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Head to head · checked 29 September 2026
Bambu Lab A1 vs P1S: open bed slinger or enclosed CoreXY?
Both print a 256 mm square bed with the same quick hotend swaps and the same slicer. The A1 is an open bed slinger at $399 at launch with the AMS lite; the P1S is an enclosed CoreXY at $699 with the sealed AMS, a filter and an auxiliary fan. The P1S prints ABS and ASA properly and is quieter and more compact; the A1 does PLA, PETG and TPU just as well for less. Choose by filament: PLA and PETG, A1; ABS, ASA and a shared room, P1S.The short version
Who should buy which
Both printers are in SpeakCAD's slicer catalog with their official OrcaSlicer profiles, so this page has no printer to sell you. The numbers in the table come from those profiles; the prices are the makers' launch prices, and prices moved in 2025 and differ by region.2
Buy the P1S if…
You want ABS or ASA parts, a printer that lives in a bedroom or office, filtered fumes, or the sealed AMS with drier filament. You accept a smaller screen and the need to open the door for PLA in a warm room.3
Either way, the first custom part
Describe it with its measurements, check it on a virtual bed the size of the printer you chose, and download a sliced .gcode.3mf for the A1 or a sliced .gcode.3mf for the P1S, sliced with its official profile. The first render usually appears within a minute or two: a new part gets deeper reasoning through the geometry, and small edits land in seconds.Bambu Lab A1 vs Bambu Lab P1S: the numbers
| Bambu Lab A1 | Bambu Lab P1S | |
|---|---|---|
| Printable area in the profile | 256 x 256 x 256 mm | 256 x 256 x 250 mm |
| Frame | Open-frame bed slinger | Enclosed CoreXY |
| Enclosure | None | Enclosed, passive chamber (no heater), activated-carbon filter, auxiliary part-cooling fan |
| Extruder and hotend | Direct drive; quick-swap hotend (nozzle and hotend change as one unit), 300 °C | Direct drive, 300 °C; stainless nozzle standard |
| Hardened nozzle for abrasive filament | Optional hotend | Optional nozzle and extruder gears |
| Multi-colour | AMS lite, 4 spools (open unit) | AMS, 4 spools (up to 16 with four units) |
| Nozzle variants in the profile | 0.2 nozzle, 0.4 nozzle, 0.6 nozzle, 0.8 nozzle | 0.2 nozzle, 0.4 nozzle, 0.6 nozzle, 0.8 nozzle |
| Layer heights in the print profiles | 0.06 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.14 mm, 0.16 mm and more | 0.06 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.14 mm, 0.16 mm and more |
| Filament profiles | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PLA-CF and more | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PLA-CF and more |
| A file made on a phone | Wi-Fi. Bambu Handy monitors and starts files already on the printer; a sliced .gcode.3mf made on a phone goes to the microSD card or through Bambu Studio on a computer | Wi-Fi. Bambu Handy monitors and starts files already on the printer; a sliced .gcode.3mf made on a phone goes to the microSD card or through Bambu Studio on a computer |
| Ecosystem | Closed (Bambu Studio, Handy, MakerWorld); OrcaSlicer works | Closed (Bambu Studio, Handy, MakerWorld); OrcaSlicer works |
| Sliced download from SpeakCAD | Sliced .gcode.3mf | Sliced .gcode.3mf |
| Launch price (USD) | $399; $559 with AMS lite (December 2023) | $699; $949 with AMS (July 2023) |
| Best for | Most people's first or second printer: fast, self-calibrating, multi-colour for a modest add-on | ABS and ASA without fuss, multi-colour, a quiet enclosed box |
Printable area in the profileBambu Lab A1: 256 x 256 x 256 mmBambu Lab P1S: 256 x 256 x 250 mm
FrameBambu Lab A1: Open-frame bed slingerBambu Lab P1S: Enclosed CoreXY
EnclosureBambu Lab A1: NoneBambu Lab P1S: Enclosed, passive chamber (no heater), activated-carbon filter, auxiliary part-cooling fan
Extruder and hotendBambu Lab A1: Direct drive; quick-swap hotend (nozzle and hotend change as one unit), 300 °CBambu Lab P1S: Direct drive, 300 °C; stainless nozzle standard
Hardened nozzle for abrasive filamentBambu Lab A1: Optional hotendBambu Lab P1S: Optional nozzle and extruder gears
Multi-colourBambu Lab A1: AMS lite, 4 spools (open unit)Bambu Lab P1S: AMS, 4 spools (up to 16 with four units)
Nozzle variants in the profileBambu Lab A1: 0.2 nozzle, 0.4 nozzle, 0.6 nozzle, 0.8 nozzleBambu Lab P1S: 0.2 nozzle, 0.4 nozzle, 0.6 nozzle, 0.8 nozzle
Layer heights in the print profilesBambu Lab A1: 0.06 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.14 mm, 0.16 mm and moreBambu Lab P1S: 0.06 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.14 mm, 0.16 mm and more
Filament profilesBambu Lab A1: PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PLA-CF and moreBambu Lab P1S: PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PLA-CF and more
A file made on a phoneBambu Lab A1: Wi-Fi. Bambu Handy monitors and starts files already on the printer; a sliced .gcode.3mf made on a phone goes to the microSD card or through Bambu Studio on a computerBambu Lab P1S: Wi-Fi. Bambu Handy monitors and starts files already on the printer; a sliced .gcode.3mf made on a phone goes to the microSD card or through Bambu Studio on a computer
EcosystemBambu Lab A1: Closed (Bambu Studio, Handy, MakerWorld); OrcaSlicer worksBambu Lab P1S: Closed (Bambu Studio, Handy, MakerWorld); OrcaSlicer works
Sliced download from SpeakCADBambu Lab A1: Sliced .gcode.3mfBambu Lab P1S: Sliced .gcode.3mf
Launch price (USD)Bambu Lab A1: $399; $559 with AMS lite (December 2023)Bambu Lab P1S: $699; $949 with AMS (July 2023)
Best forBambu Lab A1: Most people's first or second printer: fast, self-calibrating, multi-colour for a modest add-onBambu Lab P1S: ABS and ASA without fuss, multi-colour, a quiet enclosed box
Parts that fit both beds
Copy one, change the numbers to yours. Each opens in the editor with the text already typed.“A hinged box 120 x 80 x 40 mm with a print-in-place hinge (0.4 mm clearance), a snap latch on the front, 1.6 mm walls.”
