3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA+ vs TPU 95A

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

PLA+ / Tough PLA guideTPU 95A guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA+ comparisonsMore TPU 95A comparisons
PLA+ vs TPU 95A — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA+ / Tough PLAPLATPU 95AFLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$16.49/kg median; $10.45–$39.99/kg across 10 dated product listings$39.99/kg median; $23.00–$106.05/kg across 15 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA compounded with impact modifiers; suppliers publish the base as polylactic acid only[1][2]Thermoplastic polyurethane, polyester or polyether based, at about 92–95 Shore A[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.17–1.24 (Polymaker); 1.21 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183)[1][2]1.20–1.25 (ISO 1183); Prusament 1.25, Polymaker 1.20–1.24, Bambu Lab 1.22[3][4][5]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 16[6][7]1 kg spools cluster near 35; the specialist and industrial brands run to 106[8][9][5][10][11][12]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg10–40 across brands; budget house brands 10–17, Sakata 3D HR-870 26, Polymaker and Fiberlogy 36–40[13][7][14][15][16]23–106 across brands; IEMAI 3D 23, LANDU 24, Siraya Tech 25, PS Imports 25, PrimaCreator 32, Bambu Lab 35–42, Polymaker 40–50, add:north 72, Recreus 90, 3DXTech 96, NinjaTek Cheetah 106[9][17][8][18][10][11][19][20][21][12]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[13][6][7][14][15]Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[8][18][9][17][10][11]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools[14][15][13]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[8][18]
Typical applicationsFunctional parts and enclosures that need impact tolerance but not heat resistance[1][2]Gaskets, phone cases, tyres, vibration mounts and protective covers[22]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[23]±0.06 (Prusament) — the loosest tolerance Prusa publishes, because soft filament deforms in the gauge[4]
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230 (Polymaker); Bambu Lab Tough+ needs 220–250[1][2]210–240; Polymaker 210–230, Prusament 230 ± 10, Bambu Lab HF 220–240[3][4][5]
Bed temperature°C25–60 (Polymaker); 35–65 (Bambu Lab Tough+)[1][2]25–65; Prusament 65 ± 10, Bambu Lab 30–35, Polymaker 25–60[4][5][3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][2]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on[1][2]Fan on[3][5]
Bed surface & adhesion aidTextured or smooth PEI; Bambu Lab recommends glue stick or liquid glue for Tough+[1][2]PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[24][22]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented2.4 at Polymaker's 30–50 mm/s and 2.4 at Prusa's 30 mm/s cap on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer; Bambu Lab's high-flow grade lifts the cap to 200 mm/s (16 mm³/s)[3][4][5]
Warping tendency1–5None[1]None[3]
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[25]Sticks to most surfaces[3]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it[1][25]Moderate — retraction tuning needed; Polymaker specifies 3–6 mm retraction, well above the 1–3 mm used for rigid filaments[3]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; Tough+ wants a hotter nozzle than plain PLA[1][2]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; the speed ceiling is the main constraint[3][4]
Extruder requirementNot documentedDirect drive strongly preferred. BASF rates its 95A grade as running on both direct-drive and Bowden machines, but every maker caps speed at 15–50 mm/s unless the grade is specifically high-flow[26][3][4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[27]Brass fine indefinitely[28]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[29][27]Non-abrasive[28]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[27]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[30]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C like plain PLA[31]High — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; soft filament buckles in the cold zone if it slows[22]
Hotend requirementNo special hot-end required[25]No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[24]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Low — 0.27 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2]Low (0.1–0.3 %) by Prusa's measurement at 0.04 % in 7 days, but Polymaker measures 0.82 % equilibrium and groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials[4][3][30]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.27 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab Tough+)[2]0.82 equilibrium (Polymaker); 0.02 after 24 h and 0.04 after 7 days at 22 % RH (Prusa)[3][4]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h; 65–75 °C for 12 h on a Bambu Lab X1 heatbed[1][2]70 °C for 8 h (Polymaker); 70 °C for 8 h or an 80–90 °C heatbed for 12 h (Bambu Lab)[3][5]
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[30]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[30]
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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[30]Polymaker groups TPU with nylon, PVA and PETG as highly hygroscopic and says these often need to stay in a dryer while printing; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[30]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[2][25]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[30]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa35–43 (printed XY, ISO 527); 53 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars for Bambu Lab Tough[1][2][32][33]41.4 ± 1.3 printed (Prusament, ISO 37); NinjaTek Cheetah 39 ultimate (ASTM D638)[4][34]
Young's modulusMPa1860–2150 (printed XY, ISO 527) — below plain PLA at 2300–3427[1][2][35][36]Not documented
Elongation at break%5.1–5.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][2]551 ± 24 printed (Polymaker, ISO 37); the filament itself stretches 7264 % before break (Prusa, ISO 527)[3][4]
Flexural strengthMPa62–65 (printed XY, ISO 178) — below plain PLA at 76–87[1][2][37][36]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2140–2393 (printed XY, ISO 178)[1][2]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²38.9–72.3 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched) — 5–9× plain PLA[1][2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 80.6 printed XY (Bambu Lab Tough+); CNC Kitchen measured ~20 vs 5 kJ/m² for PolyLite PLA[2][32]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa20.9–32.4 printed Z (ISO 527); 33.0 on My Tech Fun layer-adhesion bars vs 27.6 for PLA Basic[1][2][33]9.5 ± 0.2 (Prusament interlayer adhesion, ISO 527)[4]
