In recent years, subscription boxes have grown in popularity across many different categories, from makeup to drones and now 3D printers!
A subscription box is usually a set of supplies relevant to a particular interest and comes once every one, two, or three months. In many cases, subscription boxes are unique because they contain a random assortment of supplies, so you don’t know what you’re getting until you open them!
While some people think these boxes aren’t a good value because the company organizing them is making a profit, many enjoy the thrill and surprise of opening a mystery box. 3D printing subscription boxes, for example, usually contain some filament samples or spools and maybe an accessory like some thermal paste or stickers.
In this article, we’ll be going over a few great 3D printing subscription boxes. Each box contains different items, so it’s hard to tell you exactly what’s in each one, but we’ll go over what each box should have (guaranteed). We’ll also provide a short summary for each box, listing the price, frequency, and included supplies.
We diversified the selections to provide you with a few of the best and most unique options. Some boxes include unreleased filaments, while others include 3D printing accessories or larger filament samples. You should choose the box that suits your interests and is practical for your 3D printer.
We hope you enjoy the surprise when your subscription arrives!
Alien3D
Alien3D is an online retailer of 3D printing supplies, carrying various brands like Fillamentum, BMG, Slice Engineering, and more. Alien3D offers a monthly subscription box known as their UFO or unidentified filament object, which includes more than just filament.
The box comes in a few variations with 1.75-mm filament. The UFO box guarantees four 20-meter filament samples from popular and premium brands, and while the filament samples are usually PLA or a variation of PLA (such as silk PLA), you can also find other materials like PETG and even HIPS. BV3D: Bryan Vines on YouTube observes how the filaments in each UFO box are humorously themed for each month!
This box also includes an accessory for your 3D printer, which can be a part like a nozzle or a tool (e.g. a file blade). A UFO box will also have some swag such as stickers and even discount codes for selected brands. The box also comes with plans for a project that uses the included electronic components and some parts you’ll have to 3D print.
If you don’t want the filament samples, Alien3D also offers a monthly box of just the swag, codes, project, and accessory for about half the price of the full box.
- Price: ~$20 (monthly projects); ~$25 (1-month project)
- Frequency: Every month
- Included supplies: Filament, accessory, swag, discount codes, project (with electronic components)
- Included filament: Four 0.06-kg (20-m) samples
Protopasta
Protoplant is a well-known 3D printing filament manufacturer that makes all sorts of filaments, from PETG to conductive PLA, under their brand Protopasta. Their subscription box, known as the Endless Pastabilities filament subscription, is sent once every two months and contains various popular Protopasta filaments.
The subscriptions are for 1.75-mm filament, and each box includes three samples of filament. Protoplant also lets you choose how much filament you want for the three samples (50 grams, 100 grams, 500 grams, or 1 kilogram). If you choose the latter option, each sample comes wound around a spool, not just in a bag, making printing with them far easier.
The unique thing about the Pastabilities box is that its contents include unreleased HTPLA, which is Protoplant’s line of “hella tough” and “heat-treated” PLA. That means you’ll receive never-before-seen samples that very few people will get. Customers have reported that the Pastabilities box includes exciting filaments in unusual colors.
According to Protoplant, each box sticks to a theme, so all the filaments will have something in common (texture, transparency, etc.). In the past, the company has come up with some unique filaments. How unique, you ask? Bacon filament unique.
- Price: ~$15
- Frequency: Every two months
- Included supplies: Filament
- Included filament: Three 0.05-, 0.1-, 0.5, or 1-kg samples
Maker Box
The Maker Box was one of the first 3D printing supplies subscription boxes and is one of three subscription boxes offered by Box Mountain LLC. The Maker Box typically includes a few different 1.75-mm filaments.
The box comes in three different plans: the Easy plan, Explorer plan, and Everything plan. The Everything plan is a combination of the two other plans, so we’ll go over this version.
The Maker Box Everything plan includes eight different 50-gram filament samples. Of the eight, four samples are different color PLA filaments (or materials similar to PLA) produced by the same manufacturer (the contents of the Easy plan box).
The other four are made up of filament materials from different manufacturers (the contents of the Explorer plan box). These four filament samples could be PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, polycarbonate, or other materials. The Maker Box provides a wide variety of unique filaments, which sets it apart from some of the PLA-focused options out there.
