Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Best for: Makers who want large prints and multicolor capability without an enclosure — ideal for PLA, PETG, and flexible materials.
Full details →First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Budget-conscious makers who want built-in 4-color multicolor printing under $400 — primarily for PLA and PETG. Open frame, so not suited for ABS or engineering filaments without the add-on enclosure.
Full details →| Bambu Lab A1 | Flashforge AD5X | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Prosumer | Prosumer |
| Motion | BedSlinger | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | 256 × 256 × 256 mm | 220 × 220 × 220 mm |
| Max Speed | 500 mm/s | 600 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ❌ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Materials | PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS | PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, PLA-CF, PA-CF, PETG-CF |
| Released | Oct 19, 2023 | Sep 1, 2025 |
| Cycle length | ~365 days | — |
| Cycle advice | Wait | Buy |
| Deals advice | Buy | Caution |
| Next model | — | — |
Unlike the A1 Mini's AMS Lite, the A1 Combo includes the full AMS with support for a wider range of filament types.
The largest build volume available in a Bambu bed-slinger — great for terrain, large cosplay props, and functional parts.
Works with Bambu Studio, Bambu Handy app, and the full Bambu filament ecosystem including multi-material profiles.
The AD5X undercuts comparable multicolor setups on price with IFS built directly into the printer — no separate accessory needed.
No cloud dependency or mandatory account. OrcaSlicer is community-standard open-source slicer software — familiar to most experienced makers.
Ships ready for PLA-CF and PETG-CF without requiring a nozzle upgrade — a genuine differentiator at this price point.