlabs’ flagship 3D printer, the Form 3+, is an industrial-quality desktop 3D printer capable of excellent print quality. It’s a stereolithography (SLA) printer, in which an ultraviolet laser shines into a vat of UV-curable liquid resin, tracing a cross section of the object to be printed on the resin, curing (solidifying) the resin layer by layer until it forms the printed model. The Complete Package that we tested provides a complete workflow solution, coming with washing and curing tanks.
In our testing, the Form 3+ was far from problem-free, but the company’s customer service phone line was very responsive and helped to resolve problems as they crop up, which means the Form 3+ can be a powerful and reliable tool for your workbench. We would recommend, though, that you invest $229 in Formlabs’ optional Build Platform 2, because printed objects were often hard to pry loose from the build platform that comes with the printer.
The Formlabs Form 3+ is a desktop SLA printer geared to product designers, engineers, and other professionals who need to print prototypes or parts.
3D-Printing Technology
Stereolithography
Materials Supported
Resin
Number of Print Colors
1
Number of Extruders
1
Frame Design
Closed
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
7.3 by 5.7 by 5.7 inches
Top Print Resolution
25 microns
Primary Interface(s)
Wi-Fi
Dimensions (HWD)
20.9 by 15.9 by 14.8 inches
Weight
38.5 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year(s)
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Best Pro-Level 3D Printer for Large Objects
Ultimaker S5
The Ultimaker S5 costs a pretty penny, but you get a lot for its premium price. A 3D printer geared to professionals, the S5 has a large build area for a closed-frame printer and packs dual extruders, letting you print with two filament colors or types. To that end, it comes with one spool of Tough PLA (polylactic acid) and one of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), the latter a water-soluble filament commonly used as a temporary support material during printing for complex objects.
Moreover, it is easy to set up and operate. The S5 can connect to a PC via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and you can print objects from a USB thumb drive inserted into its forward-facing port. It uses the familiar Cura open-source printing software that Ultimaker now manages.
The S5 is a good choice for product designers, engineers, architects, and others in need of a machine that can consistently churn out high-quality prototypes or models (and who have the money to spend on a printer to bring that ability in-house). Its dual extruders let you print in two colors or with multiple filament types. Its cubic print area is large for a closed-frame printer, and it churned out good-to-excellent-quality prints in our testing.
3D-Printing Technology
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Materials Supported
ABS, Nylon, PLA
Number of Print Colors
2
Number of Extruders
2
Frame Design
Open
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
13 by 11.8 by 9.5 inches (HWD)
Top Print Resolution
60 microns
Primary Interface(s)
Ethernet
Dimensions (HWD)
19.5 by 20.5 by 18 inches
Weight
45 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year(s)
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Best Budget 3D Printer for Large Objects
Elegoo Neptune 4 Plus
Looking to make big 3D prints for a modest price? The open-frame Elegoo Neptune 4 Plus 3D printer produces jumbo-sized prints, a rarity for sub-$500 3D printers, and in our testing, printed more than 20 objects of generally very good quality. It requires some basic assembly and enough table or bench space to house it, but setup and operation are easy enough. Be sure to add at least one filament spool to your order when purchasing the Neptune, or buy it in a bundle that includes filament.
The Neptune 4 Plus is a good choice for a hobbyist on a budget or a newbie willing to roll up their sleeves. The Neptune supports many filament types and can produce large prints. Some basic assembly is required, but setup is relatively easy, and it consistently produced good-quality prints in our testing.
3D-Printing Technology
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Materials Supported
ABS, PLA, Nylon, PETG, ASA, TPU
Number of Print Colors
1
Number of Extruders
1
Frame Design
Open
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
15.2 by 12.6 by 12.6 inches
Top Print Resolution
100 microns
Primary Interface(s)
USB Thumb Drive, Wi-Fi
Dimensions (HWD)
25.2 by 21 by 22.8 inches
Weight
32 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year(s)
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Best 3D Printer for Kids
Toybox 3D Printer
The Toybox 3D Printer is a device that kids can enjoy with minimal supervision and use to output some nifty toys. A parent will be needed for initial setup—which involves setting up a free account, downloading an app, and syncing your device with the printer—and there should always be an adult around during use by younger children. You can print from a mobile device or through a browser, selecting printable objects from Toybox’s generous selection or designing your own. Printing proved smooth, with no misprints. Filament-wise, it’s PLA only, which is the best choice for beginners.
