A heated bed that goes up to 300 degrees Celsius allows you to print the most common filaments, including PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, nylon, and polycarbonate filaments.

Heated bed: Heated beds prevent prints from warping, help models stick to the print bed, and allow you to print using a wider range of materials.

As a result, beginners need only a print bed that’s large enough to print models about the size of a small tissue box.

Large-enough print volume: It would be nice to have the ability to print objects as large as you want, but the reality is that most models found in libraries such as Thingiverse are designed for small 3D-printer beds, with workarounds for combining several printed pieces to create a larger object.

Our picks from Bambu Lab use their own slicer, called Bambu Studio, but are broadly compatible. It’s a big plus if a printer has a preconfigured profile in PrusaSlicer or UltiMaker Cura, our favorite slicing software. The software should come preloaded with print settings but provide options for more experienced users to fine-tune.

Intuitive software: Beginners should be able to jump right into using a printer’s software, including making adjustments to models before printing.

A design that requires you to keep a computer tethered to the printer at all times via USB is a serious flaw but not necessarily a dealbreaker. Loading files onto an SD card that you plug into the printer is also okay.

Ample connectivity options: Ideally, you should be able to start a print over Wi-Fi or transfer the file over a USB cable.

The bed should also level itself or be simple to level manually, since a sloping print bed can cause printing errors.

Easy-to-use hardware: Even a complete beginner should be able to put the printer together, load filament, start a print, and remove the finished model from the print bed.

High-quality prints: Without too much tweaking, the printer should put out smooth-looking models with layers that are 0.1 mm thick at most and barely visible.

Free baby 3d model