Flexible
PETG or TPU when the part has to flex?
By SSS
Published . Updated .
- Nozzle200–250 °C(392–482 °F)
- Bed30–35 °C(86–95 °F)
- Speedup to 200 mm/s
- Dry70 °C · 8 h(158 °F)
- Density1.18 g/cm³
Speed, Drying. Source: Bambu Lab TDS · Last checked 18 October 2026
Ranked filaments
| Rank | Filament | Material | Nozzle | Bed | Datasheet | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bambu Lab · TPU 85A | TPU | 200–250 °C392–482 °F | 30–35 °C86–95 °F | Datasheet | |
Catalog nozzle 200–250 °C (392–482 °F) and bed 30–35 °C (86–95 °F), Open Filament Database, verified 13 October 2026. Shore A hardness is 85. Drying stored from the technical data sheet is 70 °C (158 °F) for 8 h. The sheet URL is the Bambu TPU 85A technical data sheet. | ||||||
| 2 | Bambu Lab · TPU 90A | TPU | 200–250 °C392–482 °F | 30–35 °C86–95 °F | Datasheet | |
Catalog nozzle 200–250 °C (392–482 °F) and bed 30–35 °C (86–95 °F), Open Filament Database, verified 13 October 2026. Shore A hardness is 90. Drying stored from the technical data sheet is 70 °C (158 °F) for 8 h. A higher Shore A number is the firmer of these two TPU rows. It is still an elastomer. | ||||||
| 3 | Polymaker · Polylite PETG | PETG | 220–250 °C428–482 °F | 70–90 °C158–194 °F | Datasheet | |
Catalog nozzle 220–250 °C (428–482 °F) and bed 70–90 °C (158–194 °F), Open Filament Database, verified 13 October 2026. Drying on the PolyLite PETG technical data sheet is 65 °C (149 °F) for 6 h, checked 18 October 2026. Heat-deflection temperature, checked 21 October 2026, is 78 °C (172 °F) at 0.45 MPa and 75 °C (167 °F) at 1.8 MPa, ISO 75. No Shore hardness is stored. | ||||||
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Use TPU when the part has to bend. Use PETG when it should stay stiff and only give a little. How to print TPU, Shore hardness, and flexible parts are the rubber pages. How to print PETG is the polyester.
What the hardness numbers say
Bambu TPU 85A stores a nozzle of 200–250 °C (392–482 °F), a bed of 30–35 °C (86–95 °F), and Shore A 85. Bambu TPU 90A stores the same nozzle and bed at Shore A 90. Shore A is the hardness scale used on these rubbery filaments. A lower number flexes more. Drying stored for both is 70 °C (158 °F) for 8 h, from the technical data sheets linked above.
PolyLite PETG stores a nozzle of 220–250 °C (428–482 °F) and a bed of 70–90 °C (158–194 °F). Drying on its technical data sheet is 65 °C (149 °F) for 6 h, checked 18 October 2026. Its heat-deflection temperature, checked 21 October 2026, is 78 °C (172 °F) at the lighter 0.45 MPa load and 75 °C (167 °F) at the heavier 1.8 MPa load, under ISO 75. Heat deflection is the temperature where a test bar bends under a stated load. It is not a flex rating. The row stores no Shore hardness.
No bend-count or hinge-life test comparing these three spools is in the documents above. The material split is the Shore number on the TPU rows and the absence of one on the PETG row.
What the community says
a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab says a smooth PEI plate and a glue stick, with the glue acting as an interface layer.
a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab says textured PEI is what that person uses for PLA, PETG, and TPU, and that glue sometimes goes on with TPU.
a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab says PEI for PLA, G10 for TPU, and a Glacier plate for everything else, with no glue.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The hardness numbers are the Shore A values stored on the two Bambu TPU rows.
- PETG stays in the comparison as the stiffer polyester, with its own nozzle, bed, and heat-deflection figures.
Cons
- No bend test comparing these three spools is cited here. Shore A is hardness, not a flex-life count.
- Plate advice in the comments names smooth PEI, textured PEI, G10, and glue. Those are comments. They are not a Bambu or Polymaker setting.
Printer considerations
- Shore A is a hardness scale for rubbery plastics. 85 bends more easily than 90. PETG on this page has no Shore number because it is not sold as that kind of rubber.
- A flexible filament still needs a path the extruder can push. [How to print TPU](/answers/flex) and [Shore hardness](/answers/tpu_hardness) cover the setup. [Flexible parts](/answers/flexible) is the use page. [How to print PETG](/answers/petg_print) is the stiffer material.
- The comments supplied for this question are about build plates. They do not measure how far a part bends.
Sources & notes
Published . Updated .
- Bambu TPU 85A technical data sheet datasheet
- Bambu TPU 90A technical data sheet datasheet
- PolyLite PETG technical data sheet V5.4 datasheet
- a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/prusa3d reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab reddit
- a Reddit thread in r/BambuLab reddit
Related questions
- How do I get good PETG prints?PETG
- What filament should I use when the part has to bend?Flexible
- What is the best flexible filament, and how do I print TPU?Flexible
- Which TPU hardness (85A/90A/95A/64D) should I choose?Flexible
Related data
- Cheapest filament per kg
- Cheapest PLA per kg
- Will my dryer cover this filament?
- Drying dataset
- How long to dry PETG
- TPU drying temperature and time
- PETG drying temperature and time
Questions
Can PETG replace TPU if I only need a little flex?
PETG can spring a little and still return, but it is not the elastomer. The two TPU rows publish Shore A 85 and Shore A 90. PolyLite PETG publishes no Shore hardness. TPU hardness, flexible filament, and flexible parts are the rubber pages. PETG printing is the stiffer one.
Do the comments pick a winner?
They pick plates. A smooth PEI plate with glue, textured PEI, and a split of PEI, G10, and Glacier all appear as comments. Treat them as plate notes, then use the hardness numbers above for the material.