Question for the group. Why buy Bambu filament over Amazon vendors

[Olias]

This one is a head scratcher for me because Bambu is obviously making a killing with their filament business as witnessed by the frequent stock-outs of popular colors.

Setting aside the question about what feeds best in an AMS, obviously Bambu has an advantage. For those of us who use just a single spool at a time, a question for the group:

Why would you buy Bambu filament over another brand on Amazon?

With Bambu filament you get the following here in the U.S.

1. Between 40% - 220% higher price of competitors on Amazon.

2. You pay for shipping unless you go for their over $50 min.

3. Poor return policy.

4. Not a lot of difference in quality over competitors if any difference at all. Especially with matte or silk filaments - where I found out personally - is awful compared to competing products. I won’t ever buy it again.

5. 7-12 days to ship across country. They use FedEx Ground which might as well use Carrier Pigeon because the parcels hitchhike onto whatever truck is going in that direction. BTW: USPS is faster, I get cross country parcels in 3-5 business days. Faster if local shipping.
   (I genuinely mean this: FedEx Ground shipments typically remain stationary until the delivery truck is filled to capacity, often making 5-12 stops as they traverse the country. They may also get delayed at a particular location for more than a day, waiting for the truck to fill up.)

6. They are frequently stocked out of the basics like PLA black.

Now let’s look at Amazon.

1. I’m averaging between $10-$15 US for PLA and about $15-$22 for PETG and about $22 for PC while Bambu charges $28 for PLA Basic and higher unless your in their over-complicated “members club” which is then $17.

2. For returns, with Amazon, I click, print a label and drop it off at the UPS box down the street and have a credit in my account by 7PM that night once the UPS driver scans it.

3. If I am unhappy, I ping the seller and almost always get either a refund or replacement. So far I’ve had 3 free spools in the last three months because the product didn’t perform for one reason or another. With Bambu, I break the seal, I own it.

4. I get it within 1-2 days on average. Most of the time if I order before noon, it’s at my house the next day.

I’d love to hear the group’s thoughts on this.

[AMT_MW]

From Europe, using PETG & ABS at around one to two spools per month:

My first choice is filament from local producers, even if they are (way) more expensive (35 to 50 €/kg).

Second choice is reliable filament at a reasonable price from within Europe (20 to 30 €/kg).

A filament that I would pick at the amazon market place usually is available through the producers own sales channel as well, maybe even slightly cheaper. Regarding the return policy, that may be a clear point for amazon. - I do have an eye on their basic product line of filament (19 €/kg).

For PETG & ABS/ASA, Bambu Lab will get my filament order simply because of points redeemed into gift cards. That pushes the filament price (including shipping) down to or even under the prices of any competitors. – Bambu Lab’s normal price (28€/kg) or even membership price (19 €/kg) is way above what competitors from a neighboring country have on offer in decent quality but limited color choice (under 15€/kg).

[EnoTheThracian]

I’d love to have the one killer response to that. Sadly, here in Europe, I don’t.

Filament on Amazon seems slightly more expensive than in the US, but Bambu still sells 50% higher than Amazon.

Delivery seems to be quicker here than in the US, but it is still twice as long as Amazon.

While the Bambu filament is supposed to be especially useful for high speed printing, the stuff I like to print tends to have rather complex geometries. Going really fast just means that I get 4 bad parts in the same time it would take to get a single good one. In particular with PETG, where the recommended settings are rather unhelpful.

So why do I buy Bambu filament atm?
For 8 rolls a month with the membership deal I get the same price as I get on Amazon … as well as a Bambu Spool

[lkraus]

Two points in favor of Bambu filament:

1. Bambu filament has RFID tags which may be useful for AMS owners.
2. Studio has some pretty good profiles optimized for Bambu filament. Helpful for those who just want a quick print.

Neither point is an advantage for me, since I don’t have an AMS and I can easily run my own filament calibrations.

I’ll consider Bambu filament if it is on sale for a good price (rare). MicroCenter’s Inland filament is good, available locally, and cheaper if I have an urgent, same-day need (also rare). Amazon offers more options, is usually cheapest, with quick, free Prime shipping, so it provides most of my filament needs.

[KanneKaffe]

I almost exclusively use other brands that have stood the test of time. Especially normal PLA, which can be printed almost as fast as Bambu PLA and is good for test prints, I sometimes get for under 10€, but often under 15€ / Kg. I don’t need the high speeds, often they are a hindrance because they lead to quality problems. Certain filigree things can’t be printed faster with Bambu filament than with other filaments either, because fast printing also causes vibrations. If I need filament urgently, I check when I need it and order so that I get it the next day (Prime). Delivery times are displayed.

[Kallvin]

I suppose one of the selling points is their subscription program, but that’s really tit for tat comparison. Your points still stand tall.

