The Best 3D Printing Gifts for the 2024 Holidays

If you have someone in your life with an interest in 3D printing, then we have you covered with the best gift options for the 2024 holidays.

Cameron Coward
7 months ago3D Printing

Choosing gifts for hobbyists is always a challenge, because you don’t know what they’d find exciting or useful if you aren’t acquainted with the hobby yourself. But if you have someone in your life with an interest in 3D printing, then we’ve got you covered! We put together a list of some of the best 3D printing gifts for the 2024 holiday season and there is something here to suit every budget.

FDM 3D printers

FDM (fused deposition modeling), also called FFF (fused filament fabrication), is the most common type of 3D printing, by far. If you’re looking to purchase a 3D printer for someone, there is a very good chance that they want an FDM model. These use rolls of plastic filament and are very versatile, being great for everything from decorative objects to functional parts.

Creality Ender 3

Experts often recommend the Creality Ender 3 line of 3D printers to beginners — and for good reason. They are very affordable and print quite well, though they do tend to require some tinkering and tuning. But that isn’t a necessarily a bad thing, as that tinkering is a big part of the 3D printing hobby.

There are several Creality Ender 3 models available, with relatively minor differences between them. The most affordable at the moment (at least on the Creality website) is the Ender 3 V3 SE at just $169. But other retailers often have other models available at lower prices. We’ve seen the original Ender 3 at Micro Center for as little as $99.

Bambu Lab A1 Mini

If you increase your budget just a tad, you can grab Bambu Lab’s entry-level model: the A1 Mini. While it has a small build volume, it is very easy to use.

Bambu Lab has garnered a reputation for making the most foolproof 3D printers on the market and the A1 Mini isn’t any different. When paired with the fantastic (and free) Bambu Studio software, the A1 Mini is the closest thing to a plug-and-play 3D printer you can get in this price bracket.

By itself, the A1 Mini is $179 for the holidays with the available coupon. But if you can swing it, you might consider getting the $349 A1 Mini Combo that includes the AMS Lite, which will allow for multi-color and multi-material printing.

Elegoo Neptune 4 Max

For the hobbyist that needs a huge build volume, it is hard to beat the value of the Elegoo Neptune 4 Max. It has a massive 420×420×480mm to work with, which is enough for some really big parts.

And while the Neptune 4 Max has a fairly traditional layout, it does run Klipper. That is firmware that hobbyists love, because it allows for fast printing speeds without sacrificing quality. The Neptune 4 Max is $329.99 at the moment and that is a great price for a printer of this size.

Bambu P1S

All of the printers we’ve listed so far lack enclosures. That is fine if the recipient plans to print PLA (the most popular material by a wide margin), but an enclosure is pretty much a necessity for printing materials like ABS. The Bambu Lab P1S has an enclosure and is a more premium option all around.

At $599 for the printer alone or $799 with an included AMS, the Bambu Lab P1S is a very attractive option. It has many of the same features (and size) as the flagship X1C, but at a much more accessible price thanks to the omission of a couple of components, such as lidar. The X1C can handle more exotic filament materials, but the P1S is just as good when it comes to conventional materials. And if the hobbyist ever wants to print those exotic materials in the future, upgrades are available.

Prusa CORE One

Prusa is almost certainly the most trusted name in 3D printing and Prusa Research is just about to release the new Prusa CORE One. Reviews aren’t in yet and it is possible there will be some teething problems with this all-new model, but it is perfect for people that want the most cutting-edge option.

The assembled Prusa CORE One is available for pre-order right now at $1,199 and units will begin shipping in January. This promises to be the most advanced 3D printer from Prusa to date, with a fully enclosed CoreXY motion system and a whole host of innovative features. This will be the “it” 3D printer of 2025 and a model that any 3D printing enthusiast would be happy to have.

Resin 3D printers

While FDM 3D printers are the most common, resin 3D printers (using the MSLA printing process) are another popular choice for hobbyists. They use UV-sensitive liquid resin instead of solid filament. That resin is messy and notorious for nasty fumes, but the print quality of resin 3D printers is unparalleled. They’re ideal for small figurines and other models that require high quality, and they can also do well for functional parts when used with specialty engineering resin.

Elegoo Mars 5

The Elegoo Mars 5 is a good choice for someone just tipping their toes into the high-resolution waters of resin 3D printing. Like all of the resin printers on this list, it uses the MSLA (Masked Stereolithography) printing process. That means that it shines a UV light through a monochrome LCD screen into the vat of resin.

This affordable $179.99 model has a 6.6” 4K LCD, which yields a pixel size of 35×35μm. Just a few years ago, that would have been more detailed than anything else on the consumer market. The build volume is 143.43×89.6×150mm and that is a lot smaller than the FDM printers (as is typical), but still enough for most projects that call for a resin printer.

Phrozen Sonic Mighty 12K

If you can afford to take a pretty big step up in price, you should take a look at the $649.99 Phrozen Sonic Mighty 12K resin printer. Phrozen has a great reputation as a slightly more premium brand and this model has both a smaller pixel size and a larger build volume than the Elegoo Mars 5.

That pixel size is 19×24µm and the build volume is a huge 218×123×235mm. There is even a camera inside the enclosure for monitoring prints and capturing timelapse videos.

Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Max

For those who want to go really big while still getting the benefit of resin printing detail, the Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Max is enticing. While its pixel size is a bit bigger (46×46μm), it is still capable of fine detail and the huge 298×164×300mm certainly balances that out.

The Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Max also has some neat features that make the resin printing process much more pleasant. For example, it can monitor the resin level and alert the user if a refill is necessary. It can even refill itself. And there is a port to connect an external air purifier to keep the workspace from filling with fumes.

Accessories

If the giftee already owns a 3D printer, then there are still plenty of items to choose from that they’re sure to find helpful. These are consumables, accessories, add-ons, and related tools that will benefit 3D printing enthusiasts.

Filament

FDM 3D printers need rolls of filament, which is the raw material they gobble up and turn into parts. Hobbyists always need more filament, so it is a safe gift.

If you aren’t sure what kind of material to choose, PLA is a good choice. Most hobbyists use it on a regular basis and there is an entire spectrum of colors to choose from. PETG is also a good choice for printers without enclosures. ABS is a popular option for people with enclosed 3D printers, as is ASA. More exotic materials are available, but many of them require specific hardware.

Almost all consumer 3D printers on the market today use 1.75mm diameter filament, so that is likely what you’ll need to purchase.

Resin

MSLA 3D printers need resin like FDM printers need filament. Luckily, most resin is compatible with most printers — they’re less finicky about material composition and size isn’t a factor.

You can always purchase resin of the same brand as the printer, but you can also purchase from other printer brands and suppliers that specialize in manufacturing resin. Siraya Tech is a great choice for the latter. That’s especially true if the user wants tough parts for functional purposes, in which case Siraya Tech Blu is very good.

Wash and cure

Resin is, however, kind of a nasty substance. Resin parts aren’t ready for handling when they come off of the printer, because they first need to be washed and fully cured in UV light. You can do that with a Tupperware container and the sun, but dedicated wash and cure machines make the process much easier.

Most resin 3D printer manufacturers also sell wash and cure machines, so you might want to purchase one of the same brand as the printer. But that isn’t a requirement and you can mix and match brands if you find a good deal. Some combine both functions in a single machine, like the Anycubic Wash & Cure 3. Others come as separate machines, like the Elegoo Mercury X Bundle.

Just make sure to choose a size that accommodates the largest parts the user will print.

Calipers

Calipers are measurement tools that every hobbyist should own. They’re practically a necessity when designing 3D models, but are also very useful when tuning, calibrating, or troubleshooting a 3D printer.

We recommend digital calipers because they’re easy to read, easy to zero, and can switch between units of measurement. A basic digital caliper on Amazon will cost around $15-30 — they’re all pretty much the same. If you want to spend more, Mitutoyo is the go-to high-quality brand. Starrett is another popular brand used by professionals. But those are pricey and most hobbyist don’t need calipers of that caliber, so the basic generic brands will do the job in most cases.

Filament dryer

Filament, especially of certain materials like nylon, is sensitive to moisture. As it absorbs humidity from the air, the performance degrades. That can result in everything from poor quality to outright failure. That’s true even in dry climates.

A filament dryer is a small machine that encapsulates the roll of filament and keeps the moisture to a minimum. Some are passive and rely on desiccant packs, while others are active and contain built-in heaters. If you can afford it, we recommend the active kind. The Creality Dryer Box 2.0 is one good option that is affordable, but there are many other brands and models to choose from.

Heat set inserts and tool

For hobbyists that enjoy designing their own models, heat-set inserts are game changers. They’re little threaded brass pieces, similar to nuts, designed to imbed themselves in thermoplastic — exactly like the materials filament is made from. They’re indispensable for mounting things onto 3D-printed parts and connecting multiple 3D-printed parts together.

Heat-set inserts need to get hot to go into the plastic, so a tool is helpful for heating and placing them. A press like this is a good option as it helps align the insert, or you can get the handheld soldering iron style for freehand insertion. In both cases, we recommend grabbing a set of M3 heat-set inserts and M3 screws to get started.

Multi-material accessory

Finally, for the hobbyist who already has everything else, you should consider a multi-material add-on for the printer. That is, essentially, a whole other machine that works with an FDM 3D printer to enable the use of several rolls of a filament in a single print job. Those can be filaments of different colors or even different materials, opening up many new printing possibilities.

In the best-case scenario, the user owns a 3D printer from a brand with a compatible multi-material unit. Bambu Lab has the AMS and AMS Lite, Prusa has the MMU3, Anycubic has the ACE Pro, and Creality has the CFS.

Check with the brand of the printer your hobbyist owns first to see if they sell a multi-material unit. If they don’t, there is still an option: the Co Print ChromaSet and Co Print KCM Set. However, you should check with the user to see if one of those will work, as they are only compatible with printers that run Klipper. Conversion is possible with the ChromaSet, if they want to go that route.

Happy holidays!

And that’s our list, folks. We hope it was helpful and that you’re able to snag the perfect gift for the 3D printing enthusiast in your life.

If nothing on the list seemed to fit the bill, then you might want to consider a course on 3D modeling. Many 3D printing hobbyists never attempt to make their own models, but the two skillsets go together like peanut butter and jelly. Udemy has a great selection of courses and Autodesk Fusion 360 is a good software choice for hobbyists.

If you’re lucky, maybe they’ll learn how to design you a nice ornament for next year’s holidays!

Cameron Coward
Writer for Hackster News. Proud husband and dog dad. Maker and serial hobbyist. Check out my YouTube channel: Serial Hobbyism
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