The Best 3D Printer Christmas Gift Ideas in 2021
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In this gift guide, we’ll take a look at gift ideas for someone interested in getting a first 3D printer (or who you think would love it). Based on our experience using many 3D printers, we have a couple machines that we think make a great first printer and an excellent gift. If you are looking for a good first 3D printer for someone just getting started, we’d suggest looking for an affordable printer, but not sacrifice on modern features that make the process of learning to use a 3D printer much less frustrating and more enjoyable.
Creality Ender 3 V2: The Best First 3D Printer
For a first-time user, or someone wanting to get into the hobby, the Creality Ender 3 V2 is our top choice. It is built for simplicity with the user in mind. With a print area of 220mm x 220mm x 250mm (8.6” x 8.6” x 9.8”), it can create items a big bigger than average printers, and is a great size for printing decorative models and toys.
The Ender 3 V2 is a great balance of convenience features and price. The most notable features that we like are:
Nearly silent operation.
Important safety features to prevent overheating, and a premium power supply
Easy set-up of the bed level and belt tension
Convenient drawer to hold the included tool set
Additionally, since these 3D printers are so popular, it’s easy to find help online if you need it to get set up. For these reasons, the Ender 3 V2 is our top gift pick for a first 3D printer.
Click here to view the Creality Ender 3 V2 on Amazon.
Creality Ender 3 Max: The Larger Options
The Ender 3 Max was released in 2020, and is a fantastic machine for the price. It has all of the newer convenience features that improve the experience of using a 3D printer, and a sleek one piece design that makes it easy to transport.
We have found that the increased build volume size of 300mm x 300mm (11.8” x 11.8”) opens a lot of possibilities for what you can make, especially for someone interested in making functional pieces. This build volume is noticeably larger than most entry-level 3D printers.
The Ender 3 Max is our top pick for a first larger sized printer since it offers the larger build size , modern upgrades, and a great price point.
For a more detailed look at the features of the Ender 3 Max, take a look at our detailed comparison of the CR-10, Ender 3 Max, and CR-10 V2.
Click here to view the Creality Ender 3 Max on Amazon.
3D Printing Pens
If you aren’t sure if the person you are buying a gift for is ready for a 3D printer, a 3D printing pen is a fun lower cost alternative. These pens allow you to create plastic models by hand, and use the same filament as a standard 3D printer.
If they love this, its a great indication that they would also have a lot of fun with a 3D printer down the road. Depending on your price range, we have these picks from Amazon:
We have tried this Scrib3D 3D pen and found it to be a good choice if you are looking for something in the lower price range ($25 - 35). It is a solid quality pen, but lacks some of the advanced features of the more expensive models.
The Mynt3D 3D pen is a bit more expensive ($55-65), but has some nice features such as the ability to control the speed, more precise temperature control, and a larger status display.
Gifts for Experienced Makers
If you are looking to get a gift for someone already into the 3D printing hobby who owns a 3D printer (or three), we’d recommend letting them choose the best machines and hardware since they know best what they are looking for. However, there are many gifts that we can guarantee anyone who likes 3D printing will enjoy.
Interesting Filament
As a 3D printer owner, you can never have enough filament, and there are many specialty filaments out there that can spark ideas that they may never have thought of on their own.
Almost all modern 3D printers use 1.75mm filament, but make sure that you check the filament diameter before buying. We also recommend sticking with PLA for a gift, because it is the most common 3D printing material. Everything we mention here is 1.75mm PLA.
For most 3D printers, and all Creality brand printers, 1.75mm PLA is the way to go.
Here are some of our favorite specialty filaments from Amazon:
Silk PLA has an extremely shiny, metallic appearance, and is great for making faux-metal models.
Marble PLA looks almost like stone, and is great for models of statues or architecture.
Glow in the Dark PLA is a favorite with the kids, and can also be used for functional prints like light switches you can see in the dark.
Color Changing PLA changes colors when heated above a certain temperature.
3D Printing Tools
Tools are always a great gift because anyone who has a 3D printer will be able to use them, regardless what type of machine they have or what they like to make. We’ve included a few different sets in various price ranges depending what you are looking for:
~$10
This print removal tools are much better than the ones that are included with most 3D printers, and make removing prints a breeze.
$ 20 - 25
This toolkit includes the print removal tool, as well as other essentials such as a deburring tool and file for cleaning up printed parts.
