The best 3D printers, for home, office or studio

Owning one of the best 3D printers can open up a whole new world of creativity. Whether you want to create 3D art, conceptual models, toys and keyrings, project prototypes or functional parts, a 3D printer can bring most of your creations to life. With materials ranging from resin to flexible TPU, the potential of a 3D printer is limitless, but be warned – it gets super addictive.

I bought my very first 3D printer less than a year ago, and I've since been able to print shelves for my game room, adorable figures for my desk (including 3D printed Pokemon), and I've recently delved into HueForge printing too, which is a fun way to paint using filament with your print bed as the canvas. Once you've chosen a 3D printer, you'll want to ensure you're using the right tools and software to get the best out of it. Take a look at our guides to the best 3D modelling software and the best laptops for 3D modelling if you plan to print your own creations

When Creative Bloq launched in 2012, the 3D printing revolution was just taking off, but now, this medium is bigger than ever and more than just a creative hobby with real-world applications. We've combined our personal experiences of 3D printing with hands-on reviews, and knowledge of industry advancements to bring you a definitive list of the best 3D printers available today. Still have some questions? Head to our FAQs section below for guidance.

The best 3D printers available today

1. Best overall

This new printer from Anycubic is very exciting, being the first product from the company to offer multicolour printing, in a four-colour print system (up to eight spools supported) contained within an Anycubic Color Engine Pro (ACE Pro) chamber. This setup looks mighty enough to rival the impressive Automated Material System (AMS) that you would typically find on premium Bambu Lab printers.

Multicolour printing opens up more options for creators to experiment with new models without having to change their entire workflow and slicer with it. This means that you could technically (though not advised) leave your printer to its own devices for longer without having to perform painstaking manual colour changes yourself, which can sometimes be impossible depending on the intricacy of the model.

We're yet to get our hands on the Anycubic Kobra 3 (I've asked very nicely) but with it being the only 3D printer on the market to combine active filament drying with multi-colour printing capabilities, that's enough to impress us. A lot of people with 3D printers complain about wet filament, which is a common issue solved by filament dryers and can lead to potential problems like stringing, poor layer adhesion, and general print defects – trust me, I've been there.

While the price of the Kobra 3 might not be the most budget-friendly, it certainly offers a lot for your money. If the ACE Pro package doesn't sound like something you want or need, there is the option to purchase the Anycubic Kobra 3 singularly and not as a combo, for $369 / £339 as opposed to $549 / £549.

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2. Best Premium

BambuLab is renowned for making some of the best 3D printers on the market, but they come at a price. The X1-Carbon is a top-of-the-range printer from BambuLab that has a host of features and is equipped with AI to make your 3D printing experience that much smoother and easier.

Dual auto bed levelling is an essential feature for those who are new to 3D printing, as having to manually level the bed each time you wish to print is a painstaking and sometimes complicated process involving tools like spanners to raise and lower the bed height. With the BambuLab X1-Carbon, this is all taken care of for you using lidar and analogue force sensors.

As most people with 3D printers know, the first layer of your print is make or break and will determine the overall success of your print. With AI inspection, the X1-Carbon could save you hours of wasted time (and filament) by detecting any inconsistencies from the get go, before your print becomes spaghetti. if you know, you know. Overall, if you can afford to spend $1,500 on a 3D printer, then this is an excellent choice, although undoubtedly out of budget for most of us.

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3. Best budget-friendly 3D printer

Speaking of budget-friendly, the Anycubic Kobra Go is one of the most affordable mid-range 3D printers on the market. A low-cost FDM printer aimed at beginners, it boasts several neat features to help you get started with 3D printing. Yes, it does require putting together with some assembly, but it's not too much of a chore: our reviewer managed it in around 20 minutes.

On the plus side, assembling the printer means you'll understand its features better, such as the sprung metal print bed, which makes it easy to remove your 3D prints. Other highlights of the Anycubic Kobra Go include the built-in levelling system, which is operated by a single button, the large build volume of 200 x 200 x 250mm, and the fast speeds of 100mm/s. Most importantly, the Kobra Go produces accurate results, even at higher speeds.

For more details, see our Anycubic Kobra Go review.

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4. Fastest 3D printer

If you have a need for speed (sorry) then the 3D printer you want is the Two Trees Sk1. It boasts an impressive 700mm/s printing speed, which is the fastest I've seen on a printer at this price range (approx $500 / £400).

It offers excellent build quality and sturdy materials. The gantry-style frame of the Two Trees SK1 is cuboid in form, and it arrives solidly built and ready to go out of the box, unlike others that need assembling.

