Buying Guide

Best Value Nylon Filament Right Now

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

Last updated: March 2026

Nylon is the filament you reach for when parts need to survive real abuse. Impact resistance that makes PETG look fragile, flexibility that prevents brittle snapping, chemical resistance, and self-lubricating properties that make it ideal for gears and bearings. The tradeoff: nylon is harder to print than anything in the PLA/PETG/ABS family, and it absolutely requires a drybox.

PA12 is the beginner-friendly nylon. It warps less than PA6, prints at lower temps, and is available from budget brands at reasonable prices. If you've never printed nylon before, start here. PA6 offers higher strength and heat resistance but is significantly more demanding to print.

SpoolHound tracks live nylon prices across these retailers:

Elegoo SUNLU 3DJake Overture Amazon
Current Nylon Deals
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01 / Budget PA
PA12 for your first nylon prints
~$20-28/kg

PA12 is where most people start with nylon, and Elegoo's PA12 has earned a solid reputation in the community for being forgiving to print while still delivering the impact resistance and flexibility that nylon is known for. Print it at 250-270C with a 70-90C bed in an enclosure, and make sure it's dry.

Elegoo PA12
From $22.99/kg
USA, UK, DE, FR + more
SUNLU PA12
From $21.99/kg
USA, EU
Non-negotiable: Dry your nylon before printing. 4-6 hours at 70-80C in a filament dryer, then print from a sealed drybox. Wet nylon sounds like Rice Krispies coming out of the nozzle and the prints will be garbage. This is the single most important thing about printing nylon.
Browse Budget Nylon
02 / Premium PA
Consistent nylon for demanding applications
~$28-40/kg

Polymaker's PolyMide series is the community's top recommendation for premium nylon. Their CoPA (copolyamide) variant is specifically designed for easier printability while retaining nylon's mechanical advantages. Fiberlogy PA12 is the European go-to, available through 3DJake with reliable quality.

Polymaker PolyMide CoPA
From $32.99/kg
USA, UK, EU
Fiberlogy PA12
From $29.00/kg
UK, DE, FR via 3DJake
Worth knowing: Polymaker's PolyMide CoPA is specifically engineered as a copolyamide that combines the best properties of PA6 and PA12 with significantly reduced warping. If you've tried nylon before and given up due to warping, this is the one to try.
Browse Premium Nylon
03 / PA-CF
Carbon fiber reinforced nylon
~$35-55/kg

PA-CF takes nylon's already-impressive mechanical properties and adds chopped carbon fiber for dramatically increased stiffness and heat deflection temperature. The result is parts that rival injection-molded engineering plastics. PA-CF is the go-to for jigs, fixtures, lightweight structural parts, and anything that needs to be stiff without being brittle.

The catch: PA-CF is extremely abrasive. You need a hardened steel nozzle (not brass), and print speeds are typically slower. A 0.6mm nozzle helps with flow reliability.

Polymaker PolyMide PA6-CF
From $42.99/kg
USA, UK, EU - gold standard
Elegoo PA12-CF
From $35.99/kg
USA, UK, DE, FR + more
Hardware warning: PA-CF will destroy a brass nozzle within a single spool. Use hardened steel, tungsten carbide, or ruby-tipped nozzles only. This is not optional - you'll see visible nozzle wear within the first few prints on brass.
Browse PA-CF Deals
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 a drybox to print nylon?
Yes, a drybox is mandatory for nylon. Nylon is one of the most hygroscopic filaments - it absorbs moisture from the air within hours, and wet nylon prints with bubbles, stringing, and terrible layer adhesion. You need to dry nylon before printing (4-6 hours at 70-80C) and ideally feed it from a sealed drybox during printing.
What's the difference between PA6, PA12, and PA-CF?
PA6 is the strongest and most heat-resistant nylon, but it's also the hardest to print - it warps badly and needs very high bed temps. PA12 is the beginner-friendly nylon: easier to print, less warping, lower temps, but slightly lower strength. PA-CF is nylon reinforced with chopped carbon fiber, giving much higher stiffness at the cost of being abrasive to brass nozzles.
How much does nylon filament cost?
Budget PA12 runs $20-28/kg from brands like Elegoo. Premium nylon from Polymaker or Fiberlogy costs $28-40/kg. PA-CF is the most expensive at $35-55/kg. Check the live nylon prices for the current lowest prices in your region.
Is PA12 good enough or do I need PA6?
PA12 is good enough for most hobbyist applications. It's significantly easier to print than PA6, warps less, and still offers excellent impact resistance and flexibility. PA6 is only worth the hassle if you specifically need higher heat deflection temperature (above 80C) or maximum tensile strength. Start with PA12.
Which brand makes the best nylon filament?
Polymaker's PolyMide series is the most recommended nylon among hobbyists for its printability and consistency. Fiberlogy PA12 is popular in Europe via 3DJake. For budget nylon, Elegoo's PA12 has been gaining traction as a reliable entry point. For PA-CF, Polymaker PolyMide PA6-CF is widely considered the gold standard.

References

  1. Prusa Knowledge Base — Nylon. https://help.prusa3d.com/article/nylon_2066
  2. Bambu Lab Wiki — Beginner Filament Guide. https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/filament/beginner