Creality HALOT SKY Review: Worthy of the Premium Price?

The Creality HALOT SKY is the newest high-end large format resin 3D printer in their line-up. It has some interesting features which differentiate it from other offerings available right now, so let’s see if the HALOT SKY is worthy of your attention.

Creality HALOT SKY Shipping and Packaging

The Creality HALOT SKY comes in a big carboard box with ample protection on all sides, and inside the printer. The foam packaging should be good enough, but I had quite a bit of bad luck with my first unit. I received my first review sample with considerable damage that rendered the printer unusable, and I was not able to fix it.

First on the list, is the reflective mirror for the light setup. When I unboxed the printer, I noticed some rattling inside it. I opened the bottom side of the printer only to notice that the reflective mirror was only held in place by two working plastic brackets. The other two brackets were damaged which caused the mirror to partially get chipped and to sit in a skewed position.

If this would have been the only issue, I might have been able to print some brackets and replace the mirror, but the damage was more extensive.

The plastic cover also had two cracks on the sides. These were mostly cosmetic damages that shouldn’t cause any print quality defects, but considering the price of this resin 3D printer, you would expect a perfect machine.

I also noticed that the grounding screw was not properly tightened which can be a safety issue.

Finally, I decided to start up the printer and check if it works. The printer turned on but unfortunately, the touchscreen was also unresponsive. I was not able to navigate through the menus because the touches were not detected. From time to time, the screen would detect some touches, but this would be once every 10 to 15 tries. Banggood offered a replacement for the machine, and I agreed. After a few weeks, the new machine was delivered.

You would think that the replacement printer would be fine. But the second machine had even more damage to the cover, compared to the previous machine.

Fortunately, the functionality of the machine is ok, and this was only cosmetic damage. I was able to use some glue and fix the big cracks. I checked the internals of the HALOT SKY and the mirror was ok. The touchscreen was also working properly, so now I can finally put the machine to work.

In the package, we also get the following accessories:

• 16GB USB Drive
• Hex wrenches
• Brush
• Plastic scraper
• Metal scraper
• Four resin filters
• Power cord
• Vat cover
• Calibration card
• FEP Replacement film

Creality HALOT SKY Design

Ever since I first saw the HALOT SKY, I was impressed with its design. The printer looks really professional in the pictures available online, but in real life it looks even better.

The front side of the printer has the touchscreen located on the right side. On the right side of the printer, we get a USB Type A port for a USB drive and a regular USB connector for computer connection. The whole unit feels sturdy and heavy, giving you the impression of a well-made product.

Creality HALOT SKY Specs

Brand	Creality
Model	HALOT-SKY
Display	5 Inch Capacitive Touchscreen
LCD Resolution	3840 * 2400
Print Size	192 * 120 * 200mm
Support Consumables	405nm UV-Sensitive Resin
XY Precision	0.05mm
Print Speed	1-4s/layer
Layer Thickness	0.01-0.2mm
Light Source	Integral Light Source
Z-axis Type	Dual Linear Guide Rails + Ball Screw
Platform Material	Aluminum Alloy
File Format	.ctb
Input Voltage	AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz
Output Voltage	DC 24V
Language	Chinese/ English
Item Size	34 * 29.2 * 55.2cm/ 13.4 * 11.5 * 21.7in
Item Weight	16.5kg/ 36.4lb
Package Size	45 * 39 * 70.5cm/ 17.7 * 15.4 * 27.8in
Package Weight	19.5kg/ 43.0oz

Reinforced dual linear rails

As with all larger format resin 3D printers, the Creality HALOT SKY comes with a pair of linear rails for moving the build plate on the Z axis. They are sturdy and there’s no backlash during printing.

Ball screw for the Z axis

A nice addition compared to other resin printers is the use of a ball screw for the Z axis. This screw is more accurate and offer better repeatability compared to the regular Z screws used in printers like the Anycubic Mono X or the Elegoo Saturn.

ARM Cortex-A53 Quad Core CPU

The main attraction of the Creality HALOT SKY is the board used. It has an ARM Cortex A53 chip with four 64-bit cores and 8GB of flash memory and Wi-Fi. This setup sounds quite similar to the specs of an older smartphone or tablet converted to work with a resin printer.

