PLA creep is real—what every 3D printer owner needs to know

Published Sep 6, 2026, 12:30 PM EDT Tim has been covering technology for almost 20 years, in that time spanning a broad range of topics from security to product reviews. He is especially focused on the Apple ecosystem, productivity, and consumer advice. Over the years Tim has written thousands of articles, reviews, and round-ups in addition to producing video content and original photography. A graduate of journalism, he found his footing as a freelancer with a laptop and loves how he is able to work from practically anywhere. Now a Senior Editor for iPhone, Mac, and Smart Home at How-To Geek, Tim still loves to write. He can also be found crafting round-ups and productivity posts for the Zapier blog. Earlier in his career Tim spent nearly a decade as a writer and eventually Apple section editor for MakeUseOf. Tim currently lives in Brisbane, Australia. Outside of work he loves to hike and work out, play video games, and spend quality time with his wonderful partner and two cats Inka and Roger. PLA is the cheapest, safest, and arguably most versatile 3D printing filament, but it’s not without its drawbacks. In addition to being a poor choice for prints that live outside or need to withstand heat and direct sunlight, PLA can deform over time. This phenomenon is known as PLA creep, and it’s something every printer owner should be aware of to avoid dangerous or expensive mistakes. What is PLA creep? Here’s what's going on PLA creep is a term used to describe the warping or stretching of items printed with polylactic acid (PLA) filament over time. This happens when the material is placed under load, like when a heavy weight or constant force is pushing against it. Over time, the PLA structure will bow to the pressure to the point where it will deform and eventually break. This change is permanent, which means that if you remove whatever is pushing against the PLA, the material will not magically spring back to its previous shape. Damage caused by creep will eventually weaken the part to the point where layers will break and strength will be severely compromised, something that happens even if the part survives the initial pressure. This means that parts installed a long time ago that have since started to creep could, at any time, snap and take whatever they’re holding with them. There are different factors that can contribute to creep and speed it up, with the main one being heat. PLA has a relatively low glass transition temperature of around 60ºC. This is the temperature at which the material starts to soften and become pliable (not to be confused with the much higher melting temperature, where the filament becomes liquid). Warm environments and exposure to direct sunlight (which can rapidly heat up the object) can greatly accelerate the rate of creep. Another consideration is for items that are screwed into PLA parts, since the pressure exerted on the PLA will cause the object to warp and screws to loosen over time. Avoiding creep means avoiding PLA for some tasks Especially hanging heavy objects Credit: Tim Brookes / How-To Geek The good news is that PLA is surprisingly resistant when it comes to compression. If your PLA part is placed between an item and the ground, it’s unlikely to bend too much provided the weight of the item is reasonable. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to design items to bear the force in this manner. Creep has the potential to cause serious damage to you and your possessions if things go wrong. Think about items like shelf brackets, bike hooks, or monitor arms that are required to constantly withstand a bending force. If a bike were to fall on you, you could be seriously injured. If a shelf laden with breakable objects were to fall, those items could be damaged beyond repair. If your monitor arm gives out midway through a round of Rocket League, you’re going to let the team down. The smart thing to do is recognize these limitations and choose not to use PLA for forces that put layer lines under a lot of stress. Sure, you can orient your prints cleverly to maximize strength and even throw them in an oven to toughen them up, but the very nature of PLA means that there are better choices for parts that need to stand up over time. Of course, for many of the fun and functional prints you make, this won’t be an issue. The best alternatives to PLA for load-bearing tasks PETG, ASA, ABS, and more You can get around this problem by using another filament (and combining some of those techniques for making stronger prints). PETG is the obvious choice, since it’s a more durable filament that’s relatively easy to print with a comparable cost to PLA. While PETG can also exhibit creep, its higher glass transition temperature of around 80ºC, improved durability, and better resistance to direct sunlight make it the superior choice for load-bearing parts. That said, there are times when engineering-grade filaments like ASA and ABS might be the better choice. ASA is more resistant to sunlight, so it’s best for prints that are going to be outdoors or exposed to UV rays. ABS holds up poorly when exposed to UV, but is cheaper and slightly tougher, which makes it a solid choice for indoor prints that need to be strong. Both can release harmful styrene gas when printed, so caution must be taken to protect your health. Whether you call it creep, sag, or warping, PLA is a poor choice for load-bearing prints. There are plenty of other times you might want to resort to PETG over PLA, too.