3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA vs PLA Glow

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

PLA (standard) guideGlow-in-the-dark PLA guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA comparisonsMore PLA Glow comparisons
PLA vs PLA Glow — documented properties and sources
PropertyPLA (standard)PLAGlow-in-the-dark PLAPLA
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$19.74/kg median; $9.99–$32.99/kg across 24 dated product listings$24.99/kg median; $19.99–$49.16/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPoly(lactic acid), a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester from fermented plant starch[1][2]PLA with a phosphorescent additive at 2–20 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS, filler not named)[3]
Densityg/cm³1.17–1.24 (ISO 1183)[1][4][2]1.24 (colorFabb) to 1.26 (Bambu Lab), ISO 1183[5][6]
Typical priceUSD/kgMainstream 1 kg spools cluster near 20[7][8][9]1 kg spools cluster near 25[10][11]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg10–33 across brands; budget house brands 10–14, premium European 26–33[12][13][14][15]20–49 across brands; ELEGOO 20, Bambu Lab 25, Polymaker 25, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools[16][10][11][17]
Market availability1–5Ubiquitous, every brand and retailer[18][19]Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][11][16]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75, 0.85, 1 and 1.1 kg spools plus spool-less refills[7][20][21][14][22]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.75 and 1 kg spools[23][6]
Typical applicationsConcept models, functional prototypes, low-wear toys, jigs used at room temperature[24]Signage, novelty and cosplay parts that glow after light exposure[5]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.02 (Prusament) to ±0.03 (Bambu Lab, Prusa Research standard)[1][7][25]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–230; Prusament specifies 210 ± 10[1][4][2]190–230 on the Bambu Lab TDS against 210–240 in its own material table; colorFabb advises 195–220[5][26][6]
Bed temperature°C25–60; Prusament 40–60, Bambu Lab 35–45[1][4][2]35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–60 (colorFabb)[5][6]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[4][18]Open frame is fine[5]
Part cooling fan100 % from the second layer; reduce on the first one or two layers for bed adhesion[1][19]Fan on; colorFabb allows 0–100 %[5][6]
Bed surface & adhesion aidSmooth or textured PEI, glass or painter's tape; glue stick only where release is a problem[4][27][19]Not documented
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s12–20 (PrusaSlicer max volumetric speed guidance for PLA)[28]Not documented
Warping tendency1–5None[29][18]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Sticks to anything — glue only needed on smooth PEI[4][2][19]Not documented
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Slight — 1–3 mm retraction handles it; oozing rises with nozzle temperature[4][19][30]Not documented
Overall printing difficulty1–5Beginner — prints on any machine out of the box[18][19]Easy — minor profile tuning; a hardened nozzle is mandatory[26][11]
Extruder requirementAny extruder; Bowden and direct drive both fine, no hardware upgrades[18]Bambu Lab: hardened steel and high-flow nozzles only, 0.2 mm excluded, AMS lite not compatible[26]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass fine indefinitely[18]Hardened steel required[26][11][6]
Abrasiveness1–5Non-abrasive[29][18]Highly abrasive — the phosphor is a hard ceramic; Bambu Lab groups glow with carbon fibre as the materials that wear nozzles and grind AMS PTFE, and both Bambu Lab and Polymaker require a hardened nozzle[26][6]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Very low[18][19]Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle[26]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed; softens below 60 °C so it deforms in a warm cold zone[27][31]Not documented
Hotend requirementAny standard hotend; PTFE-lined is fine at PLA temperatures[18]Hardened steel nozzle; Bambu Lab lists glow-in-the-dark among the filaments its hardened-steel nozzle exists for[32][26]
Other hardware wearNone — brass nozzles and standard drive gears are unaffected[29][18]Bambu Lab reports the filament adds enough feeding resistance to fail prints on the AMS lite; colorFabb warns of brass nozzle wear[26][6]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5Moderate — 0.40–0.51 % saturated at 23–25 °C and 55–70 % RH[2][4][33]Moderate — 0.46 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH[5]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%0.43 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab); 0.51 equilibrium (Polymaker)[2][4]0.46 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[5]
Drying temperature & time50–55 °C for 6–8 h in a forced-air dryer; 45 °C for 12 h in the Bambu Lab AMS HT[4][2][31]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing, rough surface and weak layers[34]Not documented
Effect of moisture on strengthPolymaker 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[34]Polymaker rates PLA low-sensitivity and publishes no dry-versus-conditioned figures for this grade; absorbed water flashes to steam and shows as bubbling and poor layer adhesion[34]
