My 3D printer is still great, but Bambu Lab's X2D just made it feel obsolete

At a glance:

• Bambu Lab's X2D introduces dual-nozzle technology to address common 3D printing pain points
• The printer promises cleaner prints with less waste and easier support removal
• Despite still being capable, the author's P1S Combo now feels less advanced compared to the new X2D

The X2D goes after the exact annoyances I still have

The X2D seems aimed at the exact parts of desktop 3D printing that still feel messy, even when the machine itself is excellent. I can live with purge waste, tougher support cleanup, and some material compromises, but I can't say I enjoy any of that. When a new printer shows up promising to smooth over those specific rough edges, a little jealousy starts to feel pretty reasonable.

The biggest reason the X2D has my attention is its dual-nozzle approach. My P1S Combo already handles a lot, especially when I want multi-color prints or easier filament swaps, but it still has to make one nozzle do everything. That means extra purging, more waste, and the usual trade-offs that come from trying to squeeze multiple jobs into a single hotend. The X2D looks like Bambu Lab's answer to that problem, and it's hard not to notice.

It promises cleaner prints with fewer compromises

That matters because support material is still one of the least fun parts of printing. A print can come off the bed looking fantastic, then immediately turn into a cleanup project with pliers, cutters, and a low-level argument between me and a chunk of plastic. If the X2D really makes support interfaces cleaner and easier to remove, that's not some tiny quality-of-life perk. That changes how willing I'd be to print more complex shapes in the first place.

It also makes the machine feel more thoughtful than flashy. Plenty of printers launch with bigger numbers and louder promises, but not all of those changes improve the experience of living with the printer day to day. What makes the X2D tempting is that it seems focused on reducing hassle instead of just winning a speed contest. As someone who already has a fast printer, that's exactly the kind of upgrade that gets my attention.

It feels like a smarter next step than a simple refresh

The appeal is capability, not just raw speed. Desktop 3D printing has spent the last few years obsessed with speed, and I get why. Faster prints are easy to market, easy to demo, and easy to get excited about when you've spent years waiting forever for basic parts. But once a printer is already fast enough to feel modern, speed stops being the most important thing. At that point, I start caring more about waste, material flexibility, consistency, and whether the machine lets me attempt more ambitious jobs without thinking twice.

That's where the X2D starts to look like a real step forward instead of a routine refresh. It isn't just about printing quickly. It seems designed to handle a wider range of materials more comfortably while also making more complex prints less annoying to finish. My P1S is still a very capable printer, but the X2D has a broader, more mature kind of appeal. It feels like a machine meant to reduce friction, not just shave minutes off a timer.

My P1S Combo is still more than enough printer

Most people probably do not need to upgrade. To be fair, there's a very solid argument for staying put. The P1S Combo is still one of the easiest ways to get into enclosed, reliable, relatively polished 3D printing without wandering into much pricier territory. It solves most of the problems that used to make this hobby feel harder than it needed to be. I'm not sitting here frustrated with my setup or trying to escape some broken workflow.

That matters because envy and need are two very different things. I don't spend every day printing support-heavy engineering parts or constantly switching between materials that demand more specialized handling. A lot of what I print is practical, straightforward, and already well within the P1S's comfort zone. In those moments, my current printer doesn't feel limited at all. It feels like the sensible tool for the job.

That still does not stop the X2D from looking incredible

Good enough stops feeling enough pretty quickly. Even so, I don't think my jealousy is shallow or irrational. The case against the X2D mostly comes down to one simple point: my current printer is already good enough. That's true, but only up to a point. Better support handling, less waste, broader material flexibility, and a workflow that seems more deliberate are the kinds of upgrades that make me want to print things I might currently avoid. That's more meaningful to me than another generic claim about speed.

There's also a bigger shift happening here that's hard to ignore. The X2D doesn't feel like Bambu Lab tossing out a mild revision and hoping people clap anyway. It feels like the company is trying to push more advanced printing features into a tier that still feels approachable for enthusiasts. Once that happens, older machines don't become bad overnight, but they do start to feel like they belong to the previous chapter. That's a hard feeling to shake when you already like the direction things are headed.

Why that jealousy feels completely justified

The funny part is that my P1S hasn't actually let me down. It's still the same excellent printer it was before the X2D showed up, and I'd still recommend it to plenty of people without hesitation. But new hardware has a way of exposing the compromises you've quietly accepted because they were the best available option at the time. The X2D makes those compromises feel more visible than they did before.

That's why this feels like more than ordinary gadget lust. I'm not jealous because the X2D is newer. I'm jealous because it looks like a printer designed to tackle the exact chores I still tolerate on a machine I otherwise love. My P1S Combo is still great, but the X2D has absolutely managed to make "great" feel just a little less final.