3D Printers are becoming more popular. However, to use them, you need some raw materials, i.e. filaments or resins. Do you know which is the best filament for 3D printing? Read on.
The most popular 3D printers are the FFF/FDM (fused deposit modeling) types. These printers use plastic filaments to create models.
But which is the best filament for 3D printing? Read on to find out.
It is difficult to know which filament brand is the best among all these manufacturers and brands on the market today. In this guide, we’ve presented our findings after doing various tests on the filaments.
We’ll begin with the top 10 best PLA filaments for 3D printers this year. From reading this guide, you will know which are the best filaments to 3D printers, and this will give you a headstart when you want to purchase.
Further down, we compare and present the most common properties of the filaments. On the table, you can see the degree of difficulty in printing the material and a few other things
Finally, we go through the differences between the different filaments. This will help you know what to keep in mind when buying 3D printing filament.
3D Printer Filament Resources
If you want to understand what raw materials are used to make filaments, check our guide: What is 3D Printer Filament. The guide covers how filaments work, how they are made and much more.
If you are only looking for details about each filament, such as properties, specifications, areas of use and more, check this guide: 3D Printer Filament Types and Uses. The guide covers 25 different types of 3D printing filaments.
Let’s now get started with our guide of the best filaments for 3D printers.
Best Filament for 3D Printing
Below are the best filaments for 3D printing:
1. SUNLU PLA
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filaments make it on our list of the best filaments for 3D printers.
The good quality filaments have many good reviews. Using this filament, it is easy to get good print results, even if you are a beginner.
SUNLU has one of the highest accuracies on the market, with a tolerance of 0.02mm. Their filaments are also made of raw materials without contaminants. This means they are clean and free of bubbles and other things that can damage the 3D print.
These filaments are affordable and have excellent properties.
2. eSUN PLA
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eSUN offers quality filaments thanks to its approximately 18 years of experience in the industry. The company has one of the widest range of filaments, including special ones for different purposes. The filaments are made from good raw materials without contaminants.
eSUN filament is easy to print with and produces good print results. Apart from producing quality prints, these filaments are quite affordable and easy to print with.
3. HATCHBOX PLA
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Hatchbox is one of the leading manufacturers of 3D printer filaments. The company’s filaments have a tolerance of 0.03mm, and are manufactured from good raw materials.
The filaments are easy to use and produce warp-free prints.
However, the prices of Hatchbox filaments are somewhat high for being filaments .
4. OVERTURE PLA
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Overture provides quality filaments of various types for 3D printers. Their filaments are made from pure raw materials, and are easy to print. Their filaments should have a diameter tolerance of 0.03mm.
Customers love Overture filaments for their good quality prints and affordability.
5. POLYMAKER PLA
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Polymaker is another good filament for 3D printers that comes in many different materials and color choices. Polymaker filaments are made of pure raw material and a diameter tolerance of 0.03mm.
The excellent customer reviews make this one of the best PLA filaments for 3D printers.
6. NOVAMAKER PLA
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NOVAMAKER is another brand whose high quality filaments are made from clean raw materials. NOVAMAKER PLA filaments come in different colors and have a diameter tolerance of 0.003mm.
These filaments are easy to print and affordable.
7- COLORFABB PLA
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COLORFABB is a filament that comes in a wide range of different materials and colors for 3D printers.
However, their filaments cost a penny, and we do not think it needs to cost that much to get good filaments today.
Their filaments usually come in spools of 750g.
8- 3D PRIMA PLA
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3D-PRIMA offers filaments in different colors and materials, with fairly good diameter tolerance and quality. For the most part, you get decent prints with their filaments, such as PrimaValue or PrimaSelect. However, often, you have to fine-tune the 3D printer settings to get good prints
3D PRIMA has good ratings from customers, and therefore, also make it on our list of the best filament for 3D printing.
9. AMAZON BASICS PLA
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While not a 3D printer manufacturer, Amazon nowadays has filaments for 3D printers. Amazon makes generic PLA filaments, which are surprisingly good in terms of the quality of prints they produce.
The filaments are slightly cheaper and customers rate them as one of the best on the market
10. XYZ PLA
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XYZ manufactures filaments mainly for its own 3D printers, such as the XYZ Da Vinci 1.0, XYZ Da Vinci Minimaker, among others. XYZ filaments come either with NFC or without NFC chip, and as a refill package.
The filaments are available in various spool sizes.
Now, let’s compare the best filaments for 3D printers. Check the table below.
Best Filament for 3D Printer – Comparison Table
| Filament | Properties / Area of use | Strength | Flexibility | Building board Temp (°C) | Printing (°C) | Difficulty |
| PLA | Details – PLA | 2 | 1 | – | 180-220 | 1 |
| ABS | Details – ABS | 3 | 2 | 95-110 | 220-250 | 2 |
| NYLON | Details – NYLON | 5 | 3 | 70-90 | 245-275 | 5 |
| PETG | Details – PETG | 4 | 3 | 75-90 | 230-250 | 4 |
| HIPS | Details – HIPS | 3 | 1 | 90-100 | 225-245 | 3 |
| Flex-PLA | Details – FLEX PLA | 4 | 5 | 60-80 | 225-255 | 3 |
| PVA | Details – PVA | 2 | 1 | 50-65 | 190-210 | 4 |
| TPU | Details – TPU | 5 | 5 | 20-90 | 245-255 | 3 |
| PC | Details – PC | 3 | 2 | 90-120 | 260-280 | 3 |
| ASA | Details – ASA | 3 | 2 | 90-115 | 220-250 | 2 |
Tips for Buying 3D Printer Filament
There are various things you should keep in mind when looking to buy 3D printer filaments.
To start off, the 3D printer will determine the kind of filament you can use. Apart from this, consider the end product you want to print. How and where will it be used?
For example, PLA is good for indoor models, prototypes or simpler prints. ABS may be suitable for outdoor use since it’s more durable.
Functional 3D prints that are designed to withstand stress should use a tougher material such as PETG.
It’s also important to keep the filament rollers dry. Since it is PLAST we are talking about, be careful about how you treat the rolls. Some types of material also absorb moisture very easily.
Quality of Filament is Important
If you use poor quality filaments, you can end up with a range of problems. For example, the filaments can break before use, get stuck in the 3D Printer, your 3D prints become warped, etc.
Therefore, it’s critical to buy a good filament. Check the manufacturer’s specifications of their filaments to know what to expect. Also, look for affordable filaments. Just because a filament is expensive doesn’t mean it’s of the best quality.
Don’t just look at fine packaging and beautiful boxes that the filaments come in. Instead, consider the color intensity, durable temperature ranges, and raw materials used to make the filaments.
Types of Filaments
There are many different types of filaments for 3D printers. We’ve created a complete guide to all filaments and their properties, together with areas of use, properties and information about the specific plastic.
Learn about the different materials by reading our guide; 3D Printer Filament Types and Uses. We go through over 25 different filaments in detail.
