Best 3D printers for 2023
To find one of the best 3D printers, start by figuring out two things — how experienced you are with 3D printing and what you plan to use your printer to create. The answers to those questions can help you narrow down the wide variety of 3D printers out there so that you’re picking from models best suited to your skill level and needs.
That’s where our guide to the best 3D printers can come in handy. Since we’ve tested a wide variety of printers capable of all kinds of output, we’re able to detail the best options for everyone from beginners to more advanced users. As a result, we’ve looked at 3D printers costing anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to those that command four-figure price tags. And that allows us to find 3D printers that fit any budget.
From 3D printers that would be at home in a classroom to those needed to crank out professional prototypes, we’ve seen and tried it all. Here’s how to get your hands on the best 3D printers capable of producing exactly the kind of models you’re looking to create.
Mục Lục
The best 3D printers
Why you can trust Tom’s Guide
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
(Image credit: Monoprice)
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1. Monoprice Voxel
Best 3D printer for most people
Our expert review:
Specifications
Printer Type:
FFF
Layer Resolution:
50 to 400 microns
Materials:
ABS, PLA, Wood Fill, Copper Fill, Steel Fill, Bronze Fill
Build Volume:
6.9 x 6.9 6.9 inches
Printer Size / Weight:
15.9 x 15.7 x 15 inches / 19.8 pounds
View at Target
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View at Amazon
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Reasons to buy
+
Excellent print quality
+
Fast print speed
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Heated print bed
Reasons to avoid
–
Lackluster software
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Some Wi-Fi connection issues
If you’re looking to get started in 3D printing, the Monoprice Voxel 3D printer is a great choice, as it delivers high-quality prints without costing you a fortune.
Novices will particularly appreciate the heated print base on the Voxel, which means more reliable prints when you use materials like ABS. The top of the print bed slides out, too, and it’s bendable, so removing prints is a snap. We also like the fact that the Voxel is enclosed, an important consideration if you’re planning on using a 3D printer in a home or classroom.
The MP Voxel is speedy, producing prints in times we usually see from more expensive devices. We were also impressed with the quality of prints, which accurately recreated details and captured natural, smooth curves in our testing. You may run into some minor frustrations with setup, but once it’s up and running, the MP Voxel is the best 3D printer for people who want to experience 3D printing for the first time.
Read our full Monoprice Voxel review.
(Image credit: Prusa)
2. Prusa Mini+
A good alternative printer for beginners
Our expert review:
Specifications
Printer Type:
FFF
Layer Resolution:
0.05 to 0.25 mm
Materials:
PLA, PETG, ABS
Build Volume:
7 x 7 x 7 inches
Printer Size / Weight:
15 x 13 x 12.6 inches / 11 pounds
Check Amazon
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View at Prusa
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Reasons to buy
+
Simple to assemble and set up
+
Excellent software
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Very high print quality
Reasons to avoid
–
More expensive than comparable printers for novices
The Prusa Mini+ 3D printer is a terrific option if you’re just getting started in 3D printing because of its quality and reliability right out of the box. It’s more expensive than competing printers aimed at novices, and it’s a little bit harder to track down these days, but don’t let that dissaude you from giving the Prusa Mini+ a try.
In our testing, we found the Prusa Mini+ easy to set up, though the lack of an enclosed printing area may make this the wrong choice if you’ve got younger folks hanging around your workspace. Well-designed software walks you through the process of preparing your model for printing. And when it is time to print, the Prusa Mini+ performs relatively quickly at the 0.2mm quality print mode. We were pleased with the quality of all our test prints, including those that featured parts that had to fit precisely together.
Though pricier than most beginning printers, the Prusa Mini+ doesn’t make you jump through a lot of hoops to get your printer calibrated and set up. We think it’s a great alternative to the Monoprice Voxel.
Read our full Prusa Mini+ 3D printer review.
