3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PETG vs TPU soft

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

PETG guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PETG comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
PETG vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyPETGPETGSoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.99/kg median; $8.99–$69.99/kg across 21 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPolyethylene terephthalate glycol copolymer — PET with a glycol comonomer that suppresses crystallisation[1][2]Very soft thermoplastic elastomers below 85 Shore A. Fiberlogy's FiberFlex 30D measures 81 Shore A, the softest grade with a published datasheet found here[3]
Densityg/cm³1.24–1.30 (ISO 1183)[1][2][4][5]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 20[6][7][8]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[9][10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg12–70 across brands; IEMAI 12, ELEGOO 14, CHCKX 14, Bambu Lab 18–20, Hatchbox 26, Prusament 38, Prusament PETG V0 70[6][7][12][8][13][14]110–122 at 1 kg-equivalent; Recreus 70A 110 and 60A 116 at 500 g, NinjaTek Edge 83A 112, NinjaTek Chinchilla 75A 122; the Recreus 3 kg spools fall to 70–73[9][11][10]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[6][7][15][8]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][16][9]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.8 and 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[7][8]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[3][9][17][10]
Typical applicationsFunctional parts, enclosures and outdoor fittings that need more toughness and heat tolerance than PLA[1][2]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament)[1]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C230–260 across brands; Prusament 250 ± 10, Polymaker 240–260[1][2][5]Not documented
Bed temperature°C60–90; Prusament 80 ± 10, Polymaker 60–70[1][5]50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[5]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanAround 50 %; Polymaker specifies 20–60 %, less than PLA to protect layer bonding[1][5]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured 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[1][5]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[18][19]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s8–15 (PrusaSlicer guidance); My Tech Fun ran Bambu Lab PETG Basic at 13 mm³/s[20][21]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5Slight — corner lift on large flat parts[1][5]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Needs the right surface or a thin adhesive — the problem is releasing the part, not sticking it[1]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Moderate — retraction tuning needed[1][5]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning[5]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[17][19]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[17][16]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[20]Brass fine indefinitely[22]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[5]Non-abrasive[22]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Low — no special hot-end required and clogging is not among the listed drawbacks; Prusa lists no drybox and no hardened nozzle[23][24]High — jams from moisture, heat creep or particles; below 85 Shore A the filament buckles and compresses, and Simplify3D warns that raised feed rates most likely end in a jam[18][19][25]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Slightly sensitive[23]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily[19]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[23]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[18]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate (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[1][26]Moderate[25]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.10 after 7 days at 24 °C / 22 % RH (Prusa Polymers); 0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[1][26]Not documented
Drying temperature & time60–65 °C for 6–8 h[5][26]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[1]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[25]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[25]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant; Polymaker groups PETG with the highly hygroscopic materials[25][27]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[25]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa38–51 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 47 ± 2 at yield; 62 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[1][2][4][28]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1500–2311 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][2][4][5]Not documented
Elongation at break%5.2–9.3 at break (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament 5.1 at yield[2][4][5][1]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[3]
Flexural strengthMPa58–80 (printed XY, ISO 178); Prusament 66 ± 2[1][2][4][5]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa1068–2277 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1][2][4][5]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²2.6 (PolyLite) to 11.6 (PolyMax) printed XY, ISO 179, notched; Prusament 6 ± 1[2][4][1]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched does not break on Prusa's 4 J pendulum (ISO 179-1); Izod 3.37 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars[1][28]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa18 ± 4 (Prusa interlayer adhesion test); 42.8 printed Z for PolyLite PETG; 33 on My Tech Fun bars[1][2][28]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Moderate[1][2]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell74 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[1][28][29][30]81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Below 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[28][21]Poor — no creep test at this hardness; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[31]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Moderate — 79 000–193 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, about three times printed PLA (R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[32]Excellent — living hinges viable[19]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Slightly flexible in thin sections[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[3]
Z strength as % of XY%84 (PolyLite, printed Z against XY tensile)[2]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedTear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C68 (Prusament) to 78 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2][5]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C65 (Polymaker) to 75 (PolyLite), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa; Prusament 68[1][2][5]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C71–81 (DSC)[2][4][5]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°CAmorphous — no melting point; Vicat 75–84 (ISO 306)[2][4][5]170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C61–66 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature across six grades from four brands; Prusa publishes 68 for Prusament PETG[28][29][30][21][33]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K65 at 30 °C (neat PETG, large-format printed bead, TMA)[34]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for standard PETG, though flame-retardant V0 grades exist[35][27]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Moderate — a season or two[1]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[19]
Chemical resistanceWithstands acids, alkalis, oils and UV exposure — Polymaker names outdoor use as a result[27]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[19]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — minor absorption[1]Not documented
Food contactPET is the polymer of drinks bottles, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria and no filament here carries a food-contact certification[27]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[19]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot biodegradable[27]Not biodegradable[19]
RecyclabilityPET is widely recycled as bottle stock, but printed PETG waste is not accepted in household collection[27]Not accepted in household plastic collection[19]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Moderate — measurable VOCs and UFPs, ventilation advised[36]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[36]
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈5 × 10⁹ median for the PET-based T-Glase filament in the same chamber study, against ≈1 × 10⁸ for PLA[36]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5Open a window / occasional ventilation[36]Open a window / occasional ventilation[36]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands poorly — the material is tough and gums rather than powders[23]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[19]
Painting & finishingPaint adheres poorly without abrasion and a primer[1]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate; no common solvent welds PETG cleanly[23]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[19]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing[1]No practical vapour smoothing[19]
Support material pairingPrints its own supports; Polymaker rates PolyDissolve S1 for PETG[23]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[19]
Dimensional accuracy & detailStringing and blobbing are the usual accuracy limits, not shrinkage[1][5]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inNo common workshop solvent; 1,2-dichloroethane destroys it inside a week and dichloromethane — a carcinogen — dissolves the surface.[37][38]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[39]
Softened or crazed byAcetone (+16 % weight over 1 year at 23 °C), ethyl acetate, toluene and DMF swell and soften it; methanol crazes it.[37]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[39]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentDichloromethane brushed on is the only agent that smooths PETG — a controlled carcinogen, not workshop stock.[38]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[39]

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. Prusament PETG Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  2. PolyLite PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  3. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyMax PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  5. Polymaker PETG Technical Data Sheet Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · tds
  6. PETG Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Black PETG Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg — product data Hatchbox · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI PETG 3D Printing Filament product page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. CHCKX PETG 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 1 kg, Black CHCKX (Amazon US) · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  21. BambuLab PETG Basic vs Translucent vs PETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  22. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  23. PET and PETG — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  25. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PETG HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  27. PETG — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  28. PCTG vs PETG comparison — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  29. Extrudr PETG vs PCTG vs XPETG-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. Prusament PETG-CF vs PETG V0 vs PETG — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  31. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  32. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  33. Prusament PETG — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  34. 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
  35. Prusament PETG V0 Technical Datasheet Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · tds
  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. Eastman Spectar copolyester — Chemical resistance (unstressed bars, 1 year at 23 °C) Eastman Chemical Company · 2026-08 · tds
  38. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  39. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds