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What are the best filaments for 3D printing?

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Hatchbox PLA Filament vs Makerbot PLA Filament vs 3DXSTAT ESD-Safe ABS Filament

 vs Makerbot ABS Filament vs NinjaFlex Flexible Filament vs Taulman3D Bridge Nylon Filament vs Proto-pasta Original Carbon Fiber Filament vs eSUN PETG Filament

Specs

Resistance to oils and chemicals

No

Density

1.27 g / cm^3

Resistance to water and humidity

No

Resistance to sunlight

No

Additional printed bed adhesion

Blue Painters Tape

Heated bed required

No

Resistance to high temperatures

NA

Tensile/compressive strengths

NA

Diameters available

1.75 mm / 3.0 mm

Colors available

28 color options available

Additional features

Guaranteed 0.05 mm dimensional accuracy

Resistance to oils and chemicals

No

Density

NA

Resistance to water and humidity

No

Resistance to sunlight

No

Additional printed bed adhesion

Any build plate tape (recommended one is Makerbot Build Plate Tape ($1.00 / sheet) )

Heated bed required

No

Resistance to high temperatures

It’s recommended to keep this material below 60ºC

Tensile/compressive strengths

46.76 MPa / 17.92 MPa

Diameters available

1.75 mm

Colors available

23 different colors

Additional features

NA

Resistance to oils and chemicals

Yes

Density

1.09 g / cm^3

Resistance to water and humidity

Yes

Resistance to sunlight

Yes

Additional printed bed adhesion

Kapton Polyimide Tape, ABS/Acetone Slurry

Heated bed required

Yes

Resistance to high temperatures

Up to 105ºC

Tensile/compressive strengths

42 MPa / NA

Diameters available

1.75 mm / 3.0 mm

Colors available

1 color available (black)

Additional features

ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) protection, consistent surface resistance, improved retention of impact and elongation

Resistance to oils and chemicals

Partial

Density

NA

Resistance to water and humidity

Yes

Resistance to sunlight

Yes

Additional printed bed adhesion

Kapton tape is recommended by the manufacturer

Heated bed required

Yes

Resistance to high temperatures

Up to 105ºC

Tensile/compressive strengths

34.03 MPa / 7.58 MPa

Diameters available

1.75 mm

Colors available

10 color options available

Additional features

-

Resistance to oils and chemicals

Yes

Density

1.19 g / cm^3

Resistance to water and humidity

Yes

Resistance to sunlight

Yes

Additional printed bed adhesion

Glue and/or blue painters tape is suggested, if not using a heated bed

Heated bed required

No

Resistance to high temperatures

NA

Tensile/compressive strengths

4 MPa / NA

Diameters available

1.75 mm / 3.0 mm

Colors available

10 standard colors

Additional features

Flexible nature of material (to up to 660% elongation); adhesion to standard build platforms without glue or tape; abrasion resistance 20% better than ABS and 68% better than PLA; chemical resistance to many materials, including naphtha, ASTM Oils #1-3, petroleum and freon

Resistance to oils and chemicals

Partial

Density

NA

Resistance to water and humidity

Yes

Resistance to sunlight

Yes

Additional printed bed adhesion

Kapton tape / Garolite

Heated bed required

Yes

Resistance to high temperatures

Up to 52ºC

Tensile/compressive strengths

33.09 MPa / NA

Diameters available

1.75 mm / 3.0 mm

Colors available

1 color available (natural)

Additional features

Low surface friction, toughness and flexibility

Resistance to oils and chemicals

No

Density

1.30 g / cm^3

Resistance to water and humidity

No

Resistance to sunlight

No

Additional printed bed adhesion

Not required

Heated bed required

No

Resistance to high temperatures

Up to 54ºC (4030D PLA standard)

Tensile/compressive strengths

NA

Diameters available

1.75 mm

Colors available

1 color available (black)

Additional features

6560 MPa stiffness (1.5 times higher than regular PLA and 3 times higher than regular ABS)

Resistance to oils and chemicals

No

Density

1.23 g / cm^3

Resistance to water and humidity

Yes

Resistance to sunlight

Yes

Additional printed bed adhesion

Not recommended by manufacturer

Heated bed required

No

Resistance to high temperatures

Up to 64ºC

Tensile/compressive strengths

49 MPa / NA

Diameters available

1.75 mm / 3.0 mm

Colors available

9 natural colors available

Additional features

Odorless, hydrophobic

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Great value for money

Costing around $20 per kg, it’s a great affordable filament in its own right: it has a stated dimensional accuracy is ±0.05mm, guaranteeing that filament diameter is consistent all the way through. The majority of filaments around this price tag does not guarantee this level of accuracy.
Comment

