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11 Best PLA Filament Brands For Great 3D Prints

If you are a 3D printing enthusiast, buying quality filament should be your main focus. Although several companies sell PLA, not all of them are worth buying from, as most of them sell inferior quality.

Buying the wrong filament can be a HUGE nightmare that may leave you having poorly finished 3D models—or even worse, waking up to failed spaghetti prints. If you’re looking to find the best PLA filament brands, then you’re in luck—these are the best PLA filament brands for great 3d prints.

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Why Does PLA Filament Become Brittle?

When PLA filament is kept in a humid environment, it absorbs some of the moisture out of the air, which chemically alters its physical properties. This can also be influenced by a filament's color additives.

How to Store PLA Filament?

If you're looking for a safe way to store your PLA filament so that it doesn't become brittle and ruined, your best bet is one of these types of filament storage boxes (like this one from Polymaker, one of the brands mentioned above). It utilizes a thermo-hygrometer.

Is PLA Filament Biodegradable?

No, PLA filament is not biodegradable.

Can You Recycle PLA Filament?

Unfortunately, PLA filament is not recyclable in the true sense of the word. Technically speaking, PLA could be recycled if it were kept separate from other plastics, but since there is no official collection of PLA waste from 3D printing, it's impossible to recycle it.

Of course, anyone who has printed anything with their 3D printer knows that you are left with a lot of PLA waste after printing, especially if your prints require supports. So, hopefully, someone creates a way to recycle filament responsibly sometime soon.

Is PLA Filament Waterproof?

No, PLA is not waterproof, as it absorbs moisture from the environment around it.

Is PLA Filament Aquarium Safe?

Yes, PLA is aquarium safe and is non-toxic.

How Much PLA Filament Do You Need?

How much PLA filament you'll really need is almost impossible to estimate, as there are a lot of varying factors when it comes to 3D printing (spaghetti, flawed prints, etc). But, we can help you visualize how long a spool will last using a Rubix Cube is a standard. Each Rubix cube weighs 0.2 pounds, and each roll of standard PLA filament is 2.2 pounds. So, theoretically and getting ideal results, you could print 5 Rubix cubes with that one spool.