3D Printing InfoFilament comparison
TPU 98A vs TPU soft
Compare printing settings, strength, heat resistance, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
| Property | TPU 98A / hard TPUFLEX | Soft TPU (below 85A)FLEX |
|---|---|---|
| Market snapshot | ||
| Listing priceUSD/kg; dated snapshots | $94.99/kg median; $34.99–$149.99/kg across 3 dated product listings | $114.04/kg median; $109.80–$122.27/kg across 4 dated product listings |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Base polymer / chemistry | Hard thermoplastic polyurethane at 98 Shore A to about 60 Shore D — the rigid end of the TPU range[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/cm³ | 1.23 (Fillamentum Flexfill 98A); 1.2 (Extrudr FLEX HARD, ISO 2781)[1][2] | 1.07 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 1183)[3] |
| Typical priceUSD/kg | 1 kg spools cluster near 150[4] | 1 kg-equivalent spools cluster near 115[5][6][7] |
| Price range across brandsUSD/kg | 95–150 across brands; Proto-pasta Clear Rigid TPU 95, Push Plastic TPU 100A 150[8][4] | 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[5][7][6] |
| Market availability1–5 | Available from several mainstream brands[4][8][2] | Niche, a handful of specialist brands[3][9][5] |
| Spool sizes & diameters | 1.75 and 2.85 mm; 0.5, 0.75 and 1 kg spools[8][4] | 1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm; 0.5, 0.85, 1, 2 and 3 kg spools[3][5][10][6] |
| Typical applications | Drive belts, wheels, snap-fits and bumpers that need to flex but hold shape under load[1] | Highly compliant seals, soft grips and prosthetic liners[3] |
| Printing Parameters | ||
| Nozzle temperature°C | 230–260 (Extrudr FLEX HARD)[2] | Not documented |
| Bed temperature°C | 50–90 (Extrudr FLEX HARD)[2] | 50–70 (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D)[3] |
| Enclosure / chamber requirement1–5 | Open frame is fine[2] | Open frame is fine[3] |
| Part cooling fan | 0–30 % (Extrudr FLEX HARD)[2] | Not documented |
| Bed surface & adhesion aid | PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[11][12] | PEI sheet or painter's tape; Polymaker warns TPU can over-stick and advises a glue stick as a release agent[11][12] |
| Maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s; see test conditions)mm³/s | 4.6 (Extrudr FLEX HARD, stated max volumetric speed on a 0.4 mm nozzle)[2] | Not documented |
| Warping tendency1–5 | None[2] | Not documented |
| Overall printing difficulty1–5 | Easy — minor profile tuning; at this hardness the filament pushes like a rigid material[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[10][12] |
| Extruder requirement | Bowden viable at this hardness — Extrudr rates FLEX HARD to 100 mm/s where its soft grades cap lower[2] | Direct drive only, with a constrained filament path; Bowden is not viable at this hardness[10][9] |
| Hardware Wear & Reliability | ||
| Nozzle hardness required1–4 | Brass fine indefinitely[2] | Brass fine indefinitely[2] |
| Abrasiveness1–5 | Non-abrasive[2] | Non-abrasive[2] |
| Nozzle clog risk1–5 | Low[13] | 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[11][12][13] |
| Heat-creep / jam sensitivity1–5 | Moderate — good heatbreak cooling needed[12] | Very high — softens in the cold zone readily[12] |
| Hotend requirement | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[11] | No special hot-end required, but a direct-drive extruder is (Simplify3D)[11] |
| Moisture Behaviour | ||
| Moisture absorption (hygroscopicity)1–5 | Moderate — the TPU family absorbs readily; Extrudr specifies a 12 h dry at 60 °C for FLEX HARD[2][13] | Moderate[13] |
| Drying temperature & time | 60 °C for 12 h (Extrudr FLEX HARD)[2] | Not documented |
| Symptoms when wet | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[13] | Bubbling and popping at the nozzle, stringing and a rough surface[13] |
| Effect of moisture on strength | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[13] | Polymaker groups TPU with the highly hygroscopic materials; no dry-versus-conditioned figures are published[13] |
| Storage requirement | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[13] | Sealed with desiccant; often kept in a dryer during the print[13] |
| Mechanical Properties | ||
| Tensile strength (XY)MPa | 53.7 at break (Fillamentum Flexfill 98A, DIN 53504)[1] | Not documented |
| Elongation at break% | 318 at break (Fillamentum Flexfill 98A, DIN 53504); Extrudr FLEX HARD 490 (ISO 527-2)[1][2] | 870 at break (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 527) — the highest elongation in the dataset[3] |
| Brittleness1–5 | Very ductile — bends far before failing[1] | Very ductile — bends far before failing[3] |
