Every Major 3D Printer Brand Ranked Worst To Best
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Have you ever wanted to start 3D printing, but weren't sure where to start? Maybe you've heard some horror stories about how difficult 3D printers are to use. The good news is, 3D printers have come a long way and you can actually get an excellent device for just a couple hundred bucks. There are a lot of great manufacturers in the space, so the worst of them are only at the bottom of the list because they don't have as versatile a product range.
The first things you'll need to consider are what type of printer you want, and what size you need. FDM printers tend to be cheaper, and the plastics pose less of a health risk. Resin printers offer superior quality but you will need additional safety precautions to use them properly.
However, regardless of your budget or printer preferences, there are some great brands to choose from. Some are better than others, though, so here's every major 3D printer brand ranked worst to best. As we said, many of these brands actually make great products, but some are better suited for certain applications.
10. ToyBox
ToyBox makes a popular 3D printer for kids, but that's the only product it makes, which gives the brand a limited appeal. That being said, the ToyBox 3D printer is a compelling option if you have a young one interested in 3D printing or STEM in general.
The ToyBox is compact, at just 7.4 x 7.4 x 9.05 inches. It can easily fit on a shelf or a compact desk. The printer also uses PLA non-toxic plastic, so you don't have to worry about any harmful chemicals around your young ones. ToyBox has an app that is easy to use, and you can use the Creator Space to create your own designs. You can also import your own STLs to print anything you want.
If you're looking for something compact, easy to use, and kid-friendly, the ToyBox is your best option, and it only costs $300. If you're looking for something more advanced, though, you will need to go to a different brand.
9. AnkerMake
Anker is a brand best known for mobile accessories and headphones, and now they've broken into the 3D printing space. The company's FDM printers are high-quality and print at incredible speeds. Users have praised the high-quality prints and the impressive speed, but the printer is not without issues.
Those issues lie namely in the hotbed and the screws that hold it in place. Many have reported that the screws holding the piece in place break when taking the machine apart. Users recommend replacing these screws as soon as you get the printer to minimize the risk of failure.
That's a little irksome, and it's apparently been a known issue since the printer came out.
However, once you get that resolved and properly maintain the machine, it does print very well. It's a great starter FDM printer, but there are higher-quality devices out there. You can get the AnkerMake M5 for around $600 currently.
8. Lulzbot
Lulzbot is a premium FDM printer manufacturer. They make excellent products, but their pricing puts them out of range of most consumers, and the brand doesn't have the same variety as other brands. Most Lulzbot printers will cost you at least $1,000, with some costing well over two grand.
The most affordable printer is the TAZ Sidekick, which you can get right now for about $800. The Sidekick is an FDM printer, like all their other devices. The printer is designed to be easy to use and requires no additional tools. It's a high-quality and reliable printer, but you can find printers that are nearly as competent for a lower price.
The printer is compatible with PLA and Metal PLA, so you can get a wide variety of prints out of it. The only thing holding Lulzbot back is its high cost of entry, but otherwise it makes some of the best devices on the market.
7. Phrozon
Phrozon is a relative newcomer to the 3D printer space, but the company is incredibly popular among miniatures enthusiasts. Phrozon specializes in resin 3D printers, and it makes its own resin and curing stations. That makes Phrozon a one-stop shop for printing materials, which makes it very approachable for newcomers.
The company now has several printers of varying resolution, with their cheapest being the Sonic Mini (starting around $269). One complaint users have is about the size of the print area. While Phrozon's products are too small for larger prints, they are incredibly popular among tabletop enthusiasts. Phrozon has also carved out niches in the jewelry and dental industries.
While the company makes great products, Phrozon does have a bit of a niche appeal, especially since it doesn't offer FDM printers as well. If you plan on printing larger objects or are worried about the health risks of resin printing, you may want to look somewhere else.
6. Creality
Creality is a well-known and established 3D printer brand that makes great FDM and resin printers. If you are still unsure what type of printer you want to get but want something high-quality, Creality is a great place to start looking. The company has a ton of FDM and resin printers available, though even their cheapest are not priced competitively.
The flagship device is the K1 Max, which has a max printing speed of 600 mm/sec and a roomy print area of 300x300x300mm. It has an integrated AI camera and LIDAR sensor to monitor the print quality, and it has fully automatic bed leveling and calibration. The K1 Max retails for $900. That's the biggest problem with Creality.
