3D Printer Tech: The 'Best' Models, Bambu Lab Hype, & What's Actually Worth It

The Only Thing Blacker Than Black Friday is My Mood About These 3D Printer "Deals"

So, it's Black Friday again. The day when companies try to convince us that we need another gadget, another piece of plastic crap, another… 3D printer? Seriously?

Let's be real. Most of these "deals" are just ways to offload last year's models, or worse, get you hooked on some proprietary ecosystem where you're stuck buying their overpriced filament forever. And don't even get me started on the environmental impact of all this plastic.

The Bambu Hype Train: Derailing Already?

Everyone's creaming their jeans over Bambu Lab, and yeah, their printers seem decent enough. I will say that the Bambu Lab P1S Combo deal at $619 (down from $1,148) is legitimately tempting. The AMS unit for multi-color printing is a nice touch, I guess, if you're into printing endless streams of plastic dragons or whatever. But is it really worth it? Do you need to print in 16 different colors? And the fact that the X1 Carbon has seemingly vanished from their website? Sketchy, to say the least. Could this mean that it's been discontinued? I mean, what's going on there?

And Best Buy becoming an official reseller? Sure, it's great for returns, but it also means more mainstream hype, more clueless consumers buying stuff they don't understand, and more plastic waste ending up in landfills. The Best Black Friday 3D Printer Deals Are at Best Buy, an Official Bambu Lab Reseller The A1 Mini might be a good 3d printer for kids, but do we really want to encourage that level of consumerism from such a young age?

Then there's the whole filament situation. SUNLU's offering 57% off their silk PLA, which sounds great until you realize you have to buy at least three spools. It’s a classic sales tactic – make you buy more than you need to clear out their stock. Offcourse, I'm sure some people will find a use for it.

Laser Engravers and Pokeball Wedding Centerpieces: We've Lost the Plot

Okay, now we're talking about laser engravers? The Creality Falcon A1 is down to $466, which is supposedly a steal. But let's be honest, how many people actually need a laser engraver? And the fact that the author tested it and "quickly fell in love"? Give me a break. It's a tool, not a puppy.

And the author is making a giant Pokeball vase for their wedding centerpiece? I... I don't even know where to begin. Is this what 3D printing has come to? Mass-produced, plastic wedding decorations? Are we really supposed to be impressed by this? What's next, 3D-printed wedding rings? Don't tempt them.

I mean, I get it, 3D printing is cool. I've even printed some Joy-Con grips for my Switch 2 because let's be real, those things are ergonomically disastrous. But there's a difference between a practical tool and a novelty item, and most of this Black Friday crap falls firmly into the latter category.

The FiberSeeker 3: A Glimmer of Hope, or More Empty Promises?

Okay, maybe there's one thing that's actually interesting. This FibreSeeker 3 printer claiming to challenge Markforged's dominance with an open-source focus and a new co-extrusion process. 900-MPa tensile strength? That's… actually impressive. But securing $2M on Kickstarter? That's a red flag. How many Kickstarter projects actually deliver on their promises? And "threatening Markforged's dominance"? Please. We'll see. Color me skeptical.

Is This Progress, or Just More Crap?

Look, I'm not saying 3D printing is inherently bad. It has potential. But the way it's being marketed and consumed right now? It's a mess. It's a frenzy of cheap plastic, empty promises, and unsustainable consumerism. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky, but it feels like we're drowning in a sea of disposable garbage, and these Black Friday "deals" are just making it worse. And honestly...