There’s no way for me to test this, but I’m quite sure that the HALOT SKY uses some kind of customized Android build customized to be used with a resin 3D printer. If that’s the case, I’m curious to see if any custom firmware will be possible with the HALOT SKY.

8.9-inch 4K Monochrome Screen

There’s not much to say about the HALOT SKY’s screen. It’s just a regular 4K monochrome module probably used by other manufacturers for larger format resin 3D printers. What I like is the inclusion of a glass screen protector out of the box.

A popular upgrade in the resin printing community is adding a screen protector to the screen. If the FEP sheet gets damaged during printing, and resin drips over the screen it’s really easy for it to get damaged. And replacing a 4K monochrome screen can be quite expensive, so having a screen protector can give you a second chance if this happens.

192x120x200mm build volume

While the X and Y axis build volume is similar, the Z volume is 45mm smaller compared to the Anycubic Mono X, probably because of the flip cover design.

The build plate has some angled cuts on the top to make it easier for resin to drip during printing, and four screws are used for leveling.

Super Spotlight 120W UV Light Source

To provide better UV light uniformity, Creality decided to use a reflective mirror instead of shining the 120W LED lights directly to the screen. It’s being held with only four screws so it should be easy to replace when needed.

I must say, this solution works well allowing the LED array to be smaller while also helping with the cooling. Creality claims over 90% uniformity and the paper test confirms that.

Unfortunately, the mounting brackets for this mirror are not great, thus being more susceptible to damage during transportation. Besides that, the air gets pretty toasty inside the machine, but the bottom fan seems to handle it.

Flip Cover

Another interesting design feature of the Creality HALOT SKY is the use of a cover that can be flipped allowing the printer to take less space in your printing space without requiring double the vertical real estate.

It’s also easier to open and close compared to the removable cover present on most resin 3D printers. You can flip the cover with a single hand, while other resin printers require both your hands to remove the cover.

The bottom side of the printer also has a rubber gasket that matches the cover, to help contain the resin fumes generated during printing. It doesn’t seal the printer completely, but it helps a lot.

Unfortunately, part of the resin smell still manages to get out of the printer trough the carbon filter used with the Creality HALOT SKY. In my opinion, this filter is not needed if the printer volume is sealed.

5-inch capacitive touchscreen

The HALOT SKY uses a 5-inch capacitive screen which is nice and responsive. It feels just like any regular smartphone screen, and it’s a substantial improvement compared to other resistive screens used in cheaper 3D printers.

There aren’t a lot of menu options available, but the ones present are well thought out and easy to use. What I don’t really like is the lack of options during printing. There is no option to change the print settings, and when you choose to pause the print, the build plate doesn’t raise up like with other resin 3D printers.

As usual, the hardware side is good, but when it comes to software, Creality doesn’t take enough time to make it work well and the product is sold with incomplete features.

Aluminum resin vat

The vat is made from aluminum, and it has markings to let you know about the amount of resin you can add. It holds up to 1L of resin which is great. The bottom of the vat also has small standoffs to keep the FEP from touching the table.

I like that you also get a spare FEP sheet included with the printer. It’s always nice to have a spare FEP sheet because this is a consumable, and you will need to replace it at some point.

250W 24V fanless power supply

Other resin 3D printers come with a “Power Brick” but the HALOT SKY has the power supply integrated. It’s a 24V 250W fanless unit which is more than enough to power the machine.

Wi-Fi capabilities with the Creality Cloud App

An attractive feature of the Creality HALOT SKY is the Wi-Fi connectivity. You can connect the printer to Wi-Fi using the on-screen menus then connect it to Creality Cloud. Or at least, that’s what Creality is telling us, because in reality, the Creality Cloud functionality cannot be used right now. They promise us that it will be available by the end of the year, but that’s just not fair to the early buyers.

If you don’t already know about this, Creality Cloud is a service provided by Creality for easier 3D printing. It has a repository of models just like Thingiverse, and trough the Creality Cloud app you can select a model, slice it online and send it directly to the printer.

OTA Firmware Updates

Another attractive feature of the Creality HALOT SKY which is made possible by the use of a Wi-Fi module and ARM board is over-the-air firmware upgrades. If you’re connected to Wi-Fi, the printer can receive firmware upgrades directly from Creality, to fix existing issues with the printer, or add more functionality.

