The 7 Best 3D Printers for New Makers, No Matter What You’re Making

The Centauri Carbon is fast, affordable, and fun to use. It’s also a rare find for entry-level printers looking to enter the hobby with a low investment, with print quality and features that are typically seen in more expensive models. It doesn’t have many of the bells and whistles that I love from my other picks, but it delivers great value for its price, and it’s a perfect starting point for general use printing.

It has a strong sense of fun in its design. For example, the included waste-bin model that clips to the back of the printer isn’t just a bland box, it’s a tiny model of the Centauri Carbon. I felt the slightly playful nature of the design reflected a desire to make things enjoyable for the user, something that included keeping setup simple, with a box to Benchy time of one hour, 11 minutes, the fastest time I’ve found to date.

Elegoo seems to want to balance a streamlined UI with robust options. Their custom version of the Orca slicer tucks away some features in the name of streamlining, but they’re still there if you go digging. (That may be a good thing or bad thing, depending on how much you like to tinker with settings.) A recent software update added an integration for Nexprint, Elegoo’s 3D model site, which makes it much easier to download projects straight into the slicer.

One simple UI choice that I appreciated is that the mobile app has a clear pause button, so if something looks wrong, you can stop the print before it completely goes off the rails. It’s a weird bit of psychology, but just being able to clearly see it made me more comfortable during long print jobs.

The Centauri Carbon was noisier during operation than the other printers I tested, but silent at rest. (It has relatively hard feet, which seemed to cause more vibration in the bench than other printers.) That left me more inclined to leave it on, which opened the door for me to queue up projects more spontaneously.

One issue worth noting: When the Centauri Carbon debuted, Elegoo announced that it would have a multi-color option sometime in 2025. Now, finally, a multifilament printing option is slated for Fall 2026 availability with the $55 Canvas upgrade.

Out now is the full-blown second iteration of the Centauri, the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo (which comes with the Canvas upgrade) and will run you $450, while the original Carbon costs about $415—$360 for the printer, plus $55 for the Canvas upgrade.

Read the Full Review of the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 3D Printer Here

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The QIDI Q2 can print with more durable materials that can withstand abuse from high heat and prolonged sun exposure. It lacks some of the added conveniences found on Bambu’s P2S or Snapmaker’s U1, but it’s priced accordingly. That makes it a standout if you’re looking for a fully enclosed, single-color printer that can print more robust materials.

There are two specific areas where the Q2 excels: First, it’s a great choice if you want to print materials that require a higher nozzle temperature and/or could produce a higher volume of fumes. Second, it keeps most of the customization options readily apparent, making it a good printer if you know you like to tinker with settings and dial-in custom quality and performance.

The Q2 was easy to unpack and to set up, with a box to Benchy time of 1 hour and 20 minutes. (The unit I tested did not include the QIDI Box multi-color kit, which meant I only had to set up a single filament feed.) That said, setup may pose a couple challenges for first-timers: The quick-start guide was light on details, and occasionally skipped steps. For example, there’s no mention of the cover in the setup instructions. It’s not a dealbreaker—chances are that you’ll realize you can put the cover on top—but I found myself wondering more than once if I’d accidentally missed something. Once the Q2 takes over the process and begins to calibrate, though, setup is a breeze.

I found almost everything about the Q2 worked right out of the gate. If you find that you need to make tweaks, though, there is a library of helpful tuning tutorials with photos. (I wish someone handed me these back when I started 3D printing).

It has single-band, 2.4 Ghz WiFi, which allows you to send files directly to the printer, and an interior camera so you can monitor prints remotely. The Q2 is relatively smooth and quiet while printing, though it keeps a fan running even when idle, ironically making it both among the quietest and loudest printers I tested.

It has an AI error detection that can potentially spot the “spaghetti” strands of filament caused by a failed print. Mine went off twice, alerting me in time so I could make adjustments before the print went off the rails.

I did run into an issue with a clogged nozzle after about 60 hours of printing. When I took off the cover, I pressed on the nozzle fan and found it had snapped its support struts. I’m not sure if the fan went bad and caused the clog, or if I damaged the fan when I pressed on it. Regardless, QIDI sent a replacement fan and hot end, and I was up and running with relative ease.

