Bambu Lab A2L review: Large build volume and high quality at a fair price, plus a plotter option

One of the A2L’s most important selling points is undoubtedly its large build volume. It offers 330 x 320 x 325 millimeters of space. Compared with the standard A1 (256 x 256 x 256 mm), this may initially seem like a modest increase, but area scales with the square and volume with the cube. The build area increases from 655.4 cm² to 1,056 cm². Accordingly, with dimensions of 544 x 529 x 505 millimeters, the A2L also takes up a considerable amount of desk space.

Regardless of the specific printer, anyone with the space and budget will benefit significantly from a large build volume and, in my opinion, should choose a larger printer when in doubt. A large build volume is not only useful for individual large parts. The build plate can also be filled with small parts, which makes batch production considerably easier.

The AMS Lite automatically identifies Bambu filaments via RFID. It connects to the A2L by cable and operated entirely without incident during testing. The system even handled a deliberately induced error—namely, tangled filament—without complaint: Once the filament had been untangled, the A2L simply continued printing. Visually, the printer and AMS have a friendly, slightly playful appearance without looking cheap or toy-like.

There is little to criticize about the final results. Our NBC test print completed cleanly: Overhangs printed successfully without support structures, and movable elements could be moved without force immediately after printing. Fine lettering remained legible, and stringing was minimal even on pointed geometries. The threaded test print showed no issues, and the same was true of the Benchy. Additional test prints were made to assess the large build volume. A round plate with a diameter of 300 mm showed no first-layer or warping issues, and the print was uniform throughout. In addition, five 20-mm calibration cubes were printed—one in each of the four corners of the build plate and one in the center. There were no visual differences, and the dimensional deviations were within our measurement tolerance.

We also printed two very tall, narrow towers in the front-left and rear-right corners. The idea behind this test and the calibration-cube test was to provoke errors caused by the print bed moving rapidly over a long distance, although these were extreme scenarios with limited real-world relevance. No errors could be induced. Whether this is due to the advertised adaptive vibration compensation or the special granule-filled dampers cannot easily be determined in isolation. What matters is that the final result is good. One genuine risk, at least in such unrealistic extreme cases, is that tall prints may topple over during printing if they have to be positioned on their smallest surface. Compared with the X2D, for example, the A2L’s maximum toolhead acceleration of 10,000 mm/s² is only half as high.

We printed with PLA Pure from Bambu Lab as well as inexpensive PLA, PETG, and TPU from third-party manufacturers. Although TPU is not officially supported by the AMS Lite, it can be printed without issue using the external spool holder. Because the printer is open, it naturally cannot maintain a stable temperature in the build chamber, but this is not a problem with standard filaments. Drafts should nevertheless be avoided. The design also means that there is no exhaust-air filtration. Multicolor printing worked without incident: Color changes were reliable, and the layers adhered cleanly to one another. The fact that every change requires not only priming but also extensive purging—with the corresponding filament waste—is a common issue for 3D printers with only one print nozzle.

The optional Cutting Upgrade Kit, priced at $70, transforms the A2L into a plotter for paper and cardstock or into a drawing robot. We will examine this feature in greater detail separately. Fine positioning using a smartphone photo in the Bambu Handy app works surprisingly well in everyday use. The pen holder is primarily designed for thicker pens, but a fineliner wrapped in fabric tape also worked. Cutting and drawing use a double-sided adhesive mat. This can be tricky with thin paper, as the paper tends to curl when removed.

This is where the large build volume fully plays to its strengths, as DIN A4 sheets fit on the plate. The feature is controlled via Bambu Suite rather than Bambu Studio. Bambu Lab does not offer a laser module. It is understandable that the manufacturer omitted one from an open printer because it lacks an enclosure and filter, but Bambu Lab could have used this opportunity to take a bold step forward in terms of modularity.