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Head to head · checked 29 September 2026
Bambu Lab P1S vs X1 Carbon: what the extra money actually buys
The P1S and X1 Carbon share the frame, the 256 x 256 x 250 mm volume, the enclosure, the AMS and the speed. The X1 Carbon adds a hardened steel nozzle and extruder gears as standard, lidar first-layer inspection, AI failure detection, a 5-inch touchscreen and a 1080p camera, for $500 more at launch. If you will print carbon- or glass-fibre filament, the X1C is the right one; if you print PLA, PETG, ABS and ASA, the P1S does the same job.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 X1 Carbon if…
You print PA-CF, PETG-CF or other abrasive filaments, want the printer to check its own first layer and watch for failures, and value the touchscreen and camera. Or you want the hardened parts without upgrading them yourself.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 P1S or a sliced .gcode.3mf for the X1 Carbon, 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 P1S vs Bambu Lab X1 Carbon: the numbers
| Bambu Lab P1S | Bambu Lab X1 Carbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Printable area in the profile | 256 x 256 x 250 mm | 256 x 256 x 250 mm |
| Frame | Enclosed CoreXY | Enclosed CoreXY |
| Enclosure | Enclosed, passive chamber (no heater), activated-carbon filter, auxiliary part-cooling fan | Enclosed, passive chamber, carbon filter, chamber temperature sensor |
| Extruder and hotend | Direct drive, 300 °C; stainless nozzle standard | Direct drive, 300 °C; hardened steel nozzle and extruder gears standard |
| Hardened nozzle for abrasive filament | Optional nozzle and extruder gears | Standard |
| Multi-colour | AMS, 4 spools (up to 16 with four units) | 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) | $699; $949 with AMS (July 2023) | $1,199; $1,449 with AMS (2022) |
| Best for | ABS and ASA without fuss, multi-colour, a quiet enclosed box | Carbon- and glass-fibre filaments out of the box, lidar first-layer checks, the touchscreen and camera |
Printable area in the profileBambu Lab P1S: 256 x 256 x 250 mmBambu Lab X1 Carbon: 256 x 256 x 250 mm
FrameBambu Lab P1S: Enclosed CoreXYBambu Lab X1 Carbon: Enclosed CoreXY
EnclosureBambu Lab P1S: Enclosed, passive chamber (no heater), activated-carbon filter, auxiliary part-cooling fanBambu Lab X1 Carbon: Enclosed, passive chamber, carbon filter, chamber temperature sensor
Extruder and hotendBambu Lab P1S: Direct drive, 300 °C; stainless nozzle standardBambu Lab X1 Carbon: Direct drive, 300 °C; hardened steel nozzle and extruder gears standard
Hardened nozzle for abrasive filamentBambu Lab P1S: Optional nozzle and extruder gearsBambu Lab X1 Carbon: Standard
Multi-colourBambu Lab P1S: AMS, 4 spools (up to 16 with four units)Bambu Lab X1 Carbon: AMS, 4 spools (up to 16 with four units)
Nozzle variants in the profileBambu Lab P1S: 0.2 nozzle, 0.4 nozzle, 0.6 nozzle, 0.8 nozzleBambu Lab X1 Carbon: 0.2 nozzle, 0.4 nozzle, 0.6 nozzle, 0.8 nozzle
Layer heights in the print profilesBambu Lab P1S: 0.06 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.14 mm, 0.16 mm and moreBambu Lab X1 Carbon: 0.06 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.14 mm, 0.16 mm and more
Filament profilesBambu Lab P1S: PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PLA-CF and moreBambu Lab X1 Carbon: PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PLA-CF and more
A file made on a phoneBambu 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 computerBambu Lab X1 Carbon: 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 P1S: Closed (Bambu Studio, Handy, MakerWorld); OrcaSlicer worksBambu Lab X1 Carbon: Closed (Bambu Studio, Handy, MakerWorld); OrcaSlicer works
Sliced download from SpeakCADBambu Lab P1S: Sliced .gcode.3mfBambu Lab X1 Carbon: Sliced .gcode.3mf
Launch price (USD)Bambu Lab P1S: $699; $949 with AMS (July 2023)Bambu Lab X1 Carbon: $1,199; $1,449 with AMS (2022)
Best forBambu Lab P1S: ABS and ASA without fuss, multi-colour, a quiet enclosed boxBambu Lab X1 Carbon: Carbon- and glass-fibre filaments out of the box, lidar first-layer checks, the touchscreen and camera
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 editorWhat is identical
Motion system, enclosure with the activated-carbon filter, auxiliary part-cooling fan, 256 x 256 x 250 mm printable area in the profile, 300 °C hotend, AMS support for 4 to 16 spools, Bambu Studio and the Handy app. Print quality on the same filament is the same.
