Best Small 3D Printers

Our Pick

Dremel Digilab 3D20

Best Overall

This printer is loaded with features. You can print your cosplay armors and props easily without any hassle.

But what precisely does 3D Printing do?

The answer is here – 3D printing’s development intends to primarily achieve two things. Firstly, to reduce the time to acquire the first release. Secondly, to remove other restrictions which conventional production methods do not facilitate.

Keeping these goals of 3D printing in mind, we have unearthed some of the best small 3D printers that cater to your needs. And those that are very popular in the market. Without delay, let’s jump onto this list of the best small 3D printers. 

High-end product

4.6/5

Dremel Digilab 3D20

  • A removable glass plate
  • Complete enclosure
  • less noisy

Best in category

4.2/5

Elegoo Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer

  • Uses resin technology
  • Quality prints with precision
  • Slicing software faster than the rest 

Best quality within budget

3.9/5

Official Creality Ender 3 Pro

  • Stable built
  • Stable power supply
  • Resume printing enabled

Why read this Review?

The purpose of preparing this list is apparent. We want you to know about the Smallest 3D Printers available in the market. Otherwise, you may get lost in the crowd of printers. 

While preparing this list, we have weighed products on several parameters like Speed, Faster Production, Accessibility, and Quality. 

To do this, we have taken the help of customer reviews and other information on the Internet about different printers.

Best Small 3D Printers For Beginners

1. Dremel Digilab 3D20

High-end product with the best of features

Pros
  • A removable glass plate
  • Complete enclosure
  • less noisy
Cons
  • Uses PLA filament only
  • High-end product

This is yet another of the best Small 3D Printers from Dremel. Dremel Digilab 3D20 is one of the best printing solutions. It uses PLA filament for printing.

This is Dremel’s best printer for new hobbyists and tinkerers. You can easily print 1.75 mm filaments using an all-metal nozzle heating up to 230 ° C and a removable non-heated build plate. That is in turn covered with black tape for easy removal of prints.

The printer is loaded with essential features and a controlled set-up process that helps you to unbox and print in a few minutes. The 4-inch colored touchscreen has an elegant design to navigate through various functions easily. 

In terms of software compatibility, you have various options. You can choose from Cura, Simplify 3d, 3D Slicer,  KISSlicer, Craftware, Slice3r, Repetier, etc.

If that is not all, Dremel prides itself on world-class consumer support. so if you buy this one, you are in for safety.

Pros:

  • A removable glass plate
  • Complete enclosure
  • less noisy
  • 4-inch touch screen

Cons:

  • Uses PLA filament only
  • High-end product

Verdict:

All the above-listed features make this printer too enjoyable to ignore. Even when you are a beginner, this printer will be easy for you. If budget isn’t a constraint for you, then this one is the best choice.

2. Elegoo Mars UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer

Best in category for resin printers

Pros
  • Uses resin technology
  • Quality prints with precision
  • Slicing software faster than the rest 
Cons
  • Unsafe for children
  • A bit messy

Not surprising, if, at first glance, you became convinced of this dazzling printer’s astonishing features. This one is fully enclosed too. However, it uses a far different technology than the previous one.

This is a resin printer. Rather than using filaments, it uses UV radiation to print. Consequently, it is more precise than the FFF 3D printers that make use of filaments. Moreover, this technology is way more expensive because of its superior quality.

This printer uses Chitubox slicing software that takes as little as 1 minute. While other slicing software may use up to 10 minutes to do the same. You can vouch for speed with this printer.

Equipped with a 3.5-inch touchscreen, you can access the prints with much ease. Once you finish assembling, you can start printing in as less as 5 minutes. Doesn’t this sound like the best smallest 3D Printer?

Pros:

  • Uses resin technology
  • Quality prints with precision
  • Slicing software faster than the rest 
  • The Tech support turnaround is quite good.

Cons:

  • Unsafe for children
  • A bit messy

Verdict:

Overall, it is a printer that gives you value for money. Meaning you can buy this one of the best small 3D printers without worrying. It delivers you superior quality prints in no time.

3. Official Creality Ender 3 Pro

Best quality within budget

Pros
  • Stable built
  • Stable power supply
  • Resume printing enabled
Cons
  • The print bed is prone to warp

This is amongst the easiest to use small desktop 3D printers. an upgraded version of Ender 3, this one has much more advanced features for you. The triangular set up makes this machine more stable and unique.

Printing trays are the most common nuisance for most of you. This 3d printer seeks to resolve it. Its print tray is covered with a magnetic bed. It ensures a cleaner and smoother extraction of your print. So no more mess people!

The best feature of this printer is the power supply. It has a UL certified power supply by Mean Well. What does it mean to you? It means you will no longer suffer from unstable power that causes trouble with fine prints. 

Another interesting feature is the resume printing feature. While the power supply is stable, you can suffer from power failure anyway. In that case, your printing might suffer. But not with this one. That is because you can resume printing from the very point you left.

Pros:

  • Stable built
  • Stable power supply
  • Resume printing enabled
  • Sturdy built
  • Patent print technology
  • Magnetic cover on the print tray

Cons:

  • The print bed is prone to warp

Verdict:

Not much can be said after you have read the details above. It is already proved that in this budget, it is hard to get more features and better quality.

