3D Printing Info

Filament comparison

PLA Wood vs PVA

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

Wood-filled PLA guidePVA (soluble support) guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore PLA Wood comparisonsMore PVA comparisons
PLA Wood vs PVA — documented properties and sources
PropertyWood-filled PLAPLAPVA (soluble support)SUPPORT
Market snapshot
Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots$34.49/kg median; $13.99–$76.40/kg across 6 dated product listings$65.98/kg median; $42.00–$96.00/kg across 5 dated product listings
Identity & Market
Base polymer / chemistryPLA filled with wood powder — 10–18 wt% (Bambu Lab SDS); colorFabb woodFill uses a PLA/PHA base with recycled wood fibre[1][2]Polyvinyl alcohol — a water-soluble support polymer[3][4]
Densityg/cm³1.15 (colorFabb) to 1.23 (Fiberlogy), ISO 1183; Bambu Lab 1.21[5][2][6]0.6–0.9 (3DXTech AquaTek, ISO 1183) and 1.13 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[3][4]
Typical priceUSD/kg1 kg spools cluster near 25; counting the 0.5 kg specialty spools the middle of the market is about 34[7][8][9]1 kg-equivalent spools span 42–96; the middle of the market is about 66[10][11][12][13]
Price range across brandsUSD/kg14–76 across brands; SUNLU 14, ELEGOO 19, Bambu Lab 25, Prusament 44, Filament PM 49 on 0.5 kg spools, colorFabb 76[8][7][14][15][16][9]42–96 across brands; IEMAI 3D E-WATER 42, YXPOLYER 55, Reli3D 66 at 500 g, Polymaker PolyDissolve S1 67 at 750 g, 3DXTech AquaTek 96 at 750 g in 1.75 mm[10][11][12][17][13]
Market availability1–5Stocked by most mainstream brands[7][8][15][6]Stocked by most mainstream brands[10][11][12][17][13]
Spool sizes & diameters1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.6, 0.85 and 1 kg spools[15][6][7]1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5 and 0.75 kg spools[10][11]
Typical applicationsDecorative and model-making prints that are sanded and stained like timber[5][2]Dissolvable support for PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG — Polymaker names those four for PolyDissolve S1[4]
Diameter tolerance± mm±0.03 (Bambu Lab)[5]Not documented
Printing Parameters
Nozzle temperature°C190–240 (Bambu Lab); colorFabb advises 195–220 for its PLA/PHA base[5][2]215–225 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Bed temperature°C35–45 (Bambu Lab); 50–70 (Fiberlogy)[5][6]25–60 (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5Open frame is fine[5]Open frame is fine[4]
Part cooling fanFan on[5]Part cooling fan required (Simplify3D)[18]
Bed surface & adhesion aidNot documentedPEI sheet or painter's tape[18]
Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/sNot documented4–12 at Polymaker's 50–150 mm/s on a 0.4 mm nozzle at 0.2 mm layer[4]
Warping tendency1–5None[5]Not documented
Bed-adhesion difficulty1–5Not documentedSticks to most surfaces[18]
Stringing / oozing tendency1–5Not documentedModerate — retraction tuning needed[18]
Overall printing difficulty1–5Easy — minor profile tuning; pre-drying is required and the wood content chars if it sits hot[19][5]Intermediate — dry filament and a tuned profile; PVA is unusable once it has taken up moisture[20][4]
Extruder requirementNozzles below 0.4 mm are not compatible; Bambu Lab does not recommend the AMS lite[19]A second extruder or a tool changer; PVA is a support material, not a model material[4]
Hardware Wear & Reliability
Nozzle hardness required1–4Brass acceptable; hardened steel for volume work — Bambu Lab's PLA compatibility table lists no hardened-nozzle requirement, but its nozzle guide names wood among the abrasive filaments hardened steel exists for[19][21]Brass fine indefinitely[4]
Abrasiveness1–5Moderately abrasive — wood fill[19]Non-abrasive[4]
Nozzle clog risk1–5Moderate — needs dry filament and a clean nozzle; wood particles char and block small nozzles[19]Very high — frequent jams without careful setup; wet PVA foams and carbonises in the nozzle[20]
Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5Not documentedHigh — all-metal hotend and strong cooling needed; Simplify3D warns PVA clogs if the nozzle is left hot while not extruding[18]
Hotend requirementNot documentedNo special hot-end required, but the nozzle must not be parked hot[18]
Moisture Behaviour
Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5High — 1.25 % saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH, the highest in the PLA family[5]Very high (>2 %) — Polymaker measures 10.21 % equilibrium water absorption, by far the highest in the dataset[4]
Equilibrium moisture content at ~50 % RH%1.25 saturated at 25 °C / 55 % RH (Bambu Lab)[5]10.21 equilibrium water absorption (Polymaker PolyDissolve S1)[4]
Drying temperature & time55 °C for 8 h in a forced-air dryer; Bambu Lab lists pre-drying as required[5][19]Not documented
Symptoms when wetBambu Lab flags pre-drying and ventilation as specific requirements for this grade[19]Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface; with PVA this progresses to clogging[20]
