FDMBambu Lab
Bambu Lab A1 mini
Small open-frame printer that calibrates itself. The easiest way into 3D printing that still prints well.
Best for Beginners, kids' projects, and a second printer for small parts.
$100–500
Bambu Lab
Bambu Lab X2D
Enclosed dual-nozzle printer with a heated chamber. Bambu's replacement for the X1 Carbon, at a much lower price.
Strengths
- Heated chamber makes warp-prone engineering filaments practical
- Second nozzle keeps PVA or support filament separate from your main material
- HEPA and carbon filtration for indoor use
Trade-offs
- Second nozzle is Bowden-fed and slower, and both nozzles still need a prime tower
- No lidar flow calibration, and PPS filaments are not supported
The X2D fills the gap the discontinued X1 Carbon left in Bambu’s line-up, at a lower price than the X1C sold for. The headline is the actively heated chamber. ABS and ASA warp less, and nylon becomes far more forgiving, when the air around the part sits at 50–65 °C instead of room temperature.
The second nozzle is a support nozzle, not a second full-speed toolhead. Use it to print dissolvable PVA or Bambu’s break-away support material, and your main material never has to purge through it. For multi-colour work the AMS units still do the colour changes, so buy the Combo if that’s the plan.
Who should skip it: if you only print PLA and PETG, the P2S does that for $100 less.
Also in 3D Printers
FDMBambu Lab
Bambu Lab P2S
Enclosed single-nozzle CoreXY printer with a passive chamber. The sensible default for most home workshops.
Best for A first serious printer for PLA, PETG and occasional ABS, with room to add multi-colour later.
$549list
FDMCreality
Creality Ender 3 V3 SE
The cheapest printer we'd recommend. An auto-levelling bed-slinger with a direct-drive extruder.
Best for Tight budgets, classrooms, and people who enjoy tinkering with their machine.
$199list