[StreetSports]

Only thing ive found is some filaments cant run fast. Now I search “speed pla” and I only use polylite asa. elegoo has a speed pla and so does creality. For super cheap. Especially if you catch a sale or buy bulk. For the colors I barely ever use, nylon and cf, I still buy bambu. White, black and grey pla plus all asa, pc and petg get bought on amazon. all get bought on amazon for dirt cheap.

Even with the membership pricing, Bambu filament can still be easily beat

If bambu sold filament on amazon with 1 day or overnight delivery, id probably buy all bambu still. For the simplicity of not having to transfer rfid tags from roll to roll to reuse them. I bought all the bambu colors once, to get the tags and the spools to reuse. I cut the tags in half for 2 rolls at a time.

I run the bambu profiles with all filament also. I never touch the generic settings since i used my last sunlu roll.

[asdfgasdfg1]

eSUN prints just as good for half the price, can easily go under $10 if you play their weird sudoku discount game. Im not paying $15 for a rfid tag to input a color for me…

Cant see why I would buy it honestly. Maybe because i have points on MakerWorld to redeem, but I don’t, not any more at least.

[arekxyz]

eSUN is so annoying with cardboard spools.

Here (PL) local filaments (from local makers) have very good quality yet cheaper, on plastic spool, with free delivery even for 1 roll.

Bambu filaments are pricier and have no advantage, even with subscription.

[byMH62]

I’ve been printing Hatchbox ABS almost uniquely until last week when I looked at the BambuLab ABS and with the available discount the cost was almost identical as long as i ordered 3 spools so I took a chance and ordered.

FedEx must have deployed the Moorglade Mover because I got my shipment the next day. If it prints well, I’ll likely buy again.

I’m in SoCal.

[StreetSports]

They do have a pretty good price on abs

[Rom3oDelta7]

I’ve (mostly) switched to Bambu for PETG filament. I initially had a terrible experience with it, but after tuning and calibrating it (for me, the standard BBL PETG profiles weren’t even close) it prints very well. Best surface quality (not glossy like almost all others) and the best bridging and overhangs in particular. Beat Polymaker, eSun, and Overture in my tests. Frankly, this is the only filament where I have found the BBL has an advantage. Note that I have not yet tested their more exotic filaments yet, however.

For PLA, third-party filaments like eSun PLA+, eSun PLA-HF, and the new Polymaker high-flow filaments all work well and are generally less expensive. You do have to deal with the cardboard spool for some of these, but I printed a batch of the spool liners in TPU and I just slap those on when required - no big deal.

[Bnut157]

I buy both, but I do find myself buying more from bambu. Below are my reasons:

1. I have had zero issues with any Bambu filament on my X1C. Any issues with stringing that I did have were quickly resolved by simply throwing the roll in my Ebois dryer for a few hours.

2. Especially with the membership discount, I think it is competitively priced at $17 for refill spools. Its just as expensive as eSun PETG that I buy on amazon (except when eSun, Overture, or Polymaker goes on sale) I’m sorry I cannot empathize with your struggles, the membership has always worked flawlessly and it really seems straight forward to me.

3. I have never had to return a filament roll, so I will take your word that it is a hassle/not possible with Bambu.

4. I agree the shipping is way longer than thru amazon. That is a definite downside for a lot of people. I’m the kind of person who orders and forgets that I ordered it until it shows up, so again I’m just not as affected as others by this but I agree it is a factor.

I am curious which brands you are buying from on amazon that you can get $10 for a spool of PLA that works reliably. I typically buy from the major brands (Polymaker, Overture, and eSun) and their filament ranges from $14.99 to $29, which is comparable to Bambu’s pricing. I have seen Neptune filament for I think around $10, but I’m scared to try it at that price point lol. The reviews are mixed so I always opted for the more big name brands.

Anyways, I’m eager to hear which brands you have had success with at that price point so I can give them a try.

[StreetSports]

Alot of the time, when you click on the filament page, it will have a checkbox with additional discounts.

[Olias]

@Bnut157

I am curious which brands you are buying from on amazon that you can get $10 for a spool of PLA that works reliably. I typically buy from the major brands (Polymaker, Overture, and eSun) and their filament ranges from $14.99 to $29, which is comparable to Bambu’s pricing. I have seen Neptune filament for I think around $10, but I’m scared to try it at that price point lol. The reviews are mixed so I always opted for the more big name brands.

That’s a great question and I’m glad you asked. The one thing I’ll say, I too was very suspicious of $10 spools(more like $10.99 spools) but don’t worry about taking a risk on Amazon. I’ve been refunded for 3 spools in the last 90 days alone that I found unacceptable. Their return policy is there for a reason.

Here’s my list below. I’ve deliberately stayed away from all of those vendors you mentioned because in my experience, you’re paying 20-30% more for just the name. Luckily I kept one-each of all my spools and wrote notes on them. What I learned when I purchased off-brand filament is that it became very obvious by both the outer carton, the spool, the production label on the spool, the vacuum seal and even the damned desiccant bag, that the filament came from the exact same factory in China that Poly, Overture and eSun uses. In other words, we’re all being played as suckers and maybe for the casual once a month buyer, they’re a safe bet, but if you’re going through more than 3-6 spools a month like me, that ends up adding up to an extra spool for ever 4th or 5th purchase.