Pro
 Great packaging that ensures proper protection

For this filament's price, its packaging is pretty great. It comes with its own spool, uncommon for filaments in this price range. The spool is also vacuum sealed in a tight film and packed in a rigid cardboard box.
Comment

Pro
 Comes in 28 different colors

Hatchbox offers this filament in a total of 28 different colors, even if the exact colors available may vary for each of the versions (1.75 mm and 3.0 mm). Note that some of colors (like the wooden one) might cost a couple of dollars more than regular colors.
Comment

Pro
 Can be used with both 1.75 mm and 3.0 mm extruders

You can use this filament with printers that have either 1.75 mm or 3.0 mm extruders, since this filament comes in both sizes. However, the 3.0 mm version costs a few dollars more than the 1.75 mm one.
Comment

Con
 No mechanical datasheet available

The manufacturer does not offer a proper public datasheet The website itself appears unfinished and devoid of any useful technical info. A Material Safety Sheet can be found, but it contains no information regarding the mechanical properties of the filament. This is especially troublesome for academic users, such as mechanical engineers.
Comment

Pro
 Above average mechanical parameters

Since this filament was designed to be used with high-end, expensive Makerbot hardware, its mechanical parameters exceed the standards for regular PLA plastic, as shown in the raw datasheet of the material. It's properties are very well balanced; the filament is quite ductile, meaning tensile strength is a bit higher than that of standard PLA, while maintaining the same high material elasticity. While it isn’t a groundbreaking filament, you can be assured that there is no aspect of this product that can be considered substandard.
Comment

Pro
 Health risks are lower than with ABS

3D printing PLA poses fewer health risks than ABS.
Comment

Pro
 Has proven its value with the 3D printing community

As most Makerbot products, this filament has earned some popularity within the 3D printing community. While Makerbot recommends this filament with their own 3D printers, plenty of people have used this filament for non-Makerbot printers and are quite satisfied with the quality of the results.
Comment

Pro
 No heated bed required

Using a PLA filament does not require your 3D printer to have a heated bed.
Comment

Pro
 Available in 10 different colors

This filament is available in 10 different colors, all of which offer consistent quality and looks.
Comment

Pro
 Proper packaging protects filament from mechanical damage, air and humidity

Makerbot’s packaging keeps the filament inside safe from damage The thick cardboard box protects from mechanical damage while the vacuum-sealed film (together with an included silica pack) keeps the filament safe from air and humidity. This is very important, as filaments absorb water extremely fast.
Comment

Con
 PLA's applications for 3D printing are quite limited

In terms of 3D printing applications, PLA is very limited. While it’s great for general prototyping and poses fewer health risks, it cannot withstand hot or humid environments: it degrades dramatically when exposed to direct sunlight, high temperatures (above 60ºC) or water. It is way less durable and flexible than materials like ABS and lacks chemical resistance. You need to be aware of what the limits are when using this material.
Comment

Con
 Impossible to be used with a 3.0 mm extruder

If your printer has a 3.0 mm extruder, you won't be able to use this filament, since it only comes in 1.75mm form. For Makerbot, this is justifiable, since all of their hardware uses 1.75 mm.
Comment

Pro
 Suitable to be used with electronic equipment

Due to its properties, ABS is a very appropriate material to use for prototyping enclosures for electronic equipment and this filament is no exception. It was specifically designed to provide high-grade protection from ESD (electrostatic discharge) that can damage sensitive electrical components. It can prevent charge from building up on its surface, useful if the printed pieces come into contact with sensitive microelectronics
Comment

Pro
 Suitable for hot and humid settings

You can use this filament in standard ABS applications, such as for printing objects and parts that need to withstand hot and humid environments.
Comment

Pro
 Stronger than the majority of ABS materials

This ABS is tougher than the majority of ABS materials out in the market. Its tensile strength (maximum stretching pressure the material can withstand) is 42 MPa, according to its datasheet. Material property data website MatWeb has stated that the highest-quality ABS withstands at least 40MPa, and 3DXSTAT’s filament goes beyond this value.
Comment

Pro
 Filament's package provides good protection

The packaging of this filament is outstanding and protects the filament from external factors very well. The product comes packed in a very stylish 3DXSTAT box that, besides protection, gives it a premium feel. The spool itself is sealed in vacuum film with a silica packet.
Comment

