3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA+ vs TPU soft

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

PLA+ / Tough PLA guideSoft TPU (below 85A) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA+ comparisonsMore TPU soft comparisons
PLA+ vs TPU soft — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA+ / Tough PLAPLASoft TPU (below 85A)FLEX
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$16.49/kg median; $10.45–$39.99/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 impact modifiers; suppliers publish the base as polylactic acid only[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/cm³1.17–1.24 (Polymaker); 1.21 (Bambu Lab, ISO 1183)[1][2]1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[3]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 16[4][5]1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[6][7][8]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg10–40 across brands; budget house brands 10–17, Sakata 3D HR-870 26, Polymaker and Fiberlogy 36–40[9][5][10][11][12]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[6][8][7]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[9][4][5][10][11]Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][13][6]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools[10][11][9]1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[3][6][14][7]
Typical applicationsFunctional parts and enclosures that need impact tolerance but not heat resistance[1][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 (Polymaker); Bambu Lab Tough+ needs 220–250[1][2]Not documented
Bed temperature°C25–60 (Polymaker); 35–65 (Bambu Lab Tough+)[1][2]50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[3]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[1][2]Open frame is fine[3]
Part cooling fanFan on[1][2]Not documented
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[16][17]
Warping tendency1–5None[1]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything[18]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it[1][18]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; Tough+ wants a hotter nozzle than plain PLA[1][2]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][13]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[19]Brass fine indefinitely[20]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[21][19]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; softens below 60 °C like plain PLA[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)1–5Low — 0.27 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[2]Moderate[22]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.27 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab Tough+)[2]Not documented
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 6–8 h; 65–75 °C for 12 h on a Bambu Lab X1 heatbed[1][2]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 and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for the modified grades; the loss shows as poor layer adhesion rather than a strength number[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[2][18]Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[22]
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][24][25]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa1860–2150 (printed XY, ISO 527) — below plain PLA at 2300–3427[1][2][26][27]Not documented
Elongation at break%5.1–5.7 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][2]870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[3]
Flexural strengthMPa62–65 (printed XY, ISO 178) — below plain PLA at 76–87[1][2][28][27]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][24]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][25]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Tough — absorbs impact, yields before breaking[1][2][24]Very ductile — bends far before failing[3]
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[29]81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[3]
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[25][30]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 resistance1–5Below average — impact modifiers raise absorbed energy 5–9×; plain PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength[32][2][24]Excellent — living hinges viable[17]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[1]Rubbery / highly elastic[3]
Z strength as % of XY%60 (Bambu Lab Tough+) to 78 (PolyMax PLA), printed[1][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°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]170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[3]
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+[25][33][29][30]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96–99 for plain printed PLA (fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C); no grade-specific measurement published[34]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[2][1]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[23][35]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[1][2]Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[17]
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[36][23]Not biodegradable[17]
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection[36]Not accepted in household plastic collection[17]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[37]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[37]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[37]Open a window / occasional ventilation[37]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[35][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][38]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 pairingPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[1][2]Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[17]
Dimensional accuracy & detail55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges (Bambu Lab Tough+)[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.[39]DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[40]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[39][41]Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[40]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[42][41]None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[40]

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. FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  4. eSUN PLA+ 1.75mm 1KG eSUN Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  5. Overture PLA+ 1.75mm Overture3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  6. Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
  7. Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. JAYO PLA+ 1.1KG Reusable Spool 1.75mm JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 0.75kg Polymaker Shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Fiberlogy Impact PLA 850g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. PLA HR-870 NATURAL Sakata 3D Filaments · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 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. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  22. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  23. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  24. The difference of PLA and PLA+ tested! (feat. Polymaker) CNC Kitchen · 2020-08 · test
  25. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  26. Prusament PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  27. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  28. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  29. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  30. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — 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. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  34. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  35. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  36. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  37. 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
  38. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  39. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  40. Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds
  41. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  42. 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