{
  "question": "What filament should I use when the part has to bend?",
  "slug": "flexible",
  "useCase": "flexible",
  "useCaseLabel": "Flexible",
  "updated": "2026-10-14",
  "shortAnswer": "Use TPU when the part has to bend. Prusa’s material guide lists Flex as the bendable material, and the spools below are TPU records that include a nozzle temperature.",
  "recommendedMaterials": [
    "tpu"
  ],
  "printerConsiderations": [
    "Flexible filament binds in a long Bowden path. A direct-drive printer page is the one to read; if direct drive is an em dash, this guide does not assume the extruder can push TPU.",
    "Dry the spool. The PLA-PETG-TPU thread treats wet TPU as the reason a print changes behavior halfway through.",
    "Do not run soft TPU through a multi-material feeder that the printer page does not list as compatible. Bambu’s separate ‘TPU for AMS’ product exists because the ordinary grades are not the same setup."
  ],
  "pros": [
    "TPU is the material that is supposed to bend. PLA and PETG will flex a little and then crack.",
    "95A and 90A are named on the product, so the ranking is not an unlabeled ‘flexible’ spool."
  ],
  "cons": [
    "TPU prints slowly, and a wet spool prints worse. It is a poor first material.",
    "Shore hardness is not a strength number. A 95A hinge is still a hinge, not a bracket."
  ],
  "community": "The practical split on r/3Dprinting is PLA for ordinary parts, PETG when it has to be tougher, and TPU when it has to flex. The same thread says TPU is slower, needs to be dry, and often has to skip the automatic feeder. Cosplay replies use TPU for straps and joints and keep the shells in PETG or PLA.",
  "related": [
    "flex",
    "drying",
    "cosplay",
    "beginners"
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Can I print TPU on a Bowden printer?",
      "a": "Sometimes, with a stiffer 95A and a short path. This guide does not promise it. Read the printer’s direct-drive field and treat an em dash as unknown."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is PETG flexible enough for a clip?",
      "a": "PETG is tougher than PLA and still a rigid plastic. A living hinge or a strap is a TPU part."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Prusa filament material guide",
      "url": "https://help.prusa3d.com/filament-material-guide",
      "kind": "manufacturer"
    },
    {
      "title": "Bambu Lab TPU 90A technical data sheet",
      "url": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0645/5876/0155/files/Bambu_TPU_90A_Technical_Data_Sheet_582bf8f6-1f0a-474c-aeda-9e72af3689dc.pdf",
      "kind": "datasheet"
    },
    {
      "title": "How big is the jump between PLA, PETG, and TPU?, r/3Dprinting",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/1vawdav/how_big_of_a_difference_is_the_jump_between_pla/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    },
    {
      "title": "Best filament for cosplay, r/3Dprinting",
      "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/1reri3a/best_filament_for_cosplay/",
      "kind": "reddit"
    }
  ],
  "recommendations": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "note": "A 95A TPU with listed nozzle and bed temperatures. Stiffer than a soft 85A, which is what most hinges and bumpers want.",
      "brand": "Prusament",
      "product": "TPU 95A",
      "material": "TPU",
      "url": "/brand/prusament/tpu-95a",
      "nozzle": "220–240 °C",
      "bed": "55–75 °C",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": null,
      "affiliateUrl": null
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "note": "Polymaker’s flexible TPU, with a listed nozzle range. Same job as the Prusament spool.",
      "brand": "Polymaker",
      "product": "Polyflex TPU",
      "material": "TPU",
      "url": "/brand/polymaker/polyflex-tpu",
      "nozzle": "210–240 °C",
      "bed": "30–60 °C",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": null,
      "affiliateUrl": null
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "note": "Slightly softer listed grade, and the record includes a datasheet. Expect a slower print than PLA.",
      "brand": "Bambu Lab",
      "product": "TPU 90A",
      "material": "TPU",
      "url": "/brand/bambu-lab/tpu-90a",
      "nozzle": "200–250 °C",
      "bed": "30–35 °C",
      "pricePerKg": null,
      "datasheetUrl": "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0645/5876/0155/files/Bambu_TPU_90A_Technical_Data_Sheet_582bf8f6-1f0a-474c-aeda-9e72af3689dc.pdf",
      "affiliateUrl": null
    }
  ]
}