This box may also contain other treats like candy, stickers, or a coupon for a full version of an included filament. Although these items aren’t guaranteed, they appear in almost every Maker Box.
- Price: ~$19, ~$23, ~$36
- Frequency: Every one or two months (for international orders)
- Included supplies: Filament, candy, stickers, discount codes
- Included filament: Four to eight 0.05-kg samples, depending on the plan
Toybox Labs
Toybox Labs is a relatively new company that aims to make 3D printing fun for younger audiences. They sell everything from a Toybox printer to their own brand of filament, which they cheekily call “printer food”.
The Play Packs subscription box is pretty different from the other subscription boxes on this list since it doesn’t actually include any filament. Instead, the box comes with everything kids need to complete projects, like wooden dowels, xylophone keys, or even RC car electronics. It also comes with 3D printable design files for these projects.
The Toybox printer is a small Wi-Fi-connected printer that allows kids to choose pre-designed toys from the accompanying app, and with one touch they can start the print remotely. This printer is designed to be as easy as possible to use, so even a kid can do it!
- Price: ~$20
- Frequency: Every month
- Included supplies: Non-3D printed components and creativity apps
Filaments.ca
Filaments.ca is a Canadian company specializing in all things filament. Their subscription box, called the Filabox, offers a random assortment of their most unique colors and textures. While you never know exactly what you’re going to get, you can expect your subscription box to include some fun type of PLA, be it rainbow, silk, glitter, or marble.
Each box can have either one or two 1-kg spools of PLA every month or every two months, depending on which subscription you choose. The silk filaments listed on Filaments.ca usually go for around $23, which is $3 more than the monthly cost of this subscription box with the 1 kg per month option. This is a great deal if you are looking for PLA in different colors or textures without a specific filament in mind.
- Price: ~$20, ~$40
- Frequency: Every one or two months
- Included supplies: Filament spools, STL files, stickers, snacks
- Included filament: One or two 1-kg spools
Clavius3D
Clavius3D is another Canadian company specializing in filament for 3D printing. Their PLA subscription box comes with two 1-kg spools of their own Canadian-made PLA filament in a random color or texture. It also includes a project kit, with a fun new project for you to work on.
Standard spools go for around $24 in their online store, so the main selling point of this subscription box is the project kit. This comes with all the hardware needed to complete the monthly project, which may include LED lights, LED lighting fixtures, motors for RC cars, and much more. If you finish the monthly project, snap a picture and tag Clavius3D on social media. This will give you the chance to win promo codes or free filament.
- Price: ~$45, ~$50
- Frequency: Every one or two months
- Included supplies: Filament spools, hardware for the monthly project, candy, other goodies
- Included filament: Two 1-kg spools
Keene Village Plastics
Keene Village Plastics is an American company that manufactures 3D printing filament in-house. Their monthly subscription box supplies two spools of ABS or PLA in a random color right to your door. While many of the other subscription boxes on our list are limited to PLA, this box is perfect if you prefer ABS.
Other than some occasional surprises that may come in the box, this is a filament-first subscription dedicated to providing customers with high-quality filament. 1-kg spools of PLA and ABS filament sell for about $35 in their online store, making this subscription box one of the best deals out there if you require large amounts of filament.
- Price: ~$45
- Frequency: Every month
- Included supplies: Filament spools, occasional surprises
- Included filament: Two 1-kg spools
Pushplastic
Pushplastic is a 3D printing filament company founded back in 2013. They specialize in consumer-grade filaments like PLA and PETG and more experimental and professional-grade filaments like PEI, PC, and carbon fiber-blended filaments.
Pusphlastic’s PushBox is configurable and customizable, and it’s aimed at the professional and semi-professional market. You can choose between ABS, PLA, and PETG in white or black, or you can opt for a mystery choice. They offer spools from 1 to 3 kg. Since this service is intended for high-volume and professional printing, only the filament is included in the subscription box.
- Price: ~$50, ~$75
- Frequency: Every month
- Included supplies: Filament spools
- Included filament: PLA, ABS, or PETG, 1- or 3-kg spools
License: The text of "The Best 3D Printing Subscription Boxes" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.