Best 3D printers 2026: tried and tested for beginners

3D printing sits somewhere between sci-fi magic and a practical hobby, offering the thrill of watching a machine turn a digital idea into a physical object right before your eyes. 

But if you’re looking for the best 3D printer for beginners, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by a market flooded with unfamiliar names like Bambu, Creality, Elegoo and Toybox.

That’s where we come in. We haven't just printed a few pre-loaded models and called it a day. We’ve unpicked their assembly processes and pushed them to fail so you don't have to. 

The results were surprising: our top scorer was one of the cheapest on test.

The 3D printers we tested

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A selection of the 3D printers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

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Anycubic Kobra 3 V2

Print volume 255 x 255 x 260mm (HxWxD)

Need to know Includes fully automatic print bed levelling, filament runout sensor, power loss recovery; wi-fi and USB connectivity; multi-colour print compatible with ACE Pro add on

Bambu Lab A1 Mini

Available from Bambu Lab (£139)

Print volume 180 x 180 x 180mm (HxWxD)

Need to know Includes fully automatic print bed levelling, filament runout sensor, power loss recovery; wi-fi and Micro SD connectivity; multi-colour printing compatible with AMS lite add on

Creality Ender 3 V3 KE

Print volume 220 x 220 x 240mm (HxWxD)

Need to know Includes fully automatic print bed levelling, filament runout sensor, power loss recovery; wi-fi and USB connectivity; multi-colour print compatible with third-party add on

Creality Hi

Print volume 260 x 260 x 300mm (HxWxD)

Need to know Includes fully automatic print bed levelling, filament runout sensor, power loss recovery; wi-fi and USB connectivity; multi-colour print compatible with CFS add on

The best all-in-one printers can make 2D copies in a flash – see the top results from our lab tests

Elegoo Neptune 4

Available from Elegoo (£214.99)

Print volume 225 x 225 x 265mm (HxWxD)

Need to know Includes fully automatic print bed levelling, filament runout sensor, power loss recovery; USB and LAN connectivity; multi-colour print compatible with third-party add on

Flashforge Adventurer 5M

Print volume 220 x 220 x 220mm (HxWxD)

Need to know Includes fully automatic print bed levelling, filament runout sensor, power loss recovery; wi-fi, USB and LAN connectivity; not multi-colour print compatible

Sovol SV06 ACE

Print volume 180 x 180 x 180mm (HxWxD)

Need to know Includes fully automatic print bed levelling, filament runout sensor, no power loss recovery; wi-fi, USB and LAN connectivity; not multi-colour print compatible

Toybox Alpha Two

Discontinued, but the latest model, Alpha Three, is available from Toybox (£294)

Print volume 75 x 80 x 90mm (HxWxD)

Need to know No automatic print bed levelling, no filament runout sensor, no power loss recovery; wi-fi only connectivity; not multi-colour print compatible 

How we test 3D printers

We buy all the products we test, so you know our reviews can be trusted. We regularly revisit the 3D printers on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing. When we find them, we do.

Ease of setup 

Most of the 3D printers we tested were surprisingly simple to build, but there were differences. We analyse that 'first day' experience to rate models on their ease of setup. We do this by following the included manual to the letter, checking if the diagrams make sense, assessing any awkward steps, and noting if it guides you through your very first print.

Print quality 

We test if each 3D printer can create good models by using the 3DBenchy and an all-in-one technical test block. The 3DBenchy is a tiny tugboat toy that's actually a mathematical 'torture test' designed to push printers to their limits. It has complex curves, a smooth finish, and tiny text that reveal a printer's true capabilities. The all-in-one block tests if the printer can print plastic across a gap (bridging), or at a steep overhanging angle without the plastic drooping. 

After using the same generic PLA filament (except for the Toybox Alpha Two), we inspect the printed models to check: 

• How smooth or rough the surfaces are
• How crisp the details are
• For 'stringing' – when wispy, cobweb-like strands of plastic are left between parts of the model
• The sturdiness and accuracy of overhangs and bridges.

Print reliability 

It's enormously frustrating to find that your model has failed and turned into a bird's nest of plastic spaghetti. Reliability is more important than speed, because you'll end up with finished models faster if you don't need to keep retrying a print. 

We make note of each attempted print and each point of failure across the testing period. Although most 3D printers are likely to run into some minor issues at one point or another, we knock off more points where issues are frequent, catastrophic, or both. 

