Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo vs Bambu Lab A1 Combo

  • The Bambu Lab A1 Combo wins, 9.2 vs 8 out of 10.
  • Near-same build volume (256³ vs 250×250×260 mm, 1.03×) at the same $399.
  • The Kobra 3 Combo is faster (600 ÷ 500 = 1.2×), so take it.

Specs and US prices from the PrintPick catalog, checked 2026-09-29. Scores are PrintPick ratings out of 10.

The verdict

Buy the A1 Combo.

9.2/10 vs Kobra 3 Combo's 8/10, and it wins 4 of 5 categories. One printer. This one. The A1 Combo does multi-color, does speed, does software polish, all at a price that embarrasses the competition. The open frame is the only real compromise and most people won't care.

Specs, side by side

Teal wins the row.

Kobra 3 ComboAnycubic · FDM
vs
A1 ComboBambu Lab · FDM
Kobra 3 Combo and A1 Combo compared: specs
Kobra 3 ComboSpecA1 Combo
$399Price$399
16.3 LBuild volume16.8 L (wins)
600 mm/s (wins)Top speed500 mm/s
0.05 mmFinest layer0.05 mm
10 kgWeight9.65 kg

Features

Features of the Kobra 3 Combo and A1 Combo
Kobra 3 ComboFeatureA1 Combo
YesMulti-color (ACE Pro)No
YesAuto bed levelingYes
YesWiFiYes
YesCameraYes
YesDirect driveNo
NoMulti-color (AMS Lite)Yes
NoVibration compensationYes

Value math

$399 ÷ 16.3 L and $399 ÷ 16.8 L. Lower is more printer for the money.

Kobra 3 Combo and A1 Combo compared: price per liter of build volume and per mm/s of speed
Kobra 3 ComboSpecA1 Combo
$24.55$ per liter$23.78 (wins)
$0.67 (wins)$ per mm/s$0.80

Scores out of 10

Kobra 3 Combo and A1 Combo compared: PrintPick scores out of 10
Kobra 3 ComboSpecA1 Combo
8Value9 (wins)
8Beginner Friendliness10 (wins)
8Print Quality9 (wins)
9Speed9
7Reliability9 (wins)
8Overall9.2 (wins)

Build space, front view, to one scale

  • 250 × 250 × 260 mm
  • 256 × 256 × 256 mm

What owners say

  • Anycubic's answer to the A1 Combo. Competitive on paper, needs more real-world time.
    Kobra 3 Combo owner, r/3Dprinting
  • The A1 Combo is the printer I recommend to literally everyone who asks.
    A1 Combo owner, r/3Dprinting
  • Multi-color out of the box at this price is insane. Changed how I think about printing.
    A1 Combo owner, Make Anything (YouTube)
  • Bambu did it again, this is the new gold standard for consumer 3D printing.
    A1 Combo owner, All3DP

Pros & Cons

Kobra 3 Combo

  • +600mm/s multi-color printing at competitive pricing
  • +ACE Pro handles 4 colors with less waste than early Bambu AMS
  • +WiFi and camera are standard, not paid extras
  • −ACE Pro system is newer and less battle-tested than Bambu's AMS
  • −Anycubic software isn't as polished as Bambu Studio

A1 Combo

  • +AMS Lite ships in the box, not as a $75 upsell
  • +Bambu Studio slices and sends in under a minute
  • +500mm/s speed that actually holds up at 0.2mm layers
  • −Open frame means ABS is borderline without an enclosure
  • −AMS Lite tops out at 4 colors; want more, buy a different system

Read the full breakdown

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo better than the Bambu Lab A1 Combo?

By the numbers, the Bambu Lab A1 Combo scores higher (9.2/10). But "better" depends on your use case, the Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo may be the smarter buy if you need multi-color.

Which is better for beginners, Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo or Bambu Lab A1 Combo?

The Bambu Lab A1 Combo is more beginner-friendly (10/10 vs 8/10) with easier setup and a gentler learning curve.

Which is the better value, Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo or Bambu Lab A1 Combo?

Same price ($399), so it comes down to features. The Bambu Lab A1 Combo edges ahead on value score.

What's the main difference between Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo and Bambu Lab A1 Combo?

Build volume (250x250x260mm vs 256x256x256mm) and print speed (600 vs 500 mm/s). The Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo is best for multi-color; the Bambu Lab A1 Combo targets beginners.

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