What is the best filament for outdoor use?

When to use which material

ASA is the long-term outdoor material in this consensus. PETG is the cheaper spool when you will not run ASA temperatures. ABS is the third name, not a substitute for ASA’s UV role. PLA is the one to retire for sun and weather. The earlier outdoor guide ranks ASA and PETG from manufacturer notes and does not put ABS on the table.

Temperatures and settings

Bambu ASA lists 235–260 °C at the nozzle and 90–110 °C on the bed. Prusament ASA lists 250–270 °C and 100–120 °C. Prusament PETG lists 240–260 °C and 70–90 °C. PolyLite ABS lists 230–260 °C and 90–110 °C. Use the row, not a single outdoor profile. There is no UV hours figure and no “dark color adds N degrees” figure in the catalog.

Failure modes

PLA in the sun softens and degrades. That is the failure this question is trying to avoid. PETG is the print that fades or warps when someone used it as a permanent ASA replacement. ASA that is printed cold warps. A black or dark part in full sun runs hotter than the same shape in white. The consensus states that and does not quantify it.

Caveats

Dark colors get far hotter in the sun. Paint or a lighter filament is the mitigation this page will commit to, not an invented temperature offset. ABS is on the list because the consensus names it. It is last because ASA is the UV default.

Where this sits in the catalog

Bambu ASA versus Prusament ASA compares the two ASA rows. Prusament PETG versus PolyLite PETG is the PETG pair. A part that also has to hold water is watertight printing, which is settings first and still starts from PETG. Check an open machine on printers without an enclosure before ordering ASA.

Questions