Storage requirementSealed with desiccant below 20 % RH; shelf life at ambient is long[2][19]Not documented
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa35–52 (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[1][4][2][35][36]32 ± 3 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb quotes 61.5 by ISO 527 on its own specimens[5][6]
Young's modulusMPa2300–3427 (printed XY, ISO 527)[1][4][2]2030 ± 210 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 2960[5][6]
Elongation at break%6.3–12.2 (printed XY, ISO 527); Prusament quotes 2.9 at yield[4][2][1]8.6 ± 1.2 printed XY, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 10.5 at break[5][6]
Flexural strengthMPa76–87 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 81 by ASTM D790[1][4][2][37]76 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[5]
Flexural modulusMPa2750–3230 (printed XY, ISO 178); Fiberlogy quotes 3800 by ASTM D790[1][4][2][37]2640 ± 130 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb 3295[5][6]
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²3.3–7.9 (printed XY, ISO 179, notched)[4][2]2.8 (colorFabb, ISO 179-1/1eA) and 8.8 ± 1.7 (Bambu Lab, ISO 179) printed XY, notched[5][6]
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched, printed: 13–14 (Prusament, ISO 179-1), 26.6 (Bambu Lab PLA Basic)[1][2]Charpy unnotched 27.3 (Bambu Lab) and 30.8 (colorFabb), printed, ISO 179[5][6]
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa17–31 (Prusa interlayer test and printed Z tensile); 23 mean on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[1][2][36]26 ± 3 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab)[5]
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[27][29]Brittle — snaps with little warning[5]
Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell81 Shore D (Prusa Polymers in-house method); 75.3 Shore D measured on printed bars (My Tech Fun, Sunlu PLA)[1][38]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; 12 mm bar sagged to 20.3 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[39][40]Poor — no glow-grade creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[39][41][38]
Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5Poor — 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength, against 79 000–193 000 for PETG (printed, R = 0.2, 7 Hz)[42][27]Poor — no grade-specific S-N curve; plain printed PLA ran 38 000–49 000 cycles at 30 % of tensile strength and the glow filler leaves a brittle, highly abrasive compound[42][5]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[29]Rigid[5]
Z strength as % of XY%77–89 on TDS specimens; ≈44 on My Tech Fun 4×4 mm bars[4][2][36]81 by tensile, 72 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[5]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C55–60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[1][4][2]55 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[5]
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C54–58 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[1][4][2]52 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[5]
Glass transition (Tg)°C55–61 (DSC)[1][4][2]55 (DSC)[5]
Melting point / Vicat°C145–160 peak melt (Prusament, ISO 11357); 150 and 160 by DSC (PolyLite, Bambu Lab); Vicat 57–63 (ISO 306)[24][4][2]155 peak melt (DSC); colorFabb quotes above 155 by ISO 3146-C[5][6]
Continuous service temperature°C50–55 — loaded bars begin to move at this temperature[29][36]Not documented
Annealing responseBambu Lab conditions specimens at 55 °C for 8 h; annealing at 50–60 °C for 6–12 h raises crystallinity but can warp parts[2][43]Not documented
Thermal expansion (CTE)µm/m·K96 ± 5 at 0° and 99 ± 5 at 90° raster (printed PLA, fibre Bragg grating, 25–50 °C)[44]Not documented
Flammability / UL 94Flammable; no UL 94 rating published by the major brands[2][4]Not documented
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[27][24]Degrades within weeks outdoors[27]
Outdoor durabilityNot suitable for long-term outdoor use — UV embrittlement plus softening above 55 °C in direct sun[24][27]Not documented
Chemical resistanceGood against weak acids, oils and grease; poor against strong acids and alkalis; dissolved by chloroform, THF and hot benzene[4][27]Not documented
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Good — insoluble in water, absorbs 0.4–0.5 % at equilibrium[2][45]Not documented
Food contactBase resin is food-contact grade and EN 71-3 certified by some brands, but printed layer grooves harbour bacteria; Prusa advises against food use[27][45]Not documented
Biodegradability / compostabilityIndustrially compostable only — needs sustained 55 °C and specific microbial conditions; not home compostable[45][27][2]Not documented
RecyclabilityMechanically recyclable; not accepted in household plastic collection, so brand take-back schemes are the practical route[45]Not documented
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[46]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[46]
VOC emission rateµg/min4–5 lactide, the dominant VOC (chamber study, three printers)[46]Not documented
