3D Printer Filament Buying Guide 2026

Most FDM 3D printing uses one of six common materials. Each has different properties, printing requirements, and price points.

PLA — The Default Choice

PLA is the easiest material to print and the most affordable. It produces good surface quality with minimal warping. The main limitations are brittleness and low heat resistance (softens around 55-60 C). Best for prototypes, models, decorative items, and anything that stays indoors. Price range: $10-32/kg. Compare PLA prices.

PETG — The Practical Upgrade

PETG offers better impact resistance, higher heat tolerance (glass transition ~80-85 C), and good chemical resistance. It prints at higher temperatures than PLA and is more prone to stringing, but it is still manageable for intermediate users. Best for functional parts, outdoor items, and anything that needs durability. Price range: $15-40/kg. Compare PETG prices.

ABS — The Legacy Material

ABS was one of the first widely-used 3D printing materials. It has good impact resistance, can be smoothed with acetone vapor, and handles higher temperatures than PLA. However, ABS warps significantly, produces strong fumes that require ventilation (ideally an enclosed printer), and has largely been replaced by PETG for most users. It remains useful for parts that need acetone smoothing or high-temperature resistance. Price range: $12-30/kg.

TPU — Flexible Filament

TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) is a flexible material used for phone cases, gaskets, bumpers, shoe insoles, and anything that needs to bend. Printing TPU requires slower speeds and a direct-drive extruder (Bowden setups struggle with flexible filament). Shore hardness varies from very soft (85A) to semi-rigid (95A). The softer the material, the slower you need to print. Price range: $18-45/kg.

Nylon — The Engineering Material

Nylon (polyamide) offers excellent strength, wear resistance, and a low friction coefficient, making it ideal for gears, bearings, hinges, and mechanical components. It requires high temperatures (240-270 C), an enclosed build chamber to prevent warping, and careful moisture management. Nylon is extremely hygroscopic and must be dried before printing. It is not a beginner material. Price range: $25-60/kg.

PLA+ (PLA Pro) — The Compromise

PLA+ is standard PLA with additives that improve toughness and reduce brittleness. The exact formula varies by brand, so properties are not standardized. In general, PLA+ sits between PLA and PETG in terms of impact resistance while retaining most of PLA's printability. It costs only slightly more than standard PLA and is a reasonable option if PLA is too brittle for your application but you do not want to deal with PETG's higher temperatures. Price range: $12-28/kg.

Filament prices vary widely even within the same material type. Several factors drive these differences:

• Raw material cost. PLA is cheap to produce from corn starch. Nylon and specialty polymers cost more at the chemical level. This is the primary reason different materials have different price floors.
• Diameter tolerance. Maintaining tight tolerances (+/- 0.02mm vs +/- 0.05mm) requires better equipment and slower production. This is the biggest quality differentiator between budget and premium filament.
• Color and additives. Standard colors (black, white, gray) are cheapest. Specialty finishes like silk, marble, wood-fill, or glow-in-the-dark use additives that increase cost. Transparent filaments are typically harder to produce consistently.
• Brand and packaging. Established brands with quality control infrastructure charge more. Packaging (vacuum sealing, desiccant inclusion, spool material) also adds cost. Cardboard spools save $0.50-1.00 per spool compared to plastic.
• Spool size. Smaller spools (250g, 500g) have a higher per-kilogram price than standard 1kg spools. Larger spools (2kg, 5kg) offer a bulk discount. The sweet spot for most users is the standard 1kg spool.

The standard spool size in the consumer market is 1kg (2.2 lbs). This is what most brands sell, and it is what most spool holders and AMS (automated material systems) are designed for. Here is how the common sizes compare:

The per-kilogram savings from buying 5kg bulk rolls over 1kg spools can reach 20-30%. However, bulk rolls require a separate spool holder (they do not fit standard holders or AMS units), and you need to be confident in both the material and the color before committing to that volume. For most users, buying 2-3 packs of 1kg spools from brands like Overture or SUNLU offers a good balance of savings and flexibility.

Moisture is the enemy of 3D printing filament. All common filament materials are hygroscopic to some degree, absorbing water from the air. Wet filament causes popping or crackling during extrusion, stringing, rough surface texture, poor layer adhesion, and weakened parts.

Here is how different materials rank in moisture sensitivity, from most to least sensitive:

1. Nylon — Absorbs moisture very quickly. Must be dried before every use and stored sealed.
2. TPU — Very moisture-sensitive. Sealed storage essential.
3. PETG — Moderately sensitive. Benefits from sealed storage, especially in humid climates.
4. PLA — Less sensitive but still affected over weeks of open-air exposure.
5. ABS — Relatively resistant but not immune.

Practical storage solutions:

• Vacuum bags with desiccant — The cheapest option. Reuse the original bag or buy vacuum storage bags. Include 2-3 silica gel packets per spool.
• Sealed plastic bins — A large bin with a gasket lid and a tray of desiccant at the bottom holds 4-6 spools. Cost-effective for multiple spools.
• Filament dry boxes — Enclosed containers with a feed-through hole so you can print directly from the sealed box. Available for $20-40 or DIY-able from a plastic bin and PTFE fittings.
• Filament dryers — Active heating units ($30-80) that dry wet filament over several hours. Useful for recovering moisture-damaged spools or drying hygroscopic materials like Nylon before use.

FDM filament comes in two standard diameters: 1.75mm and 2.85mm (sometimes marketed as 3mm). The vast majority of modern consumer printers use 1.75mm. If you are buying a new printer or already own a Creality, Prusa, Bambu Lab, AnkerMake, or similar machine, you need 1.75mm filament.

The 2.85mm standard is used primarily by Ultimaker printers, some LulzBot models, and certain industrial machines. Filament selection is smaller for 2.85mm, and prices tend to be slightly higher due to lower production volume.

Always check your printer's specifications before buying filament. Using the wrong diameter will not feed properly and will not produce usable prints. This is the single most common mistake new users make when ordering filament.

Budget (Best Value)

Overture, SUNLU, eSUN, Inland. These brands consistently deliver good results at $10-16/kg for PLA. Overture and eSUN have the most established reputations. SUNLU offers the widest specialty color range at budget prices. Inland is Micro Center's house brand and a strong option if you have a store nearby.

Mid-Range (Quality and Value)

Polymaker, Hatchbox, Bambu Lab. Better tolerances, more consistent color, and reliable spool winding. Polymaker PolyTerra and PolyLite lines are highly regarded. Hatchbox has a long track record of reliability. Bambu Lab filament integrates well with their printers but works on any machine.

Premium (Maximum Consistency)

Prusament, Fillamentum, ColorFabb. The tightest tolerances, best documentation, and most predictable results. Prusament publishes per-spool diameter measurements. Fillamentum is known for unique colors and consistent quality. ColorFabb offers specialty materials (woodfill, copperfill, carbon fiber) with reliable formulations.

Specialty Materials

SainSmart (TPU), Polymaker (Nylon), NinjaTek (flexible). For specialty materials, brand matters more because the printing parameters are less forgiving. SainSmart TPU is widely recommended for flexible printing. Polymaker PolyMide is a solid Nylon option. NinjaTek specializes exclusively in flexible filaments.