Why you should trust this review
I have been printing on FDM machines for 9 years, starting with a kit-built Prusa i3 MK2 in 2017 and working through 11 different printers since. I purchased the Bambu Lab P1S at full retail in September 2025 with my own funds. Bambu Lab did not provide a sample. The AMS unit was added two months into the test, also at retail.
Across 8 months of regular use, the P1S printed an estimated 80-plus jobs spanning prototyping work for product design clients, functional brackets for home repairs, and a long-running set of multi-color educational models for a local STEM program. Filament use across the test period totaled approximately 14 kg, predominantly Bambu Lab PLA Basic and Polymaker PolyMax PETG.
Every dimensional measurement and surface-finish observation came from calipers, a Mitutoyo 0-150mm digital, and from comparison against reference parts produced on a calibrated Prusa MK4. The protocol is the standardized FDM testing approach on our methodology page.
How we tested the Bambu Lab P1S
The full test period covered 8 months of regular use across home and small-shop conditions. Key tests:
- First-layer reliability: 40 first-layer attempts on a fresh build plate logged for adhesion failures and warping.
- Dimensional accuracy: 20mm calibration cubes printed on PLA, PETG, and ABS with caliper measurements at three axes.
- Long-print reliability: 12 prints of 8-plus hours each, with completion rate and any layer shift logged.
- Multi-color (AMS): 18 four-color jobs run after the AMS was added, logged for filament tangles and color transitions.
- Noise: Sound pressure logged at 1m with a UMIK-1 calibrated microphone during typical PLA printing and fast travel moves.
Who should buy the Bambu Lab P1S?
The P1S is the right printer for you if:
- You want a printer that prints reliably out of the box without weeks of tuning.
- You print engineering plastics (ABS, ASA, PA-CF) that benefit from an enclosure.
- You plan to grow into multi-color printing, the AMS upgrade path is the cleanest in the industry.
- You value time over money and would rather spend hours designing parts than tuning a printer.
It is not for you if:
- You enjoy the tuning and modding hobby aspect of 3D printing, the P1S is intentionally closed.
- Your budget is hard-capped at $300, the Ender 3 V3 SE prints fine for that money.
- You print only large single-color PLA models with no plans for engineering plastics, the P1P is $100 cheaper.
- You require fully open-source firmware and full LAN-only operation with no cloud features.
Print quality on PLA: matches calibrated tuned printers
Out-of-the-box PLA quality is the headline. The first Benchy off the printer with no profile changes was clean enough to ship to a client. Layer lines on a 0.2mm profile are visible on close inspection but not by feel. Bridging on the Benchy chimney was free of stringing.
Across 30 plus PLA prints during the test, dimensional accuracy held to within 0.15mm on 20mm calibration cubes (X 19.92mm, Y 19.95mm, Z 20.04mm typical). That is competitive with a well-tuned Prusa MK4. For prototyping and functional parts that need to mate with off-the-shelf hardware, this matters more than any single benchmark.
ABS, ASA, and engineering plastics: the enclosure earns its keep
The enclosed chassis is the reason to choose the P1S over the open-frame P1P. ABS prints completed during winter testing at 18C ambient room temperature without warping on the corners of 80mm wide parts. The same job on an open-frame Ender required taping cardboard to the printer and a heated room to complete.
ASA bracket prints for outdoor sensor housings completed reliably with the chamber lid closed and a 95C bed. Surface finish on ASA was glossy and consistent. PA-CF (carbon-fiber nylon) requires a hardened nozzle (the P1S ships with one) and was printed successfully for two functional drone-frame jobs at 280C nozzle and 100C bed.
CoreXY motion and speed: 500 mm/s is a real number
The P1S prints fast. A standard Benchy completes in roughly 18 minutes on the default speed profile, vs 1 hour 45 minutes on a typical bedslinger. The CoreXY motion system means the bed moves only on the Z axis, so high-speed travel moves do not introduce wobble at higher Z heights.
Input shaping is auto-calibrated on first power-up via the integrated accelerometer. We saw no ghosting on layer-line tests at speed, which is the practical proof that the calibration is working. Print speed gains of 3-4x over a tuned bedslinger compound across an 8-month test period into real time savings.
