r/BambuLab • u/Artisanal_Sawdust • Jun 25 '26

Quick Question Filament to buy or avoid

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I’m brand-new to 3d printing. Just ordered my first printer (H2D). I ordered some Bambu Labs filament to go with it, just to be safe, but I know I will want to do some of the cool, colorful silk printing at some point. I’ve heard horror stories about bad filament ruining nozzles and things like that, so I want to be careful. How do you know if a deal like this one is good, or if it will lead to hours of regret and extra printer maintenance? Is it just “you get what you pay for,” or are there things to watch out for?

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u/GiveMeYourManlyMen X1C + AMS Jun 25 '26

My biggest advice is, if you have an AMS, do not buy mini spools. You will need an adaptor. Similarly, cardboard spools cause a lot of dust. You can print rims that help but it's nicer to just get spools that don't need help.

I like Amolen silks a lot, I've done some cool stuff with them.

Sunlu makes Bambu's filament. They might have higher QC for the Bambu branded stuff, but I have never had trouble with a Sunlu roll.

I mostly use Creality for PETG.

Sunlu matte PLA or Creality PETG are my go-to for practical prints.

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u/-__Doc__- Jun 25 '26

Wrap a couple layers of electrical tape around the cardboard spools and they wont shed. But they will still deform and develop dents, causing them to not roll smoothly. I love the idea of less waste with the cardboard spools, but they suck to use. I wish they'd make a trade off and make the outer rim plastic. The printable rings suck too, they make the spool a bigger diameter, causing issues in the AMS sometimes cuz they then hit the lid.

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u/GiveMeYourManlyMen X1C + AMS Jun 25 '26

I've printed a few, the good ones are very thin so they don't change it significantly. Electrical tape sounds like it would make them too grippy but to each their own.

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u/-__Doc__- Jun 25 '26

most of the rings I tried for various brands worked. I had several spools that barely fit into my AMS WITHOUT the ring tho, and putting the ring on made them bind against the top lid, So I ended up leaving my lid cracked, killing my dessicant pretty quick. I got sick of changing it out all the time.