Creality K1 Review

 9.1/10

The K1 model is Creality’s response to the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon. With a similar design, a high-speed CoreXY motion system, and a range of quality-of-life features like automatic bed leveling and wireless print management, it had the potential to be a “Bambu Lab killer”—especially at its retail price of just $599.

However, Bambu Lab had a one-year head start to iron out the kinks in its X1 Carbon, and the K1 is definitely a first-generation machine. As of the time of this writing, Creality has already released two revisions for the K1 to address reliability issues in its extruder and hotend. In fact, our review unit had to have its hotend replaced.

Creality’s software stack also needs a significant amount of polishing as its slicer has more bugs and issues than Bambu Studio. Plus, the less said about its Creality Cloud app, the better.

That said, the Creality K1 is still capable of producing great-quality prints on par with any of the top FDM 3D printers available today. Thanks to the enclosed frame and high-speed CoreXY motion system, the K1 is especially great at printing ABS—we even found it our first pick for printing functional prints.

The K1 also has the advantage of Creality’s established supply chain, allowing users to quickly order replacement parts. We did as much when replacing the hotend on our unit.

We believe the K1 can exist in the same market as the highly regarded Bambu Lab X1 Carbon and its budget-friendly version (the P1S). For example, while the Bambu Lab P1S has a more polished user experience at $699, the K1 can be bought for $100 less. Its open-source firmware also allows for more potential in upgrades and software integration.

 9.1/10

Manufacturer: Creality

The Pros

Excellent print quality
Extremely quick and often 3-4x faster than previous generation machines
Well-documented quick start guide and automated set up
Automatic bed leveling
Spring steel build plate with PC coating
Creality Print makes wireless file transfer easy
Open source firmware can now be integrated into community favorite software

The Cons

Incredibly loud at 70db
Creality Print and Creality Cloud are nowhere near as good as Bambu Studio and Bambu Handy
Vibration compensation is good but as good Bambulab’s X1 or P1S
First generation extruder and hotend must be replaced with the latest revisions

Paul Chow

Co-Founder & CTO

Published on November 24, 2023

Amazon.com Disclosure: As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE: PLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING
This review features the 3D printer, which has been kindly provided to us by the manufacturer for the purpose of this review. While the manufacturer has supported us by supplying the printer, they have not influenced the content of this review in any way. Our assessments and observations are entirely our own, and we have conducted our usual thorough testing to ensure we provide an accurate evaluation of the product. At 3DGearZone, we are committed to transparency and honesty, ensuring that our audience can trust the content we produce.

Until 2022, Creality held market dominance in the consumer FDM 3D printer space. After all, its incredibly successful CR-10 and Ender 3 lines of cartesian FDM 3D printers were able to combine good print quality and a low entry price. This made it a natural recommendation for newcomers in the FDM 3D printer space. Veteran tinkers also liked its open-source nature and the backing of a huge community.

Creality was one of the companies to beat. Several other manufacturers created Creality clones, hoping to take away its market share. However, this all changed when Bambu Lab introduced the X1 Carbon in 2022.

The X1 Carbon’s high-speed CoreXY hardware and extremely polished Bambu Studio/Bambu Handy software made it difficult to beat the current generation of 3D printers. This resulted in every consumer FDM 3D printer manufacturer responding with their own high-speed 3D printer. Companies such as Elegoo and Anycubic approached things by upgrading their current cartesian 3D printers to keep up with Bambu Lab’s machines. This had the advantage of keeping the costs low, all the while reducing early adopter risks by keeping the tried-and-true motion system of their previous machines.

However, there is a limit to how fast you can move the large, heavy bed of a cartesian 3D printer. Plus, these printers are often difficult to enclose to reduce noise and fumes. As such, Creality has taken a different approach by designing an entirely new machine, which was heavily inspired by the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon.

The Creality K1 is a fully enclosed, high-speed CoreXY FDM 3D printer powered by Klipper firmware. This isn’t actually Creality’s first attempt at a CoreXY machine or even the second. Creality has released its first CoreXY machine, the Ender 7, which was unfortunately plagued with a ton of technical issues. Creality later released the CR-30, a belt 3D printer with a CoreXY motion system. While an extremely niche product, the CR-30 was popular amongst cosplay prop makers looking to print long objects (such as swords). The K1 represents Creality’s actual first attempt at a highly polished, high-speed CoreXY machine.