(Image credit: Formlabs)
3. Formlabs Form 3+
The best resin-based 3D printer
Our expert review:
Specifications
Printer Type:
SLA
Layer Resolution:
25 to 300 microns
Materials:
Resin
Build Volume:
7.3 x 5.7 x 5.7 inches
Printer Size / Weight:
20.9 x 15.9 x 14.8 inches / 38.5 pounds
Check Amazon
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View at Formlabs
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Reasons to buy
+
Fast printing
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High-quality results
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Extensive amount of resins available
Reasons to avoid
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No third-party resin support
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Expensive
Resin-based printers have seen a lot of competition from lower-priced devices in recent years, but the Form 3+ from Formlabs remains the device of choice if 3D printing is a regular part of your workflow.
The Form 3+ replaced the Form 3, formerly our top pick for resin printers. This new version churns out prints faster than before, and it’s much easier to use than before. Loading up resin is simple, and a floating level sensor keeps close tabs on how much resin is in the print tray, controlling the flow so that just the right amount is used on each job. A more flexible build platform simplifies the task of removing prints.
The Form 3+ produces speedy prints, but more importantly, the quality of our test prints turned out to be superlative. A price hike puts the starting price of the Form 3+ at $3,750, so clearly, this particular model isn’t for everybody. But the Form 3+ easily meets the demands of designers who need a steady flow of good-looking prints and have the means to pay for this top-tier option.
Read our full Formlabs Form 3+ review.
(Image credit: Anycubic)
As good as the Form 3 is, it’s very expensive. Printers like the now sold-out Peopoly Phenom brought down the price of SLA printing somewhat, but the Photon Mono X offers an even cheaper entry. Even better, the results are pretty impressive. We found that Photon Mono X created high-quality SLA prints quickly, despite the occasional printing error.
3D printing enthusiasts will appreciate the large print area — 331 cubic inches. That’s particularly impressive given the Photon Mono X’s comparatively small size — it’s only 18 inches tall and a little more than 11 inches wide, so it will fit easily into a home workshop or similar setting.
SLA printing remains a messy, smelly business. But the Photon Mono X helps bring down the cost of this process without forcing you to make too many compromises.
Read our Photon Mono X review.
(Image credit: Flashforge)
5. FlashForge Adventurer 4
Best intermediate 3D printer
Our expert review:
Specifications
Printer Type:
FFF
Layer Resolution:
0.1-0.4mm
Materials:
ABS, PLA, PC, PETG, PLA-CF, PETG-CF
Build Volume:
9.8 x 8.6 x 7.9 inches
Printer Size / Weight:
21.3 x 19.7 x 18.5 inches / 57.3 pounds
View at Amazon
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View at GeekBuying
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Reasons to buy
+
Swappable nozzles provide material flexibility
+
Handles multiple materials with ease
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Good price
Reasons to avoid
–
No automatic bed leveling and filament loading
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Changing nozzle is rather a tricky process
When you’re ready to step up beyond 3D printers for beginners, look to the FlashForge Adventurer 4. It offers a relatively fuss-free printing experience with minimal quirks and complications.
The Adventurer 4 comes with swappable print nozzles for controlling the layer size of your prints as well as handling different temperatures. That makes this one of the more flexible 3D printers we’ve tested, as the Adventurer 4 is capable of handling a wide variety of printing materials. While print speeds are average for a 3D printer of this type, the Adventurer 4 produced excellent quality prints in our testing. Even better, at less than $1,000, you get a very polished printer without having to spend big bucks.
Read our full FlashForge Adventurer 4 review.
(Image credit: XYZ)
6. XYZ da Vinci Nano
A bargain 3D printer that’s still available
Our expert review:
Specifications
Printer Type:
FDM
Layer Resolution:
100 to 300 microns
Materials:
PLA
Build Volume:
4.7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inches
Printer Size / Weight:
14.9 x 14 x 11 inches / 10.4 pounds
View at Amazon
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Reasons to buy
+
Simple to use
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Inexpensive
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Easy-to-use software
Reasons to avoid
–
Slow
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Works only with XYZ filament
With the Monoprice Delta Mini V2 3D printer now sadly discontinued, the da Vinci Nano from XYZprinting may be your best low-price option, this may be the best cheap 3D printer you can still find these days — though you might have to hunt it down.
The da Vinci is relatively compact, about the size of a bread maker, but it has a generous-for-its size build area of 4.7 inches on all sides. (That’s bigger than what Monoprice’s budget printer offers.) There’s a door to close off the print area and block out some of the noise from printing, but be aware that opening the door doesn’t stop the printing process.
