The Maker’s Toolbox: Bambu Lab P2S 3D Printer Review

Should you buy a Bambu Lab P1S or a P2S? Should you upgrade from a P1S to a P2S? Let’s find out in what might be the easiest 3D printer review I’ve ever done!

The basics

The Bambu Lab P1S is a very well-regarded 3D printer. I reviewed the P1S back in August of 2023 and it remained my primary 3D printer until just recently, when I got the Bambu Lab H2D to review. I held on to the P1S for so long because it was such a reliable and dependable printer.

The Bambu Lab P2S builds on the P1S legacy. The build volume is the same at 256×256×256mm, but almost everything has been upgraded for improved performance, reliability, and convenience.

Some notable changes include:

• A new user interface with a 5” full-color touchscreen, which is a big improvement over the P1S’s small monochrome LCD and buttons.
• A higher quality camera, with better AI detection of print failures.
• Dramatically improved thermal management, for maintaining a chamber temperature ideal for the filament being used.
• New hot end and extruder design, which should allow for better flow, better quality, better reliability, and better filament compatibility.
• A redesigned frame and motion system that are more rigid for increased acceleration.
• The combo package includes the new AMS 2 Pro.

But at its core, the P2S maintains the identity of the P1S. To use cars as an analogy, the P2S feels like a new generation of the same model, rather than a completely different model.

That is a good thing, but it does leave a lot of prospective buyers wondering if it is worth buying a P2S over a P1S. Or if they already own a P1S, if the P2S is worth purchasing as an upgrade.

That is what I will attempt to answer in this review.

Comparisons

In the intro, I said that this might be the easiest 3D printer review I’ve ever done. That’s because the Bambu Lab P2S is really good and I don’t have any complaints about it.

If the P1S didn’t exist and the question was just whether or not you should buy a P2S, I could answer “yes” without any hesitation. The P2S is a fantastic printer that is perfect for hobbyists and professionals who want something more capable than the A1 or A1 Mini, but don’t need the size of the H2 series (or don’t want to spend that much money).

But the P1S does still exist and you can still buy one right now. In fact, the P1S is currently discounted to $399 in the Bambu Lab store (though it is on backorder). That’s an incredible price and compared to $549 for the P2S, which is also a very good price, it represents a significant savings.

Though the P2S Combo comes with the new AMS 2 Pro, it is compatible with the original AMS. The opposite is also true: the P1S is compatible with both the AMS and the AMS 2 Pro.

The waters are very muddy here when it comes to deciding between the P1S and P2S. To make that decision easier, I’ll go into more detail about a few key features to consider.

The new interface

This might seem trivial to some, but it is actually my favorite improvement on the Bambu Lab P2S. The new 5” touchscreen is great and is much more pleasant to use than the P1S’s rather utilitarian interface.

In the past with the P1S, I rarely used the on-printer interface. I would do almost everything remotely through the Bambu Studio software and really only used the interface if I needed to manually load or unload filament from the extruder.

But with the P2S, I’ve found myself using the touchscreen interface directly for a lot of tasks. In particular, it is handy when doing anything with the AMS 2 Pro. If I swap filament or want to dry filament, I can do that with the touchscreen instead of walking over to my PC. It is also nice for monitoring the status of a print job and checking any notifications.

That usability and convenience is nice, even if it isn’t directly affecting performance or print quality.

The AMS 2 Pro

I don’t want to spend too much time on this, because I have already talked about the AMS 2 Pro in my review of the Bambu Lab H2D. And as I mentioned, the P1S and P2S are both compatible with both the original AMS and the AMS 2 Pro.

But because the P2S Combo comes with the AMS 2 Pro, it merits some discussion here.

Funny enough, the AMS to AMS 2 Pro comparison mirrors the P1S to P2S comparison. The AMS 2 Pro is better than the AMS, but not so much better that it is obvious that an AMS owner should upgrade to an AMS 2 Pro.

The AMS 2 Pro is faster, more reliable with more materials, and has built-in drying capabilities. But otherwise, the user experience is pretty much the same as with the AMS.

If you’re buying a new machine, it makes sense to get an AMS 2 Pro with that. But if you already own an AMS, I don’t think it is worth upgrading to an AMS 2 Pro unless you really want the drying function.

