3D Printing

What are the best PLA filaments for 3D printing?

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Makerbot PLA Filament vs Hatchbox PLA Filament

Specs

Additional features

NA

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

Density

NA

Tensile/compressive strengths

46.76 MPa / 17.92 MPa

Diameters available

1.75 mm

Resistance to water and humidity

No

Colors available

23 different colors

Resistance to high temperatures

It’s recommended to keep this material below 60ºC

Resistance to oils and chemicals

No

Additional features

Guaranteed 0.05 mm dimensional accuracy

Resistance to sunlight

No

Additional printed bed adhesion

Blue Painters Tape

Heated bed required

No

Density

1.27 g / cm^3

Tensile/compressive strengths

NA

Diameters available

1.75 mm / 3.0 mm

Resistance to water and humidity

No

Colors available

28 color options available

Resistance to high temperatures

NA

Resistance to oils and chemicals

No

Pros + Cons

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.
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Pro
 Health risks are lower than with ABS

3D printing PLA poses fewer health risks than ABS.
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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.
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Pro
 No heated bed required

Using a PLA filament does not require your 3D printer to have a heated bed.
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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.
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Pro
 Available in 10 different colors

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