There are so many more options obtainable now for best 3D printer for beginners that it’s hard to tell which one is worth the investment. When looking for a 3D printer, focus on its speed and precision. If you want to get more original, check out options like colorful printing or the aptitude to use different materials.
After testing various machines for hundreds of hours, we’ve put together this list, giving it our all to ensure that there’s something here for you, no matter your scheme type or budget. Whether you want a mastic 3D printer to type miniatures for your Dungeons & Dragons game or a large-format one to make cosplay mail, we have the right 3D printer in this list. This leader also features thoughts you might not have carefully, such as print speed, shape plate size, material costs, print head type, and other vital details.
Which 3D Printer Is The Best?
I’ve spent almost a decade and countless hours testing 3D printers in as many habits as possible to bring you the best 3D printer for beginners in every class. Correct now, the Bambu Lab A1 Combo is our leader: It’s fast, can produce excellent detail, and it’s well priced at $489. It also has an outstanding color system, allowing you to print in four colors.
Best 3D Printer For Beginners
1. Bambu Lab A1 Combo
$299 at Bambu Lab
Pros
Setup is flawless
App is excellent
Amazing Quality
Well designed
Cons
Filament waste could be an issue
The “poop flinger” is not a good design
Material Type
Filament
Build Area (mm)
256 x 256 x 256
Official max printing speed (mm/s)
500
Dimensions (mm)
465 x 410 x 430 (printer only)
I rarely find a creation that impresses me, but the A1 Combo left me genuinely astonished with its presentation and value. This 3D printer is excellent, with fast, excellence printing at a great price. Adding the AMS lite raises it to the best printer you can purchase now. Desirable, four-color printing for less than $600 is a decent deal; I’m still puzzled by how the business pulls off that value.
There is a lot that I can say about this machine, most of which can be read about in my A1 Combo appraisal, but the most significant part of it is how simple it is to use. From the inaugural of the box to printing, my first quality print took minutes, and it lasted to harvest fantastic models months after my first try.
The A1 makes a lot of leftovers when printing in color, but that is not a reasonable aim not to buy this machine. Whether it’s your first printer or another one for your group, the A1 Combo is the number one printer to buy right now.
2. Prusa MK4S
$1,099 at Prusa
Pros
Excellent quality prints
Fast but not jerky
Excellent support
Open Source
Cons
Too expensive
Material Type
Filament
Build area (mm)
220 × 210 × 250
Official max printing speed (mm/s)
500
Dimensions (mm)
500 × 550 × 400
Update: Prusa has released a new form of the Mk4, the Mk4S. It’s an incremental upgrade but adds a lot of great features. It’s faster- receiving closer to that 500mm/s stated time in real life- and adding an app and good WiFi connections makes it a solid acquisition for anyone.
No best 3D printer list is whole without the Prusa MK4. Prusa has conquered the market for nearly a decade, and the Mk4 continues the excellent quality and customer care trend.
Though not the wildest, it is wild and always makes quality prints. I can count the amount of print fails from MK4 on one finger, and I have been consuming it for months. If you have the cash, the Mk4 is well worth the asset.
3. Bambu Lab P1S
$549 at Bambu Lab
Pros
The perfect balance of cost and quality
Speedy
Fully enclosed
Cons
The controller needs some work
Material type
Filament
Build area (mm)
256 × 256 x 256
Official max printing speed (mm/s)
500
Dimensions (mm)
389 x 389 x 458
The P1S is an updated form of our previous best 3D printer winner, the P1P. Each of the informs to the machine — plastic sideboards, glass top, door, camera, part fan, and LED light — aided landing the P1S as our preceding No. 1 pick. It’s now been supplanted by an additional Bambu machine, but it still grips up as the best-enclosed printer you can purchase.
The quality and speed of the models are astonishing, and very few printers propose these aspects wherever near the same price. The P1S beats out its precursor, even though it is the same machine in every mechanical method because the circumstances and door make it a more well-rounded product.
4. Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo
$379 at Anycubic
Pros
Simple setup
Color printing is outstanding
Speedy
Cons
The slicer is awful (a fix is on the method)
Material type
Filament
Build area (mm)
250 x 250 x 260
Official max printing speed (mm/s)
600
Dimensions (mm)
453 x 505 x 483
The Kobra 3 is the primary color combo 3D printer from one of the additional budget-friendly builders. It’s a good machine, with a lot of lovely little structures. It prints quickly, and the ACE color system is located flexibly. It also saves the filament safe and handles almost any thread roll you can throw. Models have been outstanding, and the color system handles color vicissitudes well, although the software does create a barrier.
The software is the main barrier to the whole machine. I don’t know why 3D printing businesses invest so little time in Slicer software, assuming it can brand or break the knowledge. That said, Anycubic is employed on a brand-new Slicer that whitethorns tip the scales back in their favor. Stay tuned.
5. Bambu A1 Mini Combo
$199 at Bambu Lab
Pros
The best setup experience
4-color printing on a budget
Good app experience
Surprisingly fast
Cons
There is no real modification path
AMS Lite is wobbly
Awkward shape and footprint
Material type
Filament
Build area (mm)
180×180×180
Official max printing speed (mm/s)
500
Dimensions (mm)
347×315×365
The A1 Mini Combo is a nearly faultless admission to the world of color 3D printing. It’s well-priced, and though the build area is small, the quality of the print — and the detail you can print in four colors conventional out of the box — is astonishing. I’ve spent hours using it to brand cool little things for kids and having them learn what all the pieces do, too.
The Mini Combo has an app that makes it simple to get started and lets you monitor the print while you are absent. The software on your computer is informal and can be set up directly. If you are unsure about 3D printing and poverty a cheap way to get started, this is the printer for you.
FAQs about Best 3d Printer For Beginners
What material should I use to print with?
Most excellent home 3D printers use PLA or ABS plastic. Professional printers can use all supplies, from metal to carbon-based filament. Some printers use a runny resin, which is much more problematic. As a beginner, use PLA. It’s non-toxic, made typically of cornstarch and sugarcane, handles easily, and is inexpensive. It’s more subtle to heat, so don’t leave your 3D prints on the console of a car on a hot day.
Check out our best filament article for a more detailed explanation of the dissimilar materials.
Which brand of PLA is best?
What brand is best will be contingent on the job you’re trying to do. If you need to print something that looks astonishing without post-processing, Polylite from Polymaker is an excellent product with an extensive range of colors and finishes.
If you’re printing something sanded and painted, like cosplay armor, I would go with MatterHackers Shape PLA. It’s informal to sand, holds paint well, and is cheaper the more you buy.
What settings should I use?
Most 3D printers include or link to optional software, which can handle changing 3D STL or other files into formats reinforced by the printer. Stick with the optional presets to start, with one exclusion. I’ve been adding a raft, or bottom layer of filament, to nearly everything I print. It has cut down intensely on prints that don’t adhere to the bed correctly, a shared issue. If you continue having problems, rub a normal glue stick on the print bed before printing.