Best PLA Filaments for 3D Printing in 2024 - Buying Guide

PLA (Polylactic Acid) is the most commonly used 3D printer filament; it is a biodegradable material made from plants such as corn and sugarcane. Due to its widespread applications, environmentally friendly nature, and ease of use, PLA always remains the best 3D filament for both beginners and experts. The article collects a list for you to find the best PLA filament for your 3D printer.

Here is a list of the top 10 best brands of PLA filaments for 3D printing in 2024:

• Hatchbox PLA
• ANYCUBIC PLA
• Overture PLA
• Inland PLA
• Polymaker PLA
• MatterHackers PLA
• eSUN PLA
• Sunlu PLA
• Prusament PLA
• Creality PLA

How to Choose Best PLA Filament for 3D Printing

(Fast printing with Anycubic's Kobra 2 Pro and high-speed PLA)

Before selecting the best PLA filament, it's essential to plan ahead for its intended purpose—whether it's for general-purpose or special-purpose applications. Basic PLA typically meets the requirements for many everyday printing projects, but there are many other types of PLA available to fulfill other needs. For instance, Anycubic offers a 1.75mm High-Speed PLA Filament with a lower melting point and higher flow rate, designed to accelerate printing on the 3D printer.

When the high-speed PLA is combined with Anycubic's Kobra 2 Pro, a standard 3DBenchy can be printed within 15 minutes. This achievement isn't solely attributed to the material but also owes to the exceptional speed features of the Kobra 2 Pro. It can reach speeds of up to 500mm/s, with an astonishing acceleration of 20,000mm/s². Moreover, other features such as automatic bed leveling and support for remote control via an app make the 3D printing experience more intelligent and easy to use.

Here are the factors to consider when selecting the best 3D printer PLA filament, as these can significantly impact your print quality:

• Brand: Choosing a reliable brand is crucial. Well-known brands often indicate higher production standards, excellent customer service, and high-quality products.
• Price: Consider the cost per kilogram of PLA filament. However, price should not be the only determining factor; plan according to your budget and demand.
• Quality: Aim to control the tolerance within ±3mm or less; this helps prevent some printing issues, such as nozzle clogging, under-extrusion, or over-extrusion.
• Application: 3D printing can be applied to general purposes like artistic creations, or special purposes like rapid prototyping and functional parts. PLA has various derivatives in the market, some enhancing mechanical properties while others changing different textures.
• Color Options: Many 3D projects require PLA in multiple colors. Some brands offer only basic-colored PLA filaments, while others provide special color options.

Hatchbox is a manufacturer of 3D printing materials, offering a diverse range of reasonably priced materials for 3D makers' prints. Hatchbox PLA, with a diameter of 1.75mm, stands out as a bestseller, boasting a dimensional accuracy controlled within ±0.03 millimeters. Its formulation is designed to reduce first-layer warping issues and provide better layer adhesion, nearly odorless. Currently, the basic colors are priced at $24.99 per kilogram, while special colors or patterns such as wood, stone granite, glow-in-the-dark PLA, among others, are slightly more expensive.

Anycubic is a reliable 3D printing manufacturer committed to offering competitively priced and high-quality 3D printers and materials. Anycubic's 1.75mm basic PLA filament is known for its ease of use with an impressive ±0.02mm diameter tolerance. Additionally, they provide visual types of PLA options such as glossy Silk PLA and classic Matte PLA, making 3D prints with distinctive textures. Lastly, there are functional types also available for specific purposes, such as High-Speed PLA and PLA+.

In the US market, the basic PLA is priced at $24.50 per kg, but the store frequently runs material sales to make prices more affordable. For example, bundle sales and promotions such as 'Get 3 for the price of 2' or 'Get 4 for the price of 3' allow users to enjoy greater discounts.

Overture is another affordable 3D material manufacturer that sells 1.75mm filament with a tolerance of ±0.03mm. They not only provide basic Overture PLA for everyday creative projects but also offer Easy PLA, designed for beginners with less hassle. Additionally, they have PLA Plus filament with improved mechanical properties, claiming to be "5 times tougher than basic PLA". With a wide variety of PLA types available, Overture caters to the need and exploration of 3D enthusiasts.

Micro Center owns Inland PLA, a supplier of information technology, communication, and electronic devices. They operate physical stores across the United States where they offer high-quality 1.75mm PLA filament with a dimensional accuracy of +/- 0.03mm.

Polymaker is a great manufacturer of 3D printing material, producing and selling a wide variety of filaments. Their filaments are categorized into several groups based on their main features. For instance, the PolyTerra filament is environmentally friendly, while the PolyLite filament is more general-purpose. The PolyMax series, equipped with jam-free technology, is ideal for printing functional 3D objects.

MatterHackers is a significantly large retailer in the 3D printing industry, offering a diverse range of products such as 3D printers, 3D printing materials, CNC machines, laser cutters, and engravers. They have an extensive selection of 3D printing filaments available in their marketplace, ranging from budget-friendly options like the MH Build Series PLA to professional-grade filaments like the MatterHackers PRO Series PLA.

eSun is a company specializing in 3D printer materials, and their product eSun PLA+ is highly favored by 3D makers. PLA+ exhibits better mechanical properties compared to PLA, because it's less prone to breakage and brittleness. And PLA+ is slightly more expensive than regular PLA. There is a comprehensive guide on comparing PLA vs. PLA+, and I highly recommend taking a look at it for more detailed information on their differences and applications.

Sunlu is a filament retailer involved in offering affordable PLA filament, making it competitive in the market. Due to their wide product selection, they have categorized their filaments into five series to meet different user needs: general, special, aesthetic, functional, and engineering. Additionally, they offer filament dry boxes that help keep the filament dry, ensuring the result of high-quality printed parts with smooth surfaces.

Prusament PLA is manufactured by Prusa Research, ensuring consistently high standards in color, diameter, and quality through rigorous monitoring and testing of their filaments. With a manufacturing precision of ±0.02mm, each product package includes a QR code that can be scanned by your smartphone. This code provides access to all relevant information about the filament spool you purchased.

Creality is a 3D printing manufacturing brand known for the popular Ender 3 3D printer. It has also introduced its own line of 3D printing materials, among which the easy-to-use and affordable rainbow silk PLA is favored by many 3D makers.