| Hardness (scale-specific)Shore A / Shore D / Rockwell | 98 Shore A and 60 Shore D (Fillamentum, ISO 7619-1); Extrudr FLEX HARD 58 Shore D (ISO 868)[1][2] | 81 Shore A and 30 Shore D (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 7619)[3] |
| Creep resistance / sustained load1–5 | Poor — no 98A creep test; a printed 95A TPU bar crept from 74.5 to 82.7 mm over 5 days at 1.25 kg[14] | 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[14] |
| Fatigue / repeated-flex resistance1–5 | Excellent — living hinges viable[12] | Excellent — living hinges viable[12] |
| Elasticity / flexibility1–5 | Semi-flexible[1][2] | Rubbery / highly elastic[3] |
| Wear resistance & friction | Abrasion 23 mm³ (Fillamentum, ISO 4649 method A) and 26 mm³ (Extrudr FLEX HARD, ISO 4649-A) — the best abrasion figures in the group[1][2] | Tear strength 95 kN/m (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, ISO 34-1)[3] |
| Thermal Properties | ||
| Melting point / Vicat°C | 190–210 melting (Extrudr FLEX HARD, ISO 3146-C); Vicat A 140 (ISO 306)[2] | 170 melting (Fiberlogy FiberFlex 30D, DSC)[3] |
| Environment & Chemical | ||
| UV resistance1–5 | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[12] | Good — years with some colour shift; Polymaker lists UV exposure among the conditions TPU withstands[12] |
| Chemical resistance | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[12] | Withstands industrial solvents and UV exposure (Polymaker)[12] |
| Food contact | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[12] | Not food safe without specific certification (Polymaker)[12] |
| Biodegradability / compostability | Not biodegradable[12] | Not biodegradable[12] |
| Recyclability | Not accepted in household plastic collection[12] | Not accepted in household plastic collection[12] |
| Health & Safety | ||
| Fume toxicity1–5 | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[15] | Low hazard — minimal VOC and particle emission; TPU was not among the nine filaments in the chamber study[15] |
| Ventilation / filtration requirement1–5 | Open a window / occasional ventilation[15] | Open a window / occasional ventilation[15] |
| Post-Processing | ||
| Sanding & machining | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[12] | Difficult to sand or smooth; Polymaker limits post-processing to trimming or tumbling[12] |
| Gluing & solvent welding | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[12] | Cyanoacrylate bonds TPU; no common solvent welds it[12] |
| Vapour / chemical smoothing | No practical vapour smoothing[12] | No practical vapour smoothing[12] |
| Support material pairing | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[12] | Polymaker warns TPU supports are often very difficult to remove[12] |
| Dimensional accuracy & detail | Tear strength 170 kN/m (Fillamentum, ISO 34-1) and 175 kN/m (Extrudr FLEX HARD, ISO 34-1B)[1][2] | Not documented |
| Solvents & Solubility | ||
| Soluble in | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[16] | DMF, DMSO, NMP and THF dissolve TPU; acetone, MEK and cyclohexanone are partial solvents. All laboratory reagents.[16] |
| Softened or crazed by | Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[16] | Toluene and benzene swell it up to +50 % by weight at 23 °C; esters swell it severely; ethanol and IPA soften it.[16] |
| Solvent welding & smoothing agent | None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[16] | None practical — the true solvents (DMF, THF, NMP) are laboratory reagents and leave the joint swollen and weak.[16] |
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
- Flexfill TPU 98A Technical Data Sheet Fillamentum · 2019-08 · tds
- Extrudr Product Catalogue (DURAPRO PA12 data block) Extrudr · 2025-03 · tds
- FiberFlex 30D Technical Data Sheet Fiberlogy · 2026-08 · tds
- Push Plastic product catalogue Push Plastic · 2026-08 · vendor
- Recreus product catalogue Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- Chinchilla product page — print guidelines, spool sizes and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
- NinjaFlex Edge product page — durometer, print guidelines and price NinjaTek · 2026-08 · vendor
- Proto-pasta product catalogue Proto-pasta · 2026-08 · vendor
- Filaflex 82A product page (Shore hardness and elongation) Recreus · 2026-08 · vendor
- NinjaFlex 85A Technical Specifications NinjaTek · 2026-08 · tds
- Flexible (TPE/TPU) — Ultimate 3D Printing Materials Guide Simplify3D · 2026-08 · doc
- TPU — material basics Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- Wet Filament — signs, causes and drying Polymaker Wiki · 2026-08 · doc
- BambuLab TPU 95A HF vs Qidi TPU 95A HF — results spreadsheet My Tech Fun (Igor Gaspar) · 2024-02 · test
- 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
- Elastollan — Chemical properties: swelling and chemical resistance BASF · 2026-08 · tds