Pro
 Can be used with virtually any standard 3D printer

You can use this filament with pretty much any standard 3D printer, since it's available in the two most commonly used diameters: 1.75 mm and 3.0 mm. Unlike other filaments, 3DXSTAT offers both sizes for the same price (1.75 mm is usually more expensive).
Comment

Con
 Expensive

With a minimum price tag of $90.00/kg of filament, most 3D printing enthusiasts will have to consider this a serious investment for their high-end 3D printers. The price is somewhat offset by the fantastic quality of the filament, though.
Comment

Con
 Only available in black

Black is the only color available for this filament, which may be disappointing for some users. 3DXSTAT seems uninterested in adding more color options for their filaments.
Comment

Pro
 Unlikely to create issues

Using this filament, it's unlikely you'll run into issues or have inaccurate diameters, given that it's a pretty standard ABS filament, with nothing remarkable or unusual about it.
Comment

Pro
 Supports "post-processing"

The objets printed with this filament can be subjected to some post-processing. For example, acetone can be used to "weld" multiple ABS parts together, for surface smoothing surface or to create a gloss. The process itself is a bit messy, but there are plenty of tutorials available online.
Comment

Pro
 Protective packaging

The filament itself is very precisely reeled around the spool, which is then vacuum-sealed in a film with a silica packet, and all of this is neatly placed inside a rigid cardboard box.
Comment

Con
 Impossible to be used with a 3.0 mm extruder

If your printer has a 3.0 mm extruder, you won't be able to use this filament, since it only comes in 1.75mm form. For Makerbot, this is justifiable, since all of their hardware uses 1.75 mm.
Comment

Con
 Expensive

You can find equally decent ABS filaments for half the price of this one. However, getting this more expensive premium ABS filament may buy some peace of mind. But it should be noted that, given that these are simple standard ABS filaments, it's unlikely there will be a major difference between the results obtained when using this one and those obtained with most less expensive alternatives.
Comment

Con
 Requires a 3D printer with a heated bed

As is the case with all ABS filaments, you cannot print this filament using a 3D printer that lacks a heated bed. In order for the first layer to adhere properly, the filament requires high temperatures. Otherwise, it may detach from the bed plate. Kapton tape is also recommended, to improve adhesion.
Comment

Pro
 Recovers original shape after deformation

This is truly elastic material, which means that the material will deform under stress (stretched or compressed), but the moment stress is removed, the material original shape is restored. The exception is if tensile/compressive yield point is reached: in this case permanent deformation occurs. This filaments tensile yield point takes place at 660% elongation, which means it's very hard to break this material only by applying tensile stress.
Comment

Pro
 Good chemical resistance to a variety of substances

This filament has limited resistance to a variety of alcohols, alkali and organic substances (fuels, oils, etc.). This contrasts with what happens with many other 3D printable material, that can't even withstand contact with water.
Comment

Pro
 NinjaTek has published several case studies of filament applications

Several examples of how NinjaFlex was used in real-world applications are available. This is a great move from NinjaTek, since, even though it is useful to see how good a product is “on paper”, it’s even better to see examples of how it was actually used. All case studies are well documented and provide visual evidence of successful use.
Comment

Pro
 Can be used with virtually any standard 3D printer

You can use this filament with pretty much any standard 3D printer, since it's available in the two most commonly used diameters: 1.75 mm and 3.0 mm. The 3.0 mm spools are cheaper than the 1.75 mm ones. This is because it’s generally cheaper to produce 1 kg of 3.0 mm filament than 1 kg of 1.75 mm filament.
Comment

Pro
 Available in 10 different colors

This filament is available in 10 different colors, all of which are of very high quality and look rich.
Comment

Pro
 No heated printed bed required

This filament can be used with a printer without a heated bed, which is very convenient, since many 3D printers don't come with a heated bed by default or don't even have the option of adding one. Nevertheless, if your machine does have a heated bed, you can set it to 40ºC (recommended) and improve surface adhesion.
Comment

Con
 Complicated to print without a direct-drive extruder

The filament itself is very flexible, which means that non-direct-drive extruders will have the issue of their bowden tubes clogging up. This is normally fixed by experimenting with the material feed rate and the extruder temperature (this tweaking process takes some time and effort). Double check if you have a direct-drive extruder before purchasing this filament, which avoids this bothersome process.
Comment

Con
 Unprotective filament packaging

The filament packaging doesn't provide adequate protection for the material, which is quite surprising, considering its high price. The spool is shipped simply sealed with a vacuum film (without a silica pack) contained in a simple box. There's no proper external packing to protect the filament from mechanical damage. If the film breaks, the filament becomes vulnerable to air humidity, absorbing water and, consequently, compromising the printing process.
Comment

