Bambu Lab P2S Review - The New Standard

The Bambu Lab P2S represents Bambu’s 2nd-generation thinking applied to their most popular price bracket. It takes the P1S formula—enclosed CoreXY at an accessible price—and upgrades every component that matters. At $549, it sets a new standard for what a home 3D printer should deliver.

Specifications

Spec	Value
Build Volume	256 × 256 × 256 mm
Max Speed	1000 mm/s (toolhead)
Max Acceleration	20,000 mm/s²
Nozzle Temp	Up to 350°C
Bed Temp	Up to 110°C
Extruder Force	8.5 kg (servo motor)
Screen	5-inch touchscreen
Materials	PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, ASA, PC, PA, PPA

What 2nd-Gen Means

Bambu’s 2nd-generation platform brings several meaningful upgrades:

PMSM servo extruder: Instead of a stepper motor, the P2S uses a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 8.5kg of extrusion force—70% more than the P1S. Practical benefit: more reliable extrusion with high-viscosity materials, better layer adhesion, fewer underextrusion failures.

350°C nozzle: The P1S tops out at 300°C. The P2S reaches 350°C, opening up materials like PPA and high-temp PA blends that wouldn’t flow properly at lower temperatures.

Intelligent filament sensing: The servo samples resistance at 20kHz, detecting grinding and clogs in real-time. Problems trigger automatic pauses before filament waste.

AI error detection: A 2 TOPS neural processing unit analyzes camera feeds to detect spaghetti, first-layer issues, and other failure modes. Early detection saves hours of wasted print time.

Speed: 1000mm/s

The P2S doubles the toolhead speed to 1000mm/s. In practice, most prints don’t sustain that speed—acceleration limits and geometry matter more—but complex models with rapid direction changes see genuine time savings.

Benchmark comparison:

• P1S Benchy: ~15 minutes
• P2S Benchy: ~12 minutes
• Real-world complex model (gear assembly): P2S finished 18% faster

The speed increase is more pronounced on models with lots of small features and travel moves.

The Touchscreen Difference

The 5-inch touchscreen with Bambu’s 2nd-gen UI transforms the user experience:

• Start prints from the printer without app
• Preview models before printing
• Monitor temperatures and progress visually
• Adjust settings mid-print directly
• USB port for offline printing (new to P-series)

If you’ve used the P1S’s button-based interface, the touchscreen feels like an upgrade worth paying for. If you control everything via app anyway, it’s a convenience rather than a necessity.

Material Performance

The 350°C nozzle and servo extruder enable reliable printing of materials that pushed the P1S to its limits:

Now effortless:

• PA/Nylon blends (260-280°C): Servo force handles high viscosity
• PC (280-300°C): Within comfortable range
• ABS/ASA (240-265°C): Rock solid as expected

Newly accessible:

• PPA (290-320°C): Glass fiber reinforced engineering material
• High-temp TPU variants (250-270°C): More flexible material options
• Exotic carbon-filled blends: Hardened nozzle recommended

The passive ~45°C chamber remains the main limitation. Materials that need 60°C+ chamber temps still benefit from the H2 series’ active heating.

Quick-Swap Nozzle System

The P2S adopts the quick-swap nozzle from the A1 series:

• 30-second nozzle changes
• No tools required
• Available sizes: 0.2mm, 0.4mm, 0.6mm, 0.8mm

This is more convenient than the P1S’s traditional threaded nozzle. Switching between detail work (0.2mm) and speed printing (0.6mm) no longer requires cooling down and wrenches.

Camera and Monitoring

The upgraded 1080p camera with enhanced LED lighting provides:

• High-frame-rate capture for quality monitoring
• Timelapse creation without external hardware
• AI-powered error detection
• Remote viewing via app or browser

The AI detection genuinely works. In testing, it caught a first-layer adhesion failure within 3 layers and paused before wasting more material. This wasn’t possible on the P1S.

Filtration and Enclosure

Same activated carbon filtration as the P1S, same passive chamber heating. The enclosure handles ABS and ASA fumes adequately. Replace filters every 2-3 months with heavy use.

The chamber reaching only ~45°C remains the P2S’s main material limitation. It’s adequate for most materials but not ideal for Nylon or PC that prefer higher ambient temps.

AMS 2 Pro Compatibility

The P2S works with the new AMS 2 Pro, which offers:

• Improved filament feeding reliability
• Better humidity control
• Support for up to 20 colors (5 AMS units)

The AMS 2 Pro costs extra (~$250-300 per unit). For multi-color printing, it’s worthwhile. For single-material functional prints, it’s unnecessary.

P2S vs P1S vs H2S

Feature	P1S ($399)	P2S ($549)	H2S ($1,249)
Max Nozzle	300°C	350°C	350°C
Extruder	Stepper	Servo	Servo
Toolhead Speed	500 mm/s	1000 mm/s	1000 mm/s
Touchscreen	No	Yes (5”)	Yes
Active Chamber	No	No	Yes (65°C)
Build Volume	256³ mm	256³ mm	340×320×340 mm

Choose P1S if: Budget is paramount and you control via app anyway.

Choose P2S if: You want current-gen features at a reasonable price.

Choose H2S if: You need active chamber heating or larger build volume.

Limitations

Passive chamber only: The ~45°C max chamber works for most materials but Nylon and PC print better with active heating. The H2 series’ 65°C chamber matters for engineering materials.

$150 premium over P1S: Some users won’t utilize the servo extruder, 350°C nozzle, or touchscreen. For basic ABS printing, the P1S delivers equivalent results.

AMS sold separately: Multi-color capability adds $250-300. The P2S Combo at $799 includes one AMS 2 Pro—better value if you want multi-color.

Who Should Buy This

Excellent choice if:

• You want current-gen technology without H2 pricing
• Materials beyond basic PLA/ABS are in your plans
• You appreciate touchscreen control
• $549 fits your budget for an enclosed printer

Look elsewhere if:

• You only print PLA/PETG (A1 at $299)
• Budget is tight (P1S at $399)
• You need active chamber heating (H2S at $1,249)
• You prioritize build volume (H2D/H2C)

The Bottom Line

The P2S represents what we should expect from a $549 3D printer in 2026: speed that would have been impossible three years ago, materials compatibility that covers most needs, smart features that prevent failures, and an interface that doesn’t feel like an afterthought.

The P1S remains available for users who want enclosed printing at minimum cost. But for most buyers, the P2S’s upgrades justify the $150 premium. The servo extruder alone improves reliability with challenging materials. The touchscreen transforms daily use. The AI monitoring saves wasted prints.

The P2S doesn’t do anything the H2 series can’t do better—but at less than half the price, it does enough.