QIDI Plus5 3D printer review: The best one yet
QIDI Plus5 is polished, huge, and produces excellent prints with some of the toughest technical filaments.
The QIDI Plus5 3D printer is a formidable competitor to the Bambu Lab H2 series, offering exceptional value at a significantly lower price point. Despite its compact appearance, the Plus5 boasts an 18% larger build volume compared to its predecessor, the Plus4, while occupying a smaller footprint. This printer can handle higher temperatures with its nozzle reaching up to 370°C, making it suitable for engineering-grade filaments.
The user interface of the Plus5 is sleek and premium, giving it an upscale feel. It features a helpful status light on the printer bed, reminiscent of the Bambu Lab H2 series. The QIDI Plus5 is priced at $749, offering a $50 discount from the Plus4's launch price and considerably less than the Bambu Lab H2S, which currently costs $1399.
The QIDI Plus5 measures 320 x 320 x 300 mm (12.59 x 12.59 x 11.81 in) in build volume and supports a variety of materials including PLA, PETG, TPU, ASA, PA, and PC up to 370 degrees Celsius. The extruder type is direct drive, and the nozzle size is .4mm (bimetal). The build platform comes with a double-sided PEI flex plate, and the printer offers automatic leveling with a loadcell filament runout sensor. Connectivity options include LAN, WiFi, and USB flash drive interface, accompanied by a 4-inch color touch screen.
The printer footprint is 500 x 488 x 558 mm (19.68 x 19.21 x 21.96 in), and it weighs 29 kg (63.93 lbs). The MSRP is $749 (stand alone) and $899 (combo). The QIDI Plus5 comes with an extensive box, including a toolkit for assembly, a scraper, a glue stick, a USB stick with QIDI Studio and a quick start guide, and a printed manual. The printer's design is a significant upgrade from the Plus4, boasting a 20mm increase in print area across all dimensions while maintaining the same footprint.
The QIDI Plus5 utilizes a Core XY motion system, driven by a robust 9mm 1.5GT belt, with linear rails for the x-axis and linear rods for the y-axis. The z-axis is supported by four linear rods and driven by stepper motors attached to two independent lead screws. The toolhead is compact and features an all-metal nozzle, shared with the QIDI Q2.
The nozzle's heat throat is made of hardened steel, and the filament path is accessible in multiple locations, simplifying the process of clearing jams. The toolhead includes a cutter with a waste chute and a nozzle wiper, and an optional active cooling system called the QIDI Polar Cooler is also available. However, this add-on was not tested for this review.
The printer's chamber heater and air circulation fan, complete with a HEPA filter, are located at the rear of the printer. These components help trap fumes from ABS and ASA inside the machine. A large parts cooling fan on the left side augments the fan on the toolhead. The QIDI Plus5 also features a 1080p chamber camera, accessible via QIDI Studio and the QIDI Maker app, which can be used for time-lapse videos and AI anomaly detection.
The printer comes with a glass top that slides back for ventilation when printing lower-temperature filaments such as PLA and PETG. The glass front door opens fully 180 degrees, a simple yet appreciated feature.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Hardware's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