While my tests focused on basic filaments such as PLA, PETG, and TPU, the QIDI Q2 has a higher-temperature nozzle (370 degrees Celsius) and an interior box temperature of up to 65 degrees Celsius. This allows it to print with more robust materials, like polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). It also ships with a hardened steel nozzle, allowing it to print materials like carbon fiber (CF) or glow-in-the-dark filaments, which would damage softer brass nozzles. If your long-term printing goals include using your printer to make automotive parts, or other, more durable items that need to withstand high temperatures and forces, I think the Q2 can help you learn the ropes, and get where you want to go once you know what you’re doing.

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I have a lot of affection for the Creality Ender-3 V3 SE. My colleague Sascha Brodsky recommended it as our “easiest to use” pick when it launched in 2023, and for good reason. It was one of the first 3D printers to come mostly assembled, with clear instructions and enough user support to get you up and running, as well as features like automatic bed leveling that made the printer far easier to use than other models available at the time.

Today, the V3 SE is older than most of my recommendations, but it’s still an attractive (and very affordable) option. In its heyday, it was an outstanding selection for those new to 3D printing, and helped bring features like auto-leveling and partial assembly to market at an affordable price. Three years later, it still compares favorably with newer models in terms of setup time, with about an hour and a half from box to Benchy, putting it only a little behind the single-color enclosed printers on our list.

It's worth noting that even a few years in, I use this printer fairly regularly, especially when printing TPU or other flexible filaments. Softer plastics are generally susceptible to print issues, especially in enclosed printers that tend to run hot. If you’re not careful, you can end up with a sticky, stringy mess of a print, or even a clogged nozzle. Luckily, the Ender-3 V3 SE’s open frame and durability manages heat well, and gets the job done with ease. I’ve never had a problem, and that's what keeps me coming back.

That said, the design has started to show its age. It doesn’t have WiFi, so you’ll either have to set up a controller (such as a Raspberry Pi) or shuttle an SD card back and forth. With a max toolhead speed of 250 millimeters per second, it’s far slower than modern printers like the QIDI Q2 which can run at up to 600 mm/s. It also has a smaller print bed, no camera for remote monitoring, and no error detection.

The Ender-3 V3 SE is capable of producing attractive prints, but the quality you’ll get is dependent on your ability to dial in the settings. It doesn’t automate settings or provide a seamless integration with online models. It also doesn’t have advanced calibration features like input shaping, which updates the printer’s settings to account for environmental vibration. Instead, you’ll need to hand-calibrate all those settings. On the plus side, it’s wide open to tweaking and adjustments, making it a great choice if you like to tinker and optimize performance.

The Ender-3 V3 SE is a venerable printer, and still has a lot to offer. Its user-friendly design was ahead of its time and, while it’s no longer our pick for Easiest to Use, the V3 SE remains a great choice for users who want to use flexible filament or are working with a tighter budget. It’s often available on sale, bringing its cost below $200, and if you’re willing to be patient, Creality sells factory-refurbished models for even less.

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The Snapmaker U1 set crowdfunding records when it launched on Kickstarter, thanks to its clever multi-head system that keeps four nozzles preheated and loaded with filament. It can change tool heads on the fly, rather than changing filament fed through a single nozzle. With no need to purge older filament, the U1’s design cuts print time and dramatically reduces waste. Seeing this printer go head-to-head with a filament changer, the choice is clear: I'll take the Snapmaker every time.

The U1’s setup kit is top-notch. It has an extensive, step-by-step assembly document, with full color images of each step, and a QR code that links to a video walkthrough. I loved that it shipped with extra parts, so a broken part doesn’t bring you to a complete standstill until you order a replacement.

Assembly and calibration took longer than other printers, because with four print heads, there’s essentially four times the work. It had a box to Benchy time of 2 hours and 49 minutes, more than double single-color printers like the QIDI 2 or Elegoo Centauri Carbon. (For an apples-to-apples comparison, I printed an actual Benchy model; the full-color test model that comes with the U1 adds a few hours of time, though the result is an adorable baby dragon, which immediately scored me points when I gifted it to my wife.) Even with the longer setup time, it never felt onerous.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the U1 comes with a generous amount of starter filament. It ships with four colors, each with 500 grams of filament, compared to most printers which ship with only a few grams, just enough to print a test Benchy. Snapmaker filament rolls also have RFID, so that you don’t need to manually enter the filament details.

