Would you like lasers with that?
Tom’s Hardware Verdict
The Bambu Lab H2D is a premium 3D printer with a larger build volume, a faster AMS, and a filament-saving dual hotend. An optional deluxe laser combo turns the H2D into a mini craft factory that can print, cut and burn. The price for the full kit puts it out of hobby range, but is an excellent investment for serious crafters and small business owners. Bambu Lab knocked it out of the park, making the new functions seriously easy to use.
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Pros
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Dual hotend saves material
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Larger build volume
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Enclosure for high-temperature printing
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Prints PLA with the door closed
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Perfect auto bed leveling
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Backwards compatible with current AMS
Cons
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Expensive
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Proprietary replacement parts
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All the extras are a lot extra
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The new Bambu Lab H2D takes a lot to unpack – literally. Between the recent controversy regarding third-party software and mods, the leaks, and the eight boxes of gear and material that Bambu sent for review, I was admittedly overwhelmed. Furthermore, despite those leaks – which were amazingly accurate – I had to start writing out the review without knowing the actual price of the H2D combo. For whatever reason, Bambu Lab was trying hard to keep at least the price under wraps until the very last minute.
The Bambu Lab H2D is an amazing machine and a worthy successor to the X1 Carbon. It checks off most of the boxes fans have been pleading for: It’s bigger, the nozzles are easier to swap, the AMS is heated, and it has an interesting dual-nozzle hotend that seriously cuts down on filament waste. The size makes it slightly slower than the X1C, which can be expected, but the faster AMS and dual nozzles pick up a lot of the slack.
The dual nozzles are hands down my favorite improvement on the H2D. I’ve seen this system before in the Snapmaker Artisan, which is also a 3-in-1 machine but with a printer, laser, and CNC. Bambu has something Snapmaker didn’t: automatic leveling and an eddy current sensor that makes aligning the two nozzles completely hands-free. When sold as a combo, the H2D becomes a five-color machine, with one AMS feeding into the right side nozzle and the single spool holder feeding the left. You could also buy additional AMS units for up to 24 spools.
Another big improvement over the Snapmaker is how easy it is to swap toolheads and workplates to switch from printing to lasering to cutting. The printing tool head never leaves the machine. The laser and cutting modules simply slide in front of it and hold fast with a lever. The work surfaces stick to the magnetic heated bed. My only problem with the machine is finding storage space for all its parts.
Only time will tell if adding lasers to the Bambu Lab H2D was a brilliant idea or a marketing faux pas, but I see where the company is going. The H2D isn’t aimed at the casual 3D printing hobbyist or the guy who can cobble together a Voron from spare parts in his garage. Bambu is firing a shot across the bow of xTool, Glowforge, and Cricut. By adding a laser, blade cutter, and pen plotter to the H2D, Bambu is marketing this machine to the elite crafter, the person who sells cutting boards, vinyl-covered Stanley cups, and tote bags at your local art fair.