The Best 3D Printers for 2023
Overview
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Prusa MK3S+
Best Overall 3D Printer
Why We Picked It
Reliable 3D Printing Performance: The Prusa MK3S+ is renowned for its consistent and reliable 3D printing performance, making it a top choice for hobbyists, makers, and professionals.
Open-Source Nature: Being an open-source 3D printer, it allows for community contributions, modifications, and a vast ecosystem of compatible upgrades, enhancing its versatility.
Advanced Features: The MK3S+ includes advanced features such as filament sensor, power recovery, and silent Trinamic drivers, contributing to smoother and more reliable printing experiences.
Active Community Support: The Prusa community is highly active, providing support, troubleshooting, and a wealth of resources for users, making it an attractive option for those seeking community engagement.
Who It's For
Hobbyists and Makers: Enthusiasts who enjoy 3D printing as a hobby or for creating prototypes and personalized items.
Professionals: Designers, engineers, and professionals who require a reliable 3D printer for prototyping and small-scale production.
Community-Oriented Users: Those who value community support, open-source collaboration, and a wealth of shared knowledge.
Users Seeking Advanced Features: Individuals who appreciate advanced features like filament sensors, power recovery, and silent drivers for enhanced printing capabilities.
PROS
- Reliable Printing Performance:
- Open-Source Nature
- Advanced Features
- Active Community Support
CONS
- Assembly Required
- Higher Price Point
SPECIFICATIONS
- Printing Technology: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
- Build Volume: 250 x 210 x 210 mm
- Layer Resolution: 50 microns
- Max Print Speed: 200 mm/s
- Filament Compatibility: PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, and more
- Heated Bed: Yes
- Connectivity: SD card, USB
Elegoo Mars 3
Best Overall 3D Printer
Why We Picked It
- High-quality prints with excellent detail: The Elegoo Mars 3 uses a 4K Mono LCD screen with a resolution of 35 microns, which allows it to produce high-quality prints with excellent detail. This makes it ideal for printing miniatures, jewelry, and other small objects.
- Easy to use: The Elegoo Mars 3 is very easy to use. It comes with a pre-calibrated build plate, so you don’t have to worry about leveling it. It also comes with a slicer software that is easy to use and has a lot of features.
- Relatively quiet and fume-free: The Elegoo Mars 3 is relatively quiet and fume-free. This is because it uses a COB UV LED array, which is a type of UV LED that is known for being quiet and fume-free.
- Affordable: The Elegoo Mars 3 is an affordable resin 3D printer. It is a good option for those who are new to resin printing or who are on a budget.
Who It's For
- Hobbyists who want to print miniatures, jewelry, and other small objects.
- Educators who want to use 3D printing in their classrooms.
- Small businesses that want to create custom products.
PROS
- High-quality prints with excellent detail
- Easy to use
- Relatively quiet and fume-free
- Affordable
CONS
- Small build volume
- Not as fast as some other resin 3D printers
- Requires a well-ventilated area
PROS
- Build volume: 143 x 90 x 165 mm
- Resolution: 35 microns
- Light source: COB UV LED array
- Layer thickness: 0.025-0.2 mm
- Printing speed: 30-50 mm/s
- Connectivity: USB
Anycubic Kobra Max
Best Overall 3D Printer
Why We Picked It
Large Build Volume: Measuring 400 x 400 x 450 mm, the Anycubic Kobra Max’s spacious build volume caters to printing large-scale objects like cosplay props, helmets, and prototypes.
Direct Drive Extruder: The direct drive extruder ensures consistent filament feeding and reliable printing, even with flexible filaments like TPU, offering greater versatility in material choices.
User-Friendly Design: Equipped with a pre-calibrated build plate and a user-friendly touch-screen interface, the Anycubic Kobra Max simplifies the printing process, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced users.
Affordable Option: Despite its impressive capabilities, the Anycubic Kobra Max remains a relatively affordable large-format 3D printer, making it an attractive option for those seeking a balance between quality and value.
Who It's For
Hobbyists: The Anycubic Kobra Max is well-suited for hobbyists who enjoy printing large and elaborate objects, such as cosplay props, helmets, and decorative pieces.
