Best PLA for everyday 3D printing

PLA, or Polylactic Acid, is a biopolymer used in FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) 3D Printing amongst other things, and the reason it is used so often is for two main reasons. One is that it is quite inexpensive for the base resin, and two is that it is incredibly easy to print with compared to other thermoplastics used in 3D printing.

While plain PLA can be printed incredibly easy and gives you a stiff, weighty part, that might not always be what you are looking for, so companies can modify the plastic for other uses. You can buy PLA+ filaments that are a little less stiff but are therefore more impact resistant, you can get matte filaments, stone or metal-filled filament even ones that glow in the dark or have carbon fiber in them, and we're looking at a few of our favorites here.

At a glance

Best overall

The best everyday PLA needs to be something that is consistent batch to batch, relatively inexpensive, and is available in a wide array of colors for whatever you need to print, and I cannot think of a better material that embodies this than Overture PLA. At around $24 a kilogram for their standard colors, which are regularly on sale, and just a few dollars more for their shiny silk PLA or glow-in-the-dark varieties.

Overture generally takes great care in quality control, with consistent 1.75mm dimensions. However, I have had a roll here and there that didn't get wound properly, so it needed some untangling mid-print. But for all the spools of Overture PLA I've gone through, it isn't common to have this issue.  

I've relied on Overture for a range of filament types, from its high-speed TPU to PETG, due to the affordable pricing and consistent printability. If you want a go-to PLA that you can rely on that won't break the bank, I would go with Overture.

Best for durability

Micro Center is known around the tech community as a place to pick up anything you need for your computer or office setups. But it is quickly becoming a favorite for 3D printing fans for its printer and filament availability. The in-house brand of Inland offers a great option for durable printing with its Tough PLA. 

It's a modified PLA that has been designed to take PLA to the next level and effectively act like ABS in many ways. Whilst you don't get the heat resistance or chemical welding abilities of ABS, you do get the ability to drill and tap 3D printed parts. They're more ductile than standard PLA and closer to ABS, which means a drop is less likely to end in a cracked or damaged part.

Being able to print parts like you would normally with typical PLA but with added durability is really helpful for functional prints. Thanks to the ease of print and the affordable cost, this Micro Center Inland Tough PLA is a must to keep on hand.

Best for Babmu Labs printers

Value means a lot of different things for different people; for some, it is the cheapest item possible, and for others, it is the best mix of price, performance, and availability. While Babmu Labs has become an excellent choice for enthusiasts and beginners alike, its filaments aren't quite as widespread as other brands. But if you own a Bambu Labs printer, especially one with the multicolor AMS add-on, going in-house for your PLA is a smart move.

Bambu Lab offers a lot of different filament types, even within the PLA category. While the materials aren't overly special, the consistency in spooling and dimensions are some of the reasons to go with the branded PLA.  But the RFID-tagged spools allow the AMS attachment to auto-read the filament, so you don't have to manually input that info into the Babmu Lab Slicer.  

You can pick up the filament by the roll for a typical price of $28, or $17 if you happen to have a Bambu Lab membership. Another way to save some money through Bambu Lab is with refills. With this, you'll get filament that you'll put onto your existing spool in order to save money and reduce waste.

Best for flexible prints

Flexibility isn't really what you think of when you initially think of PLA, in fact, it is one of the stiffest printing materials outside of carbon fibre-filled materials, but maybe you can't print TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) on your printer, but you want something with a bit of give, that's where Flexible PLA comes in, and nothing does it better than Ataraxia Art's PLA+

Flexibility is measured on the Shore scale, either Shore A or Shore D, they aren't directly comparable but they both go by the rule "the higher the number the stiffer it is" therefore a 95A TPU is much stiffer than a 60A TPU, and the softer it is the harder it is to print, imagine trying to push wet spaghetti through a straw that's only a little bit bigger than the spaghetti, it's very difficult.

So what if I told you that Ataraxia Art's patented PLA+ is 89A, softer than most standard TPUs, and EASIER, to print. the rule of thumb for printing with flexible is that you turn the speeds really far down, up until a few years ago, printing TPU above 25mm/s was unheard of, you were a crazy person. But Ataraxia Art's Flexible PLA+ is able to be easily printed at up to 90mm/s, I've printed parts using it at 80mm/s on my Flashforge Adventurer 4, and it came out a dream, in fact, the images here are printed on the Adventurer 4.

Whether it be phone cases, impact absorbers for doors, rubber feet for your furniture or heck, maybe you just want to try a 3D Printed wallet out, Ataraxia Art's Flexible PLA+ is so newbie friendly, it offsets the higher cost, with 12 colors, you're likely to find something that is your taste as well.

Best premium

Protopasta makes some of the best and most unique filaments on the market. From the meticulous quality control to the variety of printable materials within a category, in this case, PLA, it is hard not to look at the brand when you are ready to produce that final print. 

This HTPLA brings added functionality to your typical PLA printed pieces thanks to the ability to heat treat your print by slowly bringing the final piece's temp up via something like your oven at home. This anneals the material to enhance its durability. 

This one-of-a-kind Amie's Blood of My Enemies Translucent Red HTPLA is one of my favorites. The deep red would be enough of a win in my books to buy it, but the carbon fiber included in the material helps to create a beautiful matte finish. But additives like carbon fiber can wear out softer print nozzles, so keep that in mind.

Best budget

When it comes to a basic PLA to do loads of prints while keeping money in your pocket, Elegoo is a fantastic choice. I've used this filament nearly as much as I've used Overture. I like the Elegoo PLA for the consistently affordable price, it's easy to find, and the good range of color options. 

It is a good quality filament that is perfect for working out the bugs in a new design, so you won't be wasting high-dollar PLA, but it also isn't a bad option for prints that you will end up using either. Part of what keeps it from being a more consistent option for extending printing projects is the spooling. I tend to have tangles in my spools, about 25% of the rolls I purchase. But at the price and what I need it for, it is an annoyance I'll put up with.

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Bottom line

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So, for me, the bottom line is that for most people, for most things, picking up some Overture PLA is the best thing you can do. It is a great mix of low-cost, high-quality filament with good consistency, so you can rely on that if you were to buy 5 rolls, the colors will match between them, something I have experienced not being the case with other manufacturers with more expensive filament.

Overture offers a great selection of colors to pick from in its PLA catalog. But you can also hop into more "exotic" styles of PLA like silk and dual color to have a bit more variety, with the same consistency.

Micro Center's Inland Tough PLA is a great choice for low-cost PLA to make more durable prints. Then, when you need your print to have a bit more flexibility, you'll want to check out ATARAXIA Art's Flexible PLA. Should you want to get a little fancy and spend a few more bucks on a PLA that will give you that wow factor, you'll be well served with Protopasta.