Bambu Lab R1 review: Powerful, plug-and-play laser cutting

The Bambu Lab R1 measures 940 × 560 × 200 mm, though Bambu Lab recommends a footprint of 1,140 × 860 × 750 mm to allow for a 10-centimeter clearance on all sides. With a work area of 600 × 300 mm, the R1 remains relatively compact compared to competitors like the xTool P2/P2S (1,000 × 639 × 268 mm). Alongside the integrated touchscreen, the machine features a nice visual touch: the laser tube is exposed and can be illuminated, making the beam visible during operation. The exhaust fan is mounted at the rear, requiring the exhaust hose to be routed either directly outdoors or into an external air filter such as the Bambu Lab Purifier E1 Pro.

Hardware build quality is solid across the board, with one notable exception: the emergency stop switch is side-mounted at the same height as the touchscreen. From an occupational safety standpoint, this placement is sub-optimal since it sits outside the operator's direct line of sight. On the plus side, it is positioned further toward the front than on the xTool P2/P2S, making it easier to reach. Adding an arrow or placement sticker on the top panel would be a simple and helpful fix. In a commercial setting, retrofitting an inline foot or cable switch (available via Amazon) might be a worthwhile safety upgrade. Several additional ports are located on the left side, including connections for accessories and the fire suppression system. Finally, the required safety key plugs into the USB Type-A port, while an adjacent USB Type-C port enables offline operation without a network connection.

Bambu Lab explicitly states that the R1 should never be operated unattended. Built-in safety measures are standard: out of the box (without the optional Riser Base), the unit qualifies as a Class 1 laser device, meaning protective eyewear is unnecessary as long as the enclosure remains intact. Operation halts immediately if the lid is opened, and integrated flame detection is active. Still, one point requires emphasis: a laser cutter like the Bambu Lab R1 is a fundamentally different class of machine than a typical 3D printer. Safety protocols must never be bypassed, nor should flammable, unsuitable materials ever be loaded.

Regarding workplace noise, Bambu Lab specifies an operating level of 68 dB for the R1 at a distance of one meter. By comparison, the manufacturer rates its Bambu Lab X2D at 58 dB measured directly in front of the unit—a 10 dB difference that corresponds to roughly half the perceived loudness. While dedicated hearing protection is not strictly required, I consistently relied on ANC headphones during mandatory supervision. Decibels aside, the R1 is simply noticeably louder in daily operation than any standard 3D printer.

Operation is completely straightforward, and the workflow is simple. In Bambu Studio, you can import existing designs or create your own. The software is comparable to programs like Inkscape, making geometric shapes and text easy to generate. Individual elements can be joined and grouped as needed. Selecting the correct process type is crucial: whether you want to engrave an area, etch an outline, or cut through a material. Beyond vector files like SVGs - ideal for cutting out logos - you can also import photos, which the software adjusts for engraving. While color images obviously cannot be reproduced on wood, the results remain impressive, even if achieving the ideal balance takes some trial and error. My general rule of thumb: save every offcut, run a small test job first, and err on the side of lower power settings.

Positioning your design is just as seamless thanks to the integrated camera, though the lid must be raised briefly to capture the workspace. Specific areas can be rescanned at a higher resolution to route around wood grain knots or physical defects. Official Bambu Lab materials feature a QR code that automatically applies the correct speed and power presets. The R1 can also generate height maps for curved objects, which I tested by engraving a wooden spoon and a smooth stone. The process works reliably, though it has constraints regarding geometry and—more importantly—object height, which is capped at 59.8 mm (2.35 in) without the optional riser base. The software's one-click preparation handles this entire routine, keeping even complex surface operations fully accessible to beginners.

For most home users, real-world engraving and cutting quality will matter far more than absolute dimensional accuracy - and the results are consistently strong across the board. Thinner wood exhibits only light, typical scorching rather than heavy charring. Thicker, budget-tier plywood required a bit of parameter fine-tuning, as internal glue layers can pose a challenge. Even so, the included short-focal-length S lens - which isn't specifically optimized for thick cuts - produced fully usable results, and any minor charring along exposed edges sanded off easily.

Cut quality on transparent acrylic is flawless, with the laser leaving highly clear, polished edges even along tight curves. Metal processing is also supported, though the underlying physics limits work to surface engraving or marking rather than cutting. For our tests, we painted a stainless steel sheet prior to laser processing; depending on the intended application, the spray paint can either remain as a high-contrast background or be wiped clean.

Engraving a glass offcut similarly yielded clean results, though lower power settings over multiple passes are recommended to prevent excessive micro-chipping - unless those tiny surface fractures are desired for their subtle glitter effect. We also tested stone engraving across two different samples: results depend heavily on the substrate's composition, making multi-pass, high-power runs ideal here as well. Finally, engraving on non-planar workpieces like a curved wooden spoon proved entirely painless thanks to the Curve-Surface routine, which worked flawlessly and significantly expands the unit's practical versatility.

Contour Trace Extraction warrants special attention. The feature allows the Bambu Lab R1 to optically detect outlines—such as a sticker placed on cardboard—making it particularly handy for cutting individual stickers out of a pre-printed sheet. In our testing, the feature proved both reliable and intuitive to use. Beyond its immediate utility, this feature highlights the system’s overall precision across the entire pipeline: from camera-based positioning and data processing to executing movements at exact coordinates. Relying on the captured camera feed, the laser unit determines its working area with impressive accuracy.

Contour Trace Extraction also provides customizable parameters, including offset adjustments and path smoothing. In practice, this allows you to simply sketch a shape on wood with a pencil and have the R1 cut it out directly. Whether this represents the primary use case for a laser cutter of this caliber is open to debate, but it certainly offers a remarkably low barrier to entry for transferring physical shapes. It even makes for a great family-friendly workflow: children can draw shapes or lettering on cardboard, and the R1 will cleanly cut them out, repeatedly and with high precision.