Best 3D printers for families 2022

The Snapmaker 3-in-1 fabricator is a fantastic automobile for a family unit to start their 3D printing adventure. Because of its modular design and the availability of other fabrication systems at purchase, your family tin learn 3D printing, laser etching, and CNC milling all from one machine!

Our pick

Snapmaker 3D printer

Snapmaker 3-in-1 3D printer

A printer with a lot of variety

The Snapmaker has such a diverseness of uses. It'due south perfect for a family who wants to learn nigh fabrication and how to build a machine from scratch. Speaking from personal feel, information technology's one of my and my son's favorite printers to utilise together.

Who should buy this 3D printer?

When you accept adults and kids who are interested in the same things, information technology pays to encourage those interests. If you have a family unit that wants to try out 3D printing, likewise as other fabrication mediums, and so this is for you. The iii-in-1 organisation gives yous scope for a broad range of projects to share with your family unit.

Is it a proficient time to purchase the Snapmaker 3-in-one?

The price of the Snapmaker doesn't vary much, and so information technology's a great time to buy it any time of the twelvemonth. If in that location are any deals, I will update this post beneath with links, but the standard price for three exciting tools built into i is probably worth it. If you are looking to increase your print volume, the Snapmaker ii is now bachelor and comes in 3 sizes, but information technology is more expensive.

Reasons to buy

Piece of cake to gather
Quality prints out of the box
3-in-1 gives you lot loads of variety
Modular design allows for expansion

Reasons not to buy

Price is fairly high
Build surface area is small

Playing and learning is central

Snapmaker 3D printer Source: Snapmaker

What makes a 3D printer expert for a family? It needs to be piece of cake to use by a vast range of ages, also every bit hold the involvement of any person long plenty for them to want to continue the hobby. Information technology too needs to have a learning curve, so as the children and adults continue to learn the tasks you tin can exercise with it, their skill increases.

The Snapmaker three-in-1 ticks all these boxes and more. The design of the machine is modular then putting information technology together was elementary plenty for my 12-year-quondam to do on his own. It even has standard RJ45 plugs to connect everything into the main computer board. He made light work of screwing everything in, also checking with a spirit level to make sure everything was straight (he didn't really need to of grade, simply I wasn't going to terminate his fun), then attaching all the cables in the right social club. The look on his face up when the printer started up the first time was worth the price of admission.

The design of the machine is modular, and then putting it together was simple enough for my 12-year-old to do on his own.

The greatest gift that the Snapmaker gives you is variety. When you buy the Snapmaker, it comes with three tool heads, called modules, that permit you to utilize dissimilar fabrication techniques. While the main module you'll want to utilize is the 3D press one — information technology works amazingly well and every print I tried came out almost perfectly — at that place are also two others: a laser carving tool and a CNC milling tool. While the CNC milling can probably wait until your kids are slightly older, the laser etching is perhaps one of the most fun tools we own as a family.

With the ability to fire a 2nd moving picture onto a vast variety of materials — nosotros've burnt onto plastic, wood, leather, and even denim then far — the laser etching tool allows children to explore other ways to exist creative and opens upward your Snapmaker to more uses than just the 3D printing. Keeping kids interested is a massive part of family time, and the Snapmaker will assistance you do that, especially with its different modules for different kids.

Alternatives to the Snapmaker

While the Snapmaker is an excellent option for a first-fourth dimension family unit, at that place are alternatives out there. If you lot are looking for something cheaper to start your family obsession, or y'all are looking for merely a 3D printer, so the Elegoo Neptune 2 is an splendid and affordable machine with some advanced tricks similar filament run out sensors. If you lot have an older family who likes the idea of a larger, more than challenging project to start with, the Prusa Mk3 kit would be great, since it's one of the best printers yous can buy right now.

Runner-up

Elegoo Neptune

Elegoo Neptune two

A fantastic printer that'due south like gold dust

As a starter printer for anyone, you can't become wrong with the Elegoo Neptune 2. It has a bargain price that makes them very popular.

For but $170 y'all simply cannot crush the Elegoo Neptune 2 for value for money. The print quality is equally adept as printers that cost twice as much, and they are very uncomplicated to build and maintain. They are sometimes difficult to become concord of though, and so go on checking dorsum to get them when they are in stock.

For older families

Prusa MK3

Prusa MK3s Kit

For high school or college-aged families

The Prusa Mk3S+ Kit is one of the best printers I've used, and the edifice process gave me insights into 3D printing I never had before. It's an excellent choice for families with older kids who are ready for more than just printing.

I love the Prusa MK3. Everyone I know loves the Prusa MK3. Ownership them in kit form is one of the best ways to learn about the pattern and engineering that goes into 3D press. It also allows you, and your older children, a chance to get your easily muddied in building and running a 3D press machine. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in how things work, not merely the cease result.

Bottom line

With easy-to-learn software, excellent instructions on how to build information technology, and 3 split up modules to keep those kids hooked, the Snapmaker is the tiptop pick for you and your family. The 3D printing part of the Snapmaker is upwards to the challenge of didactics your family about the hobby. Simply with the extra modules, it expands upon the 3D press, giving your family more outlets to be artistic.

I think that is my favorite thing nigh this auto. My son and I e'er take lots of creative ideas, and the Snapmaker lets us bring those ideas to life.

Credits

James Bricknell James built his outset PC when he was xiii and has never looked back. He can exist plant on Windows Fundamental, commonly in the corner where all the 3D printers are, or huddled around the Xbox playing the latest games.

Russell Holly Russell is a tech nerd who chases the best of everything, from phones to game consoles to laptops and everything around those categories. He likes to make cosplay items with his 3D printer, near recently the Wink!

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