Awesome click-to-print solution for most filament types, assuming you can work in a 220 × 220 × 250mm build area

Good filament dryer, as well as a great alternative to the normal filament spool holder on the K1 series of printers

If you aren’t familiar with it already, this is cleaning filament. If you run filament with any particulates (glitter, carbon fiber, wood fiber, metal particles, glass fiber, etc.), you should clean it out when you switch between filaments. Purging isn’t enough, and cold pulls aren’t the answer. It’s expensive, by weight, but you don’t use much per cleaning.

eSUN 3D Printer CLEANING Filament 1.75mm Natural 0.1kg for all 1.75mm FDM 3D Printers, 1.75mm Cleaning

This filament is great for strong and durable prop parts.

1kg (2.2lbs) 1 Spool, Silk Metallic Finish PETG 3D Printer Filament, Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.03 mm,Metallic Silver

GREAT FOR PRINTING TEXTURED BONES

PLA, 1.75mm, Paper Reel, Light Khaki

This is my go-to filament for printing draft parts for test fitting. It’s strong, never misfeeds/tangles, and looks good.

ANYCUBIC 3D Printer Filament PLA 1.75mm Bundle, FDM Printer Filament 1kg Spool (2.2 lbs), Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.02 mm (2kg, Black)

This is my other go-to black PLA filament. Why two, you ask? Well, this filament has a carboard spool, and I try not to use those in enclosed holders/dryers, as I don’t want fiber contamination on my filament. When I’m using an open filament setup, I like the cheaper price of the SUNLU. It’s also strong, looks good, and is completely reliable.

SUNLU PLA Filament 1.75mm Dimensional Accuracy ± 0.02 mm 1 kg Spool for 3D Printer Printing- Black

The link is for pink Polymaker, which I’ve purchased, but the recommendation is for any of the colors that they carry in this series. It’s a little more expensive than alternatives, but it’s usually on sale. Assuming you need a specialty color, Polymaker is a great choice.

Polymaker Matte PLA Filament Sakura Pink 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printing Filament, PolyTerra 3D Printer PLA Filament

Want cheap ABS in basic black? This is the filament for you. I mostly print in PLA and PETG, but I still carry ABS for when I need it. I’ve had great luck with this filament.

Want a BEAUTIFUL gold silk PLA? After much searching, THIS is the perfect PLA for the task. It’s silk, so don’t expect much strength, but you’ll get gorgeous results if you thin out the layer height, or use some post processing. Still nice at .2, though - and it’s pretty inexpensive for a nice silk.

JAYO 1.1KG Silk PLA Filament 1.75mm, Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.02mm, Smooth Silky Shiny Surface, Cardboard 3D Printing Spool, Silk Light Gold 1.1KG

If JAYO Gold Silk PLA is the erm… gold standard of aesthetic gold filament, OVERTURE Gold PETG is a couple notches down, visually. It’s still pretty, though, and it’s MUCH stronger. It’s also less subject to degradation through exposure to the elements. As a specialty PETG color, it does cost a bit more.

OVERTURE PETG Filament 1.75mm, 3D Printer Filament, 1kg Filament (2.2lbs), Dimensional Accuracy Probability +/- 0.02 mm, Gold

I’m not a fan of silks, in general, but sometimes you have to print a bunch of dragon eggs and articulated baby dragons for kids in time for Easter. That scenario may be too specific to me, though. Regardless, if you need this kind of specialty filament, 3Dgenius is a good choice. Plus, they sell in 250g spools, if you don’t want a 1kg commitment.

1KG Spool(2.2lbs), 2-in-1 Color Dark Blue Green

NAGA clear PETG is a good choice for functional parts. The lack of pigment seems to help with strength and layer adhesion, and I find it to be a good alternative to ABS (most of the time).

1.75mm,Light Transmittance Up to 90%

SainSmart’s ePA12-CF prints about as easy as ABS, but with better rigidity and strike tolerance. Strength is similar to ABS. The surface finish is great, and this is my final draft filament for most of my engineering parts.

It’s relatively expensive, but it’s a study in getting what you pay for.

Considering AMS-equipped printers and breakaway filament are all the rage, why do I have a PVA filament here… in 2024?

Interior support.

In general, PVA is a pain. That said, there are intricate parts where you can’t have supports - even if they’re pretty clean. That’s what the SainSmart PVA is for. Assuming you have a dual extruder or AMS, this is worth looking at in specific use cases.

There are lots of glow in the dark filaments, but this is the best I’ve used. It’s expensive, but it’s a specialty filament. Go dense with your infill for best results!

My go-to for easy-to-print ASA. As cheap as PLA or ABS, but more versatile. I’ve not had any filament quality or QA issues so far, and the only thing I do is put it in the Space Pi dryer if my basement is over 25% RH.