Coming in at a retail price of $599, the Creality K1 undercutted the original Bambu Lab X1 Carbon’s price by half. It’s even $100 cheaper compared to the machine’s lower-priced alternative, the P1S.

While Creality appears to be an expensive clone of the X1 Carbon on the surface, the manufacturer has taken a few steps to differentiate itself from the competition. For instance, did you know Bambu Lab’s hardware and software are completely closed source? Meanwhile, Creality has already released its firmware as open source to allow integration with community favorites such as Orca Slicer, Mainsail firmware, and Fluid firmware.

Creality is not alone in this quickly heating up market segment. Competitors such as Phrozen, TwoTrees, and FLSUN are all readying up their own high-speed CoreXY machines. Qidi-Tech and Flashforge already even released their own well-received machines.

Can Creality’s K1 FDM 3D printer have what it takes to compete in the 2023 3D printer landscape? Or will Bambu Lab continue its market dominance in this segment? We spent hundreds of hours testing the K1, so you don’t have to.

Key Features To Look For In A Great 3D Printer

Fully assembled CoreXY machines used to be limited to professional machines that cost several thousands of dollars. However, Bambu Lab created a whole new market segment by marrying top quality, ready to print professional machines with the affordability of consumer printers. This new market segment is quite young and populated with a few printers from Creality, Bambu Lab, Flashforge, and Qidi-Tech.

To ensure you select the right FDM 3D printer that suits your needs, it’s important to consider a few key factors before making your purchase.

First and foremost, look at the machine’s print quality, which we rated the Creality K1 a 9/10 for. This is attributed to its capability to generate extremely top-quality prints with precise extrusion, high degree of dimensional accuracy, and proper z-alignment that rivals the best the market has to offer.

Users should also keep in mind the assembly process and overall print experience of the machine they’re buying. We rated the Creality K1 10/10 in both. After breezing through its automated setup process, the machine practically arrived pre-assembled and ready to print. Preparing prints using the Creality Print slicer was a generally smooth experience in our tests, although there were a few bugs.

Last but not least, replacing parts should be a matter of “when,” not “if.” Creality has leveraged its well-established supply chain to ensure replacements are available for the K1 when needed.

91

Overall Score

Learn more about our 3D printer review methodology.

How We Researched This Printer

The Creality K1 belongs to the growing medium format enclosed FDM 3D printer segment. These printers focus on print quality, ease of use, speed, and the ability to be enclosed in order to print temperature sensitive filaments. Currently there are very few members in this family, with notable ones including Bambu Lab X1 Carbon, P1S, Flashforge 5M Pro and Qidi-Tech X3 Smart.

To thoroughly assess the capabilities of the Creality K1, we subjected it to a gauntlet of grueling test prints, pushing it to its limits and more. We also extensively scoured the internet to get a gauge of what kind of community this machine has. We then compared everything about it to its closest competitor: the Bambu Lab P1S.

The Creality K1 sports a high speed CoreXY motion system, automatic bed leveling, wireless remote control, and a great color touchscreen. This combination promises next generation 3D printing performance while enhancing the overall user experience, allowing users to focus more on printing and less on troubleshooting.

Creality K1 Printer Setup

Unboxing and Assembly

Our Creality review unit arrived in a large and heavy wooden crate, and it required two people to move it to our testing table. We would like to commend Creality for their seriousness in packing the K1, as the wooden crate was also reinforced with aluminum corners that were screwed in. In fact, the K1 was so well packed that we actually couldn’t get the original cardboard box out and had to extract the printer from the crate.

Compared to other 3D printers, the shipping box was significantly larger than any other printer in its class and came flat-packed like most cartesian printers. The printer was encased in layers of packing foam and plastic wrap to protect it on its long overseas journey, and its accessories were packaged in a matrix of foam and cardboard in the build volume of the printer.

Creality has noted that retail versions of the K1 will not have the wooden shipping crate. However, we feel confident that Creality’s packaging will arrive safe to users anyway. Like its most recent line of 3D printers, Creality has also really stepped up its unboxing experience and provided detailed instructions on how to unpack and set up their printers, including this one.

As the Creality K1 is fully assembled from the factory, users only need to plug in the color touchscreen and rear-mounted spool holder. From there, the machine will run through a series of automated calibration tests to ensure everything is operational. This automatic calibration took around 17 minutes to complete for us.

