5 Best 3D Printer Filaments in 2024

By Robin Owens 17 days ago, Printers

The best 3D printer filaments on the market.

top 3d printer filament

If you want to find the best 3D printer filament and don’t know which material is the most suitable for your needs, make sure to read this article. 3D printers use special plastic, or filament, for printing models.

There are many types of 3D printer filaments, so you need to learn more about their advantages and disadvantages before making your choice. Think carefully about which object you want to print and what type of printer you have. It will help you select a filament that is the most suitable for your needs.

Top 5 Best 3D Printer Filaments

  1. HATCHBOX PLA - Our Choice
  2. SUNLU PLA Silk - Wide compatibility
  3. AMOLEN PLA - Smoothly print
  4. SUNLU 3D Filament - Budget
  5. PRILINE Wood PLA - Refund guarantee in 30 days

Since there are many types of 3D printer filament, it might be challenging to decide which of them you need to buy. In this article, I have reviewed the best options to facilitate your choice. Below, you will find detailed descriptions of the best 3D printing supplies on the market.

1. HATCHBOX PLA

Our Choice
3d printer filament hatchbox

Strength: 8-13kgf | Print temperature: 210°C | Food safety: No | Diameter: 1.75 mm

  • ✚ High extrusion
  • ✚ Multi-purpose
  • ✚ Remarkable quality
  • 8” spools
  • Expensive
Rating

Polylactic acid is suitable even for beginners as it’s simple to use and doesn’t have an unpleasant smell. With Hatchbox PLA, you won’t need to use a heated bed. It’s perfectly suitable for creating durable objects of different colors with a smooth and glossy surface, which makes it the best 3D printer filament at this price range.

Whether you are an advanced user or a beginner, you will easily create a beautiful model with the help of this material.

2. SUNLU PLA Silk

Wide compatibility
3d printer filament sunlu

Strength: 6-11kgf | Print temperature: 220°C | Food safety: Yes| Diameter: 1.75 mm

  • ✚ Impressive compatibility
  • ✚ Simple-to-use, no bubbles
  • ✚ Shiny Silk PLA
  • Subpar quality
  • Problems with adhesion
Rating

If you want to print a 3D model with a smooth and satin-like surface, take a closer look at the series of SUNLU Silk PLA filaments. This filament was fully dried for 24 hours before being packaged and vacuum-sealed, which accounts for better quality and makes it the strongest PLA filament you can find.

You need to use a 210-220℃ extrusion/nozzle temperature. The temperature of a heated bed should be 60-70℃. After printing your model, you will enjoy its extra-smooth surface that doesn’t require further polishing. With this material, you can print highly detailed 3D models and create eye-catching objects.

3. AMOLEN PLA

Smoothly print
3d printer filament amolen

Strength: 6-11kgf | Print temperature: 210°C | Food safety: No| Diameter: 1.75 mm

  • ✚ Great compatibility
  • ✚ Smooth object surface
  • ✚ High-quality material
  • ✚ Impressive performance
  • Overpriced
Rating

While Amolen filaments are pretty expensive, they are known for their high quality. You won’t notice any air bubbles or oily residues. The spool is made of plastic which makes it pretty durable. Since this filament has phosphorescent properties, you can create objects that will be glowing in the dark.

If you put a printed object under direct sunlight or a UV light source, the glow will become more noticeable. Just like any PLA filament, it’s easy to use and allows you to print various objects with little to no effort.

4. SUNLU 3D Filament

Budget
3d printer filament sunlu

Strength: 5-10kgf | Print temperature: 210°C| Food safety: No | Diameter: 1.75 mm

  • ✚ Extra-tough
  • ✚ PETG-like SPLA filament
  • ✚ ±0.02mm dimensional tolerance
  • 8” spools
  • Unimpressive quality
Rating

This PLA filament is one of my favorite options on this list since it allows you to print objects of various colors. While it has worse quality than filaments released by AMZ3D, it is more affordable than many other materials. With it, you don’t need to worry that a nozzle might get blocked.

Besides, you can continue printing a model from where you have stopped because of a power outage. This way, you won’t need to start printing your object from scratch if something goes wrong. However, this filament is hardly suitable for those who don’t like a matte finish.

