— FDM · MATERIAL
Nylon
The strongest engineering FDM material — when you can dry it.
Nylon 6 / Nylon 6,6 / PA12 family. Highest tensile strength + impact + heat resistance among hobby filaments, but absorbs moisture from the air faster than any other material on this list.
— Specs
The numbers your slicer cares about.
Density
1.13 g/cm³
Nozzle temp
240–270°C
Bed temp
70–90°C
Price
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— Use cases
When Nylon is the right call.
Best for
- Production-grade gears, hinges, sliders
- Robot end-effectors and load-bearing brackets
- Parts under continuous flex (lives much longer than ABS)
- Automotive trim that survives summer cars
Avoid for
- Decorative work — Nylon's matte finish shows every layer
- Anything you don't want to dry first (moisture = popping + stringing)
- Beginners — auto-dry boxes are basically required
- Fine detail under 0.6mm features
— Honest assessment
Pros & cons, no marketing.
Pros
- Highest tensile + impact strength among hobby filaments
- Excellent thermal endurance (continuous use ~100°C)
- Inherent self-lubrication — great for gears and sliders
- Bonds chemically with itself — strong layer adhesion
Cons
- Hygroscopic to a fault — must be dried before every print
- High print temps (≥250°C) require an all-metal hotend
- Warps almost as much as ABS — enclosure recommended
- More expensive per kg than PLA/PETG/ABS
— Print tips
What we'd tell a friend printing this.
- 1Dry the spool 6–12h at 70°C before printing — non-negotiable
- 2Active drying box during print keeps quality consistent
- 3Use a glue-stick or PEI texture; Nylon doesn't stick to bare glass
- 4Print slow (~40mm/s) for the first few layers, then ramp up
— Compare
Also worth considering.
— Try this material