Nylon and PETG both get pitched as “the strong filament” for functional parts, which makes the choice between them confusing — they aren’t actually competing on strength so much as on two very different trade-offs. PETG is the low-hassle option: dry it occasionally, print it hot-ish, and it holds up outdoors and in a humid garage without much fuss. Nylon is the high-maintenance option that pays off in one specific way — almost nothing on a desktop printer slides or rotates against another part as well as nylon does.
Nylon vs PETG at a glance
| Nylon (PA) | PETG | |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | ~45-55 MPa (PA12) | ~50-60 MPa |
| Nozzle temp | 240-260°C | 230-250°C |
| Bed temp | 70-90°C | 70-85°C |
| Moisture sensitivity | Extreme — dry before every print | Moderate — dry when stringing starts |
| Wear resistance / friction | Excellent, low friction | Average |
| Outdoor / weather stability | Poor — absorbs ambient moisture, swells | Good — dimensionally stable, weather-resistant |
| Typical price | $32-45/kg unfilled, up to $80/kg reinforced | $14-25/kg |
| Best for | Gears, bushings, hinges, load-bearing jigs | Brackets, enclosures, outdoor parts, prototypes |
By the numbers
- 45-55 MPa vs. 50-60 MPa — PA12 nylon’s tensile strength against PETG’s, per Siraya Tech’s and eufymake’s material comparisons. PETG can actually match or slightly beat unfilled nylon on raw tensile numbers, which is why “nylon is stronger” is the wrong way to frame this choice — wear resistance, not tensile strength, is nylon’s real edge.
- ~48 hours — how quickly a PA6 nylon spool left open to the air can absorb enough moisture to ruin a print, per material-comparison data from ecoreprap.com — versus PETG, which is markedly more moisture- stable and doesn’t need that same every-session drying discipline.
- 6x — roughly how much less moisture PA12 nylon absorbs compared to PA6, the more common and cheaper desktop-nylon grade, per the same comparison data. If drying discipline is the dealbreaker, a PA12 blend is the easier nylon to live with, though it costs more than PA6.
- 240-260°C vs. 230-250°C — the nozzle-temperature gap between nylon and PETG, both needing an all-metal hotend; see our full nozzle temperature guide for the complete per-material chart including bed temps.
Why nylon needs so much more babysitting
The gap between these two materials isn’t really about how hard they are to extrude — it’s about what happens before the filament ever reaches the nozzle. PETG is hydrophobic enough that a sealed spool can sit on a shelf for weeks without trouble; nylon is one of the most hygroscopic materials on any desktop printer, and a spool left open on a humid day can go from print-ready to unusable in about two days. Wet nylon pops and bubbles as trapped water flashes to steam mid-print, which shows up as poor layer adhesion and a weaker part than the spec sheet promises — the same failure mode dry nylon simply doesn’t have. That single property is why PETG remains the default “functional part” filament for most people, and nylon stays reserved for parts where its low friction coefficient is actually worth the extra drying step.
Check nylon filament on Amazon →
Testing both materials means burning through more spools than usual while you dial in temps and drying times. A free 30-day Amazon Prime trial gets fast, free shipping so a bad print doesn’t mean days of waiting on a replacement roll.
When to pick nylon
Pick nylon for parts under real mechanical wear
- Gears, bushings, and hinges that slide or rotate against another surface.
- Load-bearing jigs and brackets that take repeated stress rather than a single static load.
- Reinforced grades (PA6-CF, PA6-GF) for parts that also need extra stiffness, not just wear resistance.
- Only if you own or plan to buy a filament dryer — see our best nylon filament guide for picks and drying specs.
When to pick PETG
Pick PETG for hassle-free functional and outdoor parts
- Brackets, enclosures, and prototypes where you don't want moisture management to be a daily chore.
- Outdoor parts — planters, mounts, covers — that need to hold their dimensions through humidity swings.
- Any part where PETG's tensile strength (comparable to unfilled nylon) is enough and wear resistance isn't the deciding factor.
- First functional-part filament for anyone not ready to own a dedicated dryer — see our best PETG filament guide for picks.
Nylon vs PETG, in one paragraph
Nylon and PETG land closer on raw tensile strength than their reputations suggest — PA12 nylon runs roughly 45-55 MPa against PETG’s roughly 50-60 MPa — so the real decision isn’t about which one is “stronger.” It’s about friction and moisture. Nylon’s low friction coefficient makes it the only common desktop filament genuinely suited to gears, bushings, and hinges, but it demands drying before nearly every print and can absorb enough moisture to ruin a spool within about 48 hours once opened. PETG trades that wear-resistance edge for a far easier print experience and better dimensional stability outdoors and in humid conditions. Pick nylon when a part slides or rotates against something else; pick PETG for everything else that just needs to be tough.
Related guides
- 3D printer nozzle temperature guide — the full nozzle-and-bed temperature chart across PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, and nylon.
- Best nylon filament 2026 — top nylon picks from budget unfilled rolls to carbon-fiber-reinforced grades.
- Best PETG filament 2026 — top PETG picks for strength, heat resistance, and clean printing.
- PETG vs. ABS: which should you print? — the comparison for PETG against another rigid, functional-part material.
- Best 3D printers of 2026 — our head-to-head pillar ranking.
- Is Amazon Prime worth it for 3D printing shoppers? — the break-even math on fast shipping for consumable test filament.