Effect of moisture on strengthNo dry-versus-conditioned figures are published. At 1.25 % saturated uptake the practical loss shows as poor layer adhesion, rough surface and weak layers[20][5]Polymaker groups PVA with nylon as the most moisture-prone class and says it often has to stay in a dryer while printing; there is no published dry-versus-conditioned strength comparison because PVA is not a structural material[20]
Storage requirementNot documentedSealed with desiccant at all times; PVA takes up water faster than any other filament here[20][4]
Mechanical Properties
Tensile strength (XY)MPa26 ± 5 (Bambu Lab) and 28.4 (colorFabb) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy quotes 35 at yield[5][2][6]Not documented
Young's modulusMPa2360 ± 190 (Bambu Lab) and 2479 (colorFabb) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy 2950[5][2][6]Not documented
Elongation at break%4.5 (colorFabb) to 15.3 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 527; Fiberlogy 6.5[5][2][6]Not documented
Flexural strengthMPa55 ± 4 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[5]Not documented
Flexural modulusMPa2780 ± 120 printed XY, ISO 178 (Bambu Lab)[5]Not documented
Charpy impact, notchedkJ/m²3.81 (colorFabb) and 6.3 ± 2.2 (Bambu Lab) printed XY, ISO 179, notched[5][2]Not documented
Other impact dataCharpy unnotched 12.28 (colorFabb) and 15.7 (Bambu Lab), printed, ISO 179[5][2]Not documented
Layer adhesion / Z tensileMPa15 ± 4 printed Z, ISO 527 (Bambu Lab); flexural Z falls to 28 against 55 in XY[5]Not documented
Brittleness1–5Brittle — snaps with little warning[5]Not documented
Creep resistance / sustained load1–5Poor — no wood-filled creep test; plain printed PLA sagged from 12 to 16.2–21.8 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[22][23][24]Poor — deforms under load at room temperature; PVA is not used structurally[3]
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 and the wood filler cuts elongation and the parts snap without warning[25][5]Poor — fails after a few cycles[3]
Elasticity / flexibility1–5Rigid[5]Not documented
Z strength as % of XY%58 by tensile, 51 by flexural (printed, Bambu Lab)[5]Not documented
Wear resistance & frictionNot documented3DXTech marks tensile strength, modulus and elongation as not applicable for its PVA support grade — it is not characterised as a structural material[3]
Thermal Properties
HDT at 0.45 MPa°C60 (ISO 75, 0.45 MPa)[5]Not documented
HDT at 1.8 MPa°C57 (ISO 75, 1.8 MPa)[5]Not documented
Glass transition (Tg)°C54 (Bambu Lab, DSC); Fiberlogy quotes 55–60[5][6]60 (3DXTech AquaTek, DSC)[3]
Melting point / Vicat°C156 peak melt (DSC)[5]Not documented
Continuous service temperature°CNot documentedBounded by a glass transition of 60 °C[3]
Flammability / UL 94Not documentedFlammable; no UL 94 rating published[3]
Environment & Chemical
UV resistance1–5Degrades within weeks outdoors[26]Degrades within weeks outdoors, and dissolves in rain long before UV matters[4]
Chemical resistanceNot documentedDissolves in water; unusable in any wet or humid service environment[4][18]
Water / humidity resistance in service1–5Not documentedDissolves or disintegrates — by design[4][3]
Food contactNot documentedNot offered as a food-contact material[3]
Biodegradability / compostabilityNot documentedPVA is water-soluble and biodegrades in wastewater treatment, but Simplify3D notes disposal should follow local guidance[18]
RecyclabilityNot documentedDissolved PVA goes to drain rather than to recycling[18]
Electrical & ESD propertiesNot documentedSurface resistance above 10^13 ohm/sq (ASTM D257, 3DXTech AquaTek PVA)[3]
Health & Safety
Fume toxicity1–5Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission[27]Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; none of these materials was in the chamber study[27]
Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5None needed in a normal room; Bambu Lab specifically advises ventilation for this grade[19]Open a window / occasional ventilation[27]
Post-Processing
Sanding & machiningSands and stains like timber — the usual reason for choosing it[2]Not sanded — it is dissolved away rather than finished[18]
Gluing & solvent weldingNot documentedNot applicable — PVA is a sacrificial support[18]
Vapour / chemical smoothingNot documentedWater is the solvent; no vapour smoothing is used[4]
Support material pairingSupport for PLA (Bambu Lab)[5]This is the support material; Polymaker pairs PolyDissolve S1 with PLA, TPU, PVB and PETG[4]
Dimensional accuracy & detailWood grain hides layer lines; colour darkens with nozzle temperature[5][2]Not documented
Solvents & Solubility
Soluble inChloroform dissolves the PLA matrix (10 % w/v, 2–4 h at 23 °C) and leaves the filler as loose sludge; laboratory reagent.[28]Water — tap water works cold, warm moving water is faster; 6–12 h typical, changing the water every few hours.[29][30]
Softened or crazed byAcetone, ethyl acetate and toluene plasticise the matrix but dissolve <1 % even at 65 °C; acetone submersion crazes parts.[28][31]Nothing else: polyvinyl alcohol resists organic solvents, so an IPA or acetone rinse leaves the support intact.[32]
Solvent welding & smoothing agentChloroform vapour attacks only the resin fraction, so the filler is left standing proud; no workshop-safe agent exists.[33][31]None — water dissolves PVA rather than welding it, and no solvent gives it a smoothed surface.[29]

