Top 5 Large Format 3D Printers in 2022

In this article, I will share my top 5 large format 3d printers in 2022. These printers usually have a 300x300x400 print volume for people that require more space for their models. The recommendations are based on my experience with these printers after reviewing them and using them for some time.

If you are a beginner, I recommend checking my Top 5 budget 3D printers for beginners article as one of the printers listed there might be a better alternative if you don’t require such a large print volume.

Sovol SV04

If you are looking for a capable large-format 3D printer that is also accessible, then the Sovol SV04 is one of the best. It has a large build volume of 300x300x400 mm and comes with direct-drive extruders, a removable magnetic flex plate, and good firmware. It had a few firmware issues at launch, but those have been fixed.

But probably the most attractive feature of the Sovol SV04 is the IDEX capabilities which means that the printer has two print heads allowing you to print with two different materials or colors. The print quality is great, but the machine is a bit noisy and takes a bit more space compared to other printers out there.

If you have the budget for this printer, and don’t really require the IDEX capabilities right now, I still recommend getting it as it’s nice to have the possibility of printing with dual colors. I am sure that at some point you will have a use for it. It’s also useful to have dual print heads if you plan to print models that require extensive support material, as you can use soluble support material that dissolves in water.

Right now, the Sovol SV04 is probably the best IDEX 3D printer you can get without spending a lot of money, so make sure you check out my Sovol SV04 review before making a purchase decision.

The Good

• Good print quality out of the box
• Dual Titan extruder clones in Direct Drive setup
• IDEX capabilities for dual-color/dual-material printing
• 32-bit board with silent stepper drivers
• Auto Bed Leveling
• G34 support for Z stepper auto-alignment
• Magnetic flex plate
• Integrated belt tensioners
• Excellent price for an IDEX large format 3D printer

The Bad

• Proprietary heat break which cannot be easily upgraded to bi-metal/all-metal
• Might need a manual firmware upgrade if shipped with an old version
• The Sovol Cura build and the slicer profiles are not tuned very well

The Ugly

• IDEX print head alignment takes a few tries to perfect
• The PC printing surface is good, but if Z-offset is not properly calibrated, will attach too well to the models
• A bit noisier compared to other machines

The Sovol SV04 can be purchased from the following websites:

Amazon
Sovol3D

Artillery Sidewinder X2

The Artillery Sidewinder X2 earned a place in this top 5 large-format 3D printers article because it’s still a good option when looking for such printer because of its price point and the hardware configuration.

It has a 300x300x400mm build volume, a Titan Direct Drive extruder clone with a Volcano clone hotend, auto bed leveling with a BL-Touch clone, and fast AC bed heating. There are multiple reports online where people complain about the consistency or performance of the auto bed leveling sensor so I hope that issue was solved since launch. The heatbed is fast, but the bed temperature uniformity is not great and that might be an issue when printing large models in filaments like PETG or ABS. This issue can be mitigated with careful placement on the print surface but it’s still an issue to keep in mind.

Overall, the Sidewinder X2 is easy to setup, has a clean design using ribbon cables and is one of the more silent machines you can get right now. The Artillery community is quite large, replacement parts can be easily found online and there are multiple mods you can apply to the machine to make it even better.

I recommend reading my Sidewinder X2 review to learn more about it. I also recommend reading my Sidewinder X2 Upgrades article to see what upgrades you can do to the machine and what issues need to be fixed.

The Good

• Good print quality out of the box
• Titan Aero extruder clones in Direct Drive setup
• 32-bit board with removable silent stepper drivers
• Auto Bed Leveling with BL-Touch clone
• Fast AC heatbed
• Clean design
• Silent operation
• Easy to source replacement parts
• Good price for a large format 3D printer

The Bad

• Issues with the Auto Bed Leveling sensor might show up
• The glass heatbed doesn’t have good thermal uniformity and can cause issues when printing PETG or ABS
• The ribbon cables have gotten strain reliefs but might still cause issues if they are not properly inserted.

The Ugly

• The stock screen functionality is limited but can be upgraded with a simple firmware upgrade

The Sidewinder X2 can be purchased from the following websites:

AliExpress
Amazon 
Banggood 
Geekbuying

Anycubic Kobra Max

If you need even more print volume, then the Anycubic Kobra Max is the winner without a doubt. It has a huge 400x400x450mm print volume which should be more than enough for really big 3D printing projects. Just keep in mind that you need quite a lot of space for it.

It has a BMG dual-drive extruder in a bowden setup with a V6 Volcano Hotend clone. The hotend is also used as an auto bed leveling sensor which makes leveling quite easy. A glass carborundum print surface is used which has excellent adhesion, and the heatbed is also insulated to help the printer be a bit more power efficient.

