3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Matte vs TPU soft

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

Matte PLA guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Matte comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
PLA Matte vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyMatte PLAPLASoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.09/kg median; $10.99–$32.16/kg across 10 dated product listings$114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA compounded with a mineral filler — Fiberlogy names chalk — that scatters light into a diffuse finish[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/cm³1.31 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183) to 1.38 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral, method not stated) — above plain PLA from the filler[2][1]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 21[4][5][6]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[7][8][9]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg11–32 across brands; budget house brands 11–19, Fiberlogy PLA Mineral 32[10][5][11]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[7][9][8]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][6][4]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][12][7]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 mm; 1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[4][13]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[3][7][14][8]
Typical applicationsDisplay models and visible parts where a matte, non-reflective finish matters[2]Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[3]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[15]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 (Bambu Lab); 190–210 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral)[2][1]Not documented
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 60 (Fiberlogy)[2][1]50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[2][1]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on; Fiberlogy specifies 75–100 %[2][1]Not documented
Bed surface & adhesion aidCool plate, high-temperature plate or textured PEI with glue (Bambu Lab); smooth PEI, textured PEI or glass (Fiberlogy)[2][1]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[16][17]
Warping tendency1–5None[2]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[18]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[2][1]Expert / industrial hardware only — below 85 Shore A the filament buckles in almost any feed path that is not a short, constrained direct drive[14][17]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[14][12]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[19][2][1]Brass fine indefinitely[20]
Abrasiveness1–5Slightly abrasive — mineral filler pushes density from 1.24 to 1.31–1.38[1][2][21]Non-abrasive[20]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[19]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[16][17][22]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; PLA softens below 60 °C[23]Very high — softens in the cold zone readily[17]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[18]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[16]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2]Moderate[22]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.40 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[2]Not documented
Drying temperature & time50 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer, or 60–70 °C for 12 h on an X1 heatbed; Fiberlogy specifies 50 °C for 6 h[2][1][24]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[22]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[22]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity — the loss shows as poor layer adhesion and brittle layers rather than a published strength figure[22]Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[22]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[21][18]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[22]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa30 (printed XY, ISO 527, Bambu Lab); 35.1 on My Tech Fun bars for PolyTerra PLA[2][25]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1960 (Bambu Lab, printed XY, ISO 527); Fiberlogy PLA Mineral quotes 3500 (ISO 527, specimen type not stated)[2][1]Not documented
Elongation at break%14.8 (printed XY, ISO 527)[2]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[3]
Flexural strengthMPa53 (printed XY, ISO 178) — 30 % below PLA Basic at 76[2][21]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2360 (printed XY, ISO 178)[2]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²6.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched); unnotched 19.2[2]Not documented
Other impact dataIzod 6.1 kJ/m² on My Tech Fun printed bars for PolyTerra PLA[25]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa22 (printed Z, ISO 527); flexural Z falls to 29 against 53 in XY; 12.9 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars[2][25]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[2]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / RockwellNot documented81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[3]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 18.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[25]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[26]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength (R = 0.2)[27][23]Excellent — living hinges viable[17]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[2]Rubbery / highly elastic[3]
Z strength as % of XY%73 by tensile, 55 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[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°C58 (Bambu Lab) and 48 (Fiberlogy PLA Mineral), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[2][1]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C61 (DSC)[2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C163 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 63 °C[2]170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[3]
Continuous service temperature°C54 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[25]Not documented
Annealing response50–60 °C for 6–12 h; some prints deform or warp, and a forced-air oven is required[2]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[21][28]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[23][29]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[17]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[28][23]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[17]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water[21]Not documented
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[23]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[17]
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[30][23]Not biodegradable[17]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[30]Not accepted in household plastic collection[17]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[31]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[31]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[31]Open a window / occasional ventilation[31]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[29][23]Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[17]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[23][32]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[17]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[23]No practical vapour smoothing[17]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[2]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[17]
Dimensional accuracy & detailMatte surface hides layer lines; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges as for plain PLA[2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform: 10 % w/v in 2–4 h at 23 °C, every grade and morphology; THF and DMF only at 65 °C. Laboratory reagents.[33]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[34]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[33][35]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[34]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[36][35]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[34]

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. PLA Mineral — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  4. Polymaker Panchroma Matte PLA — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Overture Matte PLA 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Matte PLA filament collection Anycubic Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Matte PLA filament collection Sunlu Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Fiberlogy PLA Mineral — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Extrudr PLA NX2 Matt — product listing 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  15. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  17. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  18. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  21. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  27. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  28. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  29. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  30. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  31. 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
  32. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  33. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  34. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  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