Filament Brand Quality

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Synopsis

Listing of all the known filament brands that have been tried and how they handle. Bear in mind this is a generalized "per brand" list, it is not indicative of everyone's experiences, and does not mean a brand will always be bad (or good!). But, as of January 2019, this list has been gathered from sources including print farms, businesses who use 3D printing as a tool of the trade, other hobbyists, and even my own personal experience.

For PETG, a failure of the car test puts it in the "Bad" or "UGLY" category by default. If it deforms when sitting in a car on a blistering hot summer day for extended periods of time, I cannot in good faith put it any higher. Failures are noted where known.

Subject to change without notice, date / reasons given, etc. honestly I just do this myself when I get new data and also when I remember. I can't be bothered.

Just because a brand isn't on here does NOT mean it is good filament. Or that it's bad either. Just that I literally have no data on it. Hit me up on Discord (bottom of page) — or wherever you got this link honestly — and let me know what should be added! This list is largely community run by vetted sources. But if we haven't heard of you, and you're not on here, see this note for solicitors:

Best Overall

Out of all the brands tested here, only two have had a high percentage of those talking about the brands swear by them, and had exactly zero people I've come across with anything bad to say about them: Atomic and Prusament. Prusament is still largely new, and feedback from people who have put a lot of filament brands through the ringer has been lacking. This, combined with the brand loyalty inherent to Prusa, makes me hesitant to believe its quality without the benefit of longevity in these opinions. While people daily drive other filament brands and swear by them too — for example Hatchbox — they all come with a higher amount of people that are unenthusiastic about the brand they're using, or in some cases have minor issues with the filament (I calipered in the ballpark of 0.6mm off 1.75mm both thicker and thinner on Hatchbox PETG for example).

Often these issues are one-offs, but it's been truly remarkable to me to see Atomic — a filament brand I've never used keep in mind — have a damn-near cultlike following. As soon as you bring Atomic up, someone's got something good to say about it. And although Prusament is still very new, it is still a Prusa product, a brand which too has a damn-near cultlike following. It's easy to look at Prusament as an extension to the Prusa ecosystem, but Atomic's reputation can truthfully only be explained by being genuine, honest feedback. After all, to the best of my knowledge, they sponsor nobody. The fact that their customers happily sponsor them in exchange for nothing at all in return is a testament to their consistency in quality.

Atomic is hands-down, without a doubt, my #1 recommended filament. Not because I've ever used it, but because it's been a fan favorite for over half a decade. In lieu of them however, I still have quite a hefty list!

SOLICITORS:

I do allow solicitors to add updates to the list via PM's on Discord. One or more of the following conditions MUST be met however:

1 - I know you well and can vouch for you

2 - Someone I know well has tried the filament with similar results (their experience will ALWAYS overrule a solicitor)

3 - A time-lapse video that shows your filament in action on a printer, with it normal-speed at the end, as you remove it from the bed, while you take pics in a way where it is demonstrated on camera. No funny business. Full-length video is fine too. I am extremely pedantic on this given how sketchy a solicitor is by default.

All independently-unverified additions will be marked as such in a very clear manner! I think this is more than fair. My list my overly strict rules (make your own if you don't like it).

Without further ado, here's the list:

UGLY Brands

Unfortunately, some brands are just awful for one reason or another. Sometimes their quality is just reliably abysmal. Other times they seem to take the money and run. Other times they deliver incomplete orders and claim it was 100% fulfilled. And rare, just rarely, there is a hint of fraud. OK so honestly this mostly applies to 3D printers moreso than filament (Peachy Printer anyone?) but filament brands are not immune to this. Not by a long shot. Here's a list of brands that just downright suck to deal with, and exactly why they should be in the "ALWAYS AVOID" column in this entire page.

PLA

Good

Meh

Bad

N/A

UGLY

N/A

Unknown

PETG

Good

Meh

Bad

UGLY

Unknown

ABS

Good

Meh

N/A

Bad

N/A

UGLY

N/A

Unknown

ASA

Good

Meh

N/A

Bad

N/A

UGLY

N/A

Unknown

Nylon

Good

Meh

Bad

N/A

UGLY

N/A

Unknown

N/A

Carbon

Good

Meh

Meh

Bad

N/A

UGLY

N/A

Unknown

Wood

Good

Meh

N/A

Bad

N/A

UGLY

N/A

Unknown

N/A

Flexibles

Good

Meh

Bad

N/A

UGLY

N/A

Unknown

Misc, Exotics

Good

Meh

Bad

N/A

UGLY

N/A

Unknown

If you know of any others, feel free to let me know on Discord @Julietta#5397 and I will make sure to add it once I can confirm authenticity!

- Julietta

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