Overall, we spent around 40 minutes to fully unpack, plug in, and run the automated calibration tests. The Creality K1 is among the quickest and easiest to set up FDM 3D printers that we have reviewed and is on par with the likes of the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon in this regard.

Connecting to WiFi

The Creality K1 is definitely not the first FDM 3D printer with WiFi connectivity. However, it is amongst the easiest to set up. As with many of the current crop of FDM 3D printers powered by Klipper firmware, the K1 needs to be connected with a WiFi network (at least 2.4GHz network) when doing its initial set up. Our office network utilizes the 2.4GHz band and our K1 review unit had no issue connecting.

Once connected, users can download both the Creality Print app and the Creality Cloud mobile app. If the device is on the same network as the K1, it will automatically detect the printer and prompt the user to connect to it, so setting the Creality Print slicer up is a total breeze.

Do note we did NOT use the Creality Cloud mobile app as we faced significant issues with it. We will dive deeper into that later in our review.

Creality does not require users to create an account with their cloud service. Instead, users can wirelessly connect, send prints, and control the K1 over a LAN connection. No information will also be exposed to the internet. This is a distinct advantage over the likes of the Bambu Lab ecosystem, as those require a cloud account to access its wireless features.

Print Quality of Creality K1

Creality promises next generation performance with the K1 FDM 3D printer. With its built-in vibration compensation and high speed CoreXY motion system, let’s see what Creality brings to the table with its new K1.

How we tested the machine

We tested the Creality K1 in four critical areas: the ability to resolve details, dimensional accuracy, z-layer alignment, and print repeatability. For the tests, we used stock 0.2mm layer height and speeds for the Creality Hyper PLA that shipped with Creality Print.

We put the X1 Carbon through our typical gamut of test models that many users are likely to print with this machine. This includes benchmarks such as the common benchy, the calibration cube, and the tall z-banding tower. This is followed by figures and models such as the Mandalorian figure and the low poly Pikachu. Due to the enclosed nature of the Creality K1, we were particularly curious to see how it handles more difficult to print materials such as ABS. We’ve even used it to print a full build plate out of ABS parts that we later used for an upgrade for our office Voron 2.4 printer.

Results

The ubiquitous benchy was designed to be a benchmark to test layer alignment, extrusion consistency, ringing, and cooling. While it used to be a challenging print to perfect, most modern 3D printers, including the Creality K1, can handle it with ease. In fact, the K1 not only produced a perfect benchy but showcased a distinctive feature of printers in its class—remarkable speed. Typically, the benchy takes around 1.5 hours to print on previous generation 3D printers, but the K1 completed it in less than 20 minutes, representing a 3-4x increase in printing speed.

This excellent print quality and speed also extend to calibration models like the XYZ calibration cube, featuring sharp corners and clean features. However, we did notice some faint ringing on the X and Y letters on the calibration cube. This indicates that their vibration compensation is not working as well as we hoped. Still, the K1’s dimensional accuracy was great, with the 20mm calibration cubes measuring 20.2mm x 20.2mm.

Moving on to more detailed prints, we printed both the highly detailed mandalorian figure and the simpler low-poly Pikachu. The mandalorian figure was completed in around 2.5 hours, which was insane fast compared to the usual seven hours needed for this print. The quality was great too, with some faint ringing on the sharper edges of the model. We saw similar results when printing the low poly Pikachu. With the exception of fainting ringing on the edges, the K1 outputted a print on par with the best printers we have reviewed.

An extremely important aspect of any 3D printer is its z-axis construction. The z-axis must be stiff, robust, and aligned properly. If there is any deviation in its construction or alignment, it will manifest as z-layer artifacts. To test the K1’s z-layer consistency, we printed a 200mm tall tube in vase mode, as tall and smooth objects like it will highlight any z inconsistencies. Surprisingly, the test highlighted more things about the filament than the printer itself. There were very slight inconsistencies in the extrusion due to the filament being very slightly wider and narrower at different points in the spool. We intend to try these tests again with a known quality of filament in the future.

Finally, a unique test we tried with the Creality K1 is its ABS performance. Thanks to its enclosure, rapid-heating print bed, and a hotend capable of high temperatures, the K1 proved to be an excellent candidate for swiftly producing functional ABS prints. We loaded the build plate with a number of ABS parts intended for our Voron 2.4 and used the default print profile for ABS. The outcome was impressive, with the parts exhibiting a smooth finish, commendable dimensional accuracy, and no signs of warping.