Ease of use 

We look at the daily reality of owning each printer, from swapping filaments to how fast it works. We do this by:

• Measuring print speeds: we time exactly how long it takes to print our standard test models, from the initial calibration to the actual printing process. The speediest printers produced the 3DBenchy in half the time of the slowest. 
• Testing filament changes: you will eventually run out of plastic or want to change colours. We test how easy it is to unload the old filament and load the new stuff – is it a simple button press, or a fiddly battle with gears and levers?
• Checking the controls: we evaluate the on-screen menus to see if changing settings (like nozzle temperature) is intuitive for a beginner or requires digging through confusing sub-menus.
• We also measured their energy usage, but didn't find enough of a difference to include this in our score weightings. 

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent

What is a 3D printer and how do they work?

The mechanics of the 3D printers we've tested here are more simple than you might think. Imagine a hot glue gun controlled by a remarkably precise robot, and you're halfway there.

Most home printers work by feeding a spool of plastic string, called filament, into the printer's printhead. The machine melts the filament, then squeezes it out through a fine nozzle onto a build plate. By moving back and forth, it draws a 2D shape, then moves up a fraction of a millimetre to draw another layer on top. Layer by layer, thousands of times over, a three-dimensional object rises from the plate.

You can see a timelapse of a 3D printer in action below:

How do you use a 3D printer?

Before you hit 'print',  you'll need a digital 3D model. This typically comes in the form of a stereolithography file (an STL file), which stores the data of a 3D model as a collection of triangles. You can create your own on a computer using CAD software, or download pre-modelled STL files online to print yourself.

Next, you'll need to use 'slicing' software to translate your STL files into instructions a 3D printer can understand. This is where you tell your printer what settings to use. You can adjust how thick each layer of the print is, how hot to run, how smooth, and more. Slicing software usually comes with the 3D printer.

Once the settings are set, these will be translated into a '.gcode' file. This file will tell the printer how to turn code into a physical object, including where the hotend, extruder and build beds need to be.

From there, boot up the 3D printer, load up the filament, enter the .gcode file, and watch it go.

What can you make with a 3D printer?

You can print seemingly anything – parts, models, trinkets, small tools – if you have a big enough print space and if your nozzle can print fine details.

Steph Kipling, Which? science team manager and 3D printer enthusiast, has found plenty of use for her printer:

Some of the most useful things we’ve printed include a part to fix our broken wheelie bin lid, a smartwatch charging stand, and a cover for our cat flap that keeps the cat in and draughts out. My son’s mid-sleeper bed means a bedside table is of no use – we printed some helpful shelves that hook over the bedframe and now his clock and drink are nearby. Our 3D printer has also proven handy for last-minute end-of-term teacher gifts, Halloween costume accessories and birthday party bag fillers. A 1 metre-tall Ares 1-X rocket, printed as several detachable parts, is our most ambitious print so far.

For inspiration, take a look at examples and pick up pre-modelled STL files from sites like MyMiniFactory, Printables, Thangs.com or Thingiverse.

How much should I spend on a 3D printer?

As with most tech, the frustrating answer is: how long is a piece of string? Or perhaps in this case: how long is a spool of filament?

However, if you're new to 3D printing, you're in the right place: we've tested entry-level models that ranged between £170 and £300 at the time of purchase. It's worth doing a bit of scouting before you buy, as most are periodically on sale. 

The good news is you no longer need an engineering degree to get started; most entry-level machines now arrive partially pre-assembled and can be built in about 20 minutes.

Features that used to be premium luxuries – such as automatic bed levelling – are now standard. Instead of spending hours twisting knobs and squinting at a piece of paper to calibrate the machine, sensors now map the bed and adjust everything for you.

So, what does spending more (typically £600-plus) actually get you? Mostly speed, size, and convenience. Premium models often come with fully enclosed chambers (essential for printing fume-generating materials such as ABS) and clever AI cameras that watch for failures. But the budget workhorses we tested are more than capable of printing standard PLA plastic at home.

Don't forget to factor in running costs. A 1kg spool of PLA filament – the standard 'ink' for 3d printers – costs around £15 to £20. Compared to the liquid gold that is inkjet ink, it’s a bargain.

Sticking with a 2D printer? Our lab tests reveal the best printers

Is the Toybox 3D printer worth buying? 

On paper, the Toybox is a compelling pitch: a literal toy factory for your kids. However, children need adult supervision while using it.

We put the Toybox Alpha Two through its paces with other entry-level printers - some of which are almost half the price - to see how it measured up. 

Log-in or join Which? to get instant access to our full Toybox review.