Everything you need to know to choose the right filament and dial in your first prints.
Which filament for which job?
The beginner's best friend
Easiest to print. Great for decorative items, prototypes, and light indoor use. Goes soft in a hot car or direct sunlight.
The upgrade for real parts
Stronger and more heat-resistant than PLA. Use it for brackets, mounts, anything that takes load or lives outside. Slightly harder to tune.
When you need flex
Rubbery, impact-absorbing, perfect for phone cases, grips, gaskets. Slow to print and requires a direct-drive extruder.
For heat and UV
High temperature resistance and UV stability (ASA). Challenging to print — needs an enclosure, smells bad, warps. Worth it for car interior parts or outdoor enclosures.
| PLA | PETG | TPU | ABS / ASA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Decorative, prototypes, hobby models, indoor fixtures | Brackets, mounts, hooks, outdoor use, food containers | Phone cases, grips, gaskets, snap fits, vibration dampers | Car interiors, outdoor enclosures, high-heat environments |
| Strength | Medium — fine for most things, not for sustained load | Good — handles sustained load without creeping | Low tensile, but excellent impact resistance | Good — impact resistant, doesn't creep under load |
| Flexibility | Rigid — snaps rather than bends | Semi-flexible — bends before breaking | Very flexible — stretchy like rubber | Rigid — similar to PLA but tougher |
| Heat resistance | Poor (55–60 °C) — warps in hot cars and sunlight | Good (80–85 °C) — survives hot cars and mild outdoor heat | Medium (70–80 °C) — varies by Shore hardness | Excellent (90–110 °C for ABS, 95 °C for ASA) |
| Ease of printing | ★★★★★ — forgiving, low warp, sticks easily | ★★★★☆ — minor stringing, needs slower speeds | ★★★☆☆ — slow, jams in Bowden extruders | ★★☆☆☆ — warps heavily, needs enclosure + brim |
| Typical price | ~€18–25 / kg | ~€20–28 / kg | ~€22–35 / kg | ~€20–28 / kg |
| Common problems | Brittle under impact, degrades outdoors, clogs if moisture-absorbed | Stringing, sticks too well to bed, absorbs moisture | Stringy, very slow print speeds, hard to push in Bowden setups | Warping, toxic fumes (ABS), poor layer adhesion without enclosure |