Beginners
What filament should a beginner use?
First in this ranking: Polymaker Polylite PLA.
- Nozzle190–230 °C
- Bed25–60 °C
- Speed40–60 mm/s
- Dry55 °C for 6 h
- Density1.17 g/cm³
Ranked filaments
| Rank | Filament | Material | Nozzle | Bed | Price / kg | Datasheet | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polymaker Polylite PLAPlain PLA with a listed nozzle and bed range. A useful first spool because the record is complete enough to cite. | PLA | 190–230 | 25–60 | — | Datasheet | |
| 2 | Prusament PLAThe PLA Prusa’s own guide is written around. Listed nozzle 205–225 °C in this catalog. | PLA | 205–225 | 40–60 | — | — | |
| 3 | ELEGOO PLA BasicAnother plain PLA with a listed nozzle range, for people who already bought an Elegoo spool. | PLA | 190–230 | 35–65 | — | — | |
| 4 | eSUN 3D PLA+PLA+ is still an easy material, but it is a modified PLA. Use it after a plain PLA spool has printed, not instead of learning the baseline. | PLA+ | 190–230 | 50–70 | — | — |
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How the ranking was chosen
Start with a plain PLA that has a listed nozzle and bed range. Change one thing at a time after that. PLA+ is a reasonable second spool, not a different hobby.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Low warp. Prusa says PLA can print small detailed models and large objects without the warping of ABS and ASA.
- The ranked PLA records include a nozzle temperature, so the first slicer profile has a number to start from.
Cons
- Prusa says PLA softens above about 60 °C, degrades in UV, and breaks more readily than technical materials.
- A successful PLA benchy does not mean the same printer profile will run PETG, ASA, or TPU.
Printer considerations
- PLA is the material Prusa says does not need the enclosure it requires for ASA and ABS.
- Glow, wood, silk, and carbon-filled PLA are worse first spools. Filled grades in this catalog are the ones that record a hardened nozzle.
- If the printer page leaves the maximum nozzle temperature blank, do not assume it can print the hotter materials later.
What the community says
Asked what a first filament should be, r/3Dprinting answers PLA, then names ordinary brands and tells people to skip silk, wood, and glow for the first spool. PETG shows up as the second material, after PLA is already working. eSUN PLA+ is a frequent ‘stronger but still easy’ suggestion, which is why it is ranked last here rather than first.
- A good filament type for a beginner, r/3Dprinting
- Best filament for beginner, r/3Dprinting
- Filament recommendations for the new guy, r/3Dprinting
Sources & notes
Accessed 14 October 2026.
Related questions
- How do I get good PLA prints?PLA
- What is PLA+ and is it better than PLA?PLA
- What filament should I use for a strong part?Strength
- What filament should I use for miniatures?Miniatures
- What filament should I use on a printer with no enclosure?Open printers
Questions
Should a beginner buy PETG first?
No. Prusa calls PETG printable, and some people do start there, but the beginner threads treat PETG as the step after PLA. Stringing and bed temperature are easier to debug once a PLA print has already succeeded.
Is PLA+ the same as PLA?
No. In this catalog PLA+ is a name-based grade, not a shared formula. eSUN PLA+ is listed separately from plain PLA and can use a different temperature.