It also has some other great features like a three dimensional z-axis for greater precision when levelling, AI tuning, and remote monitoring and control features to keep tabs on your print while you're away. There's WiFi remote printing too, so you can start or pause a print at home from your work office. Pretty cool.

Take a look at our Two Trees SK1 review for more details.

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5.Best resin 3D printer

If you're looking for a resin printer rather than an FDA 3D printer, then the Halot One Plus from Creality is an excellent choice. It's used in adaptive manufacturing, which means it's one of the best in the business if you're looking to upgrade your hobby into something a little more serious.

The Creality Halot One Plus is best used for printing smaller models, such as game pieces, Warhammer miniatures and intricate figures, or even fine jewellery. It offers exceptional print quality with highly detailed prints. Our reviewer found that it was easy to use with a good user experience, and was super impressed with the results.

As for the design, the Halot One Plus follows the typical format, with a main body that houses the controls, light and screen, topped by the Z-axis mechanism and resin tank. This is neatly topped by a blue cover, rather than the more common red or orange. The Halot One Plus retails for around £449/$399.

See our Creality Halot One Plus review for more details.

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6.Best beginner-friendly 3D printer

If you're looking for a beginner-friendly 3D printer for under $400/£300 then look no further. The AnkerMake M5C aims to take the confusion out of 3D printing for those who have always wanted to dive into it.

The AnkerMake M5C has been described as a younger sibling to the more advanced AnkerMake M5 model, and retails for as low as £279 / $399. The gimmick is that the AnkerMake M5C will allow you to create fun and fast prints in one click, ideal for newcomers to 3D printing and those just starting out, as well as professionals in the craft who might need to quickly fulfil stock.

There's also a power and filament outage recovery function that aims to save both time and materials if a print were to ever go wrong, and you can use the app to control and choose which files to print with real-time video monitoring available if you purchase a separate network camera.

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7.Best 3D printer that's safe for kids

It’s hard not to love the EasythreeD K5, with its appealing design and simplicity for children who are interested in 3D printing. Priced at around $130, this kid-safe 3D printer is super affordable and not much more than a couple of weeks' worth of takeaway coffee.

This entry into our list of the best 3D printers is a super-accessible introduction to 3D printing for children, so can be forgiven for its tiny build area and lack of fine detail. It’s also incredibly intuitive to use so, combined with the fully enclosed print volume, it could make a fantastic introduction to 3D printing for kids.

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Also tested

Anycubic Kobra 2
My current printer is the Anycubic Kobra 2 and I've found it to be extremely user-friendly, easy to use and set up with an intuitive touchscreen. It has a generous build volume and speedy print times so I've been able to create some pretty big models in good time. It's also very affordable too.
Read our 4-star review.

Anycubic Photon M3 Premium
The Anycubic Photon M3 is a great pro-level resin printer for your home studio. It offers ease of use, combined with excellent print quality, and the addition of air filters makes it viable for small office or studio work and the build volume means it can fulfil more tasks than a lot of the competition.
Read our 5-star review.

Anycubic Vyper
The Anycubic Vyper is another FDM 3D printer that offers a lot for your money. It has good levels of detail and an easy interface. The self-levelling bed and decent print speeds add to the overall value, with excellent print quality at this price range, especially for under $400.
Read our 4.5-star review.

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How to choose a 3D printer

There are three main types of 3D printers available. Each comes with its own price bracket, and each has its pros and cons. So the best type of 3D printer for you will depend on how sophisticated you want your prints to be, and how much you're willing to spend.

The most common and affordable type of 3D printer is the FDM (Fused deposition modelling) type. It uses a heated nozzle to melt plastic filament, which is then deposited layer by layer to create a 3D object. FDM printers are relatively affordable, easy to use, and a great choice for amateurs, hobbyists and beginners. However, they typically have lower resolution than other types of 3D printers.

A more expensive type of 3D printer is one that uses resin, also known as the SLA (Stereolithography) type. This uses a laser to cure liquid resin, which is then hardened to create a 3D object. SLA printers have high resolution and can create very detailed prints. That makes them a good choice for semi-pro users and creatives using 3D printers as part of their professional design work.

The most expensive type of 3D printer is the SLS (Selective laser sintering) type. This type of 3D printer uses a laser to sinter (fuse together) powdered material to create a 3D object. SLS printers allow you to create high-resolution, strong and durable prints. For this reason, they are the best choice for professional and industrial-level 3D printing There are a couple of other factors to consider when choosing a 3D printer. Think about the size of the prints you want to create, as some 3D printers have a limited build volume. Also consider the materials you want to use, because not all 3D printers can use all types of materials.

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FAQS

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