The best 3D printers will allow you to bring amazing 3D creations to life for both personal and commercial use. 3D printing is becoming increasingly popular and is used in major mainstream products nowadays, from medical equipment and fashion accessories to collectible miniatures. With the wealth of learning resources and machine options available, it's easier than ever to pick up a new creative hobby and get into 3D printing.
There are a selection of materials to choose from when 3D printing if your machine is compatible: like metal, rubber and biodegradable filament. And you definitely don't need to worry about breaking your 3D creations easily: 3D prints are long-lasting and tough, making them perfect for every day use.
With the rise in popularity of 3D printers, the ever-growing selection of brands and products can get confusing. Deciphering the differences between each model isn't always easy if you're looking for something specific, so that's where our handy guide of the best 3D printers comes in! We've included a wide range of models that cover different needs and budgets. If you're still feeling a bit lost, scroll down to the bottom of this page for our introduction to everything you need to know about 3D printers and getting started in printing.
Making the most out of your 3D printer isn't just about the machine itself; you'll want to make sure you're using the right tools and applications to design and manage your prints. To help you out, we've compiled a guide for both the best 3D modelling software and the best laptops for 3D modelling.
The best 3D printers you can buy today
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When it comes to FDM printers the Anycubic Vyper is our pick of the bunch. It's not as pricey as some Anycubic printers but comes equipped with features you won't find on some of those more expensive options. This printer produces prints with detail and clarity, all with minimum noise or fuss. The heated, self-levelling print bed is a great feature but add to that the spring steel magnetic sheet that helps you to remove the print and you are on to an absolute winner. You can read more about why we rate this printer so highly in our AnyCubic Vyper review.
Elegoo is a relatively new name on the 3D printing scene but the original Mars printer made a great impression on the creative community. The Mars 2 Pro builds on this success by making it bigger and faster. The new 6-inch screen bakes a layer in less than two seconds, without losing clarity or blurring layers, making it one of the fastest resin printers money can buy. For quick prototypes you can’t beat it, so long as you don’t need larger objects, as the only real downside to the Mars 2 Pro is the smaller build volume and a hint of smelly fumes, which is common with this type of printer.
Anycubic's Photo Mono SE is a great choice if you are into making custom toys, collectables or figures as the detail and surface quality it produces are fantastic. Like other mono screened printers the Photo is also fast, taking just a second or so for each layer. The resin can be a bit stinky but you can always print yourself an extraction adapter and use a length of tumble dryer hose. All in all, the smell is a small sacrifice for the output of this machine which really is quite something for the price.
Anycubic's Mono X 6K is designed to help you print bigger without compromising on quality. The build quality of this printer is excellent, with a replaceable screen protector on the exposure screen that isn’t seen on many resin printers but suggests it’ll keep working for a long time. It’s easy to use and the prints themselves are more detailed and accurate than previous models thanks to numerous hardware improvements. The fact that you get all of this for around $659 makes this 3D printer great value for money.
Makerbot has been around for a long time and is probably the best-known creator of consumer 3D printers. Eagle-eyed creatives may have even spotted one being used by Anna Kendrick in space in the film Stowaway. Makerbot’s experience has allowed its printers to retain a similar footprint but with enlarged build volume, reduced noise and a good number of connection options, including wifi. The Makerbot Replicator+ even has a camera so you can keep an eye on things remotely. Print results are good, with fine details, although being an FDM printer, some strata are visible from the print process. The Replicator+ is a great option though. It runs quietly and reliably, making it ideal for home offices, schools and workshops.
Makerbot has been around for a long time and is probably the best-known creator of consumer 3D printers. Eagle-eyed creatives may have even spotted one being used by Anna Kendrick in space in the film Stowaway. Makerbot’s experience has allowed its printers to retain a similar footprint but with enlarged build volume, reduced noise and a good number of connection options, including wifi. The Makerbot Replicator+ (opens in new tab) even has a camera so you can keep an eye on things remotely. Print results are good, with fine details, although being an FDM printer, some strata are visible from the print process. The Replicator+ is a great option though. It runs quietly and reliably, making it ideal for home offices, schools and workshops.
The Ender line of 3D printers are known for their excellent performance at a comparatively low cost and the Ender 3 is a fine example of this. At less than £200 you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s Black Friday all year round. Creality has somehow managed to get some top quality components into the Ender 3 too. They now come in kit form as well, which might be off putting for some but in actually gives you a solid understanding of how the printer works and can help with troubleshooting, if any issues do arise.
One of the biggest restrictions in 3D printing is the limited build volumes of most printers. The 3Doodler is a 3D printing pen, which allows you to work on projects of any size. The price of refills might make that prohibitive if you’re trying to model a 1:1 scale car but it can be done. What’s more, it is fantastic fun taking a pen from the surface of your table and drawing lines of plastic ink into the air. Filament comes in many colours too, so you could consider this to be a pretty exciting prospect, assuming you are happy with the less than precise accuracy as the extruder lies solely in your hands, not on rails. There are a few different options available, including the 3Doodler Start (for smaller people) and the Pro, too.
It’s hard not to love the EasythreeD K5, with its appealing design and simplicity. Costing 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, 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.
What do you need to know about the best 3D printers?
It's important to keep in mind that not every 3D printer works the same. Different methods garner different results. For example, some use long spools of filament that get heated in a similar way to a glue gun, then are laid out on the print bed. Whilst the quality is great using this method, it's usually a longer process as it takes more work afterwards to eliminate printed layer lines manually. Different models use an LCD screen to expose light to a pool of resin, while others use a laser to cure the liquid resin. Because of this, we have separated the best 3D printers into various categories so you can choose which is most suited to your needs.
If you don't fancy modelling your own design, there's a wealth of pre-made 3D model options from different marketplaces. Sites like Thingiverse (opens in new tab)and CG Trader (opens in new tab) offer all manner of .stl files you can print in just a few clicks, often for free.
What can you use the best 3D printer for?
There are many options of how you can use one of the best 3D printers. You could set up your own 3D printing business printing models either you've made or customers commission you to print if they don't have access to their own machine. Some ideas of things you could print include tabletop game miniatures, toys, decorative ornaments and much more. It's very accessible to learn how to use 3D modelling programmes now, with a wealth of tutorials and courses available.
Read more:
- Best free 3D apps: Create on the go
- Best laptop for CAD, AutoCAD and 3D modelling: Powerful software for you
- 12 ways 3D printing changed the world