4. LONGER Orange 10 3D Printer

Best resin printer with beefed-up safety

Pros
  • Longerware slicer software 
  • Speedy slicing
  • Safe in case of high temperature
Cons
  • Loud
  • Unsafe around children

Yet another 3d printer with resin technology. This one too uses UV radiations for printing. Though it gives small prints the print quality is too fine and precise. No doubt it is one of the best mini 3D printers.

This one uses its slicing software called Longerware. The slicing speed is known to be 3 times faster than that of the usual filament-based printers. 

A unique feature of this printer is its efficient distribution of UV lights. Unlike other UV printers, it is more uniform. Hence, the lights are distributed from small angles to ensure better curing. 

A major problem with resin 3d printers is they reach high temperatures easily. This may cause you trouble. But longer has an efficient temperature detector. If it detects a high temperature, it automatically pauses and cools down. 

The 2.5-inch touch screen is another gift for you. This helps in monitoring the machine. Thus making it quite easy to use the printer. And also to preview your models before printing them.

Pros:

  • Uniform distribution of UV radiation
  • Longerware slicer software 
  • Speedy slicing
  • Safe in case of high temperature

Cons:

  • Loud
  • Unsafe around children

Verdict:

Amongst other small Desktop 3D Printers, this one has created a space of its own. It is deemed more safe, quick, precise and smart than all other 3d printers.

5. FlashForge Finder 3D Printers

The most compact one

Pros
  • Lightweight machine
  • Quiet operation
  • Slide-in bed tray
Cons
  • Problems with longevity

This is one of the best mini 3D Printers. It looks good and works great. Enclosed in a rectangular design, it comes in an elegant red color. Made up of sturdy plastic alloy, this printer will last longer than you expected.

Equipped with a 3.5-inch screen, operations are easy. You can access the printer without much fuss and print the desired prototypes. 

The smartest feature of this printer is the connectivity. You can use wifi, USB or a flash drive to connect to it. Isn’t it more convenient for you??

Did we tell you about the slide-in print tray? Well, this one is too unique. Unlike other printers, the print tray in this printer can be removed side-ways. Hence, the removal of prints made much easier.  

If you worry about leveling, then this printer has an intelligent leveling system. This makes calibrating the bed much easier. Hence, creating a lot less trouble. 

Whereas the print quality is on the mark, and quality is remarkable. Now, this is what makes it one of the best models among compact 3D printers. It has a design that fits in any environment. That, too, without any unwanted changes in your aesthetics and workflow.

Pros:

  • Lightweight machine
  • Quiet operation
  • Slide-in bed tray
  • Enclosed, sturdily built
  • Compact size and shape 

Cons: 

  • Problems with longevity

Verdict:

If seen, this printer with its simple design and the simple system helps to improve the user experience even more. So, it won’t be wrong to say that buying this mini 3D printer is a must once in your lifetime.

You can also check: Qidi Tech X-Smart Review

Buyer’s Guide: Points to Keep in Mind while Choosing a 3D Printer:

Recent technological advancements have made 3D printing popular. However, buying a 3D printer is not a plug-and-play kind of thing. Whether it’s a newbie or a professional buying a 3D printer can be a daunting task. But, keeping in mind a few factors may help you through the otherwise complicated process of buying a 3D printer. Look for them below. 

Types of Filament

3D Printers can use a lot of different filaments. Such as ABS, PLA, wood filament, nylon, etc. 

The most popular filaments are ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and PLA (Polylactic Acid). Since both materials are thermoplastics, you can heat and cool them repeatedly for the perfect 3D form.

ABS:

ABS is robust, reliable, and high-temperature resistant. He’s a celebrity of professionals.

PLA:

The PLA is eco-friendly as it is biodegradable and develops from renewable energy, such as sugar cane or maize. It may also imprint objects with thin layers and sharp angles. PLA comes in a variety of colors so that it is the top choice among professionals. 

While these two are preferred more. You might choose a printer with a diverse set of filaments if that is what you need. 

Size of the Object you need to Print

The size of items you want to print will help determine the volume you’re looking for in the 3D printer you’re choosing. Construct volume is the printer’s maximum size. It’s generally in inches or millimeters. Usually, large build volume lets you print big objects.

So if you need larger prints you can go with largely built size printers. This feature is important to note.

Printing Speed

Printing speed is also essential. You might be someone who needs his prints to be quick. Or else you might want precision over speed. That is your choice.

Many of the choices above have good slicing software. That makes the printer more speedy. If that is what you care for, go for those options only.

How Skilled are you?

3D printing is dynamic and evolving. Mastering, even the most user-friendly 3D printer, takes some time. You need to know about the different settings in the slicing program, such as selecting up the right printing material and choosing the best printing speed based on your job. For all this, you need to be dextrous at using the printers.

So don’t lie to yourself while you choose the best option. If you are a pro, you can go for complex featured 3D printers. But if you are a beginner make sure you start from the easiest one.

The Conclusion

Now you have all the knowledge with which you can decide the difference between the useful and not so useful printers. All the printers mentioned in this list above are different from each other in many ways. 

However, you still have to pick one over the rest. So our pick for you is the Elegoo Mars UV 3d printer. It makes use of resin technology to deliver high-quality prints in less time. If you are looking for the best small 3d printer in the high-end category, this is the one for you.

However, if you want something in your budget. Worry not, pick Offical Creality ender pro. It has some surprising features in such a low budget. Such as a stable built, stable power supply, magnetic bed, LCD screen and so on. 

We hope, we did help you in making the best decision.