Overall, the Creality K1’s print quality is extremely good, even with stock print settings.

Overall Print Experience

The Creality K1 is more than capable of producing amazing quality prints that rivals the best the consumer FDM 3D printer market has to offer. However, as a first generation machine, the K1 has a number of teething issues that Bambu Lab, its main competitor, had nearly a year to solve.

Creality Cloud

One of the next generation features of 3D printers is the inclusion of app or web browser integration. Creality’s answer to this is their Creality Cloud app. We have covered a previous version before in our previous Ender 3 S1 Pro review where we found multiple security issues and found it completely unusable. Unfortunately, not much has changed in this iteration.

While the app no longer prompts security warnings, it was replaced by an annoying large number of ads that popped up during start-up and throughout the app. Much of them are not-safe-for-work as well, and there is no ability to filter the content away. Creality also opted to use a premium currency system, restricting access to numerous models on the app through a paywall. Free users find themselves frequently encountering prompts to subscribe to the premium version of the app.

In short: Creality Cloud is completely unusable; do not install it. Instead, we say you use the desktop Creality Print to manage the K1 remotely.

Extruder and Hotend Issues

First generation hardware will always have issues that are only discovered with mass adoption. Creality is not alone in this—even the well-received Bambu Lab X1 Carbon required multiple revisions to its hardware before it was considered stable.

The first extruder and hotend that Creality has shipped with the K1 has reliability issues, specifically for the extruder. The original extruder shipped with the machine has a metal ring constructed out of cheap pot metal, which is prone to cracking. Users can identify a first generation extruder by seeing if the filament latch is shiny.

Meanwhile, the first generation hotend had a thermistor cartridge that was glued to the hotend and could potentially fall off over time. This hotend can be identified by the black silicone sock encasing it. Creality quickly replaced the extruder with a stronger metal ring denoted with a matte silver filament latch and the hotend with a properly integrated thermistor denoted with a red silicone sock. They have shipped these revised components to users who report their issues.

We ourselves experienced a failed first generation hotend but quickly received our revised hotend. We have had no issue with the machine since.

While it would have been better for Creality to ensure that its K1 has been fully tested and vetted before release, we do commend them for quickly acknowledging the issue and sending revisions to affected users.

Polycarbonate Build Surface

The majority of modern FDM 3D printers feature a removable build surface coated in PEI. This allows for both great print adhesion along with easy part removal once the plate has cooled. Creality has chosen to use a polycarbonate coating on its removable print surface, which seemed like an odd choice to us. This setup was a popular choice in 2016 but fell out of favor with the advent of PEI surfaces.

Polycarbonate coatings offer extremely good print adhesion but at the cost of easy print removal. It is sometimes so difficult to remove that manufacturers suggest using a chisel. Users often resort to coating the build plate with a glue stick as a release agent. True enough, Creality bundled its K1 with a glue stick for this purpose.

After coating the build plate with glue stick, we found that prints from all filament types adhered extremely well and were quite easy to remove. However, we do feel that this is a step backwards in the user experience, as using glue sticks introduces an additional step, whereas PEI build surfaces achieve similar results with less effort.

Going Open Source

When Creality first released their K1 FDM 3D printer, they utilized a fork of Klipper firmware that was heavily restricted and modified to work with the K1 printer. As Klipper was an open source firmware developed by the 3D printing community, the community did not respond well to their firmware being taken, restricted, and closed off.

However, Creality eventually heeded to community pressure and released their fork of the Klipper firmware and gave root access to any user willing to experiment with. The community responded well to this change and promptly integrated the K1 to the increasingly popular OrcaSlicer.

As avid users of the Klipper firmware on multiple machines, this is welcome news and we hope the community is able to fully unlock the software potential of the Creality K1.

Setting Up Prints

Creality directs users to download its Creality Print slicer when the K1 is performing its initial setup. A massive advantage to directing users to a download page is that you will always have access to the latest revision of the slicer. In the past, companies often packaged their printers with a version of its slicer.

As of the time of the writing of this review, Creality has version 4.3 of its Creality Print slicer software.

Once installed, Creality Print will prompt the user to select the 3D printer they would like to set up. If the user selects a K1 series printer, it will also automatically detect and connect to the K1 if it is on the same wireless network.