Print quality is good, and the overall noise generated by the machine is not something to be worried about. I covered a lot more information about the Kobra Max in my review, so I strongly recommend reading it if you need such a large machine. Considering the excellent price point of about 500USD, the Anycubic Kobra Max is probably the best large format 3D printer in 2022.

The Good

• Very large print volume of 400x400x450mm
• Good print quality out of the box
• Dual-drive BMG extruder clone
• 32-bit board with removable silent stepper drivers
• Auto Bed Leveling with the nozzle probe
• Great price for a very large format 3D printer

The Bad

• Wiring inside the printer needs to be checked, as tinned wires are used and this might become a fire hazard, especially considering the high-powered heatbed.

The Ugly

• The printer is huge and takes a lot of space
• Only 0.4 nozzles are included in the package, and I strongly recommend buying a few 0.6 and 0.8 nozzles to take advantage of the large print volume without needing to have week-long prints.

The Anycubic Kobra Max can be purchased from the following websites:

Anycubic
Aliexpress
Banggood
Amazon
Geekbuying

Creality CR-10 Smart Pro

I recently reviewed the Creality CR-10 Smart Pro and I had very good results with it. The machine is probably the best equipped large format 3D printer in 2022 as it comes with most upgrades you can think of.

It has a magnetic PEI printing surface, the excellent Sprite Pro direct drive extruder with all-metal hotend capable of printing up to 300C, Auto Bed Leveling with the CR-Touch sensor, an LED light, smart capabilities and also includes a webcam. But all these features come at a cost which makes the CR-10 Smart Pro one of the more expensive machines out there.

If you have the budget for it, then I don’t think you will be disappointed by it as print quality is great and consistent. I never had a failure in the 10 days of printing I did for the Nutcracker model printed during the review period.

The Good

• Excellent print quality out of the box
• Sprite Pro direct drive extruder
• 32-bit board with silent stepper drivers
• Smart capabilities with the integrated Creality Box
• Auto Bed Leveling with the CR-Touch sensor
• Removable Magnetic PEI printing surface
• LED ilumination

The Bad

• The touchscreen menu is a bit confusing

The Ugly

• Expensive
• The webcam image quality is not great

The Creality CR-10 Smart PRO can be purchased from the following websites:

Aliexpress
Banggood
Amazon
Creality

Creality Ender 5 Plus

Another good option when looking for a large format 3D printer in 2022 is the Creality Ender 5 Plus. Even though the machine is already a couple of years old, it has been upgraded over time with a newer 32-bit board with silent stepper drivers making it quieter during operation.

It has a large 350x350x400 print volume in a cube format and the bed will only move on the Z-axis. This translates into better print quality at higher printing speeds compared to regular cartesian 3D printers.

The main drawbacks of the Ender 5 Plus are the lower performance single-gear extruder and hotend which are not as good as what you get with newer machines, but those can be upgraded if you want to. A BIQU H2 extruder set in a direct-drive setup should solve this issue without spending a huge amount of money.

The heatbed also takes a bit longer to heat up, and the lack of bed insulation can contribute to the time it takes to reach printing temperature, but that also can be solved with a cheap insulation material upgrade.

More information about the Ender 5 Plus can be found in my review, but keep in mind that I reviewed one of the earlier models which came with the old board.

Overall, I think the Ender 5 Plus can still be a good alternative for a large format 3D printer, as long as you understand that the machine requires a bit of work and some money to make it great. If you are up to the task, then I see no reason not to get one, especially if you can find it at a discount. The Tronxy X5A could also be a similar alternative, available for a better price, but I haven’t tested it so I can’t say for sure if it’s worth the money.

The Good

• Larger print volume
• Decent print quality out of the box
• Newer machines come with a 32-bit board with silent stepper drivers
• Auto Bed Leveling with a BL-Touch sensor
• More stable printing for larger models, as the bed moves only on the Z-axis

The Bad

• The stock extruder and hotend are not that great, and at some point, you will encounter extrusion issues.
• The bed takes longer to reach the set temperature and it’s not very efficient when it comes to power usage due to the lack of heatbed insulation.

The Ugly

• Needs some work and a few upgrades to get consistent results

The Creality Ender 5 Plus can be purchased from the following websites:

Amazon
Aliexpress
Banggood
Creality

Wrapping Up

If you decide to get one of the printers I shared in my top 5 large format 3D printers, then I recommend also checking the Discount Codes page where I share various discount codes that apply to some of the machines shown in this article.

I would also love to hear other people’s opinions about their favorite large format 3d printer. If you got a different machine, and have had a good experience with it, feel free to leave a comment below and share it with others.