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. Safety Data Sheet SDS20250723SA16 — Bambu PLA Wood Bambu Lab · 2025-07 · msds
  2. woodFill technical data sheet colorFabb · 2026-08 · tds
  3. AquaTek PVA Water Soluble Support Technical Data Sheet v1.0 3DXTech · 2026-08 · tds
  4. PolyDissolve S1 Technical Data Sheet V5.4 Polymaker · 2024-11 · tds
  5. Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet — PLA Wood Bambu Lab · 2026-08 · tds
  6. FiberWood technical data sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
  7. PLA Wood — product page Bambu Lab US Store · 2026-08 · vendor
  8. ELEGOO product catalogue ELEGOO · 2026-08 · vendor
  9. PLA+ WOODJet - Natur (1,75 mm; 0,5 kg) Filament PM shop · 2026-08 · vendor
  10. 3DXTech product catalogue 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  11. Polymaker product catalogue Polymaker · 2026-08 · vendor
  12. YXPOLYER PVA 1 kg — product page YXPOLYER · 2026-08 · vendor
  13. IEMAI 3D E-WATER water-soluble support filament — store page IEMAI 3D · 2026-08 · vendor
  14. Printed Solid product catalogue Printed Solid · 2026-08 · vendor
  15. woodFill — product page colorFabb US · 2026-08 · vendor
  16. SUNLU Optimized Wood PLA 3D Printer Filament 1 kg SUNLU · 2026-08 · vendor
  17. Reli3D PVA Filament 1.75 mm 500 g Natural — Amazon listing Amazon.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  18. PVA — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
  19. PLA Usage Guide Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  20. Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  21. Nozzles — material and compatibility Bambu Lab Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
  22. BambuLab PLA Basic vs PLA Tough vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  23. Polymaker PLA Pro vs PLA-CF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  24. Carbon Fiber PLA vs META-PLA vs PLA+ vs PLA by Sunlu — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2026-08 · test
  25. Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Polymeric Materials — PLA and PETG — For Biomechanical Applications Polymers 16(13):1868 · 2024-06 · paper
  26. PLA — material guide Prusa Knowledge Base · 2026-08 · doc
  27. 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
  28. Solubility Study of Ingeo Biopolymer Grades in Common Organic Solvents (NWPD003) NatureWorks · 2019-10 · tds
  29. PolyDissolve S1 — Polymaker Wiki Polymaker · 2026-08 · doc
  30. 3DXTech AquaTek PVA product page 3DXTech · 2026-08 · vendor
  31. Improve your 3D prints with chemical smoothing Prusa Research · 2026-08 · doc
  32. Polyvinyl alcohol — KURARAY POVAL application guide Kuraray · 2026-08 · tds
  33. 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