Open this prompt in the editor“A Raspberry Pi 5 case with a 30 mm fan grille, GPIO ribbon slot and two keyhole wall mounts, 2 mm walls, screwed lid on M2.5 pillars.”
Open this prompt in the editor“A headphone hook that screws to the side of a desk with two 4.5 mm holes 40 mm apart, a 30 mm deep arm with a 20 mm rounded end, 3 mm thick.”
Open this prompt in the editorSame bed, different machine
The bed size is the same and so are the nozzle swaps, the 300 °C hotend and Bambu Studio. Everything else differs. The A1 moves the bed (a bed slinger); the P1S moves the toolhead in X and Y with the bed only going down (CoreXY), inside a box.
Where the P1S wins
- Enclosure: ABS and ASA warp less and smell less, the carbon filter helps with fumes, and the printer is quieter behind its panels.
- Footprint: a CoreXY needs no clearance for a bed sliding in and out; the P1S is a box the size of its frame.
- Tall parts: a CoreXY does not shake a tall part on a moving bed.
- AMS: the enclosed AMS keeps filament drier than the open AMS lite; up to four units chain for 16 colours.
Where the A1 wins
- Price: $399 against $699 at launch; $559 against $949 with the colour unit.
- PLA cooling: an open frame sheds heat, which suits PLA; the P1S wants its door open for PLA in a warm room.
- Access: an open bed is easy to reach for removing parts and cleaning.
- Quick hotend swaps: the A1's whole hotend clicks out; the P1S changes the nozzle with a tool.
What both give up
Neither has a heated chamber, so large nylon or PC parts are beyond both. The P1S's camera is low frame rate and its screen is small; the A1's bed travel doubles its desk depth.
Prices
Launch prices above; Bambu changed prices in 2025 and they vary by region.
Verdict
Buy the A1 if your filament is PLA, PETG and TPU: it is the same bed for $300 less. Buy the P1S if you will print ABS or ASA, want a quieter and more compact machine, or the enclosed AMS.
Sliced for either one
SpeakCAD ships the OrcaSlicer profiles of the Bambu Lab A1 and the Bambu Lab P1S, like 380+ other printers. Describe a part in plain English on a phone or a computer, watch it render on a virtual bed of the size above, change it by chat, and download a sliced .gcode.3mf for the A1 or a sliced .gcode.3mf for the P1S, with the print time and filament weight. The STL and 3MF are always there for your own slicer. The Bambu Lab A1 and Bambu Lab P1S pages have prompts sized for each bed and the library parts made for them.
Questions
Small ABS parts, with a brim and no drafts, but warping and fumes make it a poor experience on an open frame. ASA and ABS are what the P1S's enclosure is for.
Both are rated to 500 mm/s. On tall parts the CoreXY P1S keeps its quality at speed better because the part is not swinging on a moving bed; on small flat parts the difference is small.
The P1S, because of the enclosure. The A1 is not loud for a bed slinger, but its bed and open frame let more noise out.
Yes, both, with the OrcaSlicer profile each maker ships: a sliced .gcode.3mf for the A1 and a sliced .gcode.3mf for the P1S, or an STL or 3MF for your own slicer. The bed sizes in the table are the ones the viewer shows while you design.
Keep comparing
Bambu Lab A1: custom parts, sliced for itBambu's open-frame bed slinger with the 256 mm bed, quick-swap nozzles and the AMS lite for multi-colour.Bambu Lab P1S: custom parts, sliced for itThe enclosed CoreXY Bambu with a 256 x 256 x 250 mm volume and the AMS, at home with PETG and ABS.Bambu Lab A1 vs Prusa MK4SA1 vs MK4S: a 256 mm bed and AMS lite for half the price, or an open-source, repairable machine with phone uploads via PrusaLink. Specs, launch prices, verdict.Bambu Lab A1 vs Bambu Lab A1 miniA1 vs A1 mini: the same printer at 256 mm or 180 mm. When the bigger bed matters, what the mini does better, which parts fit which, launch prices, verdict.Bambu Lab A1 vs Anycubic Kobra 3A1 vs Kobra 3: similar beds and speeds, each with a four-spool colour box. The ACE Pro dries filament; the AMS lite has the deeper ecosystem. Prices, verdict.Bambu Lab P1S vs Bambu Lab X1 CarbonP1S vs X1 Carbon: same frame, bed and speed. The X1C adds a hardened nozzle, lidar, a touchscreen and a better camera for $500 more at launch. Who needs it.Best 3D printers in 2026The same machines sorted by budget, bed size and filament.Every head-to-head24 pairs, with the numbers from their slicer profiles.