Fears of new U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made 3D printers may have caused shipments of consumer-level 3D printers to surge in the first quarter of 2025, according to data gathered by market intelligence firm CONTEXT. The report shows that buyers are opting for less expensive, high-performance machines, such as those from Bambu Lab, over more costly professional and industrial machines.
CONTEXT generously defines entry-level 3D printers as those under $2500, which would include popular printers like the Bambu Lab X1C, plus the A1 and P1 series. The H2D without a laser would squeak in at this level, though the full laser combo we reviewed would be pushed into the Professional category.
The company’s latest report on Q1 data shows more than one million “entry-level” machines were shipped worldwide from January to March of this year. This represents a 15% year-over-year increase, while industrial shipments were down 17% and midrange pro machines were down 13% the last 12 months.
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This shows a clear shift in buying habits, as another market intelligence company, Mordor Intelligence, suggests that Additive Manufacturing as a whole is growing. Mordor Intelligence reports that the global 3D Printing market reached $25.32 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $66.42 billion by 2030. Desktop 3D printing – where consumer-level 3D printers reside – is a sizable part of the equation, reaching $6.7 billion in 2025.