# What is LW-PLA / foaming filament and how do I print it?

PolyLite LW-PLA lists a nozzle of 190–210 °C (374–410 °F). LW-PLA is PLA the maker describes as foaming so the part comes out lighter. Bambu PLA Aero lists 210–260 °C (410–500 °F) and says it foams at high temperatures during printing. A comment's 190 °C (374 °F) calibration and 270 °C (518 °F) maximum are that comment. 270 °C (518 °F) is above both of those sheet maximums.

LW-PLA is PLA the maker describes as foaming so the part comes out lighter. PolyLite LW-PLA lists a nozzle of 190–210 °C (374–410 °F). Bambu PLA Aero lists 210–260 °C (410–500 °F) and says it foams at high temperatures during printing. A comment's 190 °C (374 °F) calibration and 270 °C (518 °F) maximum are that comment. 270 °C (518 °F) is above both of those sheet maximums.

Foaming PLA is still PLA, with a nozzle range that is the maker's, not a single foam switch. [Cosplay](/answers/cosplay) is the costume page people often land on for light shells. [Matte filament](/answers/matte) is the surface look. Neither page sets a foaming temperature.
## What the sheets say

[PolyLite LW-PLA](/brand/polymaker/lw-polylite-pla), sheet checked 21 October 2026 and read 23 October 2026, lists 190–210 °C (374–410 °F), a bed of 25–60 °C (77–140 °F), drying at 55 °C (131 °F) for 6 h, and a print speed of 50–100 mm/s. The sheet calls it foaming technology and describes a matte surface that hides layers. It does not give a temperature where foaming starts. A density figure on that PDF did not extract cleanly, so it is not quoted.

[Bambu PLA Aero](/brand/bambu-lab/pla-aero), datasheet checked 23 October 2026, says low density and light weight come from foaming at high temperatures during printing, with small holes inside the prints. Nozzle 210–260 °C (410–500 °F), bed 35–45 °C (95–113 °F), print speed under 180 mm/s, blast-oven drying at 55 °C (131 °F) for 8 h. The sheet's filament density is 1.21 g/cm³. It does not publish a density for the foamed part. The sheet names unmanned aerial vehicles, aerodynamic models, and gliders as uses. That is the sheet's list, not a comment count.

[colorFabb LW-HT PLA](/brand/colorfabb/lw-ht-pla) lists 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) and a bed of 50–70 °C (122–158 °F) from the Open Filament Database, dataset imported 13 October 2026. No drying temperature is stored, and the record does not describe foaming. eSUN PLA-LW is absent from the table because the nozzle and bed cells are empty.
## What the community says

[a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab](https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/zqc0us/): adds 5–10 °C (41–50 °F) to the spool's recommendation and names 50 mm/s, 2 walls, and 20% gyroid.

Updated 2026-10-23. Sources accessed 2026-10-23. Use case: Cosplay.

## Ranked filaments

| Rank | Filament | Nozzle | Bed | Price per kg |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Polymaker LW PolyLite PLA | 190–210 °C (374–410 °F) | 25–60 °C (77–140 °F) | — |
| 2 | Bambu Lab PLA Aero | 210–260 °C (410–500 °F) | 35–45 °C (95–113 °F) | — |
| 3 | colorFabb LW-HT PLA | 190–230 °C (374–446 °F) | 50–70 °C (122–158 °F) | — |

## Sources

- [Polymaker PolyLite LW-PLA technical data sheet](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0548/7299/7945/files/PolyLite_LW-PLA_TDS_US_V5.4.pdf) (datasheet)
- [Bambu Lab PLA Aero technical data sheet](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0574/3116/2995/files/Bambu_PLA_Aero_Technical_Data_Sheet.pdf?v=1715335547) (datasheet)
- [Open Filament Database, colorFabb LW-HT PLA](https://api.openfilamentdatabase.org/api/v1/brands/colorfabb/materials/PLA/filaments/lw_ht_pla/index.json) (other)
- [a Reddit thread in r/FixMyPrint](https://www.reddit.com/r/FixMyPrint/comments/1gsmlsk/) (reddit)
- [a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab](https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/comments/zqc0us/) (reddit)
- [a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/scdqby/) (reddit)
- [a Reddit thread in r/prusa3d](https://www.reddit.com/r/prusa3d/comments/1ftiof1/) (reddit)
- [a Reddit thread in r/3Dprinting](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/sam9cv/) (reddit)

HTML: https://filamentfacts.com/answers/lightweight