Buying Guide

Best Value ABS Filament Right Now

Community-vetted picks for enclosed printers, backed by real-time price tracking across 5,000+ products. Updated daily.

Last updated: March 2026

ABS is the OG engineering filament and it's still the go-to for anyone who needs heat resistance, impact toughness, or acetone smoothing. The catch: you need an enclosed printer. ABS warps badly in open air, and the fumes aren't great to breathe either. But if your setup handles it, ABS gives you parts that survive hot cars, post-processing options that no other material matches, and pricing that's barely above PLA.

The community consensus is clear: budget ABS from Elegoo and SUNLU prints just as well as the expensive stuff for most applications. Premium brands like Polymaker and Fiberlogy earn their price with tighter tolerances and more consistent color, but for functional parts the budget options are hard to beat.

SpoolHound tracks live ABS prices across these retailers:

Elegoo SUNLU 3DJake Overture Amazon

Current ABS Deals

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01 / Budget ABS

Best budget ABS that prints reliably

~$12-16/kg

If you have an enclosed printer and want to keep costs down, the community consistently recommends Elegoo and SUNLU ABS. Both print well at standard ABS temps (240-260C hotend, 90-110C bed), warp less than generic brands, and come vacuum sealed. For functional parts where color doesn't matter much, these are the ones to grab.

Elegoo ABS

From $13.99/kg

USA, UK, DE, FR + more

SUNLU ABS

From $12.99/kg

USA, EU, CA, AU

Overture ABS

From $15.99/kg

USA

Community tip: If you're getting warping with budget ABS, try bumping the bed to 100-110C and slowing down the first layer. Most warping issues are bed adhesion, not filament quality.

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02 / Premium ABS

Tighter tolerances and better consistency

~$18-25/kg

When you need consistent color matching across batches, tighter diameter tolerances, or less odor during printing, premium ABS brands deliver. Polymaker's ABS is widely praised for its low-warp formula, and Fiberlogy's ABS is a favorite among European users for dimensional accuracy.

Polymaker ABS

From $19.99/kg

USA, UK, EU

Fiberlogy ABS

From $21.00/kg

UK, DE, FR via 3DJake

Worth knowing: Polymaker's PolyLite ABS is specifically formulated to reduce warping compared to standard ABS. If you've had bad experiences with ABS warping in the past, it's worth trying before giving up on the material entirely.

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03 / ABS for Acetone Smoothing

Get that injection-molded finish

~$12-22/kg

One of ABS's killer features is acetone vapor smoothing - exposing printed parts to acetone vapor melts the surface layer, hiding layer lines and giving a glossy, professional finish. You can also use liquid acetone to chemically weld ABS parts together, which is stronger than any glue joint. Any ABS works for smoothing, but consistent filament diameter gives more predictable results.

Elegoo ABS

From $13.99/kg

Budget option, smooths well

Polymaker ABS

From $19.99/kg

More consistent surface for smoothing

Safety note: Acetone is flammable and the vapors are not something you want to breathe. Always smooth ABS in a well-ventilated area or outdoors, and keep away from open flames. A glass jar with a paper towel soaked in acetone is the simplest setup.

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How SpoolHound tracks prices

SpoolHound aggregates filament prices from multiple retailers daily. We don't test filament or make subjective quality claims - we track what things cost and surface what the community says about them.

Prices shown are pulled directly from retailer feeds and updated every 24 hours. Market comparison percentages show how each product compares to the median price for its material type. This helps you spot genuinely good deals vs. inflated "sale" pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an enclosure to print ABS?

Practically speaking, yes. ABS warps aggressively in open air because it shrinks as it cools. An enclosed printer (even a cheap enclosure tent) keeps the ambient temperature stable and dramatically reduces warping and layer splitting. Some people get away with small ABS prints in a draft-free room, but for anything larger than a few centimeters you really want an enclosure.

Which brand makes the best budget ABS?

Elegoo and SUNLU are the most commonly recommended budget ABS brands in the community. Both sell ABS in the $12-16/kg range and ship from local warehouses in most regions. In Europe, 3DJake's house brand ABS is also a solid budget option. Check the live ABS prices for the current lowest prices.

How much does ABS filament cost?

Budget ABS typically runs $12-16/kg from brands like Elegoo and SUNLU. Premium ABS from Polymaker or Fiberlogy costs $18-25/kg. Specialty ABS variants (like ABS-GF or high-flow ABS) can go higher. ABS is generally priced similarly to PETG and slightly above PLA.

Can you smooth ABS with acetone?

Yes, and this is one of ABS's biggest advantages. Acetone vapor smoothing dissolves the surface layer of ABS, hiding layer lines and giving parts a glossy, injection-molded look. You can also use acetone to chemically weld ABS parts together. No other common filament material offers this kind of post-processing flexibility.

Is ABS stronger than PLA?

ABS has better impact resistance and heat resistance than PLA, but lower tensile strength. ABS parts won't shatter under sudden impact the way PLA can, and they won't deform in a hot car. For parts that need to survive real-world use in warm environments, ABS is the better choice. For pure stiffness and dimensional accuracy, PLA actually wins.

References

Prusa Knowledge Base — ABS. https://help.prusa3d.com/article/abs_2065
Bambu Lab Wiki — Beginner Filament Guide. https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/filament/beginner