What is the difference between the Bambu Lab A1 and P1S?

The A1 is an open-frame bed-slinger and the P1S is an enclosed CoreXY printer. Both have a 256 × 256 × 256 mm build volume and a 500 mm/s top toolhead speed, but Bambu's spec sheets list 20,000 mm/s² acceleration for the P1S versus 10,000 mm/s² for the A1, and only the P1S rates ABS and ASA as ideal materials. On Bambu Lab's US store (checked November 5, 2026) the A1 is $259 and the P1S is $349, a $90 gap.

Is the Bambu Lab A1 or P1S better for beginners?

Both are beginner-friendly: each ships ready to print and runs Bambu's automatic bed leveling and calibration. The A1 is the better pick if you will only print PLA, PETG and TPU and want the lowest price ($259, or $359 with the AMS lite). The P1S is the better pick for a beginner who expects to try ABS or ASA, prints in a room where fumes or drafts matter, or wants faster real-world print times, and it now costs only $90 more.

Can the Bambu Lab A1 print ABS like the P1S can?

Not as a supported material. Bambu Lab's A1 spec page lists ABS, ASA, PC, PA, PET and carbon- or glass-fiber filaments as 'Not Recommended', with only PLA, PETG, TPU and PVA rated 'Ideal'. The P1S spec sheet rates PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, ASA, PVA and PET as 'Ideal' and PA and PC as 'Capable', because its enclosure keeps warm air around the print so ABS and ASA are less likely to warp and crack.

Is the Bambu Lab P1S worth $90 more than the A1?

For most buyers who might print anything beyond PLA and PETG, yes. At Bambu's November 5, 2026 store prices the P1S costs $349 against $259 for the A1, and the extra $90 buys an enclosure, ABS/ASA support and twice the rated acceleration. With the multi-color units included the gap is $120 ($479 P1S AMS Combo vs $359 A1 Combo). Stay with the A1 if you only print PLA, PETG and TPU, or if you need the cheapest multi-color setup.

Can the Bambu Lab A1 print more than four colors?

Yes, since firmware 01.07.00.00. Bambu's multi-AMS connection guide says an A1 can run up to four AMS, AMS 2 Pro or AMS HT units through the $19.99 AMS Hub for the A1 series, which is 16 colors with four four-slot units. It can't mix those with an AMS lite, which is limited to one unit and four colors. The P1S also tops out at four AMS units (16 colors) through the $48.99 X1/P1 AMS Hub.

How much faster is the P1S than the A1?

Both list the same 500 mm/s maximum toolhead speed, so the difference is acceleration and flow. Bambu rates the P1S at 20,000 mm/s² and 32 mm³/s maximum hot-end flow versus 10,000 mm/s² and 28 mm³/s for the A1. On small or detailed parts the printer rarely reaches top speed, so the higher acceleration is what shortens print times, and the P1S's CoreXY layout keeps the bed from being thrown back and forth at speed.

Bambu Lab A1 vs P1S 2026: $259 vs $349, Which One Should You Buy?

The Bambu Lab A1 and P1S are the two printers most first- and second-time buyers cross-shop. The A1 is the cheaper open-frame printer and a default first-printer recommendation. The P1S is the enclosed CoreXY step-up that adds ABS and ASA. Bambu’s price cuts have moved the two printers much closer together, so the decision looks different than it did a year ago. We compared Bambu Lab’s current US store prices and its own spec sheets to show where the extra money goes.

Quick answer: Buy the Bambu Lab P1S ($349, or $479 with the AMS) if there is any chance you'll print ABS or ASA. It costs only $90 more than the A1 on Bambu Lab's US store (checked November 5, 2026), and Bambu's spec sheets give it twice the acceleration (20,000 vs 10,000 mm/s²) plus an enclosure. Buy the Bambu Lab A1 ($259, or $359 Combo with the AMS lite) if you'll only print PLA, PETG and TPU and want the cheapest way into multi-color printing. Both have a 256 × 256 × 256 mm build volume and a 500 mm/s top speed.

