3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PLA+

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

HIPS guidePLA+ / Tough PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PLA+ comparisons
HIPS vs PLA+ — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSPLA+ / Tough PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$16.49/kg median; $10.45–$39.99/kg across 10 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]PLA compounded with impact modifiers; suppliers publish the base as polylactic acid only[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.17–1.24 (Polymaker); 1.21 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183)[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[5][6]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 16[7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[6][5][9]10–40 across brands; budget house brands 10–17, Sakata 3D HR-870 26, Polymaker and Fiberlogy 36–40[10][8][11][12][13]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[5][6]Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][7][8][11][12]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[6][5]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools[11][12][10]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Functional parts and enclosures that need impact tolerance but not heat resistance[3][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[14]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[15]190–230 (Polymaker); Bambu Lab Tough+ needs 220–250[3][4]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[15]25–60 (Polymaker); 35–65 (Bambu Lab Tough+)[3][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[16]Open frame is fine[3][4]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[15]Fan on[3][4]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[15]Textured or smooth PEI; Bambu Lab recommends glue stick or liquid glue for Tough+[3][4]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[16]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[15]Sticks to anything[17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[15][18]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it[3][17]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[16]Easy — minor profile tuning; Tough+ wants a hotter nozzle than plain PLA[3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[16]Brass fine indefinitely[19]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[16]Non-abrasive[20][19]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[15][19][2]Very low[19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[15]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C like plain PLA[21]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[15]No special hot-end required[17]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[15]Low — 0.27 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.27 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab Tough+)[4]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 6–8 h; 65–75 °C for 12 h on a Bambu Lab X1 heatbed[3][4]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[22]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[22]
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[22]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for the modified grades; the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a strength number[22]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[22]Sealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[4][17]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]35–43 (printed XY, ISO 527); 53 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars for Bambu Lab Tough[3][4][23][24]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]1860–2150 (printed XY, ISO 527) — below plain PLA at 2300–3427[3][4][25][26]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]5.1–5.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]62–65 (printed XY, ISO 178) — below plain PLA at 76–87[3][4][27][26]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2140–2393 (printed XY, ISO 178)[3][4]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented38.9–72.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched) — 5–9× plain PLA[3][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 80.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab Tough+); CNC Kitchen measured ~20 vs 5 kJ/m² for PolyLite PLA[4][23]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented20.9–32.4 printed Z (ISO 527); 33.0 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars vs 27.6 for PLA Basic[3][4][24]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[3][4][23]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented78.8 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[28]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][15]Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 20.2 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, the same as plain PLA[24][29]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Below average — impact modifiers raise absorbed energy 5–9×; plain PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[30][4][23]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[3]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented60 (Bambu Lab Tough+) to 78 (PolyMax PLA), printed[3][4]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55 (PolyMax) to 61 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[3][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented52 (PolyMax) to 58 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[3][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]61 (DSC)[3][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]149–151 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 62 (ISO 306)[3][4]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]48–57 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature: 48 for Polymaker PLA Pro, 50 for Sunlu PLA+, 52 for Bambu Lab Tough, 57 for PolyTerra PLA+[24][31][28][29]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[32]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[33]Degrades within weeks outdoors[21][34]
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][4]
Food contactNot food safe[33]Base resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[21]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[33]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[35][21]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[33]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[35]
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[36]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[36]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[36]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[36]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[36]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[36]None needed in a normal room[36]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[33]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[34][21]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[15][2]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[21][37]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][15]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[21]
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); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[3][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documented55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges (Bambu Lab Tough+)[4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[38][39][40]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[41]
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.[42]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[41][43]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[38][42]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[44][43]

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. PolyMax PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Tough+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. eSUN PLA+ 1.75mm 1KG eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Overture PLA+ 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. JAYO PLA+ 1.1KG Reusable Spool 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 0.75kg Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Fiberlogy Impact PLA 850g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. PLA HR-870 NATURAL Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  16. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  21. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. The difference of PLA and PLA+ tested! (feat. Polymaker) CNC Kitchen · 2020-08 · test
  24. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  26. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  27. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  28. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — 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. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  32. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  33. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  34. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  35. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  36. 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
  37. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  38. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  39. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  40. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  41. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  42. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  43. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  44. 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