Bambu Studio and the software stack
Bambu Studio is a Prusa Slicer fork with thoughtful additions for the Bambu hardware. One-click presets for PLA Basic, PETG HF, and ABS produce clean prints with no edits. Multi-color slicing for the AMS is genuinely simple, paint colors onto the model in the slicer GUI and the printer handles the rest.
Cloud connectivity is required for some features (remote camera streaming, mobile app monitoring). LAN-only mode works for printing but loses thumbnail previews and the print-progress notifications. For privacy-conscious users this is a real tradeoff.
AMS multi-color: the long-term value play
The AMS unit (sold separately) holds 4 spools in a sealed dry box and feeds them to the printer as the slicer requests color changes. Four-color prints work without intervention. Filament tangles across 18 multi-color jobs in our test totaled exactly 1, on a Bambu Matte filament known to be more tangle-prone.
For artistic and educational prints, the AMS transforms the workflow. For functional prints, it is unnecessary. The good news is you can buy the P1S today and add the AMS later when the project demands it.
If you are upgrading from a basic kit printer, the workflow gains compound on top of the print-quality gains. Pair the P1S with Bambu PLA Basic spools and a Mac Mini M4 running Bambu Studio and you have a setup that consistently produces usable parts on the first try.
Bambu Lab P1S vs. the competition
| Product | Our rating | Build volume | Speed | Enclosure | Multi-color | Price | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab P1S | ★★★★★ 4.6 | 256mm cube | 500 mm/s | Yes | AMS optional | $699 | $699 | Editor's Choice |
| Bambu Lab P1P | ★★★★☆ 4.4 | 256mm cube | 500 mm/s | No | AMS optional | $599 | $599 | Runner-up |
| Creality Ender 3 V3 SE | ★★★★☆ 4.0 | 220 x 220 x 250 | 250 mm/s | No | No | $199 | $199 | Best Budget |
| Anycubic Kobra 2 | ★★★★☆ 3.7 | 220mm cube | 250 mm/s | No | No | $249 | $249 | Skip |
Full specifications
| Build volume | 256 x 256 x 256 mm |
| Motion system | CoreXY |
| Max print speed | 500 mm/s (up to 20,000 mm/s² accel) |
| Hotend | 0.4mm hardened steel, up to 300C |
| Heated bed | Up to 100C |
| Chamber | Fully enclosed, glass front and top |
| Filament | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, PA-CF (with hardened nozzle) |
| Auto leveling | Strain gauge based, no manual mesh required |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB, LAN |
| AMS compatible | Yes (sold separately for 4-color) |
| Footprint | 389 x 389 x 458 mm |
| Weight | 9.65 kg |
Should you buy the Bambu Lab P1S?
The Bambu Lab P1S is the printer I now recommend by default for anyone moving up from a budget Ender or starting fresh with $699 to spend. The enclosed CoreXY chassis prints PLA, PETG, and ABS without enclosure mods, the LiDAR-free auto-leveling still completes a first layer in roughly 90 seconds, and Bambu Studio one-click profiles produce a clean Benchy on the first try out of the box. The AMS upgrade is the long-term value play.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bambu Lab P1S worth $699 in 2026?+
Yes, especially if you value reliability over tinkering. Across 8 months of regular printing, the P1S produced first-attempt usable parts on the vast majority of jobs. If you enjoy the tuning process, a $200 Ender will get you there for less. If you want a printer that just prints, the P1S is the buy.
Bambu Lab P1S vs P1P: which should I get?+
Get the P1S if you want to print ABS, ASA, or any material that warps in cool ambient air. The enclosure is the difference and it matters for engineering filaments. If you only print PLA and PETG, the P1P at $599 is the same printer without the panels and is the better buy.
Do I need the AMS for multi-color printing?+
Only if you want it. The base P1S prints single-color jobs perfectly. The AMS is a $349 add-on that holds 4 spools and enables true multi-color slicing in Bambu Studio. For functional prints you can skip it. For artistic or educational prints, it transforms the workflow.
How loud is the P1S in a home office?+
Around 52 dB at 1 meter during typical PLA printing, climbing to 58 dB during fast travel moves. That is dishwasher-level. The enclosed chassis dampens the high-frequency stepper whine. For overnight prints in a bedroom, that is too loud. For a garage or office during the day, it is fine.
📅 Update log
- May 9, 2026Eight-month long-term update with refreshed dimensional accuracy data and AMS reliability notes.
- Sep 22, 2025Initial review published.