The Toybox 3D Printer is designed for use by children and young people—Toybox Labs suggests a minimum age of 5, as well as adult supervision. The printer should be fun for people of any age—printing with it is a good activity to bring parents and children together. You can import and print 3D files from outside its ecosystem, but the process can be tricky. That, combined with its minuscule build area and the fact that its filament is limited to PLA, make the Toybox a specialty printer unsuitable for general use, but it’s a great choice for its young target audience.
3D-Printing Technology
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Materials Supported
PLA
Number of Print Colors
1
Number of Extruders
1
Frame Design
Open
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
3.5 by 3.1 by 2.8 inches
Top Print Resolution
200 microns
Primary Interface(s)
Wi-Fi
Dimensions (HWD)
9.1 by 7.4 by 7.4 inches
Weight
6.6 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year(s)
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Best Open-Frame 3D Printer for Hobbyists and Schools
LulzBot Mini 2
Easy to set up and operate, the LulzBot Mini 2 is an open-frame 3D printer capable of printing with a variety of filament types. The Mini 2 supports direct USB connection with a computer, and adds SD-card connectivity. It uses “thick” filament (2.85mm, often rounded to 3mm in descriptions) available on the LulzBot site and elsewhere. Easy to set up and use, the Mini 2 employs the popular and effective open-source Cura printing software. Its overall print quality is solid if not exceptional.
The LulzBot Mini 2 is a good choice for individuals, schools, and community centers thanks to its easy setup and operation. Hobbyists and tinkerers will like its ability to print with a wide variety of filament types. Its build volume is on the small side for an open-frame printer, and its print quality is only average, so professionals such as product designers, architects, and engineers may want to look elsewhere to produce larger and/or more exacting models.
3D-Printing Technology
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Materials Supported
ABS, HIPS, Nylon, PLA
Number of Print Colors
1
Number of Extruders
1
Frame Design
Open
Maximum Build Area (HWD)
7.1 by 6.3 by 6.3 inches (HWD)
Top Print Resolution
50 microns
Primary Interface(s)
USB 2.0
Dimensions (HWD)
24 by 18 by 13 inches
Weight
19.8 lbs
Warranty (Parts/Labor)
1 year(s)
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Buying Guide: The Best 3D Printer for 2024
When shopping for a 3D printer, one question comes before all others: What do you intend to print on it? Actually, not only should you ponder what you want to print, but a more fundamental question: Why do you want to print in 3D?
A lot of the answer depends on who you are. Are you a consumer interested in making toys, figurines, or household items? A trendsetter who enjoys showing the latest gadgetry to your friends? An educator seeking to install a 3D printer in a classroom, library, or community center? A hobbyist or do-it-yourselfer who likes to experiment with new projects and technologies? A designer, engineer, or architect who needs to create prototypes or models of new products, parts, or structures? An artist who sees fabricating 3D objects as a kind of sculpture? Or a manufacturer looking to print plastic items in relatively short runs?
(Credit: Molly Flores)
The “best” 3D printer for you depends on how you plan to use it. Consumers and schools will want a device that’s easy to set up and use, doesn’t need much maintenance, and offers reasonably good print quality. Hobbyists and artists may want special features such as the ability to print objects with more than one color or multiple filament types. Designers and other professionals demand outstanding print quality. Shops involved in short-run manufacturing will like a large build area to print multiple objects at once. Individuals wanting to show off the wonders of 3D printing to friends or clients will want a handsome yet reliable machine.
For this guide, we’ll focus on 3D printers targeted at consumers, hobbyists, schools, product designers, and other professionals such as engineers and architects, rather than high-end industrial printers. Most printers in this segment build 3D objects out of successive layers of molten plastic, a technique known as fused filament fabrication (FFF). It’s also called fused deposition modeling (FDM), although that term is trademarked by Stratasys Inc. A few 3D printers use stereolithography—the first 3D printing technique developed—in which ultraviolet (UV) lasers trace a pattern on photosensitive liquid resin, hardening the resin to form the object.
