Bambu Lab A1 Combo (w/ AMS Lite)

Should you buy the Bambu Lab A1 Combo?

The Bambu Lab A1 Combo (w/ AMS Lite) is the printer to buy if you want multicolor prints without turning 3D printing into a hobby of its own. It is an open-frame bed-slinger with full auto calibration, a 256 mm cube build volume and the four-spool AMS Lite in the box for $419.00. It ranks first of our ten 3D printers and is the strongest all-around pick for a first printer or a second one that just needs to work. If you print ABS or nylon, look at the enclosed Bambu Lab X2D instead.

Where it earns its score

• Four colors out of the box. The AMS Lite feeds four spools and handles color changes automatically, which most rivals charge extra for.
• Satisfaction of 92 and Quality of 90. The highest Quality score in the category among printers under $400.
• Calibrates itself. Bed leveling, flow-rate compensation and vibration tuning all run without user input.
• Quiet. Rated at 48 dB or lower, which makes it tolerable in a shared room.

What to know first

• No enclosure. It is built for PLA, PETG and TPU; ABS and ASA warp without a heated chamber.
• Multicolor wastes filament. Every color change purges material, so a four-color print uses noticeably more filament than a single-color one.
• Warranty is the weakest factor at 55. Bambu's standard coverage is one year.
• Open-frame footprint. The AMS Lite spools sit beside the printer and the bed slides forward, so it needs more desk space than its frame suggests.

Questions buyers ask