Damp filament strings and pops, and a dryer is cheaper than a failed print
Most filaments take up moisture from the air, and a damp spool prints with strings, bubbles and weak layers. A dryer warms the spool to drive that water out, and some keep it dry while it prints. Maximum temperature is the specification that decides which materials it can dry: a low ceiling suits PLA, while nylon and polycarbonate need more heat than a basic box reaches, and the maker's own drying temperatures for each filament are the ones to follow. Spools held and the spool sizes accepted are published — a box that closes on a standard spool may not fit a cardboard or oversized one. A humidity display reads the air inside the box, not the filament itself, so it shows the environment rather than proving the spool is dry. Airflow matters because heat alone without ventilation leaves moisture trapped; a fan and a vent are described where present. Print-through feeding lets filament leave the box straight to the printer, keeping it dry during a long job. Then a timer, the noise, and whether the unit can double as storage. We compare maximum temperature, spools held and sizes accepted, humidity display, airflow, feed-through and timer.
Filament dryer · 1 × 1 kg spool · 45–65 °C · PTC heater · 360° air · 1.75 and 2.85 mm
Creality’s single-spool dryer running from 45 to 65 °C with a PTC heater and 360° hot air, for PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA and TPU.
Best for: A PETG or ABS user with a single spool on the go.
≈ $40
Filament dryer · 1 spool · up to Φ210 × 85 mm · adjustable temperature · 6-hour default · print while drying
The most-rated dryer here at under $40: one spool up to 210 mm across and 85 mm wide, with a 6-hour default and printing during drying.
Best for: A PLA and PETG user with a damp-spool problem.
≈ $38
Filament dryer · 1 spool · large touchscreen · dries during printing · built-in spindle
SUNLU’s touchscreen dryer: one spool on a built-in spindle, with heat that reaches temperature quickly and doubles as a storage holder during printing.
Best for: A buyer who prefers a screen to buttons.
≈ $38
Filament dryer · 2 × 1 kg spools · inner 9.29 × 6.49 × 9.13 in · 40–50 °C · temperature and humidity display
A two-spool dryer box with printed inner dimensions, but its 50 °C limit, stated by the listing, confines it to PLA and light drying.
Best for: A PLA user who wants storage plus gentle drying for two spools.
≈ $44
Filament dryer · 45 W PTC heater with fan · infinite temperature adjustment · humidity monitor · 1.75, 2.85, 3 mm
A compact dryer with a 45 W PTC heater and fan, stepless temperature, a humidity monitor and support for 1.75, 2.85 and 3 mm filament.
Best for: A user with 2.85 or 3 mm filament.
≈ $50
Filament dryer · 4 spools · dual independent chambers · 200 W + 200 W PTC · up to 85 °C · PLA to PA and PAHT
A four-spool dryer with two independent chambers and a stated 85 °C, named for materials as demanding as PC, PA and PAHT.
Best for: A maker with mixed engineering filaments.
≈ $159
Filament dryer · up to 4 × 1 kg spools · 200 W + 200 W PTC · up to 185 °F (85 °C) · auto mode · 360° airflow · touchscreen
A dual-chamber dryer for up to four 1 kg spools, with two 200 W PTC heaters reaching 185 °F (85 °C), an automatic mode and a touchscreen.
Best for: A multicolor printer owner who needs four spools ready.
≈ $120
Reducing the moisture absorbed by filament. This site publishes appliance specifications and describes no drying protocol.
It depends on the material. Published maximum temperature says what the appliance can reach.
It shows what the appliance’s sensor reads inside the chamber. This site publishes it as a specification, without guaranteeing its accuracy.
Published feed-through says so. It is what allows continuous supply to the printer.
Published spools held specify it, and sizes accepted say which formats fit.
The circulation provided for inside the chamber, published by the manufacturer. It explains the evenness of drying.
It stops the cycle without supervision. It is published on every listing.
They are two different things. This site publishes dryer specifications and advises no storage method.
Compare the maximum temperature with the hardest filament you plan to print, and remember that a humidity reading describes the air, not the spool.
Four machines in five must publish the value before a column is raised. Below that, it would be comparing absences.
| Model | Price | Weight | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUNLU S1 Plus | $38 | 2.7 lb | One spool, up to Φ210 × 85 mm |
| SUNLU S2 | $38 | 1.51 kg (3.3 lb) | One spool |
| Creality Space Pi SE | $40 | 1 kg | 1 kg spool |
| Comgrow SH01 | $44 | 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) | 2 × 1 kg spools |
| EIBOS Easdry | $50 | 1.35 kg (3 lb) | — |
| Comgrow SH03 | $120 | 7.5 lb | 2 + 2 rolls of 1 kg |
| Creality Space Pi X4 | $159 | 1 kg in the table, which looks low | 4 spools |
Specifications: manufacturer sheets for maker machines and tools and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure in this table names its source.
Most recent revision in this category: November 1, 2026.
A price quoted in the text of a MakerVerdict page dates from the day that page was written; the live figure beside each product is fetched while you read and replaces it.
