New 3D Printers of 2026: What Launched and Which Are Worth It

2026 has been the busiest year for new consumer 3D printers since the jump to CoreXY. Multicolor went from a premium extra to a sub-$300 feature, two toolchangers went on general sale, and Bambu finally replaced the X1 Carbon.

It's also a confusing year to shop, because several printers that look new came out in 2025. The Bambu P2S (October 2025), H2S (August 2025) and H2C (November 2025), the Creality K2 and K2 Pro (August 2025), and the Anycubic Kobra S1 Max Combo (November 2025) are all still current, but none of them is a 2026 launch.

Here's what actually launched this year, in order, and which ones are worth your money.

We earn a commission when you buy through the store links on this page. It never decides which printers make the list. Prices checked September 29, 2026; they change often.

Every notable launch, in order#

Months are when each printer went on sale in the US, from manufacturer announcements and launch coverage. Prices are current US store prices.

The launches worth buying#

Biggest launch of the year

Bambu Lab X2D

$649

• 256×256×260 mm
• Enclosed
• Multicolor ready
• 300°C nozzle
• Hardened nozzle
• Heated chamber

Bambu's replacement for the X1 Carbon adds a second nozzle and an actively heated chamber at a lower price than the X1C sold for. The second nozzle makes two-material prints (like soluble supports) practical and cuts waste on two-color jobs. Tom's Hardware gave it an Editor's Choice. The second nozzle is Bowden-fed, and some owners report filament loading failures on that side.

Good for

• Two-material prints
• Engineering materials
• Replacing an X1 Carbon

Skip it if

• You only print PLA
• You want 4 or more colors without purge

Check price on Amazon→Full Bambu Lab lineup

Most important budget launch

Anycubic Kobra X

$279

• 260×260×260 mm
• Open frame
• Multicolor ready
• 300°C nozzle
• Hardened nozzle
• 600 mm/s

The first budget printer to put the color changer in the toolhead instead of a separate box. Swaps take about 35 seconds instead of 90, and the same test print wasted about a quarter less than on a Bambu A1. At $279 with 4 colors included, it reset what multicolor should cost.

Good for

• Multicolor on a budget
• Less purge waste
• Colored TPU

Skip it if

• You live somewhere humid (no dryer in the base model)
• You want the most mature software

Check price at Anycubic→Full Anycubic lineup

Best value

Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2

$349

• 256×256×256 mm
• Enclosed
• Multicolor ready
• 350°C nozzle
• Hardened nozzle
• 500 mm/s

An enclosed CoreXY with a 350°C hardened hot end and air filtration for $349, or $399 with 4-color CANVAS. It launched at $399 and has only gotten cheaper. One known issue: early units had a toolhead cable that could overheat and throw errors. Elegoo acknowledged it and offers a replacement cable.

Good for

• One printer for most materials
• Enclosure on a budget
• Multicolor for $399

Skip it if

• You print nylon or polycarbonate often
• Desk space is tight

Check price at Elegoo→Full Elegoo lineup

Best big bed-slinger

Bambu Lab A2L

$469

• 330×320×325 mm
• Open frame
• Multicolor ready
• 300°C nozzle
• 500 mm/s

An A1 grown to 330 × 320 × 325 mm, with an optional blade cutter and pen plotter module. It keeps the A1's easy setup and AMS lite support ($569 with 4 colors). Tom's Hardware gave it an Editor's Choice, with one real complaint: it shakes a lot at speed, so give it a sturdy table.

Good for

• Large prints without a CoreXY price
• Beginners who want space
• Cutting and drawing add-ons

Skip it if

• Your printer shares a wobbly desk
• You want an enclosure

Check price on Amazon→Full Bambu Lab lineup

Newest beginner printer

Creality SPARKX i7

from $229

• 260×260×255 mm
• Open frame
• Multicolor ready
• 300°C nozzle
• Hardened nozzle

Creality's answer to the Bambu A1: a simple bed-slinger with a hardened nozzle and an optional 4-color CFS Lite. It adds AI features that turn photos into printable models. Reviews have been good; the one odd complaint is a long privacy policy you have to accept during setup.

Good for

• First printer
• Kids and families
• Multicolor later

Skip it if

• You want an enclosure
• You'd rather avoid cloud features

Check price at Creality→Full Creality lineup

The Elegoo Centauri 2 ($279, or $329 with CANVAS) is a cheaper, open-frame version of the Centauri Carbon 2 without the enclosure, camera or lights. It's a good printer, but for $70 more the Carbon 2 does a lot more.

The toolchangers#

Two printers this year made toolchanging (a separate nozzle for each material) affordable. That's the other way to print in color without purge waste:

• The Snapmaker U1 ($849) raised a record $20 million on Kickstarter and went on general sale in April. Four heads, 270 mm cube.
• The Flashforge Creator 5 ($699, or $849 for the enclosed 5 Pro) is the cheapest four-head toolchanger on sale. Early reviews note that its slicer profiles still need work.

Both are more complicated than a single-nozzle printer with a multicolor box. If you mainly print in one or two colors, the X2D or a regular multicolor printer is simpler. Prusa's INDX upgrade adds a 4- or 8-tool changer to the CORE One+, from $749 as a 4-tool kit.

What's still coming#

• Creality K3: announced with a nozzle changer that swaps in under five seconds. No price or confirmed date yet.
• Creality SparkX i8 and Ender-3 V3 Mega: shown at IFA in September, with no US price or date.

We'll update this post as these ship.

Should you wait?#

Probably not. The big price drop already happened: enclosed CoreXY printers with hardened nozzles now start at $349, and 4-color printing at $279. Nothing announced for the rest of 2026 is likely to move those numbers much. If a printer on this page fits what you print, buy it during a sale. Codes are on our deals page.

For picks organized by price instead of release date, see the best 3D printers for every budget. If color is the main reason you're shopping, our best budget multicolor printers guide compares the systems and how much each one wastes.