Creality has a number of tuned print profiles for various filaments and brands. As part of the package, Creality includes a spool of its Hyper series PLA, specifically designed for high-speed printing. Indeed, by selecting the Hyper PLA, we experienced an impressive boost in print speeds, reaching up to 300mm/s. But for the purpose of this review, we will be using a stock profile. In subsequent evaluations, we will be comparing the Hyper series PLA to other filaments we had success with. You can find out some of the different kinds of filament we use for our tests and around our office here.

Creality Print is a customized version derived from the open-source Ultimaker Cura software, one of our favorites. However, Creality has introduced substantial thematic changes to the Cura base for its fork.

For users accustomed to Cura, the new layout might be disorienting, as numerous options are now tucked away in sub-menus and windows. Creality’s rationale for this adjustment is to avoid overwhelming new users with only the basic settings exposed. Advanced users can still access all settings and options available by clicking on the “advanced” tab or opening the “settings” window.

Overall, we found the Creality Print software easy to set up and slice. However, there was one critical bug we found: selecting tree supports crashed the program. Creality says they are aware of the issue, and reinstallation of the program typically solves this. In our experience, however, this did not solve the problem. We were forced to use standard grid supports when testing out Creality Slicer.

Like Bambu Lab, Creality offers a “one touch print” option where the file is sent to the K1, and it automatically starts printing it. We found this feature extremely user-friendly and easy to use.

Alternatively, users can use the color touchscreen of the K1 to navigate and print files. Just like nearly all 3D printers in this class, we found the touch screen responsive. The UI was also very aesthetically pleasing and easy to use.

Noise Levels

One of the large advancements of FDM 3D printers over the years was the gradual reduction in overall noise. In particular, the introduction of the silent stepper drivers and higher quality fans made working in the same room as an operating FDM 3D printer tolerable. Whenever we reviewed printers like the Prusa MK3S and the Artillery Sidewinder X1, they were borderline inaudible with its noise output being less than 40db.

However, this new crop of FDM 3D printers, including the Creality K1, prioritized speed over noise levels. So, while the K1 still employs silent stepper drivers for its motion system, it is significantly louder compared to its previous generation machines when in motion. The primary contributors to this noise are the three fans within the machine and a large auxiliary blower positioned on the side of the 3D printer.

Our investigations demonstrated that the K1 generated over 70db of noise when the K1 operated at full speed, making it borderline intolerable for our team to be in the same room while the printer was in motion. This ranks as the loudest printer noise we’ve recorded among all the machines we’ve tested.

Hardware

At first glance, you will be forgiven if you said you would not have recognized this machine as a Creality printer. Gone are the aluminum extrusion construction and DIY aesthetic, and in with the handsome die-cast aluminum, acrylic, and glass-enclosed look. Measuring 335mm (L) x 335mm (W) x 480mm (H), the Creality K1 is a relatively compact machine. It is smaller than its direct competitor, the Bambu Lab P1S, and also smaller than Creality’s older Ender 5 S1. This makes it a great desktop FDM 3D printer.

However, the aluminum frame has also made the K1 a very heavy machine, weighing in at 12.5kg. Granted, it is still 2kg lighter than the Bambu Lab P1S because of its use of an acrylic side panel and top, as opposed to solid aluminum and glass. Nonetheless, users should have a sturdy 3D printing table to ensure the weight and vibrations of the high-speed K1 can be handled.

The Creality K1 has a modest print volume of 220mm (L) x 220mm (W) x 250mm (H), which should be right in line with the vast majority of medium-format FDM 3D printers. It is large enough for 90% of the objects most hobbyists would like to print. However, some cosplayers and propmakers might find the build volume somewhat restricting. For comparison, the Bambu Lab P1P has a slightly larger build volume at 250mm (L) x 250mm (W) x 250mm (H).

Based on our observations, we are confident in the overall construction and build quality of the Creality K1. Again, the frame is made out of die-cast aluminum, and its acrylic and glass panels give it a sturdy and reassuring feel. Its cables are tucked away into internal channels or routed through a cable chain located above the toolhead.

The K1 makes use of steel linear rods for XY movements; these are significantly heavier than the carbon fiber rods of the Bambu Lab P1P. As a result, they can potentially affect both the speed and increase the amount of ringing a print may exhibit. However, steel rods are a tried-and-true motion component known for its reliability and low amount of maintenance, favoring Creality in terms of long-term reliability. We will definitely revisit this over the next year to see whether Bambu Lab’s carbon fiber rods or Creality’s steel rods come out on top.

