If you’re in a hurry and just want to know what the best PLA filament is then, we recommend Hatchbox PLA as the best one.
Making the Best Choice on PLA Filament
The type of filament chosen has a significant impact on the quality and type of model that you can print. Depending on the printer that you choose, it may be able to accept a number of different filament types. All of these filaments have different qualities, characteristics, and capabilities.
Some of the filament types include ABS, PETG, nylon, TPE, wood, metal and other types of filament. The most common type of filament found in both professional and hobby 3D printers is PLA.
PLA stands for Polylactic acid. It can be made from plant-based materials, polymers, or a combination of the two. This means that there is wide variability among different PLA formulas and quality. This review will explore PLA filament and give you our pick of the best PLA filament for your needs.
In this article we will be reviewing the following PLA filaments:
Things to Consider about PLA Filament
There are many different types of filaments available on the market. You can choose the best PLA filament to suit your needs depending on whether you are making professional models or a few toys to play around with at home. Not every 3D printer will accept every type of filament. PLA is the most common type of filament and the easiest to work with for beginners. Choosing the right PLA filament can have a significant impact on the functioning of your 3D printer and the quality of the models that you can make.
Diameter
Of course, the first thing that you need to do is to make sure that your printer accepts PLA filament. There are a few that do not, but it is always best to check. The second thing is to determine the diameter of the filament that your printer will take. Making the wrong choice here could cause jams and cause the unit to malfunction. That’s the worst-case scenario.
Color Consistency
The PLA filament comes in a wide variety of popular colors, depending on the manufacturer that you choose. It comes in bright colors, including red, blue, green, yellow, pink, orange, brown, gray, and black. Some manufacturers also have other colors available. When a PLA object is complete, it will often have a high gloss finish.
Regardless of the color that you choose, you want to make sure that the color is consistent all the way through the entire school. Otherwise, you will have areas of different colors on your model that will detract from the quality. In addition, some of the filaments may not have the color all the way through the entire core. This is an important factor to consider if you want to do high-quality models. There is also inconsistency from spool to spool, which is important if you need to change spools in the middle of a print.
Strength
Another factor to consider when choosing a quality PLA is its strength. PLA is the most common filament because it can be processed easily at a lower temperature. It does not require a heated printing bed, but not all PLA is the same when it comes to strength. This is especially important when printing figurines or miniatures that have small parts, such as hands or models with thinner walls.
Impurities
Impurities are another factor that affects the quality of the PLA filament and, the quality of your prints. Some impurities will simply cause a reduction in the quality of your models, while others could be potentially hazardous or harm your 3D printer. Therefore, it is important to choose a PLA filament that has as few impurities as possible. Generally, the cheaper the filament the more likely you’ll find impurities.
Storage and Packaging
The packaging is important, as is the space that it takes up on your storage shelf. In addition, some PLA may need to be stored within a specific temperature range to stay usable. You need to make certain that you can meet the storage requirements of the PLA filament that you choose.
What Are the Advantages of PLA?
What are the advantages of PLA is that it is relatively beginner-friendly because of his lower processing temperature. Another advantage is that it does not give off as many toxic fumes as other types of plastics. Some types of PLA will give off an odor that smells somewhat like sweet candy or cotton candy.
Another advantage to PLA is that it is often made of renewable resources such as corn starch or sugar cane. PLA is the base for many exotic filaments. Such as those with glow in the dark properties or those infused with other materials such as wood or metal.
General PLA Properties
- Model Properties: High Strength, low flexibility
- Difficulty: Easy to use
- Print temperature: 180 degrees Celsius to 230 degrees Celsius
- Print Bed Temperature: low or not needed
- Shrinkage/Warpage: minimal
- Water-soluble: No
What Can You Print with PLA?
What you can print with PLA depends on its properties. In general, you should consult with each manufacturer to see whether it is food safe. Some brands are food safe, and others are not. Another thing to consider is that you may not want to use it to print objects that will be bent, twisted, or repeatedly dropped. This is because PLA is brittle and can crack easily. However, it can withstand higher temperatures, which makes it a good choice for prototype parts, containers, and low wear toys.