While it makes great products — arguably some of the best on the market — Creality's products are also priced quite a bit higher than the competition. It can be hard to justify the expense of a model like the K1 Max when competitors make very similar products for quite a bit less money.
5. AnyCubic
AnyCubic is another popular 3D printer brand, and its devices are competitively priced. The company makes both FDM and resin printers, so there is more than likely a device that suits your needs.
The major downside to the company's products is the small form factor. Even some of its larger products are quite a bit smaller than some of their competition, which means you might need to find a different brand if you have a particularly large print you need.
The exception to that is the AnyCubic Kobra Max, an FDM printer with a huge 400x400x450mm print area.
AnyCubic devices like the Photon M3 are popular first printers because their devices are quite affordable and beginner-friendly. While there are certainly better printers on the market, the quality for the price is quite impressive. The resin printers are a bit smaller, but that makes them popular for more niche applications. If you're looking for a high-quality and affordable device, AnyCubic is one of the best brands to look at.
4. Flashforge
Flashforge is a premium consumer-oriented brand of 3D printers. It makes some of the best 3D printers on the market, and their devices come in a variety of sizes to appeal to many needs. Despite making some of the best printers on the market, they also have a number of budget options for more price-conscious consumers.
Their flagship printer is the Adventure 5M Pro, an FDM printer with a host of special features for just $600. It's a compact, quiet, and easy-to-use printer that is far cheaper than some of its competitors.
While Flashforge does offer resin printers, its flagship device, the Focus 6K, has a lower resolution than many of its competitors. While 6K certainly isn't a low resolution, many premium resin printers have 8k or even 12k resolutions. The higher resolution allows for more detail, and the lower resolution can be very noticeable on larger prints.
Flashforge makes some of the best 3D printers on the market, but if you're looking for the absolute best resin printers you may want to look elsewhere.
3. Elegoo
Elegoo is another very popular 3D printer brand that makes FDM and resin printers. Elegoo products are competitively priced, and they have a number of products available for any focus. Unlike some of the other resin printer brands on this list, Elegoo has large and small resin printers available. That makes it the go-to option if you want to print anything large with the impressive detail that resin offers.
One of the other benefits of Elegoo is the ready availability of replacement parts. You can purchase any replacement pieces directly from the website, making Elegoo products very DIY-repair-friendly.
If you're looking for high-quality printers with a wide variety of options, Elegoo is one of the best brands you can get. Elegoo sweetens the deal by having a lot of budget options available, so you can stick with Elegoo from your first purchase through any upgrades you decide to make in the future.
2. Formlabs
Formlabs is at the cutting edge of commercial 3D printing. While it makes great devices, the products are more geared toward businesses than consumers. However, if you've got the money for it — or you want to turn your hobby into a profitable endeavor — Formlabs is a formidable brand.
The Form 3+ is the most affordable of the company's industrial printers at $2,499, though it's a relatively small device. You can read our thoughts on the Form 3, the predecessor to the Form 3+.
Most of Formlabs' printers are SLA devices, which utilize lasers to cure liquid resin into a hardened plastic for durable and highly detailed prints. The Fuse 1+ 30W is their only device that uses Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), where the laser compresses resin powders to form a hard surface. If that sounds complicated, that's because it is, and that's also why the Fuse 1+ costs $25,000.
If you're new to the hobby, or don't have a need for a mass-production printer, Formlabs isn't the brand for you. But there's still no denying the great quality of the company's devices.
1. BAMBU Labs
Bambu Labs is consistently the highest-rated 3D printer manufacturer. The company makes stellar, easy-to-use devices, though you'll pay a premium for them. That quality experience is what earns the brand the top spot on this list, though.
The company's cheapest printer, the Bambu Lab P1P, starts at $700, but you can get it for $100 off right now. That's a high barrier for entry, but even the entry-level device outperforms most of the competition. BAMBU Labs' products are known for being easy to use, and these printers are upgradable so you can keep them running for years.
For the premium experience, the BAMBU Labs X1 Carbon has extra cooling and a hardened nozzle, and you can use it for a variety of materials like PA and TPU.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced printer, BAMBU Labs' products are the perfect solution for FDM printing. They don't offer resin printers, but the excellent build quality and ease of use keeps BAMBU Labs above the competition.