The da Vinci Nano is no speed demon — other best 3D printers produce objects in much less time — but the prints it produced in our testing were of very good quality. The software that accompanies this 3D printer is also easy to use, another reason why we recommend the da Vinci Nano for classroom settings. A wireless version — the da Vinci Nano w — is available at the XYZprinting site (opens in new tab) for around $250.
Read our full XYZ da Vinci Nano review.
(Image credit: 3Doodler)
7. 3Doodler Create Plus
Best 3D pen
Our expert review:
Average Amazon review:
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Specifications
Printer Type:
Handheld pen
Layer Resolution:
3,000 microns
Materials:
ABS, PLA, FLEXY, WOOD
Build Volume:
Not applicable
Printer Size / Weight:
6.2 x 0.8 x 0.7 inches / 1.76 ounces
View at Amazon
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Reasons to buy
+
Comfortable to hold
+
Supports multiple materials
Reasons to avoid
–
Requires frequent refills
If you want to take 3D printing into your own hands, we recommend, the 3Doodler Create Plus. This handheld pen lets you create 3D objects as easily as you would with a standard pen and paper.
We like the 3Doodler Create Plus because it’s easy to hold and it supports a variety of materials. Less expensive options like the Polaroid Play 3D Pen (opens in new tab) restrict you to PLA, so you get greater flexibility with the 3Doodler Create Plus. You’ll also find hundreds of stencils from 3Doodler that can help you design toys, animal models and other architectural designs. There’s a $19.99 kit that features additional nozzles for changing the layer size and texture of your model.
3D pens typically attract younger users, and the size and simple controls of the 3Doodler Create Plus is the right size for tiny hands. You’ll find yourself reloading the pen frequently, as the 3Doodler Create Plus uses shorter filaments, but overall this is a very good experience for people who want to find a creative way to design small objects.
Read our full 3Doodler Create Plus review.
(Image credit: Make.Toys)
8. Toybox 3D Printer
A fun printer for creating your own toys
Our expert review:
Specifications
Printer Type:
FDM
Layer Resolution:
200 microns
Materials:
PLA non-toxic plastic
Build Volume:
3.5 x 3.1 x 2.8 inches
Printer Size / Weight:
9.1 x 7.4 x 7.4 inches / 6.6 pounds
View at Amazon
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Reasons to buy
+
Prints simple toys quickly and efficiently
+
Easy setup
Reasons to avoid
–
Exposed hot and moving parts
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Unheated print bed means prints don’t always stick.
There are more sophisticated 3D printers out there than the Toybox 3D Printer. But as an introduction to 3D printing, this device will appeal to young makers looking to flex their creative muscle. And they’ll get to produce toys as part of the bargain!
Using the Toybox 3D Printer, you can create small toys — you’re limited to prints that are around 3 inches on each side. The controls are simple to operate, and printer maker Make.Toys includes a selection of free toy templates that you can use to get started. You’re also able to modify designs or even upload your own, adding to the creativity that this printer can spark.
Kids shouldn’t use the printer unsupervised, as it’s too easy to touch the hot printhead or one of the other moving parts. Because the Toybox’s printing bed isn’t head, sometimes prints can be difficult to remove. Nevertheless, we were charmed by this printer and how quickly it produced good quality prints. If you’d like to experience Toybox for yourself, you can buy a starter kit directly from Make.Toys (opens in new tab) that includes the printer and a selection of materials.
Read our full Toybox 3D Printer review.
(Image credit: Anycube)
The Anycubic Photon M3 makes expensive SLA printers a thing of the past with a price tag that’s less than $300. You’re not getting a second-rate 3D printer with that price, either — the Photon M3 produces good quality prints with excellent detail and barely visible layers. Setting up the 3D printer is fairly straight-forward, too.
Despite the low price, this may not be the best introduction to resin printing, as the software for preparing prints is a little quirky and requires some trial and error. You’re also getting a smaller print area than you’ll find with other resin printers. However, veteran 3D printers who don’t mind tinkering with the software will find a lot to like about the Anycubic Photon M3 if they’re looking for an inexpensive resin printer.
Read our full Anycubic Photon M3 review.
