If you search this forum, you will find a number of posts where I advocate strict filament moisture discipline. That position comes from hard-earned experience, and I stand by it. That said, there is a lot of hype and exaggerated marketing across all filament dryer brands.
In 2024, I ran a side-by-side evaluation of two popular sub-$100 dryers: the Sunlu S2 and the Creality Space Pi. Rather than telling you what to buy, I documented what mattered to me and scored each unit accordingly.
Full review and scoring grid:
The scoring reflects my priorities. Yours may differ. Apply your own weighting to the grid and use it as a decision aid, not a prescription.
My takeaway is that many recent dryers prioritize appearance over function. Earlier designs focused on doing the job. Newer models often trade enclosure function for ■■■ and sizzle aesthetics. At this price point, there is no clear winner-only tradeoffs.
Practical advice: buy one or more like I did from Amazon Prime, test it with your own filament and workflow, and return it within the Amazon return the ones within the 30 day window if it does not meet your expectations. That’s what I did. The key thing that they all fail at is advertised high-end temps which is important for PC and PETG as well as even heating. I added a USB fan to my Creality to overcome this but other mods also had to be made in order for it to be an adequate performer.
In my case, Sunlu S2 was a big loser and the Creality Pi only won by being the Tallest building in a short skyline. In other words, the bar they had to rise up to was set only a short distance from the floor. 