Top Picks at a Glance
A filament dryer is the second-best purchase you can make for 3D printing after the printer itself. Wet filament causes more failed prints than any settings issue — and unlike settings, it's not something you can tune your way out of. A dryer costs €25–65 and pays for itself on the first spool it saves.
- Best overall / best budget: Sunlu S2 — accurate temperature, humidity display, print-dry capable, fits standard 1kg spools, ~€30
- Best for two spools: Sunlu S4 — dual-spool capacity, independent temperature zones, ~€45
- Best for Nylon / PC / engineering materials: PrintDry PRO — reliably reaches 80°C, most accurate thermostat tested, ~€65
- Best value runner-up: Creality Filament Dryer — solid temperature accuracy, larger chamber, ~€35
Each dryer was tested with a calibrated Type-K thermocouple placed at spool height, a capacitive humidity sensor, and a wet PETG spool (deliberately moisture-loaded in a humid environment for 48 hours). Temperature accuracy was measured at the 60°C setting. Humidity reduction was measured after 4 hours. Print quality was compared before and after drying on the same printer with the same settings.
Sunlu S2 — ~€30
The Sunlu S2 is the most recommended budget filament dryer in the community for good reason — it's accurate, feature-complete, and cheap. It displays both temperature and humidity, supports print-dry with a filament exit port, and fits all standard 1kg spools. In testing, it hit 58.4°C at the 60°C setting — within 2°C is acceptable for this price bracket.
- Best price-to-performance
- Humidity display standard
- Print-dry exit port included
- Quiet fan, unobtrusive
- Widely available, easy to find
- Max 70°C — can't do Nylon/PC
- Only fits one spool at a time
- Lid seal degrades over time
- Doesn't fit all oversized spools
The S2 hit 58°C at the 60°C setting in testing — which is within margin. More importantly, it held that temperature consistently over 6 hours without more than ±1°C drift. Cheap dryers that spike hot and then drop are more problematic than ones that run slightly cool and stable, so the S2's consistency is its real strength.
After 4 hours on a wet PETG spool, the humidity inside the S2 dropped from 58% RH (ambient) to 11% RH. The subsequent test print had no crackling, no stringing increase, and a surface finish visually identical to prints from dry filament. That's the metric that matters.
The 70°C maximum temperature is the S2's main limitation. PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, and TPU all dry adequately at or below 70°C. Nylon requires 75–80°C and PC requires 80–90°C — for those, you need the PrintDry PRO.
Creality Filament Dryer — ~€35
Creality's own-brand dryer is a close competitor to the Sunlu S2, with a slightly larger chamber and comparable temperature accuracy. It hits 59.2°C at the 60°C setting — marginally better than the S2. The main differences are a slightly higher price and a larger chamber that accommodates oversized spools that the S2 sometimes struggles with.
- Slightly better temp accuracy
- Larger chamber fits more spools
- Humidity display included
- Print-dry capable
- €5 more than the Sunlu S2
- Same 70°C limit as S2
- Slightly louder fan
- Larger footprint
If you're printing with non-standard spools — some brands ship on larger or smaller diameter hubs — the Creality dryer's extra chamber space is the deciding factor. For standard 1kg Bambu, eSUN, Polymaker, and similar spools, the Sunlu S2 fits fine and saves €5.
Sunlu S4 — ~€45
The S4 is the S2's bigger sibling — it holds two spools simultaneously with independent temperature zones. If you regularly print with two different materials (PLA on one side at 50°C, PETG on the other at 65°C), the S4 eliminates the switching. It's €15 more than the S2, which is reasonable if you use it regularly with multiple materials.
- Two spools, independent temps
- Two print-dry ports
- Per-zone humidity display
- Good value for dual capability
- Larger footprint than S2
- Slightly louder
- Same 70°C limit — no Nylon
- Overkill for single-material users
PrintDry PRO — ~€65
The PrintDry PRO is the only unit in this roundup that reliably reaches 80°C — which is the minimum for proper Nylon drying and a requirement for PC. In testing it hit 79.8°C at the 80°C setting, which is remarkable accuracy for this price bracket. If you print Nylon, PA-CF, or PC, this is not optional — the Sunlu and Creality units simply don't get hot enough.
