Best PLA Filaments

Review & Comparison, Last Update February 27, 2024
PLA filament is one of the most popular materials used in 3D printing. It's tough and comes in many shades, which makes it ideal ...Read more
PROS

Informative marks on the spool will let you accurately determine the amount of remaining material (naturally, you can also see how much filament is already used).

CONS

The actual color may differ a bit.

OUR VERDICT

This filament is one of the leaders in the 3D printer industry. It's made of PLA + material with Charpy Impact Strength 13.4 kJ / m² (+/- 1.2 kJ / m²). For this reason, it's one of the best options for functional parts where extra strength is needed.

detailed parameters
Kit Contents

1 x Spool with PLA+ filament (2.2 lbs), 3D build surface (7.9" x 7.9")

Diameter

1.75 mm (+/- 0.05 mm)

Recommended Extrusion / Nozzle Temperature

190°C - 220°C (374°F - 428°F)

Spool

Diameter: 8.26"

Width: 2.68"

Hub hole diameter: 2.21"

Extras

6 x Anti-tangle filament locks, Length and weight scale

Warranty

Limited lifetime

PROS

The spool has 8 locks on each side, which minimizes the risk of tangles when the filament is not in use. This solution also simplifies storage and transportation.

CONS

It's a little brittle.

OUR VERDICT
If you're new to 3D printing, you obviously need a budget-friendly filament that can work for both drafts and final products. The HATCHBOX PLA suits the purpose perfectly. It's an affordable product that outperforms other ones within its price bracket.
detailed parameters
Kit Contents

1 x Spool with PLA filament (2.2 lbs)

Diameter

1.75 mm (+/- 0.03 mm)

Recommended Extrusion / Nozzle Temperature

180°C - 210°C (356°F - 410°F)

Spool

Diameter: 7.88"

Width: 2.69"

Hub hole diameter: 2.2"

Extras

8 x Anti-tangle filament locks

Warranty

Amazon's 30-day return policy

PROS

The filament undergoes complete drying for 24 hours before packaging to minimize clogs and bubbles. Also, it's vacuum sealed with desiccants in a nylon re-sealable bag.

CONS

It may tangle when unwinding.

OUR VERDICT

This OVERTURE kit offers the best price to quality performance. It includes a smooth 2.2-lb spool (total length ~ 1090 feet) as well as a useful 3D build surface with the dimensions of 7.88"x 7.88", making it a great choice for basic printing needs.

detailed parameters
Kit Contents

1 x Spool with PLA filament (2.2 lbs), 3D build surface (7.9" x 7.9")

Diameter

1.75 mm (+/- 0.05 mm)

Recommended Extrusion / Nozzle Temperature

190°C - 220°C (374°F - 428°F)

Spool

Diameter: 8.26"

Width: 2.68"

Hub hole diameter: 2.21"

Extras

6 x Anti-tangle filament locks, length and weight scale

Warranty

Limited lifetime

PROS

It's made by processing a number of plant products and, therefore, it's completely safe for health. When the filament is heated, it releases a nice semi-sweet aroma.

CONS

The range of the extrusion temperature is limited.

OUR VERDICT

In case you're on the fence about what color to choose, this value pack may be exactly what you need. The Gizmo Dorks set includes 4 spools (Blue, Green, Orange, Red) and can also be used for 3D pens provided they have a suitable diameter.

detailed parameters
Kit Contents

4 x Spools with PLA filament (0.44 lb each)

Diameter

1.75 mm (+/- 0.03 mm)

Recommended Extrusion / Nozzle Temperature

205°C - 225°C (401°F - 437°F)

Spool

Diameter: 6"

Width: 1.5"

Hub hole diameter: 2.25"

Extras

6 x Anti-tangle filament locks

Warranty

Amazon's 30-day return policy

PROS

The nozzle temp stated by the manufacturer varies widely from 374°F to 446°F. And since the recommended bed temp starts from 77°F, you don't even need to preheat it.