Ultrafine-particle emission rateparticles/min≈1 × 10⁸ median across three printers; only laywood ≈8 × 10⁷ and laybrick ≈6 × 10⁷ were lower[46]Not documented
Hazardous species emittedLactide (3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione) dominates; no styrene or caprolactam as a leading species[46]Not documented
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room[46]None needed in a normal room[46]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningWet sanding — dry sanding heats the surface by friction and smears it[24][27]Not documented
Gluing & solvent weldingCyanoacrylate for most joints; some grades partially dissolve and bond with acetone, depending on additives and colour[27][25]Not documented
Vapour / chemical smoothingNo practical vapour smoothing — only chloroform, hot benzene or THF, which are laboratory-only[27]Not documented
Support material pairingPolySupport and PolyDissolve S1 (Polymaker); Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[4][2]Support for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5]
Dimensional accuracy & detailGood — low shrinkage and features under 0.2 mm resolve; 55° overhangs and 30 mm bridges[29][2][19]Glow brightness rises with wall thickness; 0.2 mm nozzles are not usable[26]
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.[47]Chloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[47]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise it but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; submersion in acetone crazes and destroys parts.[47][48]Acetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[47][48]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour smooths and welds PLA at the cost of tensile strength; acetone does not smooth it at all.[49][48]Chloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[49][48]

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 PLA Technical Datasheet v1.1 Prusa Polymers · 2022-02 · tds
  2. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Basic Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  3. Safety Data Sheet SDS20251127A12 — Bambu PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2025-11 · msds
  4. PolyLite PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Glow Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. glowFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  7. PLA Basic — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. MH Build Series PLA Filament White 1.75mm 1kg MatterHackers · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. 3DJAKE ecoPLA Black 1.75mm 1000g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. PLA Glow — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Panchroma Luminous PLA — product page Polymaker Shop · 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. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Filament PM PLA GlowJet technical data sheet Filament PM (Plasty Mladec) · 2026-08 · tds
  18. Filament Material Guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Fiberlogy rPLA Refill Anthracite 850 g 3DJake International · 2026-08 · vendor
  21. JAYO Silk PLA+ 1.75mm 1.1kg JAYO Official Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  22. ColorFabb PLA/PHA 750g 3D Universe · 2026-08 · vendor
  23. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  24. Prusament PLA Technical Data Sheet v1.0 Prusa Polymers · 2018-09 · tds
  25. Prusament rPLA Corn Pigment 1kg — product page Prusa Research · 2026-08 · vendor
  26. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  27. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  28. Max volumetric speed Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  29. Prusament PLA — material page Prusa Polymers · 2026-08 · doc
  30. PLA — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  31. Filament Drying Recommendations Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  33. PolySonic PLA Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  34. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  35. 16 PLA brand comparison test — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2022-10 · test
  36. Creality Hyper PLA filament review — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  37. Easy PLA — product and technical data Fiberlogy · 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. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  40. PolyTerra PLA vs PLA+ — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  41. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — 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. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet V3.0 — PLA Matte Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  44. Characterization of Thermal Expansion Coefficient of 3D Printing Polymeric Materials Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors Materials 17(18):4668 · 2024-09 · paper
  45. Filamentive PLA (recycled) — product page Filamentive · 2026-08 · vendor
  46. 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
  47. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  48. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  49. 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