How to choose the best 3D printer for you
Not sure how to decide which 3D printer is right for you? Here are a few things to consider when shopping for a printer.
Printer type: There are two main types of 3D printers: FFF (fused filament fabrication) and SLA (stereo lithography). FFF printers — which also cover FFM (fused filament manufacturing) and FDM (fused deposition modeling) devices — work by melting a plastic filament in a moving printhead to form the model. SLA printers use an ultraviolet (UV) laser to solidify a resin, focusing the laser to form the solid model. FFF printers are generally cheaper, simpler and easier to use, although SLA models like the Peopoly Phenom are lowering the price.
In addition to 3D printers, there are also 3D pens that hobbyists can use to create models using plastic filament. These are handheld devices that usually cost $100 or less, so they’re another low-cost way to give a kind of 3D printing a try.
Printing materials: Whichever type of printer you choose, pay attention to the type of material it uses when printing. The filament material used by FFF printers is available in several different materials, such as PLA (a brittle, biodegradable material), ABS (the same plastic used in Lego blocks), nylon, TPE (a soft, rubberlike material) and HDPE (a light, tough polystyrene). Many of these materials, particularly PLA and ABS, are available in a huge range of colors. Filaments come in two sizes: 1.75 mm and 3 mm, which are not interchangeable.
SLA printers have fewer options than their FFF counterparts, but printers like those from FormLabs can use resins that produce models ranging from very rigid to flexible and rubbery. The best 3D printers can use a wide range of materials, each of which comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. (HDPE, for example, is light and tough, but not suitable for food use, while nylon is food-safe.)
Note that some printers only allow the use of approved materials or materials produced by the same company that made the printer. In that sense, those types of 3D printers are like more traditional paper printers: The manufacturers sell the hardware cheaply and then make money back on the consumables. (One of the best 3D printers for people on a budget, the da Vinci Mini, only works with PLA filament from manufacturer XYZprinting, for example; on the bright side, XYZ’s filament costs about the same as most third-party materials.) Other 3D printers place no restrictions on the type or origin of the material.
Print volume: All printers have limits on the size of the 3D print they can produce. That limit is defined by the size of the print bed and how far the printer can move the printhead. This is usually measured in cubic inches, but you should also pay attention to each of the individual dimensions, which determine the maximum size 3D print the device can create.
Print speed and quality: 3D printing is a slow business, and at present, there’s no way to get around this. You should expect a 3- to 4-inch model to typically take between 6 and 12 hours to print, depending on the print quality you select. That’s because of the way 3D printing works: The print is constructed in layers. The thicker these layers are, the quicker the print is produced but the lower the print quality is, as the layers become more visible. So, there is a trade-off between print speed and print quality.
The best 3D printers will allow you to determine which way you want to go with this, producing prints quickly or more slowly but at higher quality. The best printers offer a wide range of quality settings, from fast (but low quality) to slow (but high quality).
Price: The best 3D printers don’t have to cost a lot, though the ones used by professional designers and creators who print at heavy volumes will certainly put a big dent in your budget. (Devices like the Ultimaker S5 and Formlabs Form 3 cost thousands of dollars, for example.) But you can find very capable 3D printers for around $1,000, and prices are even lower for machines aimed at novices, educators and home printing enthusiasts. Prices for entry-level 3D printers are now below $300, and some of the best 3D printers now cost less than $200.
While online retailers like Amazon offer different 3D printer options, some 3D printer makers only make their products available through their own websites, so don’t be shy about shopping around.
How we test 3D printers
When we review a 3D printer, we set up each model, noting how long it takes from the time to remove the printer from its packaging to calibrating the printer so that it’s ready to use. We also take note of any special set-up instructions.
We look at what kind of materials a 3D printer supports and whether the manufacturer requires you to only use materials they sell.
When its time to test the printer, we have three different test models — a miniature statue of Rodin’s Thinker, a complex set of planetary gears that incorporate interlocking parts, and a geometric sculpture to see well the printer can reproduce sharp edges and points. In addition to evaluating the quality and detail of each print, we also time how fast the printer works at various speeds, from draft mode to the highest-quality setting.
We also consider the software that a printer uses and the different ways you can control prints, whether it’s from a computer or via a control panel on the 3D printer itself.
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