Last updated November 5, 2026: prices re-checked on Bambu Lab’s US store. The A1 is $259 (list $299) and the P1S $349 (list $399), so the old “$399 vs $699” gap is gone. We added acceleration and hot-end flow from Bambu’s spec sheets, replaced the “speed isn’t a differentiator” claim, and corrected the multi-color section: since firmware 01.07.00.00 an A1 can run up to four full AMS units.

Bambu Lab A1 vs P1S by the numbers

$259 vs $349: the A1 and P1S prices on Bambu Lab’s US store on November 5, 2026 (list $299 and $399). The gap is $90 at sale prices and $100 at list.
$359 vs $479: the multi-color Combo prices. The A1 Combo includes the AMS lite and the P1S AMS Combo includes the full AMS. The P1S AMS 2 Pro Combo is $509.
10,000 vs 20,000 mm/s²: maximum toolhead acceleration per Bambu’s A1 tech-specs page and P1S spec sheet. Both list the same 500 mm/s top speed.
28 vs 32 mm³/s: the maximum hot-end flow Bambu lists for each printer, measured with Bambu ABS at 280 °C.
4 vs 7 “Ideal” materials: the A1 page rates PLA, PETG, TPU and PVA as ideal. The P1S sheet adds ABS, ASA and PET, and rates PA and PC as “Capable”.
8.3 vs 12.95 kg: net weight per Bambu’s spec sheets. The P1S is 389 × 389 × 458 mm and the A1 is 465 × 410 × 430 mm, and the open-frame A1 also needs clearance for its moving bed.

Bambu Lab A1 vs P1S at a glance

Prices from Bambu Lab’s US store, checked November 5, 2026. Specs from Bambu’s A1 tech-specs page and P1S spec sheet.

Spec	Bambu Lab A1	Bambu Lab P1S
Price (list)	$259 ($299)	$349 ($399)
Multi-color Combo (list)	$359 with AMS lite ($399)	$479 with AMS ($549); $509 with AMS 2 Pro ($579)
Motion system	Bed-slinger (bed moves on Y)	CoreXY (bed moves only on Z)
Enclosure	None, open frame	Fully enclosed, unheated chamber
Build volume	256 × 256 × 256 mm	256 × 256 × 256 mm
Max speed / acceleration	500 mm/s / 10,000 mm/s²	500 mm/s / 20,000 mm/s²
Max hot-end flow	28 mm³/s	32 mm³/s
Max nozzle / bed temp	300 °C / 100 °C	300 °C / 100 °C
Rated "Ideal" filaments	PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA	PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, ASA, PVA, PET
ABS / ASA	"Not Recommended"	"Ideal"
Most colors (multi-unit)	4 with one AMS lite, or 16 with four AMS via the $19.99 A1 hub	16 with four AMS via the $48.99 X1/P1 hub
Camera	Low-rate, up to 1080p	Low-rate, 1280 × 720 at 0.5 fps
Weight / footprint	8.3 kg / 465 × 410 × 430 mm	12.95 kg / 389 × 389 × 458 mm

Bambu Lab A1: the cheapest way into multi-color printing

At $259 the A1 is Bambu Lab’s cheapest full-size printer, and the $359 A1 Combo is the cheapest Bambu printer that does four-color prints out of the box. It runs the same automatic bed leveling and flow calibration as the pricier models and covers most hobby printing in PLA, PETG and TPU. The limits are in Bambu’s own spec page: ABS, ASA, nylon, polycarbonate and fiber-filled filaments are listed as “Not Recommended”, and its 10,000 mm/s² acceleration is half the P1S’s.