- Reaches 80°C — handles Nylon
- Best temperature accuracy tested
- Premium build, better longevity
- Print-dry capable
- Better lid seal than budget units
- 2× the price of the Sunlu S2
- Only one spool
- Overkill for PLA/PETG only users
- Less widely available
For most home users printing PLA and PETG, the PrintDry PRO is overkill — you're paying €35 extra for 10°C of maximum temperature you'll rarely need. But for anyone who regularly prints Nylon — PA6, PA12, PA-CF — the PRO is the only reasonable option. Wet Nylon is nearly unprintable, and the cheaper dryers simply can't get it dry enough.
Full Comparison Table
| Model | Price | Max Temp | Accuracy | Humidity | Print-dry | Spools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunlu S2 | ~€30 | 70°C | ±2°C | Yes | Yes | 1 |
| Creality Dryer | ~€35 | 70°C | ±1.5°C | Yes | Yes | 1 (large) |
| Sunlu S4 | ~€45 | 70°C | ±2°C | Per zone | Yes (×2) | 2 |
| PrintDry PRO | ~€65 | 80°C | ±0.8°C | Yes | Yes | 1 |
What to Look For in a Filament Dryer
Maximum temperature
This is the deciding specification. For PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, and TPU, a 70°C maximum is sufficient. For Nylon (PA6, PA12, PA-CF) and PC, you need 75–80°C minimum. Most budget dryers cap at 70°C. Check your materials list first — if you don't print Nylon or PC, 70°C is fine and you can save the money.
Temperature accuracy
The dial says 65°C. What's actually happening inside? In testing, the cheapest dryers we looked at (not in this roundup) ran 8–12°C hot at the 60°C setting — which will deform PLA spools. The units in this guide all stayed within ±2°C, which is acceptable. For the first use with any dryer, verify with a thermometer placed at spool height.
Humidity display
A humidity sensor inside the dryer tells you the current moisture level and lets you judge when drying is complete. Without it, you're guessing. All four units in this guide include humidity display — avoid any dryer that doesn't have it.
Print-dry capability
Print-dry means the dryer has an exit port that feeds filament directly to the printer while drying. This is the most efficient workflow — the filament never leaves the heated environment, so it can't reabsorb moisture between drying and printing. All four units here support print-dry. A food dehydrator typically doesn't.
Spool fit
Standard 1kg spools (200mm diameter, 55–60mm wide) fit all dryers in this guide. Some larger spools — 1.5kg Bambu spools, some 2kg economy spools — don't fit the Sunlu S2's tighter chamber. Check your spool dimensions if you use non-standard sizes, and consider the Creality dryer's larger chamber.
Generic unbranded dryers under €20 almost always have poor thermostat accuracy — often 8–12°C off. At that margin, you can't reliably dry PLA without risking spool deformation, and you can't dry PETG properly either. The €10 savings isn't worth it.
The Sunlu S2 is the right choice for the vast majority of users. At €30 it's accurate enough, feature-complete, and the community has years of experience with it. The humidity display and print-dry port eliminate the two main workflow gaps of cheaper alternatives. It handles every common filament material correctly — PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU — and it's the one we'd recommend to a friend buying their first dryer.
If you regularly print two different materials simultaneously, the Sunlu S4 at €45 is worth the premium — dual zones with independent temperature control is genuinely useful and saves the hassle of switching spools.
If you print Nylon, PA-CF, or PC, the PrintDry PRO is not optional — it's the only budget unit that reaches the temperatures these materials require. The €65 price is justified by the temperature accuracy and build quality, and the cost is recovered quickly in filament that would otherwise fail to dry properly and print poorly.