5. PRILINE Wood PLA

Refund guarantee in 30 days
3d printer filament priline

Strength: 6-13kgf | Print temperature: 230°C| Food safety: No | Diameter: 1.75 mm

  • ✚ Contains wood powder
  • ✚ Amazing compatibility
  • ✚ Smooth surface
  • ✚ Dimensional tolerance of ±0.02mm
  • Problems with adhesion
  • Subpar quality
Rating

This 1.75mm Wood filament from PRILINE doesn’t weigh much. With it, your printed model will look as if it was made of wood. You will be able to drill holes in it or make engravings.

Besides, it allows you to resume printing a modem from where you stopped because of a power outage. The only downside is that it has a matte finish.

IMAGE NAME FEATURES
3d printer filament hatchbox pla
HATCHBOX PLA
Our Choice
  • Strength: 8-13kgf
  • Print temperature: 210°C
  • Food safety: No
  • Diameter: 1.75 mm
CHECK PRICE
3d printer filament sunlu pla silk
SUNLU PLA Silk
Wide compatibility
  • Strength: 6-11kgf
  • Print temperature: 220°C
  • Food safety: Yes
  • Diameter: 1.75 mm
CHECK PRICE
3d printer filament amolen pla
AMOLEN PLA
Smoothly print
  • Strength: 6-11kgf
  • Print temperature: 210°C
  • Food safety: No
  • Diameter: 1.75 mm
CHECK PRICE

How to Choose the Best 3D Printer Filament?

3d printer filament

What Are You Building

The choice of a filament depends on an object that you want to create. For instance, if you need to print an object glowing in the dark, you can use a special PLA 3D printer filament. It’s also possible to select a filament for printing sandstone, metallic or magnetic models. If you don’t know which material suits you better, ABS or PLA, you need to decide whether you need to use a safer or less expensive filament. ABS is known for being durable. Besides, it allows you to create more detailed models. PLA comes in various colors and is perfect for creating objects with translucent or glossy surfaces.

Diameter & Moisture

When selecting a 3D printer filament, you can choose between two diameters, 3mm and 1.75mm. The latter is considered to be a better option as it’s easier to find and is in high demand. Thanks to it, you can be sure that you are buying the newest material. It’s important since even strong 3D printing materials might become less durable due to improper storage. If a filament hasn’t been packed properly, its quality might get worse since plastic is prone to absorbing moisture. Poor packaging might result in splatters and splits when you are printing your models.

3d printer filament

Impurities

This is an important factor to consider when you are buying a 3D printer filament. Chemical impurities might result in poor melted plastic viscosity. In turn, it might damage your printer since the extruder nozzle will get plugged up.

Conclusion

You might already know that 3D printing material properties differ a lot, besides, filaments come in various colors. While most people believe that you can use only plastic for printing 3D models, you can find sandstone, metal, carbon fiber, nylon, magnet or glow-in-the-dark filaments that allow you to make your project more unique.

Keep in mind that the choice of material should depend on the model you are going to print. Besides, you need to understand, how your object will look like and how you are going to use it. It’s also crucial to avoid purchasing the cheapest materials since they might clog the nozzle. To avoid this, make sure to read reviews before buying a filament. You should also learn more about different types of 3D printers and the process of printing itself. If you are wondering how to use various filaments, it might be worth looking online for original ideas for your project.

FAQ

  • • Is 3D printed plastic durable?

You need to understand that printed objects are always less durable than those that were manufactured in a traditional way. 3D printers create objects layer-by-layer, which allows you to print an object quickly. However, its quality will be lower. If you are using a plastic filament, a surface of an object will be glossy and pretty smooth.

  • • Do 3D printers use only plastic filaments?

There are different 3D printer filament types and uses so you need to understand which kind of object you want to print before making your choice. Most people use plastic. You can select either extremely durable PEEK or more affordable and simple-to-use PLA. If you have an SLA printer, you can purchase a resin filament.

  • • Why do 3D printer materials cost so much?

3D printer filaments aren't affordable since the materials they are made of also cost a lot. Besides, they are expensive to manufacture. When selecting a filament, think about your budget and choose high-quality materials to avoid damaging your equipment.

SAVE UP TO 65% OFF SAVE UP TO 65% OFF