Pro
 Has nylon-like properties

Based off Taulman’s popular and very strong Nylon 645, this filament is strong, very flexible and has low surface friction.
Comment

Pro
 Several uncommon applications for 3D printed parts

Due to its strength and grippy surface, this filament can be used to produce weight-bearing surfaces, parts subject to friction and tapped/threaded parts. Its flexibility also makes it useful for fabricating plugs and gaskets.
Comment

Pro
 Great technical documentation

The full technical documentation is available at Taulman’s website. This is especially useful for professional engineers and those in the academic field. Furthermore, the filament was reviewed, tested and certified by St. Louis Testing Laboratories, ensuring the published technical data is correct.
Comment

Pro
 Affordable

A decent Nylon 645 filament can cost between $30 and $50. However, this filament is priced at around $20/$25, which puts its price on par with how much most PLA/ABS filaments cost.
Comment

Con
 Difficult to use

Nylon and nylon-like materials are hard to work with and the setup process is quite cumbersome. A heated bed plate is absolutely necessary or the material won't even stick to the plate. You’ll also need to coat the heated base plate with Kapton tape or Garolite. As the material is quite flexible, non-direct-drive extruders won't work and a very short direct-drive extruder is needed. Getting everything just right takes some time, and it will be a while before you can start making decent quality prints.
Comment

Pro
 Printed objects are very stiff and strong

This filament's resulting prints are very stiff and can withstand great stresses, perfect for when you need extra strength in your projects. This is due to the carbon fibers used in this filament, which are small enough to make it through the printing nozzle, but long enough to add rigidity.
Comment

Pro
 Allows to 3D print objects that can't usually be 3D printed

The extreme rigidity and stiffness of this material enables the user to print things that normally can't be properly 3D printed. It’s great for printing frames, supports, shells, propellers and even tools. All these applications are interesting for users that are drone builders, RC hobbyists, or similar.
Comment

Con
 Requires some skill to use

Since this filament contains tiny carbon fibers, it’s difficult to print with standard extruders. Adjusting the correct feed rate and printing temperature specifically for your extruder will be necessary. Note that it is also recommended to use stainless steel nozzles while printing this material, since it has been reported that regular brass nozzles may deform while printing this material.
Comment

Con
 Only available in black

Because it contains carbon fibers, the filament is only available in black.
Comment

Con
 Can only be used with 1.75 mm nozzles

The filament is only available in 1.75 mm diameter, meaning it can't be used with printers that have nozzles with different diameters.
Comment

Con
 No available datasheet with mechanical data

The lack of technical documentation makes this product almost unusable for academics and professional engineers, due to the need of having the exact mechanical values in order to justify design decisions.
Comment

Pro
 Can safely be used for applications where it comes in contact with food

This filament can safely be used to create e food and drink containers or parts for food production lines (like conveyor belt parts, for example ), unlike ABS, PLA or other popular 3D printing filament materials. PETG filament is food safe, as there are no potential hazards to food or human body while in contact with this material. In fact, PETG is a modified version of PET, which is a material widely used for food packaging.
Comment

Pro
 Simultaneously strong and flexible

PETG is pretty much as strong as ABS (in terms of direct load) and nearly as flexible as PLA, combining the best characteristics of these two materials. On top of that, printing PETG is easier than printing ABS, since it does not require a heated bed and has better layer adhesion.
Comment

Pro
 Can be used with nearly every 3D printer

This filament is available for both 1.75 mm and 3.0 mm extruders. It also does not require a heating bed when printing, although it’s better if you have one. It can also be printed using standard brass nozzles.
Comment

Con
 Filament packaging provides proper protection

The material comes in a spool packed inside a vacuum film, with an included desiccant. All this is packaged inside a tough cardboard box, which keeps everything safe during shipping and storage.
Comment

Con
 Finding the perfect setting takes some time and effort

While this filament is easy to print, getting to the "optimal results" level requires extra work. Because temperatures vary within the extruder used, finding the perfect printer settings will, most likely, take several attempts.
Comment

Con
 Material specifications sheet available only upon request

The material specifications sheet isn't publicly available, but it is possible to request it from regional eSUN distributors. This is a hassle mostly for engineers and those in the academia, who will surely need this, since they will have no choice apart from spending some time and effort to get the specifications sheet. It would be better to have the specs available from the get-go.
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