eSUN PLA PRO (PLA+) 3D Printer Filament, Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.03mm, 1kg Spool, 1.75mm, Black

I printed a lot of PLA over the last year, so when Intservo invited me to test a spool of the new eSUN PLA PRO (PLA+) filament in exchange for a comparison review, I agreed. I'm glad I did.... this PLA PRO (PLA+) will be the filament I buy from now on. The colors are very close to the old favorite eSUN PLA colors, but the PLUS colors are a bit richer and have a deeper tone, (as near as I can tell on the several colors that I bought for the testing). But the PLA PRO (PLA+) is a LOT stronger, and more flexible after printing. To strength-test it, I ran a print with the PLA PRO+ that I had consistently had trouble with just using plain PLA. The problem print has a latch that would snap under pressure when the support was removed. (Six times in a row - very frustrating.) The PLA PRO filament printed at a slightly higher temperature than the regular PLA, and it was.....creamier. (Sorry...not a terribly masculine word....but that's what it was.) It was strong enough that I was able to remove the support without breaking the latch off into my hand for the seventh time, and it flexes enough to allow the latch to close and open easily. No fear of it cracking again. The support was not overly clingy either, which I would have expected. But it came away cleaner than regular PLA supports. Definitely a pleasant surprise. I wanted to test it on overhangs as well, so I put it up against another print that had caused trouble for me with overhang curl and heat pitting on a curved bottom surface. The underside of the egg shaped print usually developed pitting, (even with support), in PLA. I absolutely didn't believe the results of this test...which was run with NO SUPPORT for the PLA PRO (PLA+) filament, on a smaller version (heat soak effect magnified), just to see what it would do. I'll put the pictures below, because otherwise, you won't believe it either. (Keep in mind, the bottom of the white PLA egg had support underneath it, and it still looks like a mountainside. The black PLA PRO egg showed a smooth surface with ZERO support, and the top of the egg did NOT collapse! I've NEVER been able to print that egg without center support. The PLA PRO printed without it. (Gonna be reprinting all of those as well in the PLA+.) I tested a couple of Benchies - the PLA PRO handled them just fine without any added support. There was no warping or curling. (I do run a MIC6 plate with a PEI coating, so warp is not usually a problem, except on steep overhangs.) Finally, I did a test on heat resistance, and there was no significant gain in the PRO filament. Both straightened segments slumped in a 250°F (120°C) oven, at about the same time. Bottom line - this is by far the best PLA I've tested. The only thing I noticed was a few absolutely miniscule zits here and there, because I haven't dialed it in yet. It's slightly shinier than regular PLA, but the shine can be easily and uniformly knocked back with a damp Magic Eraser. Give it a try and see if you like it as well. It is so easy to print, you'll never go back to the other stuff. Update: Just printed a flat box divider that shows the flex on this stuff - the divider is 2.8 mm thick, so it would be pretty stiff (and might break) when bent this much, if it was printed from plain PLA. The curvature was not imprinted into the divider though - it flattened back out.

So im a hatchbox guy when it comes to PLA. They have excellent filament, great colors, and for 20 bucks a 1kg spool, you really just cant beat it. However, ive switched to printing a lot of PETG lately and love that. I went to ESun for my PETG, and it prints like a dream. But, i like options, and so i wanted more PLA and i was running low. Hatchbox is out of stock on EVERYTHING, and so i took a look at ESun. Their PETG is cash money, so their PLA should be great as well i assumed. Then i saw they have a PLA+ option. I love pla, but man i wish it was a bit better. Welp, ESun delivers. I doubt itll have the heat resistance that PETG does, but i know my filaments and i wont us PLA+ in a hot environment. Anyhow, im using a Original Prusa Mk3s and i loaded up a spool of the PLA+. Nothing but problems. At first. Lots of folks said use base PLA settings. NOPE. Dont do that. I looked around, some people print colder, some hotter, so its all over the place. One thing you gotta know when getting this stuff, is your going to have to mess with your temps. It was printing like garbage, stringy, blobs everywhere. I canceled the first two prints i did with this stuff about a minute in. It wasnt even done printing the brim. Yeah, that bad. So, i took my temps on my MK3s to first layer of 225, bed at 65. Second Layer and beyond i went to 220 nozzle 60 bed. Right now, im printing a yellow banana stand, and i have to say it looks AMAZING. These temps work for me, and i saved the profile since i couldnt find an ESUN profile. Again, tho, ive seen people print cooler. This is just my 3rd shot at temps and it looks good, so ill keep 225/220 - 65/60 unless i see a need to back it off a bit. ESUN, if your reading, one favor i have to ask. I love your products, but i really wish filament makers like yourselves would have on your website a part that just has Printer Profiles for your products. Maybe throw the link on the cards you put in the box with all the great information on them. You must do extensive testing, and this would take your product above and beyond anyone out there since NO manufacturer posts filament profiles on their site. And they are pretty universal. Make one for Slicer, one for cura, and youd prolly cover 90% of your user base. And wed love you for it. But yeah, if youre looking for a great spool of solid filament that prints great, ESun should be on your short list. Ill still get some hatchbox from time to time, if esun is out of stock lol. But for now, for PLA+ and PETG... im an esun guy.

