Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer Hands-On: An Update to an Already Excellent Machine
Very much the same 3D printer as the P1P, with all the right updates to make it the best 3D printer around.
Our Experts
- 6 years working professionally in the 3D printing space / 4 years testing consumer electronics for large websites.
When Bambu Lab announced the P1P, everyone was shocked. This brand new company announced a 3D printer that could print ultra-fast, with excellent accuracy for less than most of the best 3D printers on the market at the time. It was, to employ an overused idiom, game-changing.
Bambu Lab recently lowered the price of the P1P to $599 and no one really understood why. The original price of $699 was excellent value, so there seemed no reason to lower it. Now we know it was so the company could release a new printer at the $699 price point, the P1S.
The P1S is not much different from the P1P, and when I say not much I mean no difference in its specifications. All of the parts that make the P1P a great 3D printer are still here, including its speed and accuracy. The main upgrades of the P1S come from the additions that many felt the P1P should have had from the start.
The P1P is a very bare-bones printer in terms of optional extras, and some not-so-optional extras. For example; it didn't come with side panels, a top or a door. The P1P has a rigid chassis, but if you want to add sides or a top you have to pay more or 3D print them yourself. This makes the printer look unfinished when you compare it to the X1 Carbon, Bambu Lab's flagship printer. The P1S is fully enclosed with black plastic sides and smoked glass for the top and door. I have to say, it looks nicer than both the P1P and the X1C.
The other big update is the inclusion of a powerful part fan to help cool the part quickly. This is essential for the best fast 3d printers, as having a lot of hot material moving quickly can cause the model to warp in weird ways. It also includes an LED light strip, and a camera that can be used to record time-lapse videos for you to post to social media like TikTok.
These three additions were available as optional extras on the P1P, and even as a free upgrade for a short time, but that meant you, the customer, had to install them, which meant they may not work exactly right. Having everything installed from the moment you buy it means it will work the way it's supposed to.
The P1P should have had all these upgrades at launch, but it was clear that Bambu Lab was not ready to implement them correctly. The only thing holding it back is the control LED. It's the same one that the P1P has, and for a 3D printer that is so complex and powerful, it isn't up to the task. I would love to see an upgrade available here, perhaps using the same controller as the X1 Carbon.
The P1S is the 3D printer that the P1P should have been, and if it had been released instead of the P1P a full review from me would certainly have scored it 9 out of 10, if not higher. It is as of now, my top pick for the Best 3D Printer for 2023.