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Bambu Lab’s latest 3D printer isn’t about chasing the fastest prints. It’s about making smart choices.
James Bricknell Senior Editor
James has been writing about technology for years, but he’s loved it since the early ’90s. Although his main areas of expertise are creation tools – 3D printers, vinyl cutters, paper printers and laser cutters – he also enjoys playing board games and tabletop role-playing games.
Skill 3D printers, creation tools such as Cricut-style vinyl cutters and laser cutters, as well as traditional paper printers Credentials
- 6 years of professional work in the field of 3D printing / 4 years of consumer electronics testing for large websites.
Bambu Lab has slowly been refreshing its entire line of 3D printers. There is the flagship H series, like H2Dmid-range workhorses like my Editors’ Choice Winner, P2Sand the budget A series. One thing that seemed to be missing was a replacement for its original printer, the X1 Carbon. Its answer is the X2D, a sensible replacement for the X1C, with some interesting improvements and a few compromises.
I’ve been using it for a short time and although I have some first impressions, this is not a criticism. This will come after a lot of additional testing. These first impressions are mostly positive, although I have some initial apprehension. The Bambu Lab X2D has a price at $899 for the combo with the automatic hardware system ($649 without it), and is available now.
When it comes to the look and feel of the X2D, anyone who has used one of Bambu’s 3D printers will be familiar with it. It is a fully enclosed machine made of metal, plastic and glass and, like the P and H series 3D printers, it offers excellent build quality.
Installation time was about 20 minutes, as I wanted to make sure the new parts were installed correctly, but it was a very simple process. Because the printer is the same size as many other Bambu machines, accessories like the Biqu Cryogrip the build plate works perfectly with the X2D.
Compared to its predecessor, the X1C, the family resemblance is striking. The X2D is the dark charcoal color that the company now prefers over light gray, but everything else looks very similar. The X2D does not have the carbon stems used by the X1C; it uses more traditional steel, which works for almost any other 3D printer.
The P2S’s active filtering and airflow system is also present here, so these steel rods are less likely to become contaminated as quickly, although maintenance is still recommended. The biggest difference between the X2D and the X1C, however, is the number of nozzles. We have two on the new printer.
Bambu Lab X2D Specifications
| Build volume | Main nozzle printing: 256 x 256 x 260 mm; auxiliary nozzle printing: 235.5 x 256 x 256 mm; dual nozzle printing: 235.5 x 256 x 256 mm; total volume for 2 nozzles: 256 x 256 x 260 mm |
|---|---|
| Printer dimensions | 392 x 406 x 478mm |
| Hot ending | All metal |
| Nozzle | 0.4mm (optional 0.2, 0.6, 0.8mm), stainless steel |
| Maximum Hotend Temperature | 300C |
| Maximum print bed temperature | 120°C |
| Maximum speed | 500 mm/s (main extruder) 200 mm/s (auxiliary extruder) |
| Supported Hardware | The list is long and complicated |
| Build plate camera | Yes |
| Color support | AMS x 4 (16 colors total) |
| Storage | USB-A, 4 GB internal |
| Slicer | Bambu Studio (other compatible slicers) |
My first thought when I saw the X2D was that it was closer to the P2S with a dual nozzle setup than anything else. A P2D, if you will, but the dual extrusion way matters here. Instead of having two nozzles powered by the same direct drive print head, we have a main nozzle used with the AMS color system and an auxiliary nozzle mainly used to support the main extruder.
This media extruder uses a Bowden configuration rather than a direct drive system. Instead of having the cogs that hold the filament on the print head itself, a Bowden system places them further back on the printer body. These cogs then push the filament through the tube to the print head. This reduces the load on the print head, allowing higher speed and acceleration, but at the expense of material variety. You really can’t run flexible filaments like TPU through a Bowden system.
Spaceman Grace is printed here using special supports.
James Bricknell/CNETThis secondary nozzle appears to attempt to serve two purposes: reduce waste and improve support for your models. By loading a support material into the right nozzle (a material that does not stick to the main filament), you can create much stronger supports that will peel off easily. I printed this Grace model from Hail Mary Project in PLA on the left nozzle and in Bambu “Support for PLA” material on the right.
Since the support material does not stick to the PLA, I was able to fully support the model without worrying about breaking parts when pulling them apart. This is something you can do with an AMS on other machines, but having two nozzles means a lot less material swapping and eliminates any worry about mixing these two materials.
The Cryogrip bed from Biqu is fantastic and fits the X2D perfectly.
James Bricknell/CNETIf you don’t use a lot of media, you can also use the second nozzle as another color. It allows you to use five colors instead of the AMS’s four. I printed this card with the main color green on the secondary nozzle, and the other less abundant colors via AMS on the main nozzle. This significantly reduced the number of filament changes required and the waste produced, as the green was never replaced. It remained ready to print the entire time.
These tips have been available on the H2D and H2C for a while now, but this is the first time they have been available on the smaller scale printers offered by Bambu Lab. The difference in size and price makes it attractive to those who don’t have room for giant machines.
Basically, you get five materials instead of four.
James Bricknell/CNETI have some concerns about the lack of TPU support. TPU is the most flexible material, and unless you’re using TPU for Bambu’s AMS material, it doesn’t really work well in an AMS or Bowden setup. Other 3D printers have gotten around this by having a bypass on the back to allow the TPU to be plugged directly into the print head, but this doesn’t appear to be available on the X2D.
Using TPU with other filaments can create models with flexible joints, making it easier than ever to prototype crazy ideas. The lack of TPU support appears to be an oversight on the Bambu team’s part as consumers become more involved with TPU for printing shoes and other apparel.
I still have a lot of testing to do, but the Bambu X2D seems to be a perfectly acceptable 3D printer. It will likely fall well between the H2D and P2S in terms of price and usability. If you want the P2S size with the dual nozzle of the H2D, the X2D may be a good compromise.