The camera

The P1S has a camera inside the enclosure, which you can use to monitor prints and record timelapse videos. But that camera is kind of crappy, if I’m being honest. It is fine for checking to make sure a print is going smoothly, but the timelapse videos aren’t exactly worthy of Instagram.

The camera in the P2S is better. There is a noticeable improvement in picture quality, which is nice.

However, the P2S’s camera is still lacking if you’re looking to post nice timelapse videos on social media. It isn’t horrible, but it won’t impress anyone. To get a really nice timelapse, you will need to use an external camera, just like with the P1S.

That said, the P2S can use its camera to detect print failures like the H2D does. That is most useful for spaghetti detection, which is what you will likely see in the event of a complete print failure.

I didn’t experience any such failures myself. But based on my experience with the H2D, I think it is a nice feature. If you don’t like it or find it to be too sensitive, you can adjust the sensitivity or turn it off altogether.

The quick-swap nozzle

Replacing the hotend on a Bambu Lab P1S isn’t hard to do. Bambu famously combines the hotend and nozzle into a single unit. With the P1S, that’s slightly harder than replacing just the nozzle on most other 3D printers, but far easier than replacing the hot end on those same models.

The P2S, like the H2D, makes it incredibly easy — easier than replacing just the nozzle on other printers. That’s because it doesn’t require any tools. You just pull off the extruder cover, unclip the old hotend/nozzle, swap it, put the clip back in place, and put the cover back on.

Personally, that isn’t a major factor for me, as I don’t often swap hotends or nozzles. But many people do and the design of the P2S can save those people some serious time. It is particularly handy if you like to use different nozzle sizes, as you can easily swap from a 0.4mm nozzle to a 0.8mm nozzle between jobs.

Thermal management

The P1S can’t do much to regulate the temperature inside the enclosure, which limits its reliability with materials that are sensitive to temperature. The P2S has sensors and fans that it can use to move air around in an attempt to maintain whatever enclosure temperature is best for the filament.

In practice, I found that that worked well enough for materials like ABS to prevent warping. However, it isn’t the same as active chamber heating and so the P2S may still struggle with materials that need really high heat. Those tend to be exotic and uncommon, so I doubt the lack of active heating will dissuade many buyers, but it is worth noting.

In either case, the P2S clearly beats out the P1S in this regard.

Redesigned frame and motion system

These were the hardest upgrades for me to evaluate, as I don’t think they were ever a factor in the P1S’s speed limitations.

In theory, these upgrades would allow for faster acceleration without a sacrifice to print quality. But I couldn’t see any major differences in print quality between the P1S and P2S, much less differences that would be attributable to the frame or motion system.

However, those who like to really push their printers to the limits with custom profiles might see benefits. And if not, the upgrades certainly aren’t going to hurt.

For current P1S owners

I’ve been very pleased with the P2S, but I still have recommendations to give. Let’s start with a recommendation for those of you who already own a P1S:

If your P1S is functioning properly, I don’t think it is worth buying a P2S.

While the P2S is better, it isn’t so much better that I think an upgrade makes sense. It would be like buying a new generation of Toyota Camry, when you already have a three-year-old Toyota Camry in your driveway that is running great.

An upgrade might be worthwhile if you really want one of the features I mentioned above, but I think most P1S owners would be better off either keeping what they have or upgrading to one of the models in the H series.

For those new to Bambu

This is the harder recommendation to give, because it comes down to your budget and needs as an individual.

However, my job is to generalize and so I would say that if you’re in the market for your first Bambu Lab printer, you should go with the P2S over the P1S.

The P2S doesn’t cost that much more than the P1S new, but it offers a lot of new features that will make 3D printing more enjoyable and more versatile. The interface is much better, the hotend/nozzle system is more convenient, and the material compatibility is broader.

Final thoughts

The Bambu Lab P2S is a genuinely great 3D printer that offers tremendous value by following the same strategy as the P1S did. It isn’t the cheapest printer on the market or the most capable, but it is an amazing workhorse that will do what it is supposed to for a very reasonable price.

In the past, the P1S was my go-to recommendation for a midrange 3D printer. Now, the P2S will take its place when I’m giving those recommendations.