What Size Objects Do You Want to Print?
Make sure that a 3D printer’s build area is large enough for the kind of objects that you intend to print with it. The build area is the size, in three dimensions, of the largest object that a given printer can produce (at least in theory—it may be somewhat less if the build platform is not exactly level, for example). Typical 3D printers have build areas between 6 and 9 inches square, but they can range from a few inches to more than two feet on a side, and a few are actually square. In our reviews, we list printers’ build areas in inches in height, width, and depth (HWD).
(Credit: Molly Flores)
What Kind of Filament Should Your 3D Printer Use?
As for the materials you’ll use to print with, most affordable 3D printers use the abovementioned FFF technique, in which plastic filament—available in spools—is melted and extruded, then solidifies to form the object. The two most common types of filament are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA). Each has slightly different properties. For example, ABS melts at a higher temperature than PLA and is more flexible, but emits fumes when melted that many users find unpleasant, and it requires a heated print bed. PLA prints look smooth, but they tend to be on the brittle side.
(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)
Other materials used in FFF printing include, but are not limited to, high-impact polystyrene (HIPS); composite filaments made of wood, bronze, and copper; UV-luminescent filaments; nylon; Tritan copolyester; polyvinyl alcohol (PVA); polyethylene terephthalate (PETT); polycarbonate; conductive PLA and ABS; plasticized copolyamide thermoplastic elastomer (PCTPE); and PC-ABS. Each material has a different melting point, so use of some exotic filaments is limited to printers designed for them or ones with software that lets you control the extruder temperature. So your printer needs to support a given kind of filament to use it.
Filament comes in two diameters—1.85mm and 3mm—with most models using the smaller of the two. Filament is sold in spools, generally 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds), and costs $20 to $50 per kilogram for ABS and PLA. Although many 3D printers will accept generic spools, some companies’ printers use proprietary spools or cartridges. These may contain an RFID chip that allows a printer to identify the filament type and properties but restricts the material to the manufacturer’s compatible printers.
Make sure the filament is the right diameter for your printer, and that the spool is the right size. In many cases, you can buy or make (even 3D print) a spool holder that will fit various spool sizes. (For much more on 3D printing filaments, check out our filament explainer).
(Credit: Molly Flores)
Stereolithography printers can print at high resolutions and skip filament in favor of photosensitive (UV-curable) liquid resin, which is sold in bottles. Only a limited color palette is available, usually clear, white, gray, black, or gold. Working with liquid resin and isopropyl alcohol, which is used in the finishing process for stereolithography prints, can be messy and odiferous, but the print quality is often spectacular.
How High a Resolution Do You Need in a 3D Printer?
A 3D printer extrudes successive thin layers of molten plastic in accordance with instructions coded in the file for the object being printed. For 3D printing, resolution equals layer height. Resolution is measured in microns (0.001mm); the lower the number, the higher the resolution. That’s because the thinner each layer is, the more layers are needed to print any given object, and the finer the detail that can be captured. Note, however, that increasing resolution is sort of like increasing a digital camera’s megapixel count—although higher resolution often helps, it doesn’t guarantee good print quality.
(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)
Nearly all 3D printers sold today can print at a resolution of 200 microns—which should produce decent-quality prints—or better. Many can print at 100 microns, which generally delivers attractive objects. A few can print at higher resolutions still, as fine as 20 microns, but you may have to go beyond the preset resolutions and into custom settings to enable them.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
Higher resolution comes at a price, as printers with resolutions higher than 100 microns tend to cost more. Another downside of increased resolution is that it can add to print times—halving the resolution will roughly double the time it takes to print a given object. But for professionals who require the highest quality, the extra time may be worth it.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
The field of 3D printing for consumers and hobbyists is still in its infancy. The technology has been evolving at a rapid rate, making these products ever more viable and affordable. We can’t wait to see what improvements the coming years bring.
Can a 3D Printer Print in More Than One Color?
A few 3D printers with multiple extruders can print objects in two or more colors. Most are dual-extruder models, with each extruder being fed a different color of filament. One caveat is that these printers can only print multicolored objects from files that have been designed for multicolor printing, with a separate file for each color, so the areas of different colors fit together like three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle pieces.