What the X1 Carbon adds
- Hardened nozzle and extruder gears as standard. Abrasive filaments (carbon fibre, glass fibre, glow-in-the-dark) wear a stainless nozzle and brass gears quickly. The P1S can be upgraded with the same parts, at extra cost and an hour of work.
- Lidar. Measures the first layer and flow, and catches a bad first layer before the print goes on.
- AI failure detection. The camera watches for spaghetti and stops the print.
- Screen and camera. A 5-inch touchscreen and a 1080p camera against a small non-touch screen and a low-frame-rate camera.
- Chamber temperature sensor.
What you give up on the P1S
Nothing in print quality. The P1S is simply less convenient to operate at the printer, harder to monitor remotely, and needs an upgrade before abrasive filament.
Prices
$699 (P1S) against $1,199 (X1 Carbon) at launch, $949 against $1,449 with the AMS. Bambu changed prices in 2025 and they vary by region.
Verdict
Buy the P1S and, if you ever need it, the hardened nozzle and gears; you will still be ahead. Buy the X1 Carbon if abrasive filament is your normal material or if the lidar, camera and touchscreen are things you will use every day.
Sliced for either one
SpeakCAD ships the OrcaSlicer profiles of the Bambu Lab P1S and the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, 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 P1S or a sliced .gcode.3mf for the X1 Carbon, with the print time and filament weight. The STL and 3MF are always there for your own slicer. The Bambu Lab P1S and Bambu Lab X1 Carbon pages have prompts sized for each bed and the library parts made for them.
Questions
Not on the same filament: same motion system, same hotend temperature, same profiles. The X1C's lidar catches first-layer problems earlier and its hardened parts survive abrasive filament; the finished part looks the same.
Yes, after fitting a hardened steel nozzle and hardened extruder gears, both sold by Bambu. Without them, abrasive filament wears the stainless nozzle within a few spools.
The P1S. The enclosure, the AMS and the speed are the same, and $500 buys a lot of filament. Upgrade to hardened parts later if you move to engineering filaments.
Yes, both, with the OrcaSlicer profile each maker ships: a sliced .gcode.3mf for the P1S and a sliced .gcode.3mf for the X1 Carbon, 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 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 X1 Carbon: custom parts, sliced for itBambu's enclosed flagship with the hardened nozzle for carbon-fibre filaments and lidar first-layer inspection.Bambu Lab A1 vs Bambu Lab P1SA1 vs P1S: same 256 mm bed. The A1 is an open bed slinger, $399 at launch; the P1S an enclosed CoreXY, $699, that prints ABS and ASA properly. Which fits you.Bambu Lab P1S vs Creality K1CP1S vs K1C: the K1C has a hardened nozzle and a Klipper web page for phone uploads on a 220 mm bed; the P1S a 256 mm bed, the AMS and polished software.Bambu Lab P1S vs Elegoo Centauri CarbonP1S vs Centauri Carbon: same 256 mm enclosed CoreXY class. A hardened nozzle at $299 launch on the Elegoo; the AMS and the ecosystem at $699 on the Bambu.Bambu Lab P1S vs Prusa CORE OneP1S vs CORE One: both enclosed CoreXYs. The P1S is $699 with the AMS option; the CORE One $949 as a kit, open-source, with a controlled chamber and PrusaLink.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.