The Best PLA Filament
Now, let’s take a look at some of the more common PLA filaments available on the market. Please be aware that some models of 3D printers require that you use a specific brand or type of filament. Others allow you to use any brand on the market, as long as it meets the specifications of the printer. In this guide, we will review some of the best PLA 3D printer filamens available.
HATCHBOX PLA
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON HATCHBOX PLA is one of the best PLA 3D printer filament brands because it is strong and produces excellent quality finished products. It comes in a 1.75mm – 3.0mm diameter and is sold in several different sized spools from 0.5, 2, 5 and 10 pound spools. This is good because depending on your needs you’ll always have plenty of filament on hand. In addition, there are a ton of different colors to choose from. No doubt, you’ll find the best color for your project. In terms of quality, it is a good value for the money because it can be bought in larger quantities. It comes nicely packaged in a recyclable cardboard box.
Overture PLA
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON Overture makes several different types of filament, including PLA and PLA 3D. They carry a limited selection and only offer two sizes, 1.75mm and 2.85mm. They are one of the lower-price filaments, and they do not have as wide of a selection of colors. However, they have what you need. In terms of the quality of the product, this is one of the best for making cheap products that will not need to withstand high impact or repetitive twisting or turning. It is a little more brittle than the others on the list, but it is best PLS filament brands for certain applications.
Makerbot PLA
Makerbot PLA is made specifically for the Makerbot 3D printer, but some choose to use this filament in other brands and models. Of course, make sure that it is compatible if you choose to do this. Makerbot is known for its good quality products in general. Their filament is popular and is considered one of the higher-end materials.
It comes in a 1.75mm size, and you can purchase it in a 2.2 lb. spools. It also comes in over different colors, including translucent and glow. This is considered one of the most durable and strong filaments on the list and is a choice by many hobbyists and pros. It is also relatively inexpensive, making it an excellent value.
Inland PLA
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON Inland PLA is one of the less expensive brands of filament. It comes in 2.2 lb. spools and comes in a wide variety of colors. One of the things that we liked about this company is that their spools were consistent from one to the next. Even though they are one of the cheaper filaments, their performance and color are consistent. Which is important when you are printing numerous runs of the same model. Inland offers some colors of filament that are not offered by other manufacturers. They have a range of different hues and shades that others do not. It comes nicely packaged, but once again, it would be nice to have a reclosable plastic bag so that you can keep it from moisture.
SUNLU PLA
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON SUNLU PLA is one of the best PLA filament brands that comes packaged in 2.2 lb. packages. It only comes in 1.75mm diameter. Although PLA does not require a heated bed, we found that the best results could be obtained with this filament when using a heated bed of up to 50 degrees Celsius. The diameter of the filament was rather consistent throughout prints. However, this one is a little more sensitive to nozzle temperature and prefers a nozzle temperature of 190 – 220 degrees Celsius. When used under these parameters, it produced a high-quality print, but it was just a little pickier than the others about its operating parameters.
Dikale PLA
CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON Dikale PLA is an excellent low-cost filament choice, but it does seem to be more of the more brittle ones. There have been some problems with breaks before it makes it to the extruder. However, this may be a problem with the printer rather than the filament. This is a great choice if you have lots of printing to do or want to do large prints such as terrain. We would not recommend this for projects that will be under a lot of strain in their daily use. However, it is a good value for your money for large projects.
Conclusion
When it comes to quality and value, what you plan on printing should always be a key factor in choosing the best PLA filament. Overall, we really like the consistent quality we find withHATCHBOX PLA. This brand offers the best combination of quality and value. They offer a wide variety of colors and the finished builds we’ve created have come out great. If you’re looking for the highest quality PLA you can find then we would recommend Makerbot PLA in a heartbeat. We hope this guide made selecting a great PLA filament a whole lot easier.
Last update on 2024-05-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
