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P1S vs X1 Carbon

Last updated daily price tracker

Lidar and AI detection, or not? (And the P1S now costs $349)

Is the X1C worth the premium?

Get the P1S ($349) if you watch your prints and stick to standard materials: it is enough. Look for a used X1C (launched at $1,199) only if you run long unattended prints where Lidar and AI failure detection save material: it is discontinued, so for a new machine its successor the X2D ($589) is the one to buy.

Specs: Bambu Lab P1S tech specs (PDF)Bambu Lab X1 Carbon tech specs (PDF), checked October 2, 2026

Where to buy

X1 Carbon
Discontinued, see the X2D
Day-one accessories
Build platesFilament dryers

Daily price historyLinks to Amazon are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Caution

The X1C is discontinued (March 2026). Bambu ended the X1 series on 31 March 2026. Its direct successor is the X2D ($589), which adds an active 65°C chamber and a dual nozzle at a lower price. This comparison stays useful for the used market.

Strengths: P1S vs X1 Carbon

P1S

  • $349, which is $850 below the X1C's old list price, without the automation features
  • Full enclosure with activated carbon filter, handles ABS and ASA just as well for supervised prints
  • Same CoreXY kinematics and 256 mm cube build volume as the X1C
  • Full AMS compatible, identical multi-color capability up to 16 colors

X1 Carbon

  • Lidar-assisted flow calibration and first-layer inspection (the P1S runs bed leveling and vibration compensation automatically too)
  • AI failure detection, pauses and notifies you when a print is failing unattended
  • Hardened steel nozzle included, ready for abrasive filaments
  • Established platform with a large community and accessory ecosystem

Specs comparison

FeatureP1SX1 Carbon
Price$349 $399$1,199
Build volume256 × 256 × 256 mm256 × 256 × 256 mm
KinematicsCoreXYCoreXY
Max speed500 mm/s500 mm/s
EnclosureYes (activated carbon only)Yes (activated carbon only)
LidarNoYes
AI failure detectionNoYes
Chamber heatingPassive (not actively heated)Passive (not actively heated)
Carbon fiber rodsYes (X axis)Yes (X axis)
Hardened nozzleOptionalIncluded
AMS compatibleFull AMSFull AMS

US store prices, struck-through = Bambu's "Typical Price" (median store price on at least 7 of the last 90 days, excluding promotions); X1C: launch price (discontinued)

What the X1C premium actually buys

Lidar: automatic flow calibration and first-layer inspection (the X1C checks the finished first layer and warns about defects, it does not correct them); bed leveling and vibration compensation run automatically on the P1S too. More consistent results without manual tuning.

AI failure detection: Detects spaghetti prints, layer shifts, and poor first layers. Pauses and notifies you: the biggest practical difference for long or overnight prints.

Chamber: Both are enclosed but passive (neither has an active chamber heater). Both are warmed only by bed and nozzle, so chamber temperature is not a real differentiator here. For true active heating you need an X2D or H2-series machine.

Most users: if you're a hobbyist who watches your prints and doesn't run overnight jobs, the P1S serves you as well as the X1C for 95% of prints.

P1S is enough if...

  • You're comfortable with manual calibration
  • You watch your prints most of the time
  • You print PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, not PC or CF
  • You want to save several hundred dollars

The X1C (or X2D successor) is worth it if...

  • You run long or unattended prints regularly
  • Print failures cost you significant time or material
  • You print PC, CF, or other demanding materials
  • You're running a small production operation (the X1C is discontinued; for a new machine choose the X2D)

Full specs and review:P1S pageX1C page

Build volume of the P1S and the X1 Carbon, both 256 by 256 by 256 millimeters 256 mm 256 mm 256 mm P1S and X1 Carbon 16.8 L each Build volume of the P1S and the X1 Carbon, both 256 by 256 by 256 millimeters 256 mm 256 mm 256 mm P1S and X1 Carbon 16.8 L each
Fig. 1P1S and X1 Carbon share the same build volume, 256 × 256 × 256 mm (16.8 L).
Top outlines of the P1S, 389 by 389 millimeters, and the X1 Carbon, 389 by 389 millimeters, schematic, side by side to the same scale 389 mm 389 mm 389 mm 389 mm P1S X1 Carbon Top outlines of the P1S, 389 by 389 millimeters, and the X1 Carbon, 389 by 389 millimeters, schematic, side by side to the same scale 389 mm 389 mm P1S 389 mm 389 mm X1 Carbon
Fig. 2Top outlines to the same scale: P1S 389 × 389 mm, X1 Carbon 389 × 389 mm (width × depth); both are 389 mm wide and 389 mm deep.

More comparisons

What changed

Newest first, from this page's version history. Only changes to text you can read here; date refreshes and reshuffled reading links are left out.

  1. Bambu US store price update: P1S $349 (was $399), X2D $589 (was $649).
  2. P1S price back at $399 after the $369 cut, $800 below the X1C's old list price.
  3. P1S price now $369 (was $399); the X1C's Lidar now covers flow calibration and a first-layer check that warns about defects, with bed leveling and vibration compensation noted as automatic on the P1S too.

Earlier changes

Earlier changes

10 older entries, Jul 5, 2026 to Oct 2, 2026.

ShowHide
  1. Carbon fiber rods corrected: the P1S has them too, on the X axis (was No), so they are no longer listed as an X1C advantage.
  2. Spec table: the Ethernet port row (X1C: Yes) removed and the X1C's ~45°C chamber figure dropped; both are warmed only by bed and nozzle.
  3. Price gap between the $399 P1S and the X1C's old list price corrected to $800 (was $840); the X1C price is now labeled as its launch price.
  4. P1S price back at $399 after the $359 cut.
  5. P1S price now $359 (was $399), $840 below the X1C's old list price.
  6. P1S price back at $399 after the $369 cut, $800 below the X1C's old list price.
  7. P1S price now $369 (was $399), $830 below the X1C's old list price.
  8. Filter spec corrected for both printers: activated carbon filter, no HEPA (was listed as HEPA plus carbon).
  9. P1S now $399 street under Bambu's open-ended discount (list $699), $800 below the X1C's old list price.
  10. X1C chamber corrected: passive at ~45°C, no active heating (was active up to 50°C); added that the X1C is discontinued (March 2026) and the X2D ($649) is its successor.
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P1S vs X1 Carbon
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