I had this printer for over 4 months now, and I did not receive any kind of firmware update over the air. I only installed one firmware update via the USB drive, after downloading it from the website.

Slicer alternatives

The Creality HALOT SKY is bundled with the Creality Box slicer which is extremely limited in its capabilities. Fortunately, Lychee Slicer is compatible with the SKY and that makes the whole experience much more enjoyable.

Lychee also announced that they will support most of the Creality resin printers in their slicers, and that’s great. Hopefully, this means that we will get excellent printer profiles out of the box.

It’s worth noting that for now, the printing parameters cannot be controlled from the slicer, and you will need to adjust them using the on-screen settings.

Power consumption

Idle power draw is around 16W. When the printer has the LEDs on to cure the resin layers, power consumption is about 115W.

All these measurements were taken with a Blitzwolf smart power socket which indicates the power draw, and it can also be used for remotely powering on and off the printer.

Creality HALOT SKY Noise Levels

When idle, the Creality HALOT SKY is dead silent. But when you start printing, the fans start to ramp up and the printer can be heard, but it’s not annoying.

Test prints on Creality HALOT SKY

Invincible Bust

This was the first print on the Creality HALOT SKY. The Invincible bust by Eastman was printed in Phrozen Aqua Green resin and the base was printed using a regular FDM 3D printer. You can see a bit of shine around the arms but that’s caused by me attaching them using resin.

• Material: Phrozen Aqua Green Resin
• Layer Height: 0.05mm
• Layer Cure Time: 2.8s

Troll Tablet Holder

This Troll Tablet Holder from Art of Gomes was printed without hollowing to have a bit more heft when a tabled is set on it. The base was printed with Black Anycubic resin which is not that great. I don’t recommend getting it.
Other than that, the model came out amazing.

• Material: Phrozen Aqua Green Resin and Anycubic Black Resin
• Layer Height: 0.05mm
• Layer Cure Time: 2.8s

Skeletor Bust

Skeletor is one of my favorite villains and when Fotis Mint published this bust, I knew I had to print it. So, I gave it a go on the Creality HALOT SKY using Siraya Tech resin and as you can see, the results are perfect. Even the tiny detail around the base has been perfectly printed. Really happy with the results.

• Material: Siraya Tech Creamy ABS-Like Resin
• Layer Height: 0.05mm
• Layer Cure Time: 2.6s

He-Man Bust

Of course, I also needed to print the He-man bust, with the same settings. Can’t really say anything bad about this print. The details are there, no print defects and the Creamy resin from Siraya Tech is one of the best you can get right now. It’s currently my favorite.

• Material: Siraya Tech Creamy ABS-Like Resin
• Layer Height: 0.05mm
• Layer Cure Time: 2.6s

Mimir Bust

The final print is this awesome Mimir bust from God of War made by Fotis Mint. The detail on the horns came out really well and every small wrinkle added by Fotis can be easily seen in this print. The HALOT SKY did a good job with this print.

• Material: Siraya Tech Creamy ABS-Like Resin
• Layer Height: 0.05mm
• Layer Cure Time: 2.6s

Conclusions: Is the Creality HALOT SKY worth it?

I like the Creality HALOT SKY, and I’ve had an enjoyable experience with it, even though the first machine was unusable. The printer manages to produce really detailed models in a short amount of time. But I can get the same great print quality from other resin 3D printers for less money. The print quality is similar to the Anycubic Photon Mono X, which is close to half the cost of the HALOT SKY so if you’re looking to get a resin printer which performs similarly, you might want to look into that.

The professional look with the Creality Cloud connectivity makes the HALOT SKY stand out from the other larger format resin 3D printers out there, but right now, those features are not working so I can’t even mention them. If you love the flip cover design, the OTA and Wi-Fi capabilities of the HALOT SKY, be prepared to dig your hand deeper in your pocket and hope Creality will hold their promise in delivering the missing features. I wouldn’t do it.

Where to buy the Creality HALOT SKY?

AliExpress
Amazon
Banggood
Creality3DOfficial
Creality Store

I recommend checking out the Discount Codes page before purchasing. I regularly update the article with discount codes for various online shops, and you might find one for this particular model.

The Creality HALOT SKY was provided free of charge by Banggood for the purpose of this review. While the article includes affiliate links, all opinions are my own. Nobody reviewed the article before it was posted, following the Review Guidelines.