Bambu Lab A1

Best for PLA/PETG/TPU on a budget · $259 ($359 Combo with AMS lite)

256 × 256 × 256 mm build volume, 500 mm/s top speed, 10,000 mm/s² acceleration.
Rated "Ideal" for PLA, PETG, TPU and PVA. ABS and ASA are "Not Recommended" per Bambu.
AMS lite Combo for four colors, or up to four full AMS units on firmware 01.07.00.00 or later.
Heatbed-cable recall from 2024 is resolved; see our A1 review.

Bambu Lab P1S: the enclosed step-up

The P1S is for buyers the A1 can’t fully serve. Its enclosure keeps warm air around the print, which is what ABS and ASA need to avoid warping and cracking, and Bambu’s spec sheet rates both as “Ideal”. The chamber has no heater, so nylon and polycarbonate are only “Capable”, and Bambu doesn’t recommend carbon- or glass-fiber filaments on the stock nozzle. The CoreXY motion system moves only the toolhead in X and Y, which is how the P1S gets twice the A1’s acceleration without shaking tall prints. See our Bambu Lab P1S review for the full breakdown.

Bambu Lab P1S

Best enclosed step-up · $349 ($479 AMS Combo, $509 AMS 2 Pro Combo)

256 × 256 × 256 mm build volume, 500 mm/s top speed, 20,000 mm/s² acceleration.
Rated "Ideal" for PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, ASA, PVA and PET; PA and PC "Capable".
Enclosed but unheated chamber; for actively heated chambers see the X2D vs P1S comparison.
Up to four AMS units (16 colors) through the $48.99 X1/P1 AMS Hub.

Multi-color: what each printer can grow into

The old rule that the A1 is “stuck at four colors” is out of date. Bambu’s multi-AMS connection guide says A1-series printers on firmware 01.07.00.00 or later can run up to four AMS, AMS 2 Pro or AMS HT units through the $19.99 AMS Hub for the A1 series. The catch is that they can’t be mixed with an AMS lite, so an A1 Combo owner who later wants more colors has to switch to full AMS units. The P1S takes up to four AMS units through the $48.99 X1/P1 AMS Hub. On either printer, using the AMS 2 Pro’s built-in dryer needs a $32.99 Switching Adapter per unit, because A1 and P1 printers can’t power the heater. Our Bambu Lab AMS guide has the full compatibility table.

How to choose between the A1 and P1S

Will you ever print ABS or ASA? Buy the P1S. Bambu lists both as “Not Recommended” on the A1, and at $90 more the enclosure is cheap insurance.
Do you only print PLA, PETG and TPU and want four colors for the least money? Buy the A1 Combo at $359. The P1S AMS Combo costs $120 more.
Do long or detailed prints matter more than price? The P1S’s 20,000 mm/s² acceleration and CoreXY layout shorten real print times more than the shared 500 mm/s top speed suggests.
Short on desk space or printing in a shared room? The P1S is the smaller footprint (389 × 389 mm vs 465 × 410 mm for the A1), and its enclosure keeps drafts off the print.

Bottom line

At Bambu Lab’s current prices the A1 and P1S are only $90 apart, so the P1S is the better buy for most people who expect to grow beyond PLA and PETG: it adds an enclosure, ABS and ASA support and twice the acceleration. The A1 is still the right pick if you only print PLA, PETG and TPU, or if you want the cheapest four-color setup with the $359 A1 Combo. Check Bambu’s store before ordering, because both printers have sold at several different sale prices this year.

Bambu Lab A1 review: the open-frame budget pick, including the 2024 recall.
Bambu Lab P1S review: the enclosed step-up in detail.
Bambu Lab A1 vs A1 mini: how the A1 compares to its smaller sibling.
Bambu Lab X2D vs P1S: when an actively heated chamber is worth paying for.
Bambu Lab AMS: AMS lite vs AMS 2 Pro vs AMS HT and which printers take them.
Best CoreXY 3D printer: the P1S against other enclosed CoreXY printers.
Best enclosed 3D printer: the full enclosed-printer roundup.
ABS vs ASA: the material difference that drives the enclosure decision.