3D Printing Filament Tier List

40 filaments ranked from S-tier (design around it if possible) to F-tier (not worth it). Click any filament for detailed information, print settings, and recommendations.

Tier Definitions

Design around it if possible - exceptional materials worth prioritizing

Excellent, broadly useful - reliable workhorses for most projects

Good but situational - higher friction to use or more specialized

Niche, annoying, or usually outclassed - use only when necessary

Not worth it - fundamentally problematic materials to avoid

Non-standard tiering - unique materials with specific use cases

Carbon Fiber PLA

PLA

Nozzle: 200°C - 230°C

Sharper details, stabilizes cooling, low shrinkage

Tough PLA

PLA

Nozzle: 200°C - 230°C

Prints like PLA but resists higher temps, impacts, and shattering

High-speed PLA

PLA

Nozzle: 190°C - 230°C

Lower viscosity / melts easier to sustain very high print speeds

Carbon Fiber PETG

PETG

Nozzle: 230°C - 260°C

Greatly improved stability and support quality vs PETG

PCTG

PETG

Nozzle: 230°C - 260°C

Tough, strong layer adhesion, minimal warping/sagging

TPU

Flexible

Nozzle: 200°C - 240°C

Perfect layer adhesion; extremely impact resistant; nearly indestructible

Glass-filled Nylon

Nylon (PA)

Nozzle: 260°C - 290°C

Massively stiffer/tougher/more heat & abrasion resistant than nylon

PLA

Nozzle: 185°C - 235°C

Easiest to print, cheap, widely available, fast, good bridges/overhangs, easy support removal

PETG

Nozzle: 215°C - 270°C

Tougher than PLA, higher temp tolerance, more durable in real-world use

ASA

Nozzle: 220°C - 275°C

Excellent UV resistance (outdoors indefinitely), tough, matte surface

SEBS

Flexible

Nozzle: 200°C - 240°C

Flexible, stretchy, and prints smoothly once dialed

Carbon Fiber Polycarbonate

Nozzle: 270°C - 300°C

Extremely stiff; useful where flex must be minimal

PC-PBT

Nozzle: 250°C - 270°C

Very easy PC-class filament (~260C), low warping, good surface quality

PEKK

PEEK-family

Nozzle: 340°C - 380°C

Nearly PEEK-class strength with far better print success rate

PEI 9085

PEI

Nozzle: 350°C - 400°C

Very strong, stable, and safe superpolymer; low thermal expansion enables good dimensional accuracy

HIPS

Nozzle: 220°C - 250°C

Impact-tolerant, low density, good for wearables/props

Silk PLA

PLA

Nozzle: 190°C - 220°C

Very shiny for show pieces

Wood PLA

PLA

Nozzle: 180°C - 220°C

Convincing woodgrain effect with visible chips

Matte PLA

PLA

Nozzle: 190°C - 220°C

Soft/satin surface, hides layer lines, can be sanded/painted/carved more than typical PLA

Semi-flexible TPU

Flexible

Nozzle: 210°C - 230°C

Good balance for bumpers/hinges/impacty parts

Nylon PA6

Nylon (PA)

Nozzle: 240°C - 290°C

Exceptional strength, very strong layer bonding, flexible and durable

Nylon PA12

Nylon (PA)

Nozzle: 260°C - 300°C

Hotter printing, stiffer than PA6 for precision heavy-duty parts

Carbon Fiber Nylon

Nylon (PA)

Nozzle: 250°C - 290°C

Stiffer than nylon and reduced warping (but still warps a lot)

Polycarbonate

Nozzle: 260°C - 310°C

Very tough and stiff; doesn't shatter like PLA

Glass-filled Polypropylene

Nozzle: 230°C - 260°C

Very tough, durable, all-weather, extremely lightweight

PSU

Nozzle: 340°C - 380°C

Very high heat resistance (Tg ~187C) and retains strength near that range

PVA

Water-soluble supports

Nozzle: 180°C - 220°C

Dissolvable support for complex geometry (especially with PLA/PETG depending on pairing)

PCL

Nozzle: 60°C - 110°C

Very low-temp printing (~100C); softens in warm water; can be heat-formed

ABS

Nozzle: 230°C - 255°C

Fast printing, acetone soluble (weld/vapor smooth), cheap, tough, decent heat resistance

Soft TPU

Flexible

Nozzle: 200°C - 220°C

Very flexible

PMMA

Nozzle: 230°C - 260°C

Best-in-class clarity; can be buffed/frosted/polished

PEEK

PEEK-family

Nozzle: 360°C - 450°C

Exceptional mechanical/thermal/chemical resistance; self-extinguishing; near metal alternative

PPS

Nozzle: 300°C - 340°C

Exceptional chemical resistance (claimed near-inert below ~200C); solid performance for chemical environments

Metal-filled PLA

PLA

Nozzle: 190°C - 220°C

Hefty, can show metal-like properties (patina/polish/magnetism)

TPE

Flexible

Nozzle: 200°C - 230°C

Polypropylene

Nozzle: 220°C - 250°C

Can bend without damage; very rugged; strong layer adhesion; very low density

POM

Nozzle: 220°C - 260°C

Very low friction, stiff, easy to machine (in CNC contexts)

HDPE

Nozzle: 220°C - 260°C

Common recycled polymer; sometimes used for purging between temp ranges

PVDF

Nozzle: 220°C - 260°C

Prints like PETG but tougher; very durable; hydrophobic (no drying)

PVB

Nozzle: 190°C - 220°C

Alcohol smoothing (isopropanol) can fuse layers and create a slick surface

How We Rank Filaments

Our tier rankings are based on a combination of factors:

1.Ease of printing - How forgiving is the material for beginners and experienced users?
2.Versatility - How many different use cases can this filament handle well?
3.Value proposition - Does the benefit justify the cost and effort?
4.Real-world performance - How do parts hold up in actual use?

Tier Summary

SDesign around it if possible - exceptional materials worth prioritizing

7 filaments

AExcellent, broadly useful - reliable workhorses for most projects

8 filaments

BGood but situational - higher friction to use or more specialized

13 filaments

CNiche, annoying, or usually outclassed - use only when necessary

5 filaments

FNot worth it - fundamentally problematic materials to avoid

6 filaments

SPNon-standard tiering - unique materials with specific use cases

1 filaments

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