Bambu Lab A1
- Price
- $299
- Score
- 9.2/10
- Wins
- 3/5
Bambu Lab A1 vs Flashforge Adventurer 5M
- The Bambu Lab A1 wins, 9.2 vs 8.6 out of 10.
- A1 prints 1.6× the volume (256³ ÷ 220³ = 1.58) for $50 ($299 − $249) more.
- Adventurer 5M is faster, 600 vs 500 mm/s.
- Pick the Adventurer 5M if your prints fit in 22 cm.
Specs and US prices from the PrintPick catalog, checked 2026-09-29. Scores are PrintPick ratings out of 10.
Flashforge Adventurer 5M
- Price
- $249
- Score
- 8.6/10
- Wins
- 0/5
The verdict
Buy the A1.
9.2/10 vs Adventurer 5M's 8.6/10, and it wins 3 of 5 categories. If you know you don't care about multi-color, this is the cleanest $299 in 3D printing. The A1 Combo is $100 more and includes multi-color; most people should just spend the extra $100.
Specs, side by side
Teal wins the row.
A1Bambu Lab · FDM
vsAdventurer 5MFlashforge · FDM
| A1 | Spec | Adventurer 5M |
|---|---|---|
| $299 | Price | $249 (wins) |
| 16.8 L (wins) | Build volume | 10.6 L |
| 500 mm/s | Top speed | 600 mm/s (wins) |
| 0.05 mm | Finest layer | 0.05 mm |
| 9.05 kg | Weight | 11 kg |
Features
| A1 | Feature | Adventurer 5M |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Auto bed leveling | No |
| Yes | WiFi | No |
| Yes | Camera | No |
| Yes | Vibration compensation | No |
| Yes | Direct drive | No |
| Yes | Full-size A1 bed | No |
| No | Enclosed | Yes |
| No | Auto leveling | Yes |
| No | Quick-swap nozzle | Yes |
| No | 600mm/s speed | Yes |
| No | HEPA filter | Yes |
Value math
$299 ÷ 16.8 L and $249 ÷ 10.6 L. Lower is more printer for the money.
| A1 | Spec | Adventurer 5M |
|---|---|---|
| $17.82 (wins) | $ per liter | $23.38 |
| $0.60 | $ per mm/s | $0.41 (wins) |
Scores out of 10
| A1 | Spec | Adventurer 5M |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Value | 9 |
| 10 (wins) | Beginner Friendliness | 9 |
| 9 (wins) | Print Quality | 8 |
| 9 | Speed | 9 |
| 9 (wins) | Reliability | 8 |
| 9.2 (wins) | Overall | 8.6 |
Build space, front view, to one scale
- 256 × 256 × 256 mm
- 220 × 220 × 220 mm
What owners say
The A1 without AMS is the best single-color printer you can buy at this price. Bar none.
A1 owner, r/3DprintingSame great hardware as the Combo, just without the color changer. Perfect for most people.
A1 owner, Make Anything (YouTube)Enclosed printer under $300 with HEPA? Flashforge is pricing this thing to sell.
Adventurer 5M owner, r/3DprintingMy go-to recommendation for families. Kids safe, fumes managed, prints great.
Adventurer 5M owner, Teaching Tech (YouTube)
Pros & Cons
A1
- +Full 256mm build volume, same as the Combo but $100 cheaper
- +Bambu's reliability, slicer, and support at $299
- +500mm/s speed that's calibrated and ready without tweaking
- −Open frame: ABS warping is a real problem without modification
- −No multi-color in the box: the Combo is $100 more and includes it
Adventurer 5M
- +Enclosed with HEPA filter for $249: 130 dollars cheaper than the Pro version with the same key features
- +Toolless nozzle swap takes 30 seconds: pull the module out, snap the new one in
- +600mm/s inside an enclosure is faster than most open-frame budget machines
- −220mm cube is smaller than open-frame rivals at this price
- −Proprietary nozzle modules: you can't use standard 0.4mm nozzles
Buy these with it
A printer does nothing without these. Grab them in the same order.
- ELEGOO PLA filament, 1kgThe easy filament to start on. Prints at low temperatures and warps less.
- ELEGOO PETG filament, 1kgTougher and more heat tolerant than PLA, for parts that get handled or sit in the sun.
- SUNLU filament dryer S1 PlusWet filament causes stringing and rough surfaces. A dryer fixes that before you blame the printer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Bambu Lab A1 better than the Flashforge Adventurer 5M?
By the numbers, the Bambu Lab A1 scores higher (9.2/10). But "better" depends on your use case, the Flashforge Adventurer 5M may be the smarter buy if you need enclosed.
Which is better for beginners, Bambu Lab A1 or Flashforge Adventurer 5M?
The Bambu Lab A1 is more beginner-friendly (10/10 vs 9/10) with easier setup and a gentler learning curve.
Is the Bambu Lab A1 worth $50 more than the Flashforge Adventurer 5M?
The Bambu Lab A1 scores higher overall (9.2/10 vs 8.6/10). The extra $50 gets you full 256mm build volume, same as the combo but $100 cheaper.
What's the main difference between Bambu Lab A1 and Flashforge Adventurer 5M?
Build volume (256x256x256mm vs 220x220x220mm) and print speed (500 vs 600 mm/s). The Bambu Lab A1 is best for beginners; the Flashforge Adventurer 5M targets enclosed.