3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PETG

Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.

HIPS guidePETG guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PETG comparisons
HIPS vs PETG — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSPETGPETG
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]Polyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[3][4][5][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[7][8]1 kg spools cluster near 20[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[8][7][12]12–70 across brands; IEMAI 12, ELEGOO 14, CHCKX 14, Bambu Lab 18–20, Hatchbox 26, Prusament 38, Prusament PETG V0 70[9][10][13][11][14][15]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7][8]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[9][10][16][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[8][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[10][11]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Functional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament)[3]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[17]230–260 across brands; Prusament 250 ± 10, Polymaker 240–260[3][4][6]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[17]60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[3][6]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[18]Open frame is fine[6]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[17]Around 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[3][6]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[17]Textured PEI, satin or powder-coated sheets. On smooth PEI a glue stick is used as a release agent, not an adhesive — PETG bonds to bare PEI hard enough to tear the sheet[3][6]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented8–15 (PrusaSlicer guidance); My Tech Fun ran Bambu Lab PETG Basic at 13 mm³/s[19][20]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[18]Slight — corner lift on large flat parts[3][6]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[17]Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[17][21]Moderate — retraction tuning needed[3][6]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[18]Easy — minor profile tuning[6]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[18]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[18]Non-abrasive[6]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[17][22][2]Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[23][22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[17]Slightly sensitive[23]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[17]No special hot-end required[23]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[17]Moderate (0.3–0.8 %) — Bambu Lab reports 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH; Prusa measures only 0.07 % in 24 h and 0.10 % in 7 days at the drier 22 % RH[3][24]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers); 0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[3][24]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented60–65 °C for 6–8 h[6][24]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[25]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[3]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates ABS moderate-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures; absorbed water flashes to steam in the hotend and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[25]Polymaker groups PETG with nylon, PVA and TPU as highly hygroscopic and shows a before-and-after-drying comparison; the loss appears as poor layer adhesion and weak, brittle layers rather than a published dry-versus-conditioned figure[25]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[25]Sealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[25][26]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]38–51 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 47 ± 2 at yield; 62 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[3][4][5][27]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][4][5][6]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[4][5][6][3]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[3][4][5][6]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3][4][5][6]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[4][5][3]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's 4 J pendulum (ISO 179-1); Izod 3.37 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars[3][27]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented18 ± 4 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 42.8 printed Z for PolyLite PETG; 33 on My Tech Fun bars[3][4][27]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented74 Shore D (Prusa Polymers method); measured on printed bars at 68.2 for Extrudr PETG, 72 for Fiberlogy PETG and 72.8 for Prusament PETG[3][27][28][29]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][17]Below average — a 12 mm bar sagged to 18.2 mm (Fiberlogy) and 19.4 mm (Bambu Lab Basic) over 5 days at 1.25 kg[27][20]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Moderate — 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, about three times printed PLA (R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[30]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Slightly flexible in thin sections[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented84 (PolyLite, printed Z against XY tensile)[4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented68 (Prusament) to 78 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4][6]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[3][4][6]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]71–81 (DSC)[4][5][6]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]Amorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[4][5][6]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]61–66 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across six grades from four brands; Prusa publishes 68 for Prusament PETG[27][28][29][20][31]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[32]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[33][26]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[34]Moderate — a season or two[3]
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Withstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure — Polymaker names outdoor use as a result[26]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — minor absorption[3]
Food contactNot food safe[34]PET is the polymer of drinks bottles, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria and no filament here carries a food-contact certification[26]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[34]Not biodegradable[26]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[34]PET is widely recycled as bottle stock, but printed PETG waste is not accepted in household collection[26]
Electrical & ESD propertiesSurface resistance above 10¹³ ohm/sq — insulating (ASTM D257)[1]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5High — hazardous VOC such as styrene; enclosure and filtration needed[35]Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[35]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[35]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10⁹ median for the HIPS filament tested, an order of magnitude below ABS but forty times PLA[35]≈5 × 10⁹ median for the PET-based T-Glase filament in the same chamber study, against ≈1 × 10⁸ for PLA[35]
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[35]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[35]Open a window / occasional ventilation[35]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[34]Sands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[23]
Painting & finishingNot documentedPaint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[3]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[17][2]Cyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[23]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][17]No practical vapour smoothing[3]
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]Prints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[23]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedStringing and blobbing are the usual accuracy limits, not shrinkage[3][6]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[36][37][38]No common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[39][40]
Softened or crazed byLimonene also disrupts layer adhesion in some ABS and ASA grades, so an ABS model can flake apart in the same bath.[41]Acetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[39]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[36][41]Dichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[40]

Material entries describe families or representative grades, not an interchangeable specification for every spool. Test methods, orientations and conditions may differ. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.

Sources for this comparison

  1. 3DXMAX HIPS Technical Data Sheet 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  2. 3DXMAX HIPS — product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  3. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  4. PolyLite PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PETG Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Black PETG Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg — product data Hatchbox · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. IEMAI PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. CHCKX PETG 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg, Black CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  21. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  28. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  31. Prusament PETG — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Effects of Fiber Orientation on the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems in Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing Materials 15(8):2764 · 2022-04 · paper
  33. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  34. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers with Multiple Filaments (Azimi et al.) Environmental Science & Technology 50(3) 1260-1268 · 2016-01 · paper
  36. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  37. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  38. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  39. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  40. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  41. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc