There are ample choices when you're looking to buy the best 3D pens, from professional options to more affordable models and even child-friendly 3D pens. There are even newer options that can use metal and wood filament in addition to plastics.
To make sure you can find the best 3D pen for your needs, we've weighed up the different designs, functions, and intended users to pick out the best 3D pen for children, the best 3D pen for adults, the best 3D pen for beginners, and other great options. We've also looked at customer and professional reviews to make sure you're getting the best of the best.
If you're after a crafting option with more power then consider the best Cricut machines or even the best laser cutters. Or see our best markers guide for more traditional pen options.
The best 3D pens: available now
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Best new 3D pen for pros
Filaments: ABS, Nylon, Wood, Plastic, Metals
Display: OLED, dial
Control: Temp, speed
The new 3Doodler Pro+ is like no other 3D pen. This stylish and feature-laden pen can not only 'draw' with ABS but also metal, wood and copper. It features an impressive number of features, including a variable dial that enables you to control temperature, speed and the internal fan for more accuracy.
Best overall 3D pen
Filaments: ABS, PLA & more
Display: OLED
Control: Temp, speed
Lightweight and ergonomic, the super-flexible MYNT3D Pro is easy to hold and use. You can adjust the filament's speed and flow and tweak and monitor its temperature with its OLED display. It supports a range of filament types beyond ABS and PLA, but it's expensive and is overkill for beginners and kids.
The best 3D pen for kids
Filaments: PLA, ABS, FLEXY
Display: OLED
Controls: Basic options
The 3Doodler Start+ is designed for children aged 6+. It features no hot parts, and controls are kept to a minimum, making it easy to use. You're restricted to the manufacturer's proprietary child-friendly filament, and the basic pack includes 48 strands in eight different colours, each offering 60 inches' worth of filament.
The best 3D pen for beginners
Filaments: PLA, ABS, FLEXY
Display: n/a
Controls: Speed / temp
The 3Doodler Create+ easy to use but versatile enough to do most crafting. Its beautifully ergonomic design is easy to use, even for first-timers. This pen supports FLEXY plastics as well as PLA and ABS. You get 50 filaments included in a variety of colours, as well as a guidebook.
The best 3D pen for starter kit
Filaments: PLA, ABS
Display: LCD
Controls: Speed / temp
The SCRIB3d is great for beginners. It comes packaged with three colours of PLA plastic (30 feet), a stencil book, and a project guide to get you started. The pen has adjustable temperature controls for use with PLA and ABS, and a simple stepless slider control to manage the filament's flow.
The best 3D pen for teens
Filaments: PLA
Display: LCD
Controls: Speed / temp
This is a simpler 3D pen aimed at kids looking to get into more intricate modeling and crafting. Its simplicity makes it lightweight and easy to use, with a simple temperature and speed control and a ceramic nozzle for easy cleaning. It comes with PLA filament and guides to help get started.
A good value 3D pen
Filaments: ABS, PLA
Display: n/a
Controls: Speed / temp
This great value option is similar to the Pro model, featuring the same gearbox and replaceable nozzle design, but without an OLED display or temperature controls. Instead, a temperature screw lets you switch between ABS and PLA. It comes with a stylus, three colours of ABS plastic, and an AC adapter.
The best cheap 3D pen
Filaments: PLA, ABS
Display: n/a
Controls: Basic options
Compatible with low-cost ABS and PLA plastics, you can push out filament at three speeds with this basic 3D pen. Its sealed nozzle and overbuilt gearbox offer clog-free use, but otherwise, it has no clever features. It's also powered using a proprietary USB cable, but its low price may justify these drawbacks.
A great 3D pen for youngsters
Filaments: PCL
Display: n/a
Controls: Start / Stop
Another child-friendly option, the MYNT3D Junior2 3D Pen is This 3D Pen is designed for ages 6+, with an easy-to-grasp design and low-temperature nozzle. It’s shorter and thicker than most, making it good for tiny hands, and works exclusively with biodegradable PCL filament. It features a sealed nozzle design, is battery-powered, and is charged via Micro USB.
The best 3D pens: frequent questions
Do 3D pens really work?
Yes, 3D pens really work, if what you want to do is create a 3D model by hand. If you want to create a 3D model based on a pre-existing design, though, you need a 3D printer.
A 3D pen uses the same type of heating element to melt filament that you get in a 3D printer. But while the latter is controlled by software, a 3D pen you control entirely yourself, much like using a glue gun, so you can get truly expressive. Once the filament leaves the filter, it cools rapidly, and hardens into whatever shape you have formed it into.
What is a 3D pen used for?
You can use a 3D pen to draw on any flat surface. But, as the name suggests, the real beauty of a 3D pen is that it allows you to draw in mid-air, using plastic filament, and create three-dimensional structures that then solidify. Alternatively, you can draw over an existing object to enhance it.
Who uses 3D pens?
Anyone can use a 3D pen, but they're commonly used by hobbyists, artists, makers, fashion designers and home furnishing designers in creative projects. They're also used by engineers and DIYers to solve practical problems, by teachers in education, and by kids for fun projects.
What 3D pen should I buy?
The best 3D pen available today is the MYNT3D 3D Pen Pro. It's light and ergonomically designed, making it easy to hold and use, whether you're a newbie or an experienced hand. An adjustable feed helps you stay in control, and you can increase the temperature in increments. It's USB powered and you can use a wide range of filaments.
What's the best 3D pen for children?
The best 3D pen for children is the 3Doodler Start+ Essentials (2021), which is suitable for kids from six and up. The controls are simple, and everything's been subjected to the strictest safety testing. There are no hot parts on the pen and its Eco-Plastic filament is non-toxic, BPA-free, and completely biodegradable in household compost. It typically takes about 45 days for the plastic to break down.
What's the best 3D pen for beginners?
In our view, the best 3D pen for beginners is the 3Doodler Create+, because it's so easy to use. Just plug in the pen, insert your plastic, wait for it to heat up, then you can doodle in three dimensions. The extruded heated plastic hardens almost instantly, so you can draw 3D structures, freehand or on stencils. This 3D pen comes with different colours of plastics, which are all safe and non-toxic, and an activity guide book to get you started.
Are 3D pens environmentally damaging?
If you want to avoid harming the environment with your 3D pen, then the plastic we recommend using is PLA, which is short for Poly Lactic Acid. A polyester derived from renewable biomass, typically from fermented plant starch such as corn, cassava, sugarcane or sugar beet pulp, this type of plastic is both biogradable and sustainable. To be specific, it typically takes around six to 12 months to break down, while for most plastics it takes hundreds of years.
The other type of plastic commonly used in 3D pens, ABS, is not so great for the environment. Short for Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, ABS is petroleum-based and non-biodegradable. It's both bad for the environment and more toxic to humans than PLA.
What's the best cheap 3D pen in the US?
If you're tight on cash and in the US, you can get a very decent 3D pen for not much money, in the form of the MYNT3D Super 3D Pen. Despite being just $39.99 at time of writing, it's an excellent 3D pen, with a stepless speed slider that lets you regulate flow for optimal control of material while you're drawing. You also get a ultrasonic sealed nozzle which virtually nearly clog-proof.
What's the best cheap 3D pen in the UK?
If you're in the UK, your best bet for a cheap 3D pen right now is the Nikand 3D Pen. Suitable for both adults and kids, it costs just £39.95 at time of writing, and is a nice pen that's easy to hold and use. It also comes with an OLED screen, support for PCL and PLA plastic filaments, and the ability to control speed of filament extrusion.