CONS

First-layer adhesion can be spotty at times.

OUR VERDICT

The SUNLU PLA Plus Filament is a stellar offering for real 3D printing enthusiasts. It's an extra-tough filament that is great for everything from toys and presents to tools and functional parts.  Works with all common 1.75mm FDM 3D printers.

detailed parameters
Kit Contents

1 x Spool with PLA+ filament (2.2 lbs)

Diameter

1.75 mm (+/- 0.02 mm)

Recommended Extrusion / Nozzle Temperature

190°C - 230°C (374°F - 446°F)

Spool

Diameter: 8"

Width: 2.5"

Hub hole diameter: 2.2"

Extras

4 x Anti-tangle filament locks

Warranty

Amazon's 30-day return policy

Ultra Tough

The Overture PLA+ Filament is an ultra-strong product that goes far beyond everyday printing needs. Although it has a similar stiffness as regular PLA, it boasts advanced fracture toughness and is actually 5x stronger than most other filaments out there. For this reason, it's widely used for projects requiring extra toughness and durability. So, if you're going to create some functional parts, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better option than the Overture PLA+.

The filament works great for both large and small prints by providing nearly perfect layers with no separation or warping. Besides superb layer bonding, it ensures high purity with low shrinkage. It has been thoroughly dried for 24 hours before packaging and sealed with desiccants so as to minimize bubbling. Also, it comes excellently wound with no tangling that may potentially lead to snaps and line breaking. What's more, the spool is made with 6 anti-tangle filament locks all around, helping you prevent damage in the future.

The Overture PLA+ Filament is available in Black, Orange, Pink, Red, and Yellow colors, all of which have a semi-glossy look. The product is suitable for most common modern 3D printers such as MK3, Monoprice FlashForge, Ender 3, and more. By using this filament, you'll surely get the most out of your printer. You can expect not only the premium quality of your prints but ultra toughness as well.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $24.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B07VCMSZ96

For Beginners

With thousands of positive reviews on Amazon, the Hatchbox Black PLA Filament is one of the top choices among novice users. It's a budget-friendly product that outperforms many other filament options within its price range. Of course, there are fancier and stronger PLA's on the market but they cost twice more. So, if you'd like to get a decent filament that can work for both draft products and serious projects, you can't go wrong with the Hatchbox PLA.

This filament is very versatile and compatible with all 3D printers using 1.75mm spools. It has a dimensional accuracy of +/- 0.03mm and is suitable for a variety of applications. It can let your creative juices flowing by engineering your concepts into a reality.

Unlike many other PLA filaments, this one doesn't require extreme temperature and pre-heated bed. It goes smoothly even if the nozzle temperature is 356°F. It's also worth mentioning that the material has decent dimensional accuracy, resulting in fewer blobs and zits. Just make sure that you've secured the end of the filament to the special holes (there are 8 of them) after removing the roll from your printer for storage.

In all, we can say that the Hatchbox is a steady performer. With an affordable price tag, glossy finish, and good printing quality, it's an optimal choice for beginners. If you happen to fail a print, you won't feel like you're wasting big money.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $22.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B00J0ECR5I

Make an Upgrade

If you think it's high time that you made an upgrade to a more advanced PLA 3D printer filament, you may really like this model offered by OVERTURE. As it's always the case with the products from the brand, this filament is high-quality and very smooth. Targeted towards everyday printing tasks, it comes in a 2.2-lb spool and is 1.75-mm in diameter with +/- .05 mm dimensional accuracy. To let you track the condition of the filament, there are very helpful indicators on the casing that let you monitor the remaining length and weight.

As a nice touch, the filament comes with a small 5-inch ruler and a 7.88’"x7.88" build plate protective sheet. The said sheet has a grid layout and a sticky back, which is a wise addition, allowing you to always have a smooth surface to print on. Everything comes in a vacuum-sealed clam-shell bag with a big desiccant bag intended to capture moisture and prolong the lifespan of the filament accordingly.

