10 Best 3D Printer Models UK Citizens Can Buy in 2023

Whether you want the best budget 3D printer in the UK or the top-performing regardless of price, there are a number of things to consider before making your choice.

Price

Price is going to be a big factor when you buy a 3D printer in the UK. There will be a difference between a cheap 3D printer on the UK consumer market in terms of its performance and capabilities. Typically, the more expensive, the better. There are also differences in printing types that may appeal to different people. Generally, for a good printer, you should be looking to spend between £200 and over £3,000. You can get some of the best 3D printer options for under £1,000 in the UK.

Do-it-yourself kits are also much cheaper because they require full assembly. Resin-based printers that use digital light processing and UV also tend to be cheaper but also require extra steps, such as washing your object in ethanol by hand to finish the process.

Tip: Buy from a UK retailer online or offline so you get a 3D printer price UK customers aren’t subject to import taxes on.

You should find a 3D printer cost to meet everyone’s budget on this page.

Purpose

Ask yourself what the reason is you want a 3D printer. If you are a beginner that just wants to test out the process, there’s no point in spending £3,000. It’s better to get a smaller and cheaper entry-level printer. However, if you are a business that makes prototypes, actual products, or product parts; you will want a high-performing and reliable solution that has network connectivity, all the best features, and the ability to use multiple materials. It will be more expensive upfront, but your sales should offset that cost. 

Materials

The most common material is PLA filament for FDM printers, which are basically plastic printers. However, there’s a wide range of other materials supported by some FDM printers, including everything from Nylon to an acrylic thermoplastic called ABS. That’s without mentioning resin which is used in an entirely different class of 3D printers. Some of them are the best budget 3D printer choices in the UK.

Most people won’t know what material they need and will be fine with PLA or resin. If you do know, make sure the printer you’re looking at supports it out of the box or via an addon.

Size and Weight

Your average 3D printer is not just something you can stick on the side of a cheap computer desk. They are usually heavy and when operating, will cause vibrations, heat, and varying degrees of loudness. 

There are a couple of ‘mini’ and small resin-based printers that you may get away with on your computer desk. We’d point you to the XYZPrinting da Vinci mini w+ or ANYCUBIC Photon UV LCD. However, the latter produces noxious fumes from the resin and can be messy when cleaning.

Ideally, you will want a sturdy table or workbench a bit out of the way of other technology to run a 3D printer effectively and safely. Remember to check the full size and weight from our specs list and match that with your home or business space to find the best UK 3D printer for you.

Build Volume

Build volume or area is the size in which the object itself can be printed in. If you want to print larger objects, then obviously the build area needs to accommodate this. The largest on our list is the RoboxPro with a build area of 21cm x 30cm x 40cm.

Connectivity

The more ways in which you can send a print job the better but what you require depends on your own setup. If you’re comfortable with a permanent USB to PC connection, then you won’t need Wi-Fi or an Ethernet port for networking. If you, however, want to send print jobs from a computer on your network some distance away, Wi-Fi, USB sticks, or SD Cards with print files are necessary. The best budget 3D printer products in the UK will still have many of these features.

Software

All 3D printers come with some form of software and slicer because each printer needs to make slight adjustments to get your model ready to print. Often this is just scaling, repositioning, changing materials, hollowing, or adding extra support structures. A lot of this can be automated with good software. 

More advanced users will want the ability to have manual control over the changes they make to a model before printing or even the ability to create models from scratch. You’ll need to check the native software’s capabilities match your needs or whether it supports third-party software applications that do. Likewise, there are different file types, depending on the printer in question. G-code and STL are common, and often even if you’ve downloaded a format that’s not compatible your software will be able to convert it. However, double-check all this before spending your money. 

We’ve also made it easier for you by curating the best 3D printing software out there.