Top 5 Best Resins for 3D Printers

What This List Is and What It Isn’t

Hello, beginner! After much learning, there is another essential component to learn about regarding your 3D prints – the material they’re made of. As for a general rule, it is recommended to always use the same brand with your prints so as to facilitate tuning in settings and handling parts. To keep usage consistent, it is preferable to use even the same kind of resin, for the same reason as before.

We’re not here to talk about every single type of material available and what its main uses are; instead, we’re thinking about popularity and rating when we give you the best resins for 3D printers. These metrics are mainly derived from forums, our own personal experience and other articles.

Anycubic

They offer a good range of products while also maintaining a decent price. The different types of resin include water washable that’s easier to clean, a plant based one that is biodegradable with a subdued smell and the ABS-like resin, which makes tenacious parts that can withstand mild bumps, drops and snags without breaking.  These can be found here.

Elegoo

Also considered a good budget option. They offer the standard resin that has been upgraded to provide more toughness and other options as aforementioned: ABS-like, plant based and water-washable. A product that differentiates itself in their catalog is their Thermochromic resin. Finished pieces made with this material change their temperature when above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. You can see and better compare these options here.

Siraya Tech

The most expensive brand featured on this list – however, it’s the one rumored to give the best results. While they have many more resin options for other uses of a 3D printer (out of our scope, that is, miniatures), let’s keep the focus on those recommended for models. Aside from the staples present on previous lists (normal, water-washable, plant-based, fast and ABS-like), they also feature Creative resins, which are aimed towards printing finished parts that won’t get painted over. WIth these, you may print objects that turn transparent after post-processing or with a glow-in-the dark effect. It’s worth checking out here.

Sunlu

They offer the best price for resin bottles and sets of this list. Their standard resins can come in a great range of colors. The staples are also present: water-washable, plant-based and a tenacious resin are among their catalog, which is available here.

Phrozen

While the staples are missing the plant-based resin that the previous brands on the list offered above, this company still boasts the ABS-like, water-washable and standard resins. The unique finishes and colors offered for standard resins are a differential for someone undecided on preferred brands, with some options only available for a limited period. More info here.

Next Steps and tl;dr

After deciding on a resin type and brand, it’s a good time to check if you’ve analyzed and chosen the slicer software that most adequately fills your needs. Here’s a link for our post on the “Best 3D printing softwares for beginners in 2023” and a summary of the brands discussed in this one. Happy printing.

Brand Name	Model Resin Types	Price Range (1kg)	Extra Options
Anycubic	Standard Tough Plant-based ABS-like Fast Water-washable	$25 – $56	N.A.
Elegoo	Standard Plant-based ABS-like Fast Water-washable	$31 – $36	Thermochromic Resin
Soraya Tech	Standard ABS-like Fast Water-washable	$33 – $70	Transparent and Glow-in-the-dark Resin
Sunlu	Standard Tough Plant-based ABS-like Fast Water-washable	$20 – $31	Good range of colors
Phrozen	Standard Tough Plant-based ABS-like Fast Water-washable	$32 – $41	Good range and limited-edition colors

Loot Studios can help you print highly detailed minis, statues and props. Choose your favorite bundle from our previous releases or sign up for Fantasy or Sci-Fi to receive a new bundle every month. You can also check out some tips at our YouTube Channel.