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Bambu Lab A1 vs Original Prusa MK4S
Today the cheapest Bambu Lab A1 listing is £239.00 and the cheapest Original Prusa MK4S listing is £749.00. For ease of use the Bambu Lab A1 scores 10/10 and the Original Prusa MK4S 6/10, and on our reliability indicator they score 7.3/10 and 5.9/10. Build volume is 256 × 256 × 256 mm against 250 × 210 × 220 mm.
Where these figures come from. We have not bench-tested these printers. Everything here is taken from our two reviews, which are desk research, and from the prices and buyer ratings this site tracks. Both scores are calculated from published inputs.
| Bambu Lab A1 | Original Prusa MK4S | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest today | £239.00 | £749.00 |
| Ease of use | 10/10 | 6/10 |
| Technical difficulty | Low | Medium |
| Reliability indicator | 7.3/10 | 5.9/10 |
| Amazon buyer rating | 4.6 out of 5 (701 Amazon ratings) | 4.3 out of 5 (87 Amazon ratings) |
| Type | Filament (FDM), open-frame bed-slinger with linear rails | Filament (FDM), open-frame bed-slinger |
| Build volume | 256 × 256 × 256 mm | 250 × 210 × 220 mm |
| On sale since | 2023 | 2024 |
| Best for | Most first-time buyers who want a full-size printer that sets itself up and prints PLA, PETG and TPU with little fuss. | Buyers who value open-source firmware, documentation and spare-part support over headline features, and makers who would enjoy building the kit. |
| Not for | You want to print ABS or ASA, which need an enclosure, or your desk lacks depth for a moving bed. | You want the most features for the money, an enclosure for ABS, or a built-in camera. |
Verdict: Bambu Lab A1 or Original Prusa MK4S?
- Cheaper today: Bambu Lab A1, by £510.00
- Easier to use: Bambu Lab A1, 10/10 against 6/10
- Higher reliability indicator: Bambu Lab A1, 7.3/10 against 5.9/10
- Larger build volume: Bambu Lab A1, about 16.8 litres against 11.6
Bambu Lab A1
The A1 brings the A1 mini’s effortless setup to a full-size 256 mm bed, which makes it one of the best all-round first printers. Early units were recalled over a heatbed cable; the fix is free, but worth knowing about with old stock or second-hand machines.
Original Prusa MK4S
A precise, open, well-documented workhorse whose load-cell nozzle probing gets the first layer right without manual levelling. It costs far more than enclosed rivals with cameras and multi-colour, and the kit version is a substantial build.
Questions people ask
Is the Bambu Lab A1 or the Original Prusa MK4S cheaper in the UK?
The Bambu Lab A1 is cheaper than the Original Prusa MK4S on Amazon UK in November 2026: its cheapest listing tracked by 3D Printer Deals costs 239.00 pounds, against 749.00 pounds for the Original Prusa MK4S, a difference of 510.00 pounds. Both are sold in several versions and bundles, and these are the cheapest new listings of each in stock.
Is the Bambu Lab A1 easier to use than the Original Prusa MK4S?
Yes, the Bambu Lab A1 is easier to use than the Original Prusa MK4S: it scores 10 out of 10 on the 3D Printer Deals ease-of-use checklist, against 6 out of 10 for the Original Prusa MK4S. The checklist counts the features that decide how much of your time a printer takes, such as arriving assembled and levelling itself, each checked against the manufacturer's specifications.
Does the Bambu Lab A1 or the Original Prusa MK4S have the larger build volume?
The Bambu Lab A1 has the larger build volume: 256 × 256 × 256 mm, about 16.8 litres, against 250 × 210 × 220 mm, about 11.6 litres, for the Original Prusa MK4S.
Is the Bambu Lab A1 or the Original Prusa MK4S more reliable?
The Bambu Lab A1 has the higher reliability indicator on 3D Printer Deals in November 2026: 7.3 out of 10, against 5.9 for the Original Prusa MK4S. The indicator is built from Amazon buyer ratings, review volume and years on sale, minus documented issues. It is not a measured failure rate.