Best 3D Printing Pens for Kids

A 3D pen is an innovative device that can be used to express your creativity by using similar features found in a 3D printer. Artists use 3D pens for their craft hobbies. However, there are also 3D pens for kids and teenagers. Read on to find the best 3D pens for kids.

You can use a 3D pen as a substitute for glue to bond objects you print with your 3D printer. The pen works like a hot adhesive gun. When bonding your objects, you should use the same type of filament the object is made of. This way, the bonding material will be more invisible but strong.

For example, if you have a damaged section on a large, 3D-printed object, you may use a 3D pen to repair it. You can also easily repair broken or failed prints using a 3D printing pen.

How Does a 3D Pen Work?

A 3D pen enables you to bring your 3D objects to life. When you draw a stroke with the pen, instead of seeing ink coming out, you will see molten plastic in a shrill line. Just like you can build one layer on another layer with a traditional 3D printer, a 3D pen allow you to layer your 3D object.

Types of 3D Pens

There are four main types of 3D Pens on the market:

FDM Pens: Suitable for Older Children and Teens

Fused Deposition Modeling, also known as FDM, uses the similar technology found in home-based 3D printers. A filament thread like PLA is passed through a warm nozzle that softens it. You can also use ABS plastic in your 3D pen.

You can draw vertical lines using a 3D pen. Drawing a line isn’t something big. However, given how quickly the plastic gets hard, it is understandable why an FDM 3D pen is among the few that you can draw vertical lines with.

Other types of 3D pens need some time, from 5 to 10 seconds, for their lines to solidify. This delay can make your structure bend or, worse, flop.

Low Temperature: Appropriate for Younger Children

The low-temperature technology is similar to that used in FDM 3D pens. However, the plastics used here melt at lower temperatures.

With these 3D pens, you still get similar functions and quality you would with an FDM pen but with more child-safe temperature. Children still need parental supervision when using low-temperature 3D pens. However, they are less likely to get burned or hurt using this pen.

The best 3D pens for 8-year olds fall under the low-temperature type.

Cool Ink with Internal UV: Suitable for Young to Older Children

This pen is even more suitable for your children as it uses a cold process to produce 3D objects. At the end of the pen, there is a fluid plastic that is passed through the outlet at the front. An ultraviolet (UV) light solidifies the fluid ink.

SLA Resin printers use similar methods to print 3D objects

Cool Ink with External UV: Suitable for Young Children

This pen uses similar cool-ink methods but has a detached ultraviolet chamber to cure the ink. Your designs can, therefore, be simpler because the ink will remain in a liquid state until it enters the curing compartment.

Accurate 3D printed objects can be achieved through the molds that come with the pen.

Difference Between a 3D Pen and a 3D Printer

Surprisingly, 3D pens are more flexible to use compared to traditional 3D printers. If you have a 3D printer you have to think of what the end object should look like and design it before starting to print it.

A pen allows you to be more creative because you can start creating immediately.

3D pens are better than 3D printers for young children as their patience usually runs out before a 3D printer can finish their designs.

A 3D printer appears to be more analytical. On the other hand, a 3D pen allows you to show off your creative side as an artist or hobbyist.

Best 3D Pens for Kids – Comparison Table

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Which is the Best 3D Pen for Kids?

Below, we explore the best 3D pens for children.

Choosing amongst the hundreds of pens on the market is definitely challenging. The 3D pens we have reviewed below are the best based on the performance, prices, and consumer ratings

Let’s get started.

#1. 3Doodler Start Essentials

The Create pen by 3Doodler was among the first 3D pens in the market. The 3Doodler Start Essentials is a low temperature and child-friendly pen that has been recently added to the company’s series.

This 3D pen uses biodegradable plastics that melt at lower temperatures than some common PLA filaments on the market. No parts of this pen will get too warm, and this attribute makes the pen ideal for young children.

However, even though the pen uses low temperatures, you will still get the same accuracy as a traditional FDM pen.

Let’s look at some of the pen’s advantages.

Why We Love the Doodler Essentials

USB Rechargeable Battery

Unlike traditional FDM pens that require a cord as a power source, you can go completely wireless with this pen. The 3Doodler Smart is powered by an interior battery source. The pen moves just as you would want it to, unlike some of its competitors. Therefore, you can be sure of a less cumbersome experience

No Heat

The Smart 3D pen follows the same model creation processes of an FDM pen. However, none of its parts get too hot to touch. This makes it the best 3D pen for 8 year old artists.

You can draw on the included paper stencils without worrying about the pen getting hot.

Eco-Plastic Filament

After the filament is extruded from your pen, it remains soft for some time. Within this short timeframe, you can smoothen some parts before the plastic sets completely.

You won’t get any bad smells from your pen when printing. Therefore, it won’t be necessary to use a ventilation system like is required when using PLA or ABS filaments in your 3D printer.

With this pen, ‘spider webbing’ or ‘threading’ after application is not likely to happen. Threading usually happens when you apply some plastic to your work and then pull the pen away.

Some 3D pens might cause a ‘spider web’ between your object. The 3Doodler pen is less likely to cause this phenomenon.

