I'm addicted to 3D printing with my Bambu Lab A1 Combo, and it's $200 off right now

Bambu Lab A1 Combo on a counter
(Image credit: Future)

I've always looked at 3D printing from the outside, thinking it was cool, but not really for me.

Then I tried my first 3D printer. Now, I'm positively hooked. It's so much fun to make all kinds of stuff with a few mouse clicks. Usually $599, Amazon has the Bambu Lab A1 Combo for $399. That's $200 off the regular price, making this a deal sure to beat even the best Black Friday deals slated for next month.

Bambu Lab A1 Combo 3D printer
Bambu Lab A1 Combo 3D printer: was $599 now $399 at Amazon

The Bambu Lab A1 Combo comes with four spools for different filament colors, and 256mm of printing space for moderate-sized projects. One of my favorite aspects of the printer is how easy it is to get up and running — Bambu says about 20 minutes from box to print, and I'd say it took me a couple of minutes longer, but not far off. For beginners, the process to get going is minimal, and the quality of print jobs is way better than you'd expect.

While I haven't dug deep enough in the world of the Bambu A1 to write a full review yet (that'll be coming soon), I can say that with the little over a week I've spent with it, I'm sold on the concept of 3D printing and this model being the perfect gateway into the experience. I'd go as far as to say that it will be on our best 3D printers list once I get a proper review out — I'm that confident in how good it is.

I love how quickly it can print basic and more complex projects. The longest thing I've printed so far took about 6 hours, but that was a very detailed skull-shaper flower pot. And it came out fantastic.

3D Printer Grim Reaper

The pumpkin is air-dry clay by my stepson, but the Grim Reaper contemplating existence is 3D printed by me. (Image credit: Future)

If you have kids, don't even get me started on how much fun they'll have (with your guidance). I've printed my stepson all kinds of Minecraft figures and fun accessories. Every day, he comes from school asking what I printed and wanting me to print something else. He's eight, but when he gets a little older, I know he'll be designing his own projects and learning through the 3D printing process. (I've just started designing my own with a really simple design for a golf ball marker display).

Logo of a website on a 3D printed sign

The first 3D print I designed myself in Bambu Studio (Image credit: Future)

Speaking of children, another benefit is the relatively low noise output. I've had it printing for a couple of hours overnight while he's asleep, and it hasn't woken him up once (my dog barked at it a couple times, but that was just her adjusting to a new sound in the house).

Whether you thought 3D printing was dumb or you were intimidated by all the possibilities, put that aside and give it a try with this awesome deal. $200 off is enough to buy a boatload of filament, which you'll need once you're as hooked on printing everything and anything as I am.

Dave LeClair
Senior News Editor

Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.

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