3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PLA Wood

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

HIPS guideWood-filled PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore HIPS comparisonsMore PLA Wood comparisons
HIPS vs PLA Wood — documented properties and sources
PropertyHIPSABSWood-filled PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$34.49/kg median; $13.99–$76.40/kg across 6 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]PLA filled with wood powder — 10–18 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS); colorFabb woodFill uses a PLA/PHA base with recycled wood fibre[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.15 (colorFabb) to 1.23 (Fiberlogy), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.21[5][4][6]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[7][8]1 kg spools cluster near 25; counting the 0.5 kg specialty spools the middle of the market is about 34[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[8][7][12]14–76 across brands; SUNLU 14, ELEGOO 19, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 44, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools, colorFabb 76[10][9][13][14][15][11]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[7][8]Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][10][14][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[8][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.6, 0.85 and 1 kg spools[14][6][9]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Decorative and model-making prints that are sanded and stained like timber[5][4]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[5]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[16]190–240 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb advises 195–220 for its PLA/PHA base[5][4]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[16]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–70 (Fiberlogy)[5][6]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[17]Open frame is fine[5]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[16]Fan on[5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[16]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[17]None[5]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[16]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[16][18]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[17]Easy — minor profile tuning; pre-drying is required and the wood content chars if it sits hot[19][5]
Extruder requirementNot documentedNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible; Bambu Lab does not recommend the AMS lite[19]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[17]Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's PLA compatibility table lists no hardened-nozzle requirement, but its nozzle guide names wood among the abrasive filaments hardened steel exists for[19][20]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[17]Moderately abrasive — wood fill[19]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[16][21][2]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; wood particles char and block small nozzles[19]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[16]Not documented
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[16]Not documented
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[16]High — 1.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, the highest in the PLA family[5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented1.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer; Bambu Lab lists pre-drying as required[5][19]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[22]Bambu Lab flags pre-drying and ventilation as specific requirements for this grade[19]
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]No dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. At 1.25 % saturated uptake the practical loss shows as poor layer adhesion, rough surface and weak layers[22][5]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[22]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa40 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]26 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 28.4 (colorFabb) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy quotes 35 at yield[5][4][6]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]2360 ± 190 (Bambu Lab) and 2479 (colorFabb) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy 2950[5][4][6]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]4.5 (colorFabb) to 15.3 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy 6.5[5][4][6]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]55 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[5]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2780 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[5]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented3.81 (colorFabb) and 6.3 ± 2.2 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[5][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched 12.28 (colorFabb) and 15.7 (Bambu Lab), printed, ISO 179[5][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented15 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 28 against 55 in XY[5]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[5]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][16]Poor — no wood-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[23][24][25]
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 and the wood filler cuts elongation and the parts snap without warning[26][5]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[5]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented58 by tensile, 51 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented57 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]54 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Fiberlogy quotes 55–60[5][6]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]156 peak melt (DSC)[5]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[27]Degrades within weeks outdoors[28]
Chemical resistanceDissolves completely in d-limonene — the basis of its use as a soluble support[2]Not documented
Food contactNot food safe[27]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[27]Not documented
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[27]Not documented
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[29]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[29]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[29]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[29]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[29]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[29]None needed in a normal room; Bambu Lab specifically advises ventilation for this grade[19]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[27]Sands and stains like timber — the usual reason for choosing it[4]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[16][2]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][16]Not documented
Support material pairingUsed as the support material itself — dissolves in d-limonene, or breaks away from ABS and ASA[2]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedWood grain hides layer lines; colour darkens with nozzle temperature[5][4]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[30][31][32]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[33]
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.[34]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[33][35]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[30][34]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[36][35]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20250723SA16 — Bambu PLA Wood Bambu Lab · 2025-07 · msds
  4. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Wood Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. FiberWood technical data sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  7. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PLA Wood — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. PLA+ WOODJet - Natur (1,75 mm; 0,5 kg) Filament PM shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. woodFill — product page colorFabb US · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. SUNLU Optimized Wood PLA 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  27. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  29. 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
  30. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  31. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  32. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  33. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  34. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  35. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  36. 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