When the Bambu Lab H2C printer arrived on my doorstep, I thought I might have made a slight error in judgment. The 3D printer that had looked as if it would fit neatly on a desktop was in a massive box that weighed almost as much as I did.
But surely, I thought, the box size was deceiving, mostly protective packaging to protect the glass cabinet? Spoiler: I was wrong.
My previous experience with 3D printers was a mini printer that took several hours to create small items. The Bambu Lab H2C is a very different proposition: a fast, premium printer that comes with extras I never knew existed.
It is an enclosed system rather than the open ones I had previously used, and can print in several different colours without having to purge the system in between swapping to a new colour. Best of all, its automatic handling meant I didn’t have to babysit the printer while it worked: I set it and left it to create.
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But it was a bit bigger than I expected. When it was unpacked, the situation wasn’t quite as dire, but the H2C certainly needed more space than I had allowed. I had no one to blame here but myself really: Bambu Lab warns that this printer is not a toy. It bills it as a production powerhouse, although I wonder what size desktop Bambu Lab designed it for.
It is one that requires a whole new vocabulary too. Do you know your hotends from your AMS? I confess, I did not. And though I have a better grip on it now, I’m still a little fuzzy on the finer details. If you are relatively new to 3D printing, prepare for a steep learning curve.
The H2C has a couple of models, including one with a laser-cutting module that will bump up the price. The H2C combo is the best option for those who just want the 3D printing capabilities. It comes with several induction hotends for high-speed printing – the H2C supports seven – and an automatic material system module that allows you to swap easily between a few different colours while keeping waste to a minimum.
There is a touchscreen panel on the front to control the printer and keep an eye on progress, while the accompanying smartphone app and desktop software open things up to a wider range of projects.
It is oddly compelling to watch the H2C create. The Bambu printer even has a camera inside that allows you to keep an eye on the project’s progress
Out of the box, the H2C looks solid. But set up took a while. There are a few parts that need to be installed, and then the printer needs to be calibrated before you can start creating your projects. It is also worth noting that there is no filament – the plastic material the 3D printer uses – in the box, so don’t forget to order some.
However, once everything was installed and the system calibrated, the printer was easy to use. The device works with the Bambu Handy app that allows you to access a library of projects that have already been prepared for printing, from household items and tools to art, miniatures and even earrings.
That is a good thing because, despite the many, many thing you can do with a 3D printer, as soon as the printer was unboxed and ready to go, the list of projects I had in mind for such a device suddenly deserted me. Option paralysis kicked in and it was all a bit overwhelming, especially when you see the intricate models that the website showcases.
So the app’s list of projects can be a good starting point. The whole point of a 3D printer though is that you can create your own custom projects; the MakerLab software makes that an easy process. The mobile app has generators to help you create 3D statues from portrait photographs, key chains from your photo library or even lithophanes – a thin “light stone” – that you can frame. Anything else requires the desktop MakerLab software and a laptop.
It is oddly compelling to watch the H2C create. The Bambu printer even has a camera inside that allows you to keep an eye on the project’s progress, so you can go off to do something else and occasionally check in to see how your Minecraft creeper head is progressing.
Inevitably, I have so far ended up using the H2C for child-friendly, simple projects that can be printed in a short period of time. I’m working up to the more complicated things, as I get a bit more confident in what the H2C will and won’t tackle.
Because the printer supports up to seven colours or materials at once, there is surprisingly little waste. The seven hotends means the printer can swap between filaments without having to clean the system of leftover material first, and its smart system will remember which filament was last used with each hotend and automatically suggest the correct settings for the next use.
It makes for a simplified process that is less daunting than it first seems.
Good
Multicolour printing of projects is simple with this system. The H2C zips through projects, and the waste is minimal compared with other printers. The Bambu app makes it easy to find and send creations to the printer.
Bad
This isn’t a budget-friendly printer so if you only want it for the occasional 3D print or are limited on space, there are other Bambu options. If you are new to 3D printing too, this may be slightly bewildering although the intelligent system helps ease that path a little.
Everything else
There are plenty of accessories that you can add on, including the laser cutting module, which comes in two choices: 10w or 40w laser. You can also expand the automatic material system to support up to 24 filament colours.
It is a closed system and also has a filter, so you don’t get the smell of burning plastic in the air.
Verdict
Pricey but useful, the Bambu Lab H2C can be used for a range of projects that are limited only by your imagination.
