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The holiday season is upon us, and you just found out your kid really wants a 3D printer. What’s the best 3D printer for kids you can buy and still get under the tree in time? We checked Amazon for the best deals on beginner-friendly 3D printers that are waiting in US warehouses for fast shipping to your door.
The Toybox is a simple 3D printer designed to be practically bulletproof, with the smallest build volume we’ve seen on a printer, only 70 x 80 x 90mm. The reason to buy a Toybox isn’t for the printer itself, but for the ecosystem, which is one of the best we’ve ever seen for kids. The Toybox website is designed to be strictly G-rated, so you can let very young makers browse for toy models without worry. They also have exclusive licenses with Hollywood studios, so your kids can access a variety of kid-safe cartoon models.
Best 3D Printer Gift For Kid Makers (and Teen Makers)
Bambu Lab A1 Mini
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Bambu A1 and A1 Mini are both excellent beginner printers for older kids and teens; however, both machines are currently on backorder on most platforms. We did find a couple of full-size A1 printers at our local Microcenter, so be sure to check there if one is within driving range.
You can backorder either printer and hope they arrive while your family is still on winter break. You can always pick up a few rolls of filament to wrap and place under the tree, and let your kids explore the Bambu Lab Academy to learn how to use their new printer before it arrives.
We recommend the Bambu Lab A1 and A1 Mini for families, as these machines are extremely beginner-friendly and feature the easiest-to-use full-color system. The Bambu Handy mobile app is also convenient for beginners as it contains a wealth of pre-sliced models you can send directly to your printer without the need for a computer setup.
This is a single-color printer, though Elegoo has promised to release a multicolor upgrade “soon.” It is fully enclosed, which is useful for both printing high-temperature filaments or just keeping the cats off your print bed. This printer does not have an app, so you will need a more internet-savvy child to select models from sites like Thingiverse, Printables, or MakerWorld and drop them into Elegoo Slicer or Orca Slicer.
Denise Bertacchi is a Contributing Writer for Tom’s Hardware US, covering 3D printing. Denise has been crafting with PCs since she discovered Print Shop had clip art on her Apple IIe. She loves reviewing 3D printers because she can mix all her passions: printing, photography, and writing.
