One of the Best 3D Printers Is on Sale This Black Friday – and It Would Make an Amazing Gift - CNET

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The A1 Mini Combo at $349 is the perfect gift for any budding 3D printer

Since its launch in 2023, the A1 Mini Combo has been a firm favorite in my household. Whenever we need small something printed quickly, we break out the mini as it offers excellent print quality every time. Now, with the holiday season in full swing and Black Friday fast approaching, there's no better time to buy one for yourself or, even better, one for someone else.

If you are already immersed in the 3D printing world, you may find the Mini too small for you, but if you know someone in your life who's been thinking about getting into the hobby, now is the time to buy one as a gift. The A1 mini on its own is down to just $200, but the real bargain is the Combo. At $349, you get an excellent 3D printer and an accessory that lets you print in four different colors.

I've been using the Mini since it first came out in 2023, and it is such a simple machine to use. It's the one I fire up when I want something quickly and easily. The bed is small, just 180 x 180 mm, so you can't print giant things like helmets or masks, but you can make smaller pieces like sculptures or, as we are entering the holiday season, awesome ornaments. It prints fast, too, with a max print speed of 500mm/s, meaning you can print little jobs nice and fast. It also comes with a four-color system called the AMS lite that will feed four different materials into the printer so you can make full-color models like the image below.

Read more: A1 Mini Combo Review

My colleague recently asked me what 3D printer she should get for her 13-year-old son, and this is the one I suggested. It will fit on a normal desk, even with the AMS color system. It's pretty quiet, and, as long as you have a bucket to catch the waste, clean to have in your home. If you are using it inside, I would recommend using safe materials like PLA or PETG, especially in a bedroom. Ideally, you would want it to be in a spare room or garage if possible.

While we can't guarantee this deal will stick around, Bambu Lab did say this event will run from Oct. 21 until Dec. 3, 2024. Our CNET deals experts are constantly monitoring these savings so we can update you if anything goes off sale or ends up out of stock before the event ends.

The Bambu Lab Black Friday event will run throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The A1 Mini Combo is one of the company's most popular 3D printers, and our experts expect it to be available throughout Cyber Week.

With the holidays fast approaching and 3D printers being a big ticket item, any savings you can grab are important. While we have seen the A1 Mini at this price before, it still matches the lowest price we've seen and is a bargain. There are very few if any, 3D printers that can match the A1 Mini in this price bracket.

The A1 Mini Combo is also excellently priced to be a gift this year. At $350, it is perfect for a main present for a loved one. I would suggest the next level of 3D printer, the full-sized A1 combo, but it's $449, a full $100 more expensive and might be a little pricey as a gift. If you are looking to buy a 3D printer for yourself and you have that extra cash, the full-sized A1 combo might be a good fit.

After the initial layout, you'll need to buy a few 3D printing accessories and some materials to get the most out of your 3D printer. If the printer doesn't come with a roll of filament and you open one on Christmas morning, you may be disappointed. I would suggest grabbing some fun filament from Overture. Its PLA is excellent and comes in plenty of fun colors. Start with PLA, as it is the easiest and cheapest material.

The accessories are all optional, as your 3D printer will come with every tool you need, as well as fun projects to print some of those tools. Eventually, you must replace your nozzle, but Bambu makes that incredibly simple and cost-effective. You won't need a new one for a long time, so don't worry.