This is a great lesson in consumerism and buying wisely.

So to answer your question here are some examples and some receipts for the more unbelievable deals. I’ve tried to provide links as well since YMMV in your country or when you purchase. It should also be noted that I view shopping as a competitive sport.

I’m only focusing on PLA here. I’ve been doing a lot of PC and PETG prints of late so my PLA usage has fallen off dramatically in the last 60 days.

Note1:

Some of these were flash deals that can be here one day and gone the next. But I keep meticulous notes and maintain a list of past filament performance so that if a flash deal comes to my phone and it’s a filament I have a known experience with, I’ll be able to gauge whether it’s a good deal or not.

Note2:

This list is what I paid back when it purchased it. In case nobody has noticed, PLA prices on Amazon have fluctuated dramatically since June by anywhere from 40-60%.

1. Colido $14 - Not $10 but still my consistent go-to source for black filament of choice when there are no other deals to be had. a.co/d/ezzYkIN
   

   

2. XYZ Printing - While not $10, it’s worth mentioning because thanks to Bambu being out of stock of black filament(at $28 at the time), I was forced to by this filament at $18 which at the time felt like a deal given Bambu’s egregious freight and delivery issues. This is the first filament that got me to buy from a source other than Bambu and essentially changed my buying patterns permanently once I got over my fears of getting ripped off. a.co/d/0chY8On
   

   

3. Ketrum $10.99 - A Total Disaster, stringy, poor adhesion and 2.47% water. Had this been my first off-brand purchase, I likely would have been soured by the whole experience and run back to mamma Bambu. I got full refund without being required to return unused portion, which shows you the power of buying through Amazon as a Prime member. a.co/d/5achiYb
   

   

4. Jayo $10.39 - My “personal best” in the field of competitive deal hunting.This was a flash deal that surprisingly has been a good filament and I was suspicious after my Ketrum disaster but armed with the knowledge I could return it, I took the plunge. However, as I was doing the screengrab for this post it went back up to $14 and a few minutes later went to $16. So it proves you have to know what you’re buying and be quick. If this comes back up at $10.39, since black is my go-to filament, I’ll likely buy 4 spools at once. a.co/d/jbomGBN
   

   

5. Honorable mention, PETG for under $15 - This was a flash deal and an impulse buy but has really proven to be a great find. Now it’s permanently under $15 it seams. a.co/d/dR1OEel
   

   

There are other examples but this post is already too long to include them.

Conclusion

Let’s be candid. If anyone is reading this post, that means they could afford an expensive printer so a savings of $2-$20 may not seem like much, but what if you were asked, “Every 3-4 spools you’ll get a free one” then would you change your buying pattern? Also, if you’re running a business, you’ll likely prioritize supplier consistency over price. However, for me, this is a hobby not a profession so I need to be mindful of not over-paying. I clearly don’t mind spending, I just don’t like knowing I got ripped off, and at the moment, our friends at Bambu feel like they take advantage of the uninformed buyer. If this post helps just one person buy more wisely, then it was a good deed.

[Bnut157]

Great point. I do take advantage of those coupons when I see them.

[ExtremeElementz]

The amount of knowledge and value you bring to the community is stellar. Thank you for this writeup, not only will in help my next purchase but once my Filament membership ends with Bambu will probably alter my shopping choices going forward.

I do also think I might end up selling my P1P(S) when Bambu releases a X Series successor, for the simple reason the calibration on these materials takes so much longer on the P series I didn’t think about that ahead of time. Being able to swap in a random filament and let the X series LiDar do the work for auto cal is a game changer in itself and a very high reason I will be considering the next X series down the line for me.

It’s super interesting to me because I see those filaments on Amazon all the time but never buy them because in my mind “They are too cheap they must be bad, I don’t want a clogged extruder” LOL. But not having a lot of money I can’t just randomly go and buy a bunch of rolls as this is a hobby for me too and budgets are to be had. But if I can score an extra roll or two because of price and they have been somewhat vetted by the community I would be willing to try them out. Thanks again!

[ghostgirl]

Thank you for this!! I would totally subscribe to a blog that reviewed weird Amazon filaments.

[silver118822]

It would be nice if Bambu lab let people that bought printers from there distributors get memberships!

[Olias]

@asdfgasdfg1

eSUN prints just as good for half the price, can easily go under $10 if you play their weird sudoku discount game.

That has to be the quote of the week. I love it. It really sums up how I feel sometimes when I have to try to figure out what discounts I qualify for and which I don’t. Don’t get me wrong, when I was a frequent flier, I used to love to game their system for free upgrades and discounts. But that was hundreds of dollars and lots more leg room on log flights that were at stake. For something like filament, if I have to get out the Enigma Code book from WWII just to save $2, I’m outta here!!! I refuse to sing for my supper.