You've been hovering over that "Add to Cart" button for months. I know the feeling. The 3D printing world moves fast—ridiculously fast—and just when you think you’ve picked the perfect machine, a newer, shinier version drops and the old one hits a massive discount.
Honestly, Black Friday 3D printer deals are the absolute best and worst time to buy. Best because you can snag a $600 setup for $350. Worst because if you aren't careful, you’ll end up with a "bargain" that's basically a legacy doorstop with no spare parts available by next summer.
The 2025 holiday season was a bloodbath for prices. We saw the Bambu Lab A1 Mini drop to a staggering $199, while the Creality K2 Plus combo—the one everyone was screaming about—slipped under the $900 mark for the first time. But as we look toward the next cycle, the landscape is shifting. It isn't just about the lowest price anymore; it’s about who is winning the "ecosystem war."
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Why Black Friday 3D Printer Deals Aren't Just About the Hardware
Buying a printer is sorta like buying a console. The hardware is a one-time hit, but the filament, the slicer software, and the replacement nozzles are where you'll live every day.
Last year, the big story wasn't just the printers. It was the "Combo" deals. If you bought a standalone printer, you basically missed out. For instance, the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo was hovering around $329. That included the multi-color engine. If you bought the printer alone and tried to add the color engine later, you’d end up paying nearly $100 more.
The "Hidden" Clearance Trap
Manufacturers use Black Friday to clear out "old" tech. But in 3D printing, "old" means eighteen months. Take the Bambu Lab P1S. It’s a workhorse. It’s legendary. But with the P2S now dominating the mid-range conversation, the P1S has seen deep cuts—sometimes as low as $399.
Is it a bad printer? No. It’s fantastic. But you have to ask yourself: are you okay with a machine that might not get the next big firmware update?
If you're a tinkerer, these clearance deals are your gold mine. If you want "it just works" for the next four years, you might want to spend the extra $150 on the current flagship.
The Heavy Hitters: Who Actually Discounted What?
Let's get into the weeds. I spent way too much time tracking these numbers across Reddit, Discord, and official store pages. Here is how the big players typically behave when the clock strikes midnight on Thanksgiving.
Creality: The King of Volume
Creality goes wide. They don't just discount one thing; they discount everything.
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- Ender-3 V3 SE: This is the "gateway drug" of 3D printing. It usually sits around $219, but during the sale, it hit **$179**. At that price, it's cheaper than a fancy dinner for two.
- K2 Plus Combo: Their high-end answer to the multi-color craze. We saw this drop from $1,499 to around **$1,199** early on, and even lower at specific retailers like Costco.
Bambu Lab: The Tactical Striker
Bambu doesn't do "cheap," but they do "value." They tend to keep their prices rigid until the big holidays.
- A1 Mini: As mentioned, $199 is the floor. It’s the best "first printer" for anyone with limited desk space.
- P1S / P1S Combo: This is where the real war is. The combo (with AMS) dropped to $549 last year. If you see it at that price again, you buy it. No questions asked.
Elegoo: The Resin Specialists (Mostly)
While they’ve made huge strides in filament (FDM) printers with the Neptune 4 and the newer Centauri Carbon, resin is where they shine.
- Saturn 4 Ultra: The 16K version. This is for the people making high-detail D&D minis. It saw a drop from $650 down to **$465**. That is a lot of resolution for under five hundred bucks.
Don't Forget the "Spool Tax"
You’re going to need plastic. A lot of it.
Black Friday is actually the only time I ever buy filament in bulk. Brands like Sunlu, Anycubic, and Polymaker usually run "Buy 4 Get 1 Free" or "Buy 10 for $110" type deals.
Buying a printer without at least 5kg of filament is like buying a car with a one-gallon gas tank. You'll be back at the store (or on Amazon) within 48 hours. Look for the bundles. If a deal includes "4 rolls of Hyper PLA," that’s an extra $60–$80 of value you aren't paying for.
FDM vs. Resin: Which Deal Is for You?
Don't let a low price lure you into the wrong technology.
FDM (Filament) is what most people think of. It uses a spool of plastic. It’s relatively clean. You can make structural parts, toys, and cosplay armor.
Resin (SLA) uses liquid chemicals. It is messy. It smells. You need gloves and a mask. But the detail is insane. If the Elegoo Mars 5 is on sale for $169, it’s a steal—but only if you have a ventilated garage or a dedicated hobby room. Do not put a resin printer in your bedroom, no matter how good the deal is.
How to Win at Black Friday 3D Printer Deals
- Watch the "Early" Sales: Most brands (Creality and Anycubic especially) start their "Early Black Friday" in the first week of November. Often, these prices are identical to the actual Black Friday price.
- The "Price Guarantee" Trick: Check if the site offers price protection. Some brands will refund the difference if the price drops further on Cyber Monday.
- Check the Shipping: 3D printers are heavy. A $200 printer with $50 shipping is not a deal. Always look for the "Free Shipping" badge, which is common during the holidays.
- Nozzle and Spare Parts Bundles: High-speed printing wears out nozzles faster. If you see a "Maintenance Kit" bundled for an extra $10, take it.
The Actionable Game Plan
If you want the best possible experience without the headache of constant troubleshooting, your target is the Bambu Lab P1S or the newer P2S. Wait for the combo deal. Multi-color printing is cool, but the real benefit of the AMS (Automatic Material System) is the "auto-refill" feature. When one spool dies, the printer automatically switches to the next one. No more failed 20-hour prints because you ran out of plastic at 3 AM.
For the budget-conscious, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon or the Flashforge Adventurer 5M are the "dark horse" winners. They offer CoreXY speeds (the fast stuff) for prices that used to be reserved for slow, bed-slinger machines. If you see the Adventurer 5M Pro under $360, pull the trigger.
Stop overthinking the specs. Most modern printers from the big four (Bambu, Creality, Elegoo, Anycubic) are lightyears ahead of what we had five years ago. Pick a budget, find a combo deal that includes a few rolls of filament, and get started. The best deal is the one that actually gets you printing.
Next Steps for You:
- Bookmark the official store pages for Bambu Lab and Creality now; they often leak "member only" coupons a week before the general public.
- Check your local Micro Center if you have one; they frequently run "In-Store Only" deals on the Ender series that beat online prices by $50 or more.