I was not able to test the AI failure detection, as none of my 30-plus prints failed (aside from a couple of mismeasurements on my end), but I did have occasion to view through the 1080p camera—if you download the free Bambu Handy app, it will store a little time-lapse video of your object being printed, which is fascinating to watch.
In Living Color
The “Combo” in the name refers to the Automatic Material System (AMS) that sits on top of the printer. (You can also buy it separately at $299.) It holds four spools of filament that auto-feed to your project—a game changer if you’re printing something with multiple colors. Without it, a multicolor print would necessitate stopping the print, removing the spool of filament, and installing a new one on the side. For the P2S, the AMS also has the ability to dry the filament—this removes any absorbed ambient moisture that would create steam when heated and mess up your print.
The AMS add-on allows for seamless multicolor prints.
Photograph: Kat Merck
I tested the P2S on the West Coast in late summer, when the humidity was very low, so my filament stayed below 40 percent relative humidity, according to the built-in hygrometer—it didn’t need drying. However, if you live in a humid region, springing for the AMS will be a massive time-saver.
With the P1S, if you needed to swap out a different nozzle, it was something of an ordeal—you basically have to unplug everything and take apart the assembly with screws. On the P2S, the front of the nozzle head is magnetic and pops right off—simply unclip the old nozzle and clip in the new one. Another massive improvement if you find yourself swapping nozzles often.
The P1S’s automatic nozzle cleaning function that “poops” filament blobs out the back of the machine is still in effect on the P2S. I’d been warned, but I was still surprised to see the amount of detritus it left on the floor, especially during multi-color prints. I highly recommend that a “poop chute” or collection basket be one of your first prints. (And there are plenty of fun designs for using the waste filament blobs once they’ve accumulated, from creative games to a “poop Atlas” filament waste world map.)
Do You Really Need One?
Yes, unless you need a dual-nozzle printer or a commercial-grade unit that can also laser cut and engrave—features this printer doesn’t offer. The ability to print and customize useful household and garage objects, art projects, and toys easily and quickly—with minimal fuss—makes the P2S worth every penny. This is doubly so if you have some basic engineering skills, as importing files into Bambu Studio is a cinch.
Bambu Lab-brand filaments start at about $15 a roll with spool. Note that we flagged some app inconsistencies when using non-Bambu filaments with the P1S, but I did not have any non-Bambu filaments on hand to test in the P2S, so I can’t vouch for whether this issue has been fixed.
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