Testers wanted for Bambu Lab R1!

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1

Not sure if this is real, why on Reddit but not in forum or email. Or did I just miss it?

2

a quick look at the profile tells you that it’s the real bambu account.

Because they want people with a laser cutting background/ experience with it.

3

After launch, calling it “testing” is a bit of a stretch, but they call it that.
More of a soft marketing, so r/laserengraving is a fitting spot.

4

It’s a contest - marketing not testing.

5

I get that it is a laserengraving reddit but there are a lot of people in this forum that appear to do that. They are claiming to give away 3 R1s to the people that win their “what would you do with it” contest (and review after they get it) and hopefully they will come out and offer the same chance to the people who actually helped put the company where it is (the printer consumer).

6

They’re really just running a promotion and bringing in new influencers. For Bambu, it’s not so much about three winners - it’s about visibility. And if we look at the comments, it’s also clearly about building connections. They can now pick the low-hanging fruit for networking.

Without the giveaway, a promotional post like that wouldn’t be allowed in the subreddits either.

The ‘winners’ also have to meet certain requirements - we don’t know exactly what those are - but that’s what Bambu means when they say the devices need to be tested. It’s more like Amazon Vine: you get to keep the product for free, but you’re expected to provide a positive review, even though the company would never admit it.

Sign up as a major influencer and you’ll get the devices sent to you for free about a week before release. Alternatively, if you’re one of the top creators on MakerWorld, you have a good chance of getting one in advance - but here’s the catch: you’ll need to upload MakerWorld projects for the R1 in truly outstanding, promotional-quality form.

What I mean is: companies hand out devices all the time as part of promotional campaigns - but there’s always a catch. You’d probably be shocked to find out how many people have already gotten free hardware - with a catch.

7

They know they already have the money from folks in this forum

8

It’s really a give‑and‑take situation; many people have managed to fund their hobby through points, or even make a nice little profit along the way.

I’d say Bambu earns most of its revenue from the mainstream audience, while for some long‑time forum users it’s actually more like a loss. Of course, there are exceptions.

Of course, it always depends on how positively and proactively you approach the whole situation, or not.

9

Contest is over, winners picked so closeing:

"A huge thanks to everyone who participated! We are overwhelmed by the creative and thoughtful responses from the community!

All testers have been selected, congrats to:

u/i_Meggius , our team's pick

u/A_T_Rannals

u/Themakerspace

We will reach out via Reddit DM on 9/28 Monday for next steps, please keep an eye out!"