3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

HIPS vs PLA

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

HIPS guidePLA (standard) 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 (standard)PLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$29.99/kg median; $27.99–$32.00/kg across 3 dated product listings$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryHigh-impact polystyrene — polystyrene toughened with a butadiene rubber phase[1][2]Poly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.04 (ISO 1183)[1]1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[3][5][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 31[6][7]Mainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[8][9][10]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg28–32 across brands; YXPOLYER 28, Push Plastic 30, 3DXTech 32[7][6][11]10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[12][13][14][15]
Market availability1–5Available from several mainstream brands[6][7]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[16][17]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 1 and 3 kg spools[7][6]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[8][18][19][14][20]
Typical applicationsBreak-away and d-limonene-soluble support for ABS and ASA, and a light model material in its own right[2]Concept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[21]
Diameter tolerance± mmNot documented±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[3][8][22]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–245 (Simplify3D)[23]190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[3][5][4]
Bed temperature°C100–115 (Simplify3D)[23]25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[3][5][4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Enclosure recommended[24]Open frame is fine[5][16]
Part cooling fanPart cooling fan not required[23]100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[3][17]
Bed surface & adhesion aidGlue stick, glass plate, Kapton tape or PET sheets[23]Smooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[5][25][17]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[26]
Warping tendency1–5Moderate — needs adhesion aid or draught shield[24]None[27][16]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs a specific surface plus adhesive[23]Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[5][4][17]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — HIPS oozes less than ABS[23][28]Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[5][17][29]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile[24]Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[16][17]
Extruder requirementNot documentedAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[16]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[24]Brass fine indefinitely[16]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[24]Non-abrasive[27][16]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required, no drybox and no hardened nozzle, and 3DXTech states drying is not needed[23][16][2]Very low[16][17]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[23]Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[25][30]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[23]Any standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[16]
Other hardware wearNot documentedNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[27][16]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low (0.1–0.3 %) — Simplify3D lists water resistance as a headline property[23]Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[4][5][31]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%Not documented0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[4][5]
Drying temperature & timeNot documented50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[5][4][30]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[32]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[32]
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[32]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — it absorbs moisture slowly and the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[32]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; less critical than for the polyamides[32]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]35–52 (printed XY, ISO 527); 55 mean across 16 brands and 53 for the reference PLA in a later run, both on 4×4 mm printed bars[3][5][4][33][34]
Young's modulusMPa1350 (printed XY, ISO 527) — the lowest modulus of the styrenics here[1]2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[3][5][4]
Elongation at break%18 at break (printed XY, ISO 527)[1]6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[5][4][3]
Flexural strengthMPa70 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][35]
Flexural modulusMPa1600 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1]2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[3][5][4][35]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²Not documented3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[5][4]
Other impact dataNot documentedCharpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[3][4]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPaNot documented17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[3][4][34]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1]Brittle — snaps with little warning[25][27]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[3][36]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Moderate — no printed-HIPS creep test found; Tg of 100 °C keeps room-temperature service far below softening[1][23]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[37][38]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate[1]Poor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[39][25]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rigid[27]
Z strength as % of XY%Not documented77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[5][4][34]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°CNot documented55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[3][5][4]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°CNot documented54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[3][5][4]
Glass transition (Tg)°C100 (DSC)[1]55–61 (DSC)[3][5][4]
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point[1]145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[21][5][4]
Continuous service temperature°CBounded by a glass transition of 100 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for HIPS[1]50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[27][34]
Annealing responseNot documentedBambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[4][40]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·KNot documented96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[41]
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published[1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[4][5]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Months outdoors before embrittlement — polystyrene yellows and chalks under UV[42]Degrades within weeks outdoors[25][21]
Outdoor durabilityNot documentedNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[21][25]
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; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[5][25]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedGood — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[4][43]
Food contactNot food safe[42]Base resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[25][43]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[42]Industrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[43][25][4]
RecyclabilityNot accepted in household plastic collection[42]Mechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[43]
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[44]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[44]
VOC emission rateµg/min12–113 styrene, the range measured across ABS and the one HIPS filament tested[44]4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[44]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈4 × 10⁹ median for the HIPS filament tested, an order of magnitude below ABS but forty times PLA[44]≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[44]
Hazardous species emittedStyrene was the only dominant VOC identified for the HIPS filament tested[44]Lactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[44]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Enclosure with carbon and HEPA filtration[44]None needed in a normal room[44]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and paints readily, like ABS[42]Wet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[21][25]
Gluing & solvent weldingSolvent-welds with d-limonene, and with acetone via its polystyrene backbone[23][2]Cyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[25][22]
Vapour / chemical smoothingd-limonene attacks the surface; acetone smoothing is far less effective than on ABS[2][23]No practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[25]
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)[5][4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailNot documentedGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[27][4][17]
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble ind-limonene, 12–24 h submerged with occasional agitation; acetone also dissolves it, and xylene does so at 23 °C.[45][46][47]Chloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[48]
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.[49]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[48][50]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentLimonene welds and lightly etches it; acetone welds through the polystyrene backbone but smooths less well than ABS.[45][49]Chloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[51][50]

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 PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  4. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  5. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  6. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. YXPOLYER HIPS product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. JAYO PLA Classic 1.1KG 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. ELEGOO PLA Filament 1.75mm Colored 1KG Elegoo US Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Natural 1kg Fillamentum USA · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Prusament PLA Jet Black 1kg (NFC) Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  17. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  18. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  22. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. HIPS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. ABS / ASA / PC Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  28. ABS — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  29. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  32. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  34. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  35. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  36. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  38. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  39. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  40. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  41. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  42. ABS — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  43. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  44. 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
  45. D-Limonene — FDM post-processing guide Filament2Print · 2026-08 · review
  46. Chemical resistance — resistance of Ensinger plastics to chemicals (DIN 50 014, 23/50) Ensinger · 2026-08 · tds
  47. US 5,278,282 Polymer recycling by selective dissolution — xylene dissolution temperatures Nauman & Lynch, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · 1994-01 · paper
  48. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  49. HIPS — Knowledge Base Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  50. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  51. 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