Overall, this is a great filament that ensures very good print quality and can be used for everything from standard prints to very difficult ones. It'll have no problems with adhesion, stringing, clogging or other similar issues. The quality will be consistently good with almost invisible seams. Though, take note that the surface finish will be a little on the glossy side.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $18.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B07PGY2JP1

Rich Variety of Colors

On purchasing the Gizmo Dorks PLA Filament pack for 3D printers, you get not one but as many as four spools at once. What's more, the spoons are available in different colors to let your creativity go wild - the package includes Blue, Green, Orange, and Red spools. Each spool contains 7oz of filament that is compatible with such 3D printers as the Monoprice Maker Select, Flash Forge, Lulzbot, and more.

Users note that the Gizmo Dorks filament has even better adhesion and quality than the popular Hatchbox PLA, though the price is also very reasonable. You'll get uniform, good prints from each color, yet be prepared that the tones may be slightly duller than advertised. Actually, they aren't fully solid but opaque with a slight touch of translucency.

Although these filaments can be printed at a wide range of temperatures, there is a sweet spot to keep stringing to a minimum. The recommended print temps are between 401°F - 437°F at the hot end. As for the finished prints produced by the Gizmo Dorks, they are recommended to be kept in temps below 140°F. The same goes for the remaining PLA filaments. It's also better to keep them in a dry, cool space since they don't have re-sealable bags.

To sum it all up, the Gizmo Dorks PLA Filament pack is a great deal for those who need some random colors for printing desk toys and similar stuff.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $23.95
Stock In stock
ASIN B074W1XFRX

PLA+ Filament

Looking for something stronger? Then, you may like the PLA 3D Printer Filament by SUNLU. It's marketed as PLA plus it's stronger than regular ones and tends to fall into the premium category. It provides a beautiful finish, high purity, and superb layer bonding with low shrinkage. For this reason, it meets even the trickiest demands for producing tough, functional parts.

It prints ultimately smoothly and the temperature range here is very accurate. So, we believe you'll get the print quality you expect from higher-end filaments. No moisture pops, stringing, or unexpected printing issues. You can just set it and forget it, knowing you'll come back to a perfect print every time.

We would like to note that the spool in question is available in standard Black, but if you want to explore the other color ranges, the manufacturer offers 5 more options (White, Gold, Blue, Purple, and Yellow). Also, you can get combo packs for a discounted price.

Basically, this PLA sticks really well, though if a printer bed becomes dirty, that might be the cause of poor printing. Therefore, you shouldn't forget to wash the bed with soap and water before printing. If the first layer still has poor adhesion, it's recommended to reduce the distance between the nozzle and the surface plate. By doing so, you'll always get flawless results and will be able to print perfect functional prints, trinkets, toys, tools, presents, and the like. We think every 3D printer enthusiast should have a few SUNLU rolls in their arsenal.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $18.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B07XG3RM58

What Is a PLA Filament?

There are various types of 3D printing filament available for sale today that have different properties and require different temperatures to print. A Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament is one of the top choices for a good reason.

PLA stands out from the majority of thermoplastic polymers because it's created from processing a number of plant products. To specify, it can be derived from such renewable resources as tapioca roots, corn starch, and sugar cane. Since its made from biomass materials, it's also biodegradable and considered to be much greener than ABS. So, by purchasing any of PLA filaments, you make a contribution to the environment.

What also makes it a more preferable option over ABS filament is the fact that is doesn't give off the plastic smell. Due to this alongside its ecological origins, a PLA filament can be used not only for fun but also for medical applications, food products, and even the creation of functional parts.

As PLA filaments come in many colors and styles, we've rounded up only the high-quality ones ideal for a variety of applications. However, to keep them in top-notch condition, you should store them in a dry, cool place. That's why you may want to purchase a dehumidifier additionally. Also, you may be interested in 3D printers and 3D pens compatible with PLA filaments.

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