Best Filament Brands Ranked: I Tested 12 Spools

I spent about $280 on filament last month. Not because I needed it — because I was tired of giving vague answers when people asked "what filament should I use?" So I bought 12 different 1kg PLA spools, printed the same geometric vase on each, and compared the results side by side.

Here's what I found, ranked from best to worst.

How I Tested

Every spool was printed on the same Bambu Lab P1S at 215°C, 60°C bed, 0.2mm layer height, same speed profile. I evaluated each on:

• Surface quality — How smooth and consistent are the layers?
• Color accuracy — Does the printed color match the spool label?
• Dimensional accuracy — Are walls the correct thickness?
• Stringing — How much cleanup is needed?
• Spool quality — Any tangling, moisture, or diameter inconsistencies?

The Rankings

🥇 Tier 1: Premium Quality

1. Bambu Lab PLA Basic — $19.99/kg

Unsurprising first place. Bambu's own filament is dialed in perfectly for their printers. Surface quality was flawless, zero stringing, and the matte finish photographs beautifully. The only downside: limited color range compared to other brands.

2. Polymaker PolyLite PLA — $25.99/kg

Consistently excellent across multiple colors. Slightly glossier finish than Bambu, which some people prefer. Excellent spool quality — no tangles in 6 months of use. Worth the premium if surface quality matters to your products.

3. Proto-pasta HTPLA — $29.99/500g

Specialty filament that's double the price of standard PLA. But the metallic and matte finishes are genuinely unique — they make prints look like cast metal or ceramics. Use this for premium products where you're charging $30+ and need that "wow" factor.

🥈 Tier 2: Excellent Value

4. HATCHBOX PLA — $27.99/kg

The OG. HATCHBOX has been the default recommendation for years, and for good reason. Reliable, consistent, good color range. Very slightly rougher surface than Tier 1 filaments — you'd need a magnifying glass to see the difference. Best overall value.

5. eSUN PLA+ — $21.99/kg

Technically PLA+, which means it's slightly tougher and more temperature resistant than standard PLA. Print quality is solid — not quite HATCHBOX level surface smoothness, but the added durability is nice for functional items. Great price point.

6. Inland PLA — $16.99/kg

Micro Center's house brand. If you live near a Micro Center, this is the best deal in filament. Quality is comparable to HATCHBOX at $11 less per spool. Online availability is limited though.

🥉 Tier 3: Good Enough

7. Creality Hyper PLA — $16.99/kg

Designed for high-speed printing, and it does handle speed well. But at normal speeds, surface quality is a step below the Tier 2 brands. Occasional stringing issues that required temperature tweaking.

8. Sunlu PLA — $15.99/kg

Budget friendly and perfectly serviceable. I've had occasional moisture issues with Sunlu (filament arrives slightly wet, causing tiny pops during printing). Dry it before use and it's fine. Good for prototyping, acceptable for selling if price is your main concern.

9. Amazon Basics PLA — $16.49/kg

Adequate. Prints are fine but unremarkable. Color accuracy is sometimes off — the "white" I tested leaned slightly yellow. Wouldn't use for customer-facing products where color matters.

⚠️ Tier 4: Proceed with Caution

10. DURAMIC PLA+ — $18.99/kg

Hit-or-miss. Two spools were great, one had significant diameter inconsistencies that caused under-extrusion. Quality control seems uneven. When it works, it's fine. When it doesn't, you waste an entire print.

11. Overture PLA — $19.99/kg

The spool I tested had noticeable tangles underneath the outer layers — an instant fail in my book. Tangled filament can cause mid-print failures that waste hours. The prints that were finished looked decent, but I can't recommend a brand with tangling issues for production use.

12. Generic AliExpress PLA — $12.99/kg

Just don't. Diameter varied by ±0.08mm (should be ±0.03mm max), the spool had no label for temperature range, and the prints looked rough. You save $5-10 per spool but lose it back in failed prints and wasted time.

Bottom Line for Etsy Sellers

If you're selling on Etsy, the filament shows in the final product. Use Tier 1 for premium products ($25+ selling price), Tier 2 for everyday products ($10-25), and avoid Tier 4 entirely. The $3-5 difference between cheap and decent filament is negligible when you're selling $15+ items.