eSun PLA+ has been a staple in my 3D printing business for over five years now, and for good reason. It prints beautifully — insanely forgiving, consistent, and dependable across dozens of projects. Layer adhesion, finish, and overall reliability are top-notch. The only reason I’m giving it four stars instead of five comes down to the gray color specifically. While all the other colors are very consistent, the grays can sometimes vary a bit — occasionally leaning bluish, other times closer to a true gray. If you have to swap spools mid-print, the difference is noticeable. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s something to keep in mind if you rely on perfect color matching. That said, I value eSun’s color standards and print quality far more than a perfectly wound spool or fancy packaging. This filament simply works, and it has earned its place as my go-to material. The one knock I have — and the reason this is 4 stars instead of 5 — is the gray color consistency. Sometimes it leans bluish, other times it’s closer to a true gray, and if you have to swap spools mid-print, the difference is noticeable. Every other color I’ve used has been solid, though, and for me that reliability is far more important than a perfectly wound spool or fancy packaging. At the end of the day, eSun PLA+ remains my go-to filament. After hundreds (and hundreds) of spools, I can confidently say it’s one of the best values in 3D printing.

Honestly speaking, I do not remember having bought PLA filaments from a Chinese manufacturer before. But when I got my latest 3D printer from China, the quality of the parts turned out using the sample filament that came with the printer got me thinking if I should give these products a chance. Ironically, the US made PLA filament which I had purchased a few months ago was over-sized and caused the extruder to constantly slip leading to a clicking noise so annoying that I had to kill the print! Therefore, I decided to take a chance and order this filament from eSun. And to my surprise, did it deliver! The pictures speak for themselves! To be fair, this review applies only to this shade of Green eSun filament! ------------------------ Print Settings: ------------------------ I printed the part in the pictures with a temperature of 210-deg-C and the bed heated to 65-deg-C. A bit on the higher side, but for the combination of the printer location and air circulation, this is what works for me. With the print speed set to 50 mm/s, shell thickness to 1.2 mm, 20% infill and Raft enabled, this print took about 6.5 hours to complete. Better a slow and steady good print than a hurriedly delivered crappy print! In addition, I dabbed the print bed with a popular non-toxic washable glue stick when the extruder reached 209-deg-C (see note below). ------------------------ Observations: ------------------------ First, I have never had a print where the Raft looks as good as the print does. Second, the Raft peeled clean off the print without that tacky sound you usually hear when removing the raft. Third, finish on the underside of the print looked a lot better than my prints from my stock of other filaments, and the top-side of the print had an excellent finish. Fourth and final, the color of finished part fluctuates between different shades of Green - the bright Green looks best under sunlight or bright White light. I have another roll of eSun Orange and I'm yet to test it out. I would be really shocked if it does not turn out as good. FOOTNOTE ON GLUE APPLICATION : In most 3D printers, the bed heats up first, followed by the extruder tip because it's faster to heat the tip once the bed gets to the set temperature. Therefore, it's recommended to wait until the extruder reaches closer to the set temperature before dabbing on the glue because you don't want the glue to go dry. In my case, I wait until 209-deg-C because the print kicks off at 210-deg-C as soon as the extruder reaches the temperature. Also, I buy myself some time to apply the glue by *Not* homing the printer before kicking off the print. I do so by usually moving the Z axis 30 - 50 mm above the bed before I hit the print button. This gives me time to dab on the glue as the printer slowly auto-homes. Obviously, these methods work best on open-bed printers where there's less obstruction to on the bed. And plenty of caution is recommended when working around moving printer parts and high temperatures!