Why Is a 3D Printer’s Build Platform Important?
We’ve mentioned its size, but other aspects of the build platform (the surface on which you are printing) can prove critical in practice. A good platform will let an object adhere to it while printing, but should allow for easy removal when the printing is done. The most common configuration is a heated glass platform covered with blue painter’s tape or a similar surface. Objects stick to the tape reasonably well and are easy to remove when completed. Heating the platform can prevent the bottom corners of objects from curling upward, which is a common glitch, especially when printing with ABS.
With some build platforms, you apply a glue stick to the surface to give the object something on which to adhere. This is workable, as long as the object can easily be removed after printing. (Sometimes, you must soak both platform and object in warm water for the object to come loose.)
(Credit: Molly Flores)
A few 3D printers use a sheet of perforated board with tiny holes that fill with hot plastic during printing. This design holds an object solidly in place during printing, but objects may not easily come loose afterward. Using a thumbtack or an awl to push the plugs of hardened plastic out of the perforations to free the object and/or clean the board is a time-consuming process, and can damage the board.
If the build platform becomes tilted, it can impede printing, particularly of larger objects. Many 3D printers offer instructions on how to level the build platform or provide a calibration routine in which the extruder moves to different points on the platform, ensuring that they’re all at the same height. A growing number of 3D printers automatically level the build platform.
Setting the extruder at the proper height above the build platform when starting a print job is also important for many printers. The process, known as Z-axis calibration, is usually performed manually by lowering the extruder until it’s so close to the build platform that a sheet of paper placed between them moves with slight resistance. A few printers automatically perform this calibration.
Is an Open-Frame or a Closed-Frame 3D Printer Better?
Closed-frame 3D printers have an enclosed structure with a door, walls, and lid or hood. Open-frame models provide easy visibility of print jobs in progress, and the easiest access to the print bed and extruder. (Sometimes, too easy.)
A closed-frame model is safer, keeping kids and pets (not to mention nosy or klutzy adults) from accidentally touching the hot extruder. It’s also quieter, reducing fan noise, and can keep the burnt-plastic smell of ABS from your nose.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
On the flip side, as mentioned earlier, you tend to get a bigger build area for your money with an open-frame printer. So it comes down to the space you’ll be printing in, your tolerance for noise and smell, and how many cats you have.
How Do You Connect to a 3D Printer?
With most 3D printers, you initiate printing from a computer via a USB connection. Some printers have their own internal memory, which is an advantage because they can keep a print job in RAM and continue printing even if the USB cable is disconnected or the computer is shut down. (That’s important because some complex prints can take many hours, depending on the printer!)
A few offer Wi-Fi or peer-to-peer wireless connectivity. A downside of wireless is that, because 3D printing files can sometimes be more than 10MB in size, it can take a while to transfer them. Another connection method that we’ve seen is Ethernet, for sharing a printer on a local network.
Many printers have SD or microSD card slots from which you can load and print 3D object files using the printer’s control panel and display screen, while others have ports for USB flash drives. The advantage of printing directly from flash media is that you don’t need a computer. The downside is that it adds an extra step, that of transferring the files to your card. Typically, wireless, SD card, or thumb-drive connectivity is offered in addition to the basic USB cable, although a few models omit the latter.
What Software Do You Need?
Today’s 3D printers come with a suite of software—almost always Windows-compatible, and often for macOS and Linux as well—available as a download. Not long ago, 3D printing software consisted of multiple apps, including a printing program that controlled the motion of the extruder, a “healing” program that optimized the file to be printed, a slicer to prepare layers to be printed at the proper resolution, and the Python programming language.
These components were derived from the RepRap open-source project, which spurred the development of low-cost 3D printers. Today, printer manufacturers have integrated these programs into seamless, user-friendly packages, many building on the Ultimaker Cura open-source platform. Some 3D printers also allow you to use separate component programs if you prefer. It depends on the manufacturer and the model.
Ready to Buy the Right 3D Printer for You?
Our list of top 3D printers covers a wide range in price, features, and printing methods, but they all represent one thing: quality in their respective environments. For more information on how 3D printing works, our subject primer is a good place to start. Also, be sure to check out our roundup of the best overall printers.