Unfortunately, it does not ship with a lid for the enclosure, or any kind of filter in the case. This can become a problem when you print with materials that require higher nozzle temperatures. Snapmaker doessell a lid, along with a HEPA/activated carbon air filter, for $150. With the lid attached, the internal chamber can reach up to 50 °C, allowing the U1 to print higher-temperature materials like ABS and PC. Obviously, though, it’s annoying to pay extra for a feature that you might see as a core component of the printer. (If you’re open to a DIY solution, though, the U1 forums have a discussion thread where users are sharing their own custom tops. This is why I love the 3D printing community!)

Overall, printing was a breeze, whether using Snapmaker or third-party filament. The U1’s AI error detection worked well, pausing prints if any debris was detected, and allowing me to fix it or cancel the job without wasting more filament. In fact, I had no problems with the U1's hardware at any point during testing. Where I did run into headaches was with the software. As it stands, Snapmaker's version of Orca is sluggish to load, and I had to reconnect the slicer to the printer every time I opened the software. The software is still in beta, and I expect this will be improved before release. Hardware this polished deserves a quality app to go with it.

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Testing the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra was an exercise in both delight and frustration. There’s no disputing its print quality, especially when I produced beautifully detailed game miniatures. But I ran into regular obstacles on the path to those beautiful prints, in the form of poor or even confusing documentation. In a review focusing on ease of use, those pain points really stood out.

Resin printers like the Mars 5 Ultra are especially popular with gamers, who print miniatures for tabletop games. These small figures tend to be packed with details, and printers like the Mars 5 Ultra can generate layers as thin as 0.01 mm, 10 to 20 times thinner than a typical FDM printer. If you want sharp visual details, resin printing is the way to go. The Mars 5 Ultra is an especially good way to learn about printing with resin, thanks to a pair of features that make it more user-friendly than its peers.

First and foremost, it has a tilt-release resin vat that reduces the suction forces between the build plate and the vat. When the build plate bed lifts up after each layer is complete, the vat tilts, creating an angle that makes it easier to separate. (Think of it like pulling off a sticker or a bandage -- it takes far less force if you start on one corner.) Since the tilt-release makes separation easier, your settings don't have to be dialed in quite so precisely in order to get a clean separation from the vat, and support points can be slightly smaller. As a result, you spend less time adjusting settings or removing support marks, and more time enjoying your finished prints.

It also has a very helpful error detection feature, which is great for new printers. If the Mars 5 Ultra detects foreign objects in the vat—usually chunks of supports or models that have fallen off the print plate—it will pause operation and send a notification. That can minimize damage to the model you’re printing, and prevents debris from getting trapped, which could also crack the vat itself. (In general, I think any feature that keeps toxic resin where it belongs is a big value-add.) Both the vat and error detection save time and reduce the frustration of a failed print. They’re also more commonly found on printers that cost twice as much as the Mars 5 Ultra.

Unfortunately, the standout design is somewhat undercut by Elegoo’s confusing and contradictory support documentation. The instructions told me to install Chitubox (an industry-standard slicer) from the included USB stick. But the only slicer on the USB was Elegoo’s SatelLite slicer. Now, I actually like SatelLite, but it’s not what they told me to expect. What’s especially frustrating is that Elegoo actually has a fantastic unboxing video with a clear, easy to follow walkthrough. But there’s no mention of it in the manual and no QR code linking to it on the packaging. So I only saw it when I stumbled across it online.

Setup aside, this is an excellent printer. It’s well designed and easy to use, and produces quality prints with minimal fuss. (Or at least minimal fuss for resin.) The touchscreen is easy to read and well laid out, with an easy to understand user interface. It is a little small, but it’s sensitive enough that I didn’t need to tap twice, even while wearing gloves.

I also love Elegoo’s optional in-box heater. I picked one up when the temperatures plummeted. Since I’d set up the printer in my garage, I thought I’d fall behind on testing. But the heater installed easily and worked spectacularly well. Before I knew it, I was churning out prints even though the weather was well below freezing. But that heater was the reason I was able to get a full test run on the printer, even during a polar vortex.

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