Update: I received and email; and a comment that I didn't know I had received, from William at Intservo. We talked about what to do about my prints and why they were not sticking to the print bed. He was able to narrow the problem down to the fact that I was running my print head at 190 degrees C. William suggested to try and run the print head at 215 degrees C and see what the results would be, I left the print bed alone and kept it at 65 degrees C. After going into my slicer and changing some settings, I started up the new print. In the end, the print was successful and did stick to the print bed a lot better. The only thing that I didn't really like was the smell. While the print was going, everything smelled like burning plastic, as well as something else that I really couldn't tell. Other than that, the print went well and worked much better than what I had orginally experienced. Thanks to William I was able to get back on the right track with my prints, and now I know what settings I need when I order my next role of filament from eSun! Old Review: This is the second time I have bought from eSun, and I have to say that I am disappointed. The first PLA filament thought I had bought worked well and I enjoyed the quality of the print that I was getting from the PLA. I was annoyed with the issue of eSun not doing a very good job of how they put the filament on the spool. It would always overlap itself and could cause potential snags. But at the price I was paying it was a minor thing. Flash forward to this role and I am truly disappointed in the results. First and most important I can not get this filament to stick to my print bed. Not matter if the printer is in a box, open air, printing surface at 55 degrees C or 85 degrees C, the print will not stick. The only way it will stick is with glue on the bed, and I hate doing that. This filament has already cost me a heat sink and almost cost me a print head, because of the PLA not sticking to the bed. As the printer was printing, the print came off the bed causing the filament to melt in a pool which eventually coated the print head in PLA. After the print head was completely covered in PLA, the filament had nowhere to go, so it go jammed in the bowden. I tried everything I could to save the heat sink but it was no use. After I had multiple prints fail on me I decided that I should try a different filament to see what the issue was. I had Hatchbox filament that I had laying around, so I tried it, and it will stick without any issues. So sad to say for some unknown reason this will not stick to my print bed for me, without glue. Me personally, I am not going to use glue on my print bed, so I don't think I will end up buying this again. And as a last side note, the way the filament is wrapped on the spool is terrible. I run into overlapping constantly. I haven't had a print fail because of it yet, but I am surprised I haven't had one yet with how bad it is. Sorry eSun but this wasn't a good spool.

The eSUN Pro filament is my go to for 3d printing gaming miniatures. I use a .2 hot end on my Bambu Lab A1 mini with a cool plate and get near perfect results every time using the FDG V2 print profile. I get very little stringing, and the detail is excellent. I don't use any other filament brand for printing minis, as I've had mixed results with other brands. The eSUN PLA Pro (PLA+) is my go-to for printing minis.

UPDATE: After posting this review, I got an offer from INTSERVO for a free roll of black PLA+ for an honest review. With the addition of black to the other spools I had already purchased, I had almost every color needed to print a project that caused normal PLA to break during assembly and that is the MakerBot Nutcracker (thing 579567 on Thingiverse). I made a dozen of these a couple years ago for family as Christmas presents. I had to file down the assembly tabs since with regular PLA, they would snap when assembling. I'm happy to report that when I built it out of PLA+, I had no tabs break (well, I ended up with two broken ones but that is because I bent the piece when assembling). I was able to put the whole thing together without having to glue the parts like I did with PLA. Once part, the mustache, was extremely hard to get right with PLA because of the overhangs. I would have to do a lot of cleanup work on it. With PLA+, I was able to use it as is right off the printer! I also had problems with stringing between parts with PLA. Not with PLA+. The pictures are the PLA+ parts on the printer. I used the same settings as I did for PLA, but upped the bed temperature from 60 to 65 and the hot end from 205 to 220. Now if they would just offer a Tan color, I could do it in all PLA+. I'm going to join in here a sing the praise of eSun's new PLA PRO (PLA+). I took advantage of the sale price ($3.00/spool - better than nothing) and took a gamble buying 7 rolls untested. I have used eSun PLA and PETG for some time and have never had any real problems with it so figured the risk was worth it. Also, when you buy 6 at once, you get another 5% off. So far I have only printed with the brown and it is coming out perfect. No build up like I get with PETG after awhile. I normally print in PLA for most things, but use PETG when I know the object could be subject to some flexing. In testing the strength, I printed a 2mm thick bar. If printed in PLA, it would snap after just a few degrees of deflection. With PETG, I can bend it in half without it breaking. The PLA+ was in between the two, but closer to PETG. I was able to bend it to over 90 degrees without it breaking. At about 135, it did break, but not snapped in two like PLA. This is going to be my new replacement filament as I use up my PLA stock.

eSUN PLA+ has become one of my favorite PLA's to print with. It is a higher temperature, more flexible yet harder PLA that makes beautiful parts with almost no stringing (as long as you keep it dry). I use it to make lower wear operational parts such a bullet and case feeders and reloading equipment upgrades from thingiverse. I run Ender 3 S1 Pro's these days and an older Tevo Tornado and Aquila and they all print very well using it with 210 at the nozzle (215 first layer) and a bed of 60. Speeds anywhere form 45mm/sec for intricate parts up to 75mm/sec for more basic parts with amazing results. It sticks well to my PEI and glass beds and pop right off once they COMPLETELY cool down. This is a high quality filament with great layer adhesion and flows beautifully leaving very nice vertical walls with almost no layer lines.