3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PLA HS

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

HIPS guideHigh-Speed PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PLA HS comparisons
HIPS vs PLA HS — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSHigh-Speed PLAPLA
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; $11.49–$32.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]PLA with rheology and crystallisation tuned for high volumetric flow; melt index 15.4 g/10 min vs 7–11 for standard PLA[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.23 (ISO 1183, at 21.5 °C)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][6]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[6][5][10]11–33 across brands; budget house brands 11–18, Prusament 33[11][12][13]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Stocked by most mainstream brands[14][9][15]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[6][5]1.75 mm; 1 kg spools[7][9]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Large or repetitive prints on printers that can sustain high flow[16][14]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic, rated to 258 mm/s)[17]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[18]210–230 for high-speed work; 190–210 at classic speeds[3][14]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[18]30–60 (Polymaker); 35–45 (Bambu Lab)[3][19]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[20]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[18]Fan on[3]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[18]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented≈24 at 300 mm/s with a 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer; 30 % more flow than regular PLA at the same temperature[3][14][16][21]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[20]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[18]Sticks to anything[22]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[18][23]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[20]Easy — minor profile tuning; needs a printer that can actually reach the flow rate[14][3]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[20]Brass fine indefinitely[24]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[20]Non-abrasive[25][24]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[18][24][2]Very low[24]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[18]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[26]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[18]No special hot-end required[22]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[18]Moderate — 0.40 % equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH[3]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.40 equilibrium at 23 °C / 70 % RH (Polymaker PolySonic)[3]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6 h; 50 °C for 8 h (Bambu Lab)[3][19]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[27]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[27]
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[27]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[27]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[27]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[19][22]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]43.9 at 300 mm/s and 46.0 at 46.7 mm/s (printed XY, ISO 527); 58.6 on My Tech Fun bars for Creality Hyper PLA[3][28]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]2650 at 300 mm/s, 2878 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]15.1 at 300 mm/s, 21.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 527)[3]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]71.4 at 300 mm/s, 76.5 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2798 at 300 mm/s, 2868 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 178)[3]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented5.0 at 300 mm/s, 6.1 at classic speed (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[3]
Other impact dataNot documentedPrinting at 300 mm/s instead of 46.7 mm/s costs 4.6 % tensile strength and 18 % notched Charpy[3]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented32.4 at 300 mm/s, 37.3 at classic speed (printed Z, ISO 527); 35.3 for Creality Hyper PLA vs 23.0 for average PLA on identical bars[3][28]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Moderate[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented78.7 Shore D measured on printed bars for Sunlu PLA Meta (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[29]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][18]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 17.7 mm over 6 days at 1.25 kg[28]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[30][26]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented74 at 300 mm/s, 81 at classic speed (printed)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented53 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]59 (DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]164 peak melt (DSC); crystallisation 96 °C, Vicat 61 °C[3]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]53 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[28]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[31]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[19][4]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[32]Degrades within weeks outdoors[26][33]
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Good against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[3]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water[19]
Food contactNot food safe[32]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[26]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[32]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[34][26]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[32]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[34]
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]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[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]Not documented
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]None needed in a normal room[35]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[32]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[33][26]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[18][2]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[26][36]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][18]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[26]
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]PolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker)[3]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[37][38][39]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[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, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[40][42]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[37][41]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[43][42]

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. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. PolySonic PLA 1.75mm/1kg — product page Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Overture High Speed PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. High Speed PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PLA Meta filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. QIDI PLA Rapido 1.75mm 1kg 3D Printers Depot · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Prusament PLA Prusa Pro Green 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. PolySonic PLA — product page Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Creality PLA filament collection Creality Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Polymaker Launches New High-Speed 3D Printing Filament — PolySonic PLA & PLA Pro Polymaker · 2023-11 · doc
  17. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  20. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  23. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — 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. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  32. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  34. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  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. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  37. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  38. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  39. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  40. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  41. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  42. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  43. Effect of vapour smoothing in trichloromethane on 3D printed PLA — surface, mechanical and chemical structure Pitale, Keche & Chopra, Engineering Research Express 6(4) 045579 · 2024-12 · paper