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 September 14, 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
Dual-nozzle in the X1C footprint: A second Bowden-fed nozzle enables two-material prints and soluble supports without a purge tower, in the same compact 256 mm class as the X1C it replaces.
Just released — full support runway ahead
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
330×320×325 mm — 105% more than the A1: Bambu's largest bed-slinger build volume, big enough to print full-size helmets and large props in a single piece rather than in glued sections.
First-generation product — recently released, still early days
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
True dual extrusion — no filament switching: The H2D prints two materials simultaneously from two nozzles. This eliminates purge tower waste and enables true dual-material prints including PVA/PLA soluble support combinations.
First-generation product — no release history to base predictions on
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
| Model | Price | Build volume | Max speed | Multicolor | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab P2S | $549 | 256x256x256 | 600 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Buy now |
| Bambu Lab X2D | $649 | 256x256x260 | 1000 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Buy now |
| Bambu Lab H2S | $1249 | 340x320x340 | 1000 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Buy now |
| Bambu Lab A2L | $469 | 330x320x325 | 500 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 H2D | $1749 | 350x320x325 | 600 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Caution |
| Bambu Lab A1 Mini | $299 | 180x180x180 | 500 mm/s | ✅ | ⏰ Wait |
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.