The Bambu Lab P1S takes everything that makes the A1 easy and wraps it in an enclosed, faster CoreXY frame that can handle ABS and other tougher materials. It is fast, dependable and multi-colour ready, the closest thing here to a do-it-all machine. Here is what the extra money buys, and whether you need it.
If the Bambu Lab A1 is the printer for getting started, the P1S is the printer for people who have outgrown PLA and want one machine that does almost everything. The enclosed chamber and CoreXY motion unlock materials and speeds the open-frame machines cannot reach, while keeping the famous Bambu ease of use. That capability is why it is our premium pick.
| Model | Price | Type | Build volume | Auto bed levelling | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer | £599.00 | FDM (filament), enclosed CoreXY | 256 x 256 x 256 mm | Yes, fully automatic | ★ 4.7 | View → |
£599.00
FDM (filament), enclosed CoreXY · 256 x 256 x 256 mm · Yes, fully automatic
The verdict from Joseph Lim, 3D printing tester
A polished premium choice. The Bambu Lab P1S takes everything that makes the A1 easy and wraps it in an enclosed, faster CoreXY frame that can also handle ABS and other engineering filaments. It is fast, dependable and multi-colour ready with the AMS unit. You pay roughly double an A1 for the enclosure, speed and material range, so it earns its place if you have outgrown PLA or want one machine that does almost everything.
Quietly churns out clean, repeatable prints with the reassurance of an enclosed build.
The P1S is the right printer if you print, or want to print, more than just PLA models. The enclosed chamber holds a warm, stable environment that lets it handle ABS and other higher-temperature engineering filaments without the warping that ruins those prints on an open machine. It suits people making functional and mechanical parts, prototypes that need to survive heat or stress, and anyone who wants serious speed and multi-colour capability in a near plug-and-play package.
It is less suited to someone who only ever prints simple PLA models and wants to spend as little as possible. For that buyer the P1S is overkill: the Bambu Lab A1 gives a comparable finish on PLA for roughly half the price. The P1S is about capability and material range, not basic print quality, so you buy it for what it lets you do, not for prettier PLA.
The headline feature is the fully enclosed build chamber. It keeps the heat in, which is exactly what ABS, ASA and similar engineering filaments need to print without warping or cracking. It also contains noise and fumes better than an open machine. If you have ever tried and failed to print ABS on an open printer, the difference here is night and day, and it is the single biggest reason to choose a P1S over an A1.
The CoreXY motion system is faster and more stable than a bed-slinger, and the P1S puts it to good use with high speeds and excellent reliability. It is the kind of machine you can set running on a long print and trust to finish cleanly. Combined with Bambu's tuned profiles, you get fast, dependable results with very little babysitting.
Add the AMS unit and the P1S prints in up to four colours, swapping filament automatically mid-print, and you can chain multiple AMS units for more. Despite all this capability it remains near plug-and-play, levelling and calibrating itself just like the A1. The main concession to its price point is that the base model has no built-in screen, relying on the app and a simpler interface, which is a minor quibble given everything else it does.
The P1S costs roughly double an A1, and that is the central question: do you need what it offers? If you print only PLA, the answer is probably no, and the money is better saved or spent on filament. The base model also lacks a full touchscreen, leaning on the app instead. Neither is a flaw so much as a positioning choice, but it is honest to say the P1S only makes sense if the enclosure, speed and material range genuinely matter to your printing. If they do, it is superb value for what it is.
The P1S is an enclosed CoreXY printer, where the A1 is an open-frame bed-slinger. That enclosure lets the P1S print ABS and other higher-temperature filaments that warp on an open machine, and the CoreXY motion is faster and more stable. You pay roughly double an A1 for the enclosure, speed and material range; the print quality on PLA is comparable.
If you have outgrown PLA or want one machine that does almost everything, yes. The enclosed chamber, material range and speed are real, practical advantages for prototyping and engineering parts. If you only ever print PLA models, a Bambu A1 will give you the same finish for much less, so the P1S is about capability rather than basic print quality.
Yes. With the AMS unit the P1S prints in up to four colours, swapping filament automatically mid-print, and you can chain multiple AMS units for more. Combined with the enclosure and speed, that makes it a genuine do-it-all machine, which is a large part of why it is our premium recommendation.
The Bambu Lab P1S is our premium pick because it is the closest thing here to a do-it-all machine: enclosed for ABS and engineering filaments, fast and reliable thanks to its CoreXY motion, multi-colour ready with the AMS, and still near plug-and-play. It earns its higher price only if you need that capability; if you print mostly PLA, the Bambu Lab A1 gives you the same finish for much less. If long-term repairability matters more to you than speed and enclosure, also weigh the Prusa MK4S. To decide whether you need an enclosed machine at all, read our which 3D printer to buy guide.