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2][32]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3][4]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell78.8 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun), against 75.3 for the same maker's plain PLA[38]92 ± 0.4 Shore A and 39 ± 0.7 Shore D (Prusament); 95A (Polymaker, ISO 7619-1); 91 Shore A / 40 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 40D, ISO 7619); 95A (NinjaTek Cheetah, ASTM D2240); 94.5 A measured on a printed Bambu Lab 95A part and 96.2 A on a Qidi one (My Tech Fun)[4][3][39][34][40]
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — 12 mm bar sagged to 20.2 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg, the same as plain PLA[33][41]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; a loaded bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days[40]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Below average — impact modifiers raise absorbed energy 5–9×; plain PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[42][2][32]Excellent — living hinges viable[22]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[3][4]
Z strength as % of XY%60 (Bambu Lab Tough+) to 78 (PolyMax PLA), printed[1][2]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documentedAbrasion resistance is a headline property; BASF measures 64 mm³ loss by ISO 4649 on its 92A grade[26]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55 (PolyMax) to 61 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 0.45 MPa[1][2]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C52 (PolyMax) to 58 (Tough+), ISO 75 at 1.8 MPa[1][2]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C61 (DSC)[1][2]Not documented
Melting point / Vicat°C149–151 peak melt (DSC); Vicat 62 (ISO 306)[1][2]144 melting (BASF 95A, ISO 11357-3); Bambu Lab 183, Polymaker's modulus at 100 % elongation 8.9 MPa[26][5]
Continuous service temperature°C48–57 — 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+[33][43][38][41]Bounded by a melting point of 144–183 °C; no loaded-bar service figure is published for TPU[26][5]
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[44]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[2][1]Flammable; no UL 94 rating published for the grades surveyed[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[31][45]Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[22]
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis[1][2]Good resistance to oils and common solvents (BASF)[26]
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[31]Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[22]
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C; not home compostable[46][31]Not biodegradable[22]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[46]Not accepted in household plastic collection[22]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[47]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[47]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[47]Open a window / occasional ventilation[47]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[45][31]Sanding is impractical — the surface tears rather than abrades[22]
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone[31][48]Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[22]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[31]No practical vapour smoothing[22]
Support material pairingPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[1][2]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove; PolyDissolve S1 is rated for TPU[22]
Dimensional accuracy & detail55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges (Bambu Lab Tough+)[2]Stringing and elephant-foot are the accuracy limits; retraction has to be long and slow[3]
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.[49]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[50]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[49][51]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[50]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[52][51]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[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. PolyMax PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Tough+ Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. PolyFlex TPU95 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  4. Prusament TPU 95A Technical Datasheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2025-05 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — TPU 95A HF Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. eSUN PLA+ 1.75mm 1KG eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Overture PLA+ 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. LANDU TPU 3D Printer Filament 1.75 mm 95A Black 1 kg — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. IEMAI 3D TPU 3D Printing Filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. Cheetah product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. JAYO PLA+ 1.1KG Reusable Spool 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 0.75kg Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. Fiberlogy Impact PLA 850g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. PLA HR-870 NATURAL Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. TPU for AMS — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  19. Siraya Tech Flex TPU 95A Filament — product page Siraya Tech · 2026-08 · vendor
  20. PrimaCreator EasyPrint FLEX TPU 95A product page PrimaCreator · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. add:north TPU Pro Matte 95A product page add:north · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  25. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  26. Ultrafuse TPU 95A Technical Data Sheet (Version 2.0) BASF Forward AM · 2022-08 · tds
  27. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
  29. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  30. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  32. The difference of PLA and PLA+ tested! (feat. Polymaker) CNC Kitchen · 2020-08 · test
  33. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. NinjaTek technical specs comparison chart (Cheetah, NinjaFlex, Armadillo, Alloy 910, Nylon 645) NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
  35. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  36. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  37. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  38. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  39. FiberFlex 40D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  40. BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
  41. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  42. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  43. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  44. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  45. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  46. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  47. 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
  48. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  49. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  50. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  51. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  52. 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