5 reasons you should skip the Bambu Lab A1 and buy an enclosed 3D printer

The Bambu Lab A1 and its smaller sibling, the A1 mini, are solid entry-level printers. But since their introduction, enclosed 3D printers have become more common, affordable, and desirable.

If you're shopping for a 3D printer in 2026 or eyeing an upgrade from the sidelines, an enclosed model like the P2S or X2D is arguably the better buy.

Enclosures offer decent all-round protection

The most obvious reason to pick an enclosed printer is the protection that an enclosure affords you. Having a protective barrier around your printer protects your prints while a job is running, and keeps out dust and debris when it's not.

The enclosure also provides another line of protection for anyone who might happen to touch the nozzle, freshly extruded filament, or heated bed while in use. This could be anything from a small child to a cat or dog. I know for a fact that I couldn't use an open 3D printer anywhere near my cats, since the rapidly moving print head would become a toy in no time.

It's easier to exhaust harmful fumes

The fumes from an open printer go absolutely everywhere. You can put them under a fume hood, next to an open window, or in a well-ventilated room, but you can't direct the fumes too well beyond this. It's not a huge issue when you're only printing PLA, but if you want to work with some of the more noxious materials on the market, then it becomes a lot more important.

While not completely airtight, enclosed printers have predictable entry and exit points for air. I have a P2S, and even though it lacks a proper filtration system, I was able to buy Bambu Lab's cheap $20 exhaust fan kit that fits onto a specific point at the back.

By guiding the exhaust point out of a window or even into a specialist air purifier or custom filter component, you can greatly reduce some of the more harmful substances associated with 3D printer use (and that melting plastic smell). Many enclosed printers can even use an in-chamber filtration system to recirculate cleaned air within the chamber, which has another upside…

Heated chambers mean better print quality

Heated chambers are found on some of the higher-end printers on the market. They're desirable since they reduce the temperature difference between the point at which the filament is extruded and the ambient environment. By cooling the filament slowly, print quality can be greatly improved.

This can affect anything from the finish on an object to its overall strength. Keeping the ambient air warm when working with materials like ASA can help mitigate warping or cracking. It can even lead to stronger prints and increased durability .

While not all enclosed printers have chamber heaters, even basic enclosed models stand a better chance of being able to work with these materials since they trap warm air inside. There are also aftermarket options for printers that lack this feature, which isn't necessarily an option for fully open models.

You'll have more filament options

If you combine the previous two points, you'll see that an enclosed printer is necessary to safely and effectively work with certain material types. Take ABS as an example, a filament that releases styrene when extruded, which can cause all manner of health problems.

At the same time, Nylon, ABS, ASA, polycarbonate, and some composite filaments will benefit from a heated chamber most of all. Even in models without a heated chamber, simply heating the bed for a while before printing to raise the temperature within the 3D printer can greatly improve results.

Most enclosed printers are CoreXY

A CoreXY printer moves the print head on the X and Y axes, while the Z axis moves up and down during the print. By comparison, a "bed slinger" open printer moves the bed on the Y axis, while the print head moves on the X and Z axes.

Most open models like the Bambu Lab A1 and Prusa MK4S are bed slingers, while most enclosed models are CoreXY (though there are exceptions to this rule). There's a reason that newer printers stick to the CoreXY design, with "bed slingers" rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

In general, a CoreXY printer can print faster and achieve higher quality while doing so. The older style of printer needs more room at the front and back of the machine for the build plate to move around. By comparison, CoreXY printers can feel more imposing on account of their boxy nature, but they generally make better use of the space.

The cost comes in the form of expense and maintenance, since CoreXY printers cost more and many of them have PTFE tubes that wear themselves out over time . Even so, the superior speed, quality, and reduced artifacts caused by the inertia of the bed rapidly moving around are big upsides.

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You can buy aftermarket enclosures, but…

One solution to the "problem" of an open printer is to add an aftermarket enclosure. These can do a variety of jobs, from trapping heat to guiding fumes, and generally protecting your printer.

But the added cost involved in printing and building one (or buying one) is money that could go towards an enclosed printer in the first place. This is especially true if you're opting for a Bambu Lab, since printers like the P2S and X2D are newer and more advanced than the aging A1 and A1 mini. They offer all manner of improvements like cameras, touchscreens, and more.

You should also be aware that some manufacturers warn that components can become damaged due to excessive heat buildup within enclosures.