Bambu Lab A1
- Price
- $299
- Score
- 9.2/10
- Wins
- 2/5
Bambu Lab A1 vs Qidi Q2
- The Bambu Lab A1 wins, 9.2 vs 8.6 out of 10.
- A1 prints 1.3× the volume (256³ ÷ 230×230×240 = 1.32) and costs $350 ($649 − $299) less.
- Qidi Q2 is faster, 600 vs 500 mm/s.
- Pick the Qidi Q2 if your prints fit in 24 cm.
Specs and US prices from the PrintPick catalog, checked 2026-09-29. Scores are PrintPick ratings out of 10.
Qidi Q2
- Price
- $649
- Score
- 8.6/10
- Wins
- 0/5
The verdict
Buy the A1.
9.2/10 vs Qidi Q2's 8.6/10, and it wins 2 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
vsQidi Q2Qidi Tech · FDM
| A1 | Spec | Qidi Q2 |
|---|---|---|
| $299 (wins) | Price | $649 |
| 16.8 L (wins) | Build volume | 12.7 L |
| 500 mm/s | Top speed | 600 mm/s (wins) |
| 0.05 mm | Finest layer | 0.05 mm |
| 9.05 kg | Weight | 16.5 kg |
Features
| A1 | Feature | Qidi Q2 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 CoreXY with 65C heated chamber | Yes |
| No | 350C tri-metal hotend | Yes |
| No | WiFi 6 + Ethernet | Yes |
| No | 1080p AI camera monitoring | Yes |
| No | Quick-swap nozzle system | Yes |
| No | PEI spring steel build plate | Yes |
Value math
$299 ÷ 16.8 L and $649 ÷ 12.7 L. Lower is more printer for the money.
| A1 | Spec | Qidi Q2 |
|---|---|---|
| $17.82 (wins) | $ per liter | $51.12 |
| $0.60 (wins) | $ per mm/s | $1.08 |
Scores out of 10
| A1 | Spec | Qidi Q2 |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Value | 9 |
| 10 (wins) | Beginner Friendliness | 8 |
| 9 | Print Quality | 9 |
| 9 | Speed | 9 |
| 9 (wins) | Reliability | 8 |
| 9.2 (wins) | Overall | 8.6 |
Build space, front view, to one scale
- 256 × 256 × 256 mm
- 230 × 230 × 240 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)The Q2 is what the Q1 Pro should have been. Qidi finally nailed the firmware.
Qidi Q2 owner, r/3DprintingBest enclosed printer under $500. The heated chamber is the real deal for engineering materials.
Qidi Q2 owner, All3DPI'd put the Q2 above the P1S for anyone printing engineering materials. The chamber heating makes that much difference.
Qidi Q2 owner, r/3Dprinting
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
Qidi Q2
- +65C chamber heating: ABS, nylon, PC, carbon fiber without drama
- +Quick-swap nozzle that's actually on par with Bambu's
- +Enclosed CoreXY with chamber heating at $649 is genuinely rare
- −Qidi ecosystem still a fraction of Bambu's size
- −Build volume is a touch smaller than competitors at this price
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 Qidi Q2?
By the numbers, the Bambu Lab A1 scores higher (9.2/10). But "better" depends on your use case, the Qidi Q2 may be the smarter buy if you need engineering.
Which is better for beginners, Bambu Lab A1 or Qidi Q2?
The Bambu Lab A1 is more beginner-friendly (10/10 vs 8/10) with easier setup and a gentler learning curve.
Is the Qidi Q2 worth $350 more than the Bambu Lab A1?
The Bambu Lab A1 actually scores higher (9.2/10) despite costing $350 less. The Qidi Q2 only makes sense if you specifically need engineering.
What's the main difference between Bambu Lab A1 and Qidi Q2?
Build volume (256x256x256mm vs 230x230x240mm) and print speed (500 vs 600 mm/s). The Bambu Lab A1 is best for beginners; the Qidi Q2 targets engineering.