Why I stopped buying name-brand 3D printer filament

Published Aug 9, 2026, 8:07 AM EDT Patrick Campanale has been in the tech space for well over a decade, specializing in PC/gaming news and reviews, as well as maker-focused products to build small businesses. With a start in technology back in 2010 surrounding the Palm/webOS ecosystem, Patrick spent his formative years developing mobile applications as well as blogging for various publications, eventually leading to starting his own website in 2014. After running a technology blog for a few years, he stepped out of that role and into the world of high-end custom PC manufacturing and building, with a focus on YouTube video production and overclocking. Then, six years ago, Patrick joined the 9to5Toys team as an editor/writer/reviewer with over 14,000 articles being published there there, ranging from deals and roundups to in-depth reviews on the latest technology, video games, 3D printers, and more. In his free time, Patrick loves to create projects from wood using various robots and methods, including leveraging the technologies of CNCs and lasers. If Patrick isn't working on a computer or playing video games, he's likely in his 2-car garage workshop creating something unique. In addition to all this, Patrick is also a youth pastor at his local church where he feels God has called him to serve, and he loves every minute of it. I used to think that buying cheaper filament was a compromise to print quality. After testing both first- and third-party filaments, my stance has changed. Here’s why I stopped buying name-brand filament and what I do instead. Everyone raves about name-brand filament—for good reason Premium filament prints well and has well-documented starter profiles Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek One of the main reasons to go with name-brand filaments like Bambu Lab is for the extra benefits they come with. For instance, Bambu Lab has filament profiles built for all of the filament they sell first-party because they make printers and filament. For those who use Bambu Lab’s AMS system, the in-house filaments are detected by RFID chips so the printer and slicer know what settings to use without you even having to touch anything. These features make for a compelling reason to buy first-party filaments, even though they’re more expensive. There are also a lot of people using those filaments, so there’s a lot of support in the community for it. Really, if you have the cash, there’s no reason not to buy first-party name-brand filament. However, even if you have all the money in the world, I’d still say to consider buying non-first-party filament, because the differences might not be as big as you think. Bambu Lab PLA Basic Filament Bambu Lab's PLA Basic filament comes in a wide range of colors and ships on a reusable plastic spool. With embedded RFID chips in each spool, you simply place the filament in the AMS and your 3D printer knows exactly what it's working with—down to the color. Do the research—Bambu doesn't even make its own filament SUNLU, Polymaker, and ELEGOO are among the manufacturers that Bambu Lab sources from I have been buying ELEGOO PLA for nearly two years now, and have zero complaints about it. The filament prints well, is consistent batch to batch, and is wildly affordable. I normally buy a 4-pack of black PLA for around $12.50 per roll, which is over 50% less than what Bambu Lab charges for their filament unless you buy in bulk. I recently switched to SUNLU, which offers their PLA+ 2.0 at just under $11 per roll when you order a 4-pack. I was actually shocked to realize that Bambu doesn’t make most of its own filament. Some filaments are made in-house, but a majority of them are white labels from SUNLU, ELEGOO, and Polymaker (among other brands). I had been buying what I thought was “cheap” filament for years, but it was actually almost the exact same stuff as Bambu’s filament. Now, I do need to point out that even though SUNLU makes Bambu filament and SUNLU filament, there’s no guarantee they’re identical. Bambu does have some unique formulations they have their third-party manufacturers use for their in-house filament—but the base is still the same. SUNLU PLA+ 2.0 3D Printer Filament SUNLU's PLA+ 2.0 filament is designed for faster printing than traditional PLA, and it comes in a wide range of colors. Plus, it ships on a reusable plastic spool. Going with cheaper filament options saves money without sacrificing quality Though Bambu Lab has some proprietary formulas, buying the right cheap filament is still a great idea Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek I have Bambu Lab, ELEGOO, and SUNLU filament in my P2S’ AMS right now, and I can’t tell a difference in print quality. One is PLA Basic (Bambu), one is PLA+ 2.0 (SUNLU), and one is basic PLA (ELEGOO). They all print almost (if not exactly) the same. I’m not even using custom print profiles for the filaments, either. I’m just using Bambu’s PLA Basic profile for all three filaments and the results are the same. They print at the same speed with the same quality, except that two of the filament brands are affordable while the other is twice the cost. If you’re on the fence with trying non-Bambu filament, give it a shot. Sure, SUNLU and ELEGOO don’t have the same RFID tech that Bambu has in their rolls, but all it takes is a quick click in the slicer and you’ve selected a filament profile. SUNLU’s latest filament rolls are also plastic and refillable, just like Bambu. Stick with the third-party filament Unless there’s a very specific filament that you need, or you’re buying in bulk, there’s no need to buy name-brand 3D printer filament anymore. Third-party filament works just the same at a fraction of the price.