In summary, we were extremely pleased with the overall build quality of the Creality K1. Like many 3D printers in this class, the K1 gives an air of premium quality, making it a cut above the budget-friendly offerings from Creality and other manufacturers.

K1 Safety Highlights

Thermal Runaway Protection

One of the biggest concerns in 3D printing is the heater potentially losing control and catching fire. Fortunately, just like all current generation 3D printers, the Creality K1 has thermal runaway protection. With it, it is able to constantly monitor its temperature against what the output temperature should be. If the temperatures do not match, the printer shuts down the hotend heater to stop any fire risks.

With the inclusion of Klipper firmware, Creality was even able to take this one step further by having different error messages that reflected the issue it had detected. For example, the K1 was able to detect an error with our thermistor (we’ll discuss that more later) and stopped one of our test prints. While it was frustrating to throw away a failed print, it at least reassured us that its thermal runaway protection was working as intended.

Cable Relief and Cable Management

FDM 3D printers like the Creality K1 have multiple moving parts that need to be connected for communication and power, such as the toolhead and heated bed. Past generation machines have large bundles of cables that connect the toolhead components to the motherboard. However, many of the latest FDM 3D printers feature a CANBUS connection that dramatically reduces the number of wires running between the toolhead and motherboard. This gives both an aesthetic and safety advantage as the clean wiring also reduces wire breakage risks. These wires are also routed through a cable chain to reduce snagging risks. We like to think that it even improves the aesthetics.

Furthermore, the wires connected to the control board and PSU are properly terminated in ferrules and connectors. Many 3D printer manufacturers, including Creality, have simply tinned their connections as opposed to using ferrules and connectors for cost-saving reasons. The K1’s use of properly crimped wire ends significantly reduces such risks when operating the 3D printer.

Overall, we were very impressed with the cable management of the Creality K1!

Maintenance

Finding Replacement Parts

As one of the most popular 3D printer manufacturers globally, Creality’s greatest strength lies in their well-established supply chain. Users can source replacement parts from a variety of 3D printer retailers or the ubiquitous giant known as Amazon. This dramatically reduces downtime and frustration when a part needs replacement. Compared to Bambu Lab where parts are only available directly or a select number of local retailers, Creality holds the distinct advantage of not waiting for shipping from overseas for replacement parts.

Accessing the Control Board

The vast majority of 3D printers have their electronics enclosed to keep them away from dust, filament, debris, and prying fingers. The enclosures are even mounted at the bottom of the printer to reduce the overall printer footprint and improve the aesthetics. Creality has taken the same approach with the K1. This means the K1 needs to be tipped over to access said components. Undoing a few screws exposes the control board by removing the bottom panel. The K1’s ample volume provides users with plenty of space to navigate around the control board for any necessary servicing or replacements.

While all of this isn’t that big of a deal, just know that Bambu Lab mounts its electronics to the rear of the printer, making it easier to access.

Features & Upgrades

High Speed CoreXY Motion System

The Creality K1 features a high speed CoreXY motion system—the hallmark of all new generation FDM 3D printers. Creality claims that this motion system is capable of 600mm/s printing speeds, which should translate to 12 times faster printing speeds compared to the last generation of machines. On paper, this is an extremely impressive feat; we will definitely be putting this to the test.

Automatic Bed-Leveling With Strain Gauge

Automatic bed leveling is quickly becoming a staple in the majority of FDM 3D printers, improving first-layer adhesion and overall print reliability. Typically, printers use a dedicated sensor (like a physical switch or inductive probe) to measure the bed’s surface, and users must then measure the distance from the sensor to the nozzle.

Creality has done away with all this by integrating a strain gauge into the toolhead to use the nozzle itself as a probe. This eliminates the need for additional measurements, making the leveling process fully automatic without any user input.

Magnetic Spring Steel Polycarbonate Bed Sheet

One of the many quality-of-life features employed on most current 3D printers, the magnetic spring steel sheet, combines both great print adhesion and easy print removal. When a print has been completed, users can simply remove the build plate and flex the sheet to pop off the print.

Creality has chosen to use a polycarbonate coating on its sheet, which, in our experience, provides better print adhesion than the standard PEI coating found on most other 3D printers. However, a release agent, like a glue stick, is required to prevent prints from sticking to the surface.

Automatic Resonance Compensation

One of the difficulties users face when printing at high speeds is the vibrations generated by the toolhead, which often translates into printing artifacts (known as “ringing” and “ghosting”). This is why previous-generation 3D printers often print at 100mm/s or less.

The Klipper firmware found in the Creality K1 has an algorithm that can mitigate these vibrations, called “resonance compensation.” When the K1 is first set up, the algorithm runs through a series of automated tests to calculate what the printer needs to do and is automatically inputted into each print. In theory, this should allow the K1 to operate at blistering speeds while maintaining fantastic print quality. We’ll be testing that later.

Wireless Print Management with Creality Print and Creality Cloud App

Creality’s Cura-based in-house slicer, Creality Print, has received a major overhaul and features. The new version now supports wireless file uploading and management for its K1 series of FDM 3D printers. This enhancement allows users to send and initiate prints directly from their computers, eliminating the need to transfer files to an SD card or USB stick and start prints from the printer itself.

Creality has also updated its mobile app to support the wireless features of the K1 printer, enabling users to manage the K1 from their iOS or Android devices.

Community Support

Thanks to the popularity of its Ender 3 and CR-10 lines, Creality enjoys one of the largest communities in the FDM 3D printing market. As a result, K1 has a sizable community despite it being one of the newest printers released in 2023.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crealityofficialk1series
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/crealityk1/

Final Verdict

The release of the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon completely upended the consumer FDM 3D printer market and forced every established player to respond. Creality responded with its K1 printer. While it is easy to dismiss the K1 as a simple and cheap Bambu Lab clone, you would be only half right.

Creality has made a great first attempt at a high speed CoreXY 3D printer with next generation quality of life features and connectivity. Just note that this is their first attempt, and there are a number of first generation teething issues that Creality needs to sort out to properly compete against Bambu Lab.

In fact, there are specific issues (such as the unreliable extruder and hotend) that showed how Creality clearly rushed development of its K1. Fortunately, they were quick to revise their hardware and most of their newer machines greatly improved its reliability.

However, Creality K1’s biggest issue is the reliability and ease of use of its software stack. Creality Print and Creality Cloud simply do not hold up against the likes of Bambu Studio and Bambu Handy. Creality really needs to improve its software before it can compete.

Nevertheless, the Creality K1 is capable of amazing quality prints on par with the best FDM printers on the market. In fact, it is an absolute beast of a printer for printing ABS prints. The Creality K1 has even become our personal go-to machine for ABS printing.

Creality has also differentiated itself from Bambu Lab by releasing its Klipper firmware as open source, allowing hobbyists and 3D printing experts to integrate the K1 into community favorites like OrcaSlicer, Mainsail, and Fluid.

Overall, we are happy to recommend the Creality K1 to users looking for Bambu Lab quality and speed while maintaining the ability to modify and upgrade the software. It also helps that the K1 $599 price tag is $100 cheaper than Bambu Lab’s P1S.

Technical Specifications

Build volume: 220mm (l) x 220mm (w) x 250mm (h)
Printer size: 325mm (l) x 325mm (w) x 480mm (h)
Weight: 12.5kg
Enclosed print area: Yes
Display: color touchscreen
Drive type: FDM direct drive
Filament capability: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, Nylon, Polycarbonate
Connectivity: USB and WiFi
Drivers: TMC silent stepper driver
Build Surface: PC coated spring steel sheet
Heated Bed: Yes
Bed Leveling: Automatic
Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm
Maximum hotend temperature: 300 °C
Maximum movement speed: 600mm per second
Maximum XY accuracy: 0.1mm
Minimum Z height: 0.1mm
Number of extruder(s): 1
Filament diameter: 1.75mm
Supported materials: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU, Nylon, Polycarbonate
3rd party filament support: yes
Operating System: Windows, MacOS, Linux
Supported Slicers: CURA, Simplify3D, PrusaSlicer, Creality Slicer, OrcaSlicer
Supported File Types: STL, OBJ, M3F

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Paul Chow

Paul’s been prop making since 2012 and has garnered an extensive experience in woodworking, CNC machining, 3D modelling and printing experience. Getting his first 3D printer in 2016, he dove deep into the world of 3D printer building, repair, upgrading and tinkering. He has built, tested and upgraded dozens of printers ranging from large & small, resin or FDM and ready to print fully custom builds.