Improved chamber temperature control: The P2S enclosure maintains a more consistent chamber temperature over the P1S, reducing warping on long ABS and PA prints.
Early in release cycle — no urgency to wait
Updated July 16, 2026 · 8 picks, ranked
Multicolor went from party trick to standard feature in about two years: Bambu Lab's AMS forced every competitor to ship a multi-material system, and the current generation is the first where multicolor works reliably across brands rather than just on one.
This list ranks the current multicolor-capable printers we track — machines sold with, or officially expandable to, a multi-material system. The buy-or-wait badge is key in this category: color systems are exactly where each new generation makes its biggest leap.
Improved chamber temperature control: The P2S enclosure maintains a more consistent chamber temperature over the P1S, reducing warping on long ABS and PA prints.
Early in release cycle — no urgency to wait
340×320×340 mm — Bambu's largest build volume: The H2S offers 220% the print volume of the X1C. At 1000 mm/s it is also Bambu's fastest printer, making it the top choice for high-throughput professional production.
Early in release cycle — no urgency to wait
Full AMS multicolor: Unlike the A1 Mini's AMS Lite, the A1 Combo includes the full AMS with support for a wider range of filament types.
Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Up to 6 hotends with Vortek wireless nozzle-swapping: The H2C's Vortek system swaps hotends wirelessly — no filament purging, no switching waste. Each material has its own dedicated nozzle, enabling true multi-material production including soluble support combinations.
First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Plug-and-play setup: The A1 Mini sets up in minutes with automatic calibration and Bambu's guided first-print workflow.
Overdue for a refresh — no successor announced yet. Prices should be at their lowest
Tool-changer multicolor — no purge waste: Unlike filament-switching AMS/MMU systems, the XL physically swaps print heads. Each material has its own nozzle, eliminating purge towers entirely and enabling true multi-material prints.
Next model already announced — wait for the new release
Elegoo's first multicolor FDM: The Centauri Carbon 2 marks Elegoo's entry into multicolor FDM printing — bringing the brand's value-focused approach to a segment dominated by Bambu and Anycubic.
First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Die-cast aluminium gantry: The V4's rigid frame reduces vibration at high speeds, improving print quality over the V3 KE's lighter structure.
Just released — full support runway ahead
| Model | Price | Build volume | Max speed | Multicolor | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab P2S | $549 | 256x256x256 | 600 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Buy now |
| Bambu Lab H2S | $1249 | 340x320x340 | 1000 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Buy now |
| Bambu Lab A1 | $399 | 256x256x256 | 500 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Wait |
| Bambu Lab H2C | $2399 | 330x320x325 | 1000 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Buy now |
| Bambu Lab A1 Mini | $299 | 180x180x180 | 500 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Wait |
| Prusa Research XL | $2299 | 360x360x360 | 500 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Wait |
| Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 | $438 | 256x256x256 | 500 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Buy now |
| Creality Ender 3 V4 | $399 | 220x220x235 | 500 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Buy now |
For decorative prints, logos and multi-material supports, yes. Know the trade-off: multicolor printing produces purge waste and slows prints down significantly — a four-color print can use 30%+ more filament in purge alone.
Often, and it's frequently the smart order: buy the printer now, add the color system when prices dip. Our device pages note which models support official multi-material upgrades and what they cost.
Current-generation FDM printers with multicolor capability, scored on color-system maturity and value, with release-cycle position as the tiebreak and the source of each buy/wait badge.
Rankings combine our editor scores with live release-cycle data and are recomputed on every site update. See how we rate.