If you own one of the best 3D printers, I’m willing to bet that you've come across wet filament issues at one point or another. No, this isn't a myth – nor is it a ploy to get you to purchase one of the best filament dryers, either. Wet filament is a very real issue with 3D printing that can significantly impact your print quality, and it all comes down to how much moisture your materials absorb.
If you're fairly new to 3D printing and asking yourself if it's really a necessary investment to buy a filament dryer, let me save you the trouble of research and answer directly: yes. While you can get away with not having a dryer as you learn the craft and slowly get to grips with other 3D printing tools, over time, you'll notice errors like stringing, poor-quality surfaces, fragile models, rough edges, and even bubbles in your prints if your material becomes too damp.
The best filament dryers for 3D printing
Best for pretty much everyone
The Creality Space Pi X4 reaches temperatures as high as 80 degrees Celsius and allows you to dry and print at the same time. This is mighty impressive for the price, and one of the hottest dryers on the market. It also boasts an independent PTC heater on either side, which means you can dry your filament at two different temperatures all in one machine (perfect for when there are different filament types requiring different temps).
Best for more casual users
This is one of SUNLU's more affordable filament dryers, and offers large capacity drying of up to 4 spools at once. Its party trick is that it comes with 8 filament holes and PTFE tubes for drying and printing simultaneously with multiple printers. So if you have an Elegoo printer on one side and a Creality on the other, they can both make use of this filament dryer at the same time. It's compatible with an array of different filaments with pre-configured temperature settings for PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, PA and PC.
Best for trickier filaments
Now, this option from Bambu Lab is technically an Automatic Material System (AMS) unit, and not a standalone filament dryer, but it does offer built-in 85°C filament drying with an active air vent and airtight storage, which is crucial for filaments like TPU. It also has fun extras like RFID filament sync, which means if you're using Bambu Lab-branded materials, then it should be recognised by the feeder and your printer when connected. I've been testing this out lately with my Bambu Lab H2S, and I'm thoroughly impressed with it so far.
Best for annealing and engineering filament
This premium option from SUNLU will be out of budget for many (myself included) and can cost just as much as a 3D printer itself. But with that said, you get what you pay for with this filament dryer, and it's one of the best you can get for engineering-type filaments, thanks to its max temperature range of up to 110℃. It takes only 20 minutes to heat up to 50°C, and it can anneal 99.99% of engineering materials on the market for extraordinary impact resistance and toughness.
Best for those with older Bambu Lab printers.
Usually, Filament dryers are standalone devices (not part of an AMS unit), but this option from SUNLU is actually an add-on upgrade for those with slightly older Bambu Lab 3D printers, which only support the Gen 1 AMS. The newest AMS 2 Pro from Bambu Lab has built-in filament drying functions, but the previous gen does not. That's where SUNLU comes in. I've been testing this affordable upgrade with my Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, and it's fantastic. You just need to replace the lid of your original AMS with this SUNLU version, and voila!
Best for those wanting something compact and simple
Want to avoid the ginormous, bulky options? The PolyDryer from Polymaker might be your go-to for saving desk space. This filament dryer is a lot simpler than others on this list, and is essentially just an airtight storage box that has drying capabilities when placed onto the drying dock. It offers a 360° drying system to revive your older spools, plus it has a modular design with the option to add multiple boxes to protect more spools if you choose. It's compatible with loads of materials and has colour-changing dessicant at the front to help you detect moisture levels over time.
FAQs
What's the purpose of a filament dryer?
It's all in the name, really. A filament dryer dries filament – and this is necessary to remove moisture that your 3D printing materials have absorbed from being left out in the open or not stored correctly (ideally in an airtight container).
Some filaments absorb moisture more than others, such as TPU, PETG or any carbon fibre-infused materials.
A filament dryer is the best and easiest way to ensure that your filaments are fully dried out, with effortless temperature controls, the ability to set a duration, and some can be used as feeders that work with your 3D printer, meaning that you can dry and print at the same time.
Do I need to dry my filament even if it arrived sealed?
Yes. It might seem silly, but even brand new filament that arrives vacuum-sealed can still be damp during the packing and delivery process, and do you really want to risk trusting the manufacturer and assuming that your filament is fine out of the box?
While filament is definitely BETTER when used straight out of the box, there is a chance it still could have absorbed moisture, so it's best to dry it out just to be safe.
How long does it take to dry filament?
It really depends on the type of material, and how much you think it might need drying out for, based on your own judgement, i.e when was the last time you dried it? Has it been stored correctly when not in use? etc.
In general, you can expect to dry filament from anywhere between 8 hours to 18 hours as a rough ballpark.
Are there other methods of drying filament?
Technically yes, but none are as reliable or safe as using a filament dryer. Some people have reported using their oven in the past to dry out filament (I definitely don't recommend doing this), whereas some models of 3D printer, such as the Bambu Lab X1C, have the option to let you dry out filament within the printer's chamber (when not printing).
This can work well if you're in a pinch and need a temporary way to dry filament, but the fact that you need to use the inside of the printer to dry out your filament isn't ideal when you need to be printing or have orders to fill as it puts your machine out of commission for several hours.
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