Best 3D Printers (2025) – CNET

Testing 3D printers is a complex process. Printers often don’t use the same materials or even the same process to create models. I test SLA, 3D printers that use resin and light to print, and FDM, printers that melt plastic onto a plate. Each has a unique methodology. The core qualifications I look at include:

• Hardware quality
• Easy setup
• Bundled software
• Appearance and accuracy of prints
• Repairability
• Corporate and community support

A key test print depicting the (now old) CNET logo assesses how a printer bridges gaps, produces accurate shapes and handles overhangs. It even has small towers that can be used to measure how well the 3D printer copes with temperature ranges.

When testing the speed, we slice the model using the standard slicer that the device comes with, at the default settings, and then compare the real time of printing with the completion time of the statement on the slicer. 3D printers often use different slicers, and these slicers can vary greatly depending on how long they think they will take to complete.

We then use PrusaSlicer To determine how much material the print should use, divide this number by the real time it took to print to get a more accurate number for the speed in millimeters per second (mm/s) at which the printer can run.

Every building board is supposed to heat up to a certain temperature, so we use that InfiRay thermal imaging camera for Android to check how well they are doing. We set the build plate to 60 degrees Celsius – the most commonly used temperature for build plates – waited five minutes for the temperature to stabilize, and then measured it in six different locations. We then measured the average temperature to see how close the 3D printer came to the specified temperature.

Resin testing requires different criteria, so that’s what I use Ameralab standard test: Print out a small resin model that looks like a small town. This will help determine how accurate the printer is, how it handles small parts, and how well the UV exposure works at different locations in the model.

Many other anecdotal test prints are also run on each printer using different 3D models to test the longevity of the parts and how well the machine handles different shapes.

For the other criteria, I researched how well the company responds to customer support requests and how easy it is to order replacement parts and install them yourself. Kits (printers that come only half-assembled) are judged based on how lengthy and difficult the assembly process is and how clear the instructions are.