Cosplayers: Cosplayers can utilize the printer’s large build volume to create their own costumes and accessories, bringing their character designs to life in a tangible form.
Small Businesses: Small businesses can leverage the Anycubic Kobra Max’s capabilities to print large prototypes, product samples, and custom designs.
Educators: Educators can integrate the Anycubic Kobra Max into their classrooms to introduce students to the world of 3D printing and demonstrate the potential of this technology.
PROS
- Large Build Volume
- Direct Drive Extruder
- User-Friendly Design
- Affordable Option
CONS
- Large Footprint
- Requires a Well-Ventilated Area
SPECIFICATIONS
Build Volume: 400 x 400 x 450 mm
Resolution: 50 microns
Layer Thickness: 0.1-0.3 mm
Printing Speed: 100 mm/s
Filament Compatibility: PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi
Bambu Lab P1P
Best Overall 3D Printer
Why We Picked It
Ultra-fast printing speeds: The Bambu Lab P1P is one of the fastest 3D printers on the market, capable of reaching speeds of up to 500 mm/s. This makes it an ideal choice for users who want to print large objects quickly.
High-quality prints: The P1P produces high-quality prints with excellent detail, even at high speeds. This is thanks to its Core XY design, which allows for faster and more precise movements, as well as its vibration compensation features, which help to reduce artifacts and improve print quality.
Ease of use: The P1P is very easy to use, even for beginners. It comes with a pre-calibrated build plate and a user-friendly interface. Additionally, Bambu Lab offers a variety of online resources and tutorials to help users get started.
Relatively affordable: The P1P is a relatively affordable 3D printer for its features. It is a good option for users who are looking for a high-performance printer that is also budget-friendly.
Who It's For
- Hobbyists who want to print large objects quickly.
- Professionals who need to print high-quality prototypes quickly.
- Educators who want to use 3D printing in their classrooms.
- Anyone who wants a fast, easy-to-use, and affordable 3D printer.
PROS
- Ultra-fast printing speeds
- High-quality prints
- Ease of use
- Relatively affordable
CONS
- Small build volume
- Can be noisy
- Requires a well-ventilated area
SPECIFICATIONS
- Build volume: 256 x 256 x 256 mm
- Resolution: 100 microns
- Layer thickness: 0.1-0.3 mm
- Printing speed: Up to 500 mm/s
- Filament compatibility: PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS
- Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi
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Creality Ender 3 S1
Best Overall 3D Printer
Why We Picked It
- Made for Designers: 32″ 4K monitor features Pantone Validated and Calman verified color accurate technology. Experience 95% P3 and 100% sRGB color coverage with Delta E ≤ 3. Built with M-Book mode which features Mac compatible color matching.
- ICC Sync Compatible with Display P3: The ICC Sync simplifies the color mapping process and can be completed in 1 second through the BenQ Display Pilot software.
- Daisy-Chain Technology: Free up your desk space and say goodbye to clutter thanks to the daisy chain connectivity capabilities! Seamlessly connect your computer/laptop to create a multi-monitor setup.
- Thunderbolt 3: Synchronizes images, videos, data and charge all of your Mac devices with an all-in-one cable!
Who It's For
Beginners: The Ender 3 S1’s user-friendly features and ease of use make it an excellent choice for those new to 3D printing.
Hobbyists: The printer’s affordability, reliability, and versatility make it a great option for hobbyists who enjoy printing a variety of objects.
Educators: The Ender 3 S1 can be used in educational settings to introduce students to 3D printing and its potential applications.
PROS
- Affordable price
- Easy to assemble and use
- Excellent print quality
- Reliable performance
- User-friendly features
- Large community support
CONS
- Limited build volume compared to some larger printers
- May require some fine-tuning for optimal results
- Not as fast as some high-end printers
PROS
Build Volume: 220 x 220 x 270 mm
Resolution: 50 microns
Layer Thickness: 0.04 – 0.2 mm
Printing Speed: 100 mm/s
Filament Compatibility: PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS
Connectivity: USB, SD card