Good Design

Some of the problems you might experience with other 3D pens are not there with the 3Doodler Start.

For example, the pen is not likely to jam inside because it has a clearing function. The function moves the filament to and fro to unclog any jams that might occur.

To start printing, you only need to press a button. Thanks to the pen’s smart auto feeding function, you can continuously draw without having to worry about the filament movement.

Cons of 3Doodler Smart

Short Filament

You won’t get significantly long spools filaments for the pen. Most of the filaments measure up to 6 inches in length. This is comfortable as you won’t have to drag along a lengthy reel while creating a 3D print. However, it also means that you will have to refill quite frequently when printing.

Speed

The feeding pace of this pen is fairly slow. This is what makes it the best 3D pen for a child. However, when filling in space, it can be a long tedious process because there is no option of changing the speed.

Verdict

If you are looking for a 3D printing pen that your children can use, the Start is in brilliant option. The pen provides reliable prints and is simple to use.

Young children can use this 3D pen easily as it has its own power source and its short filament spools prevent frustration.

The 3D pen for children comes fully charged and ready to use inside the box.

BUY ON AMAZON

#2. MYNT3D Professional Printing 3D Pen

Older children will love the MYNT3D pen. This is a user-friendly pen that has an ergonomic design. Premium features come standard on this pen, including an OLED screen and the ability to change the temperature of the nozzles.

MYNT3D Pen Features

Speed Control

You can slow down the filament speed when working with delicate and intricate designs. When you start filling up a big area, for example, you can speed up the filament speed.

Instead of just low, medium and high settings, you can choose everything in between. This is known as ‘step-less’, which allow you to choose any variation you prefer.

Temperature Control

The 3D pen for kids has hi-fi temperature control. Changing the temperature can happen in 1∞ raises. Therefore, you can have greater consistency throughout your designs.

The ability to alternate the temperature to anything between 130∞C up to 240∞C gives you a wider range of materials to work with. With the MYNT3D pen, you can use PLA, ABS or other exotic filament blends on the market.

OLED Display

The display provides useful information so that you can carry on printing hassle-free. These include information on the heat and the battery usage levels.

Great Design Features

This pen will slip comfortably into your hands, thanks to its thin and ergonomic design.

You can also switch the nozzles of the pen. With most 3D pens, you will have to buy a whole new pen if your nozzle breaks but this is not the case with the MYNT3D.

In the first year of purchase, you are entitled to a free nozzle replacement by MYNT3D. Moreover,  the nozzle doesn’t cost a lot to buy if you still have to replace it later.

The 3D printing pen requires a perpetual power supply when in use. With its USB 2.0 charging area, you can use a phone charger or even your laptop to power it.

The power supply will be turned off in 2 minutes if the pen is left unused.

Verdict

It is difficult to find fault with the MYNT3D pen. This pen packs all the benefits that you could want from a 3D printing pen for children. You can use any 1.75mm strand to print for longer times before reaching any limitations.

Read the full review.

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#3. Scrib3D

The bright fun appearance of the Scrib3D pen is clearly aimed at a younger audience. The pen packs great features and uses FDM processes to produce your 3D object.

The Scrib3D pen has a 6-speed adjustment and a larger OLED screen that enables it to compete with other premium pens out there.

Features of the SRIB3D

Appearance

This pen is more organic looking but appears bulkier than some of its rivals. According to Scribbler, the shape and weight allow a more steady hold on the hard.

After some practice, you will be able to naturally hold the pen and will have better control of it.

Children will like this pen more because it’s available in 7 different colors. If you are a parent, you know how children get fascinated when they play with a toy of their favorite color.

Temperature Control

The pen allows variable temperature, whose information can be seen on the OLED screen. You can control the temperature to make the 3D pen to use different types of filaments, including PLA and various blended filaments.

You can also use the pen to print metallic filaments.

6-Speed Control

The pen can print intricate parts at a slow speed of 1 so that the filament gets fed more slowly. To fill up larger areas quickly, you can increase the speed all the way up to 6.

Most 3D pens have 3 speeds to choose from. However, the Scrib3D provides more options. Apart from fast, medium and slow, you can choose other speed options in-between.

Verdict

This state-of-the-art version of Scribbler’s 3D pens has been greatly improved. Temperature control, the big OLED screen, and the 6-speed control options are some of the upgrades in this 3D pen for kids.

The Scribbler V3 pen is appealing to the young audience with the 7 different color options to choose from. This pen is more of a 3D printer on the go.

Read the full review.

BUY ON AMAZON

Where to Buy 3D Printing Pens for Kids

All the pens that were reviewed in this article are available for purchase on Amazon. You can use the links below to purchase.

• 3Doodler Start buy on Amazon
• MYNT3D Professional Printing 3D Pen buy on Amazon
• Scribbler 3D Pen buy on Amazon

Conclusion

Even though you get a lot of free filament with the Scrib3D printing pen, you will get the most value for your money by buying the MYNT3D pen.

Some of the features of the MYNT 3D pen that make it our top choice include better speed control and the ability to change your nozzles. The 3D pen also has an ergonomic design that makes it easy and comfortable to hold in your hand.