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The Core One has been one of my favourite ever 3D printers, it's just completely reliable and is the one and only machine that resides in the house rather than the workshop. Now there's a larger version, the Prusa Core One L, which takes the print platform up to 300 x 300 x 330 but only increases the overall footprint by about 10%. What's more, it's actually lighter than the original Core One.
The new machine has, of course, been greatly updated since the launch of the original Core One and now features a new AC convection heat bed and 60°C heated chamber. The innards heat far faster than the previous version.
Once again, it has CoreXY mechanics, a full steel exoskeleton, but now with aluminium panels replacing the steel, making it marginally lighter than the Core One. It also features the familiar NextTruder toolhead with 360° and quick-swap nozzles that made it so popular.
However, while I'm once again impressed with the print speed and quality, this is still only a monochrome printer out of the box. Retailing at €1,699 / $1,799, this is right at the top of the premium pricing for this style of printer.
Prusa Core One L: Price and Availability
The Prusa Core One L is available directly from Prusa by clicking here where it retails for $1799 / £1689 right now.
Prusa Core One L: Design
Once again, Prusa has built a 3D printer that's almost ready to go out of the box. When it arrives, the instructions actually state: just pull it out of the box, plug it in, and you're pretty much ready to go. There are a few little bits and pieces to do, but essentially, you can be up and running within 10 minutes.
Once again, we see an exoskeleton chassis for the CoreXY motion, with rigidity being one of the major factors contributing to the quality of the prints this machine can produce. In the previous iteration, alongside the heavy steel skeleton, there were steel panels, which were great for magnetising tools but added considerably to the weight. What Prusa has done is reduce the weight by adding aluminium sides, which retain the rigidity of the machine while making everything just that bit lighter.
Once again, we see linear motion on all axes in a compact CoreXY gantry. This has been tuned to maintain dimensional accuracy, and this is certainly the case when I looked at how the printer was able to handle circles and curves, one of the biggest issues when it comes to CoreXY machines. They are often highly tuned for benchmarking tests, but not always superb at circular dimensional accuracy tests.
Like the Core One, the machine is fully enclosed, with an actively heated compact chamber that enables the air inside to heat quickly to around 60°C, perfect for specialist materials. However, if you're printing PLA or PETG, or other low-temperature materials, there's now automatic vent control that is activated by the toolhead when in use, unlike the Core One, which required you to open the vents manually.
The new print bed utilises AC convection and is made as a precision-milled cast aluminium block, with heating pipe loops and underside fans that create a convection effect to help warm both the plate and the chamber evenly and quickly.
Again, they've gone for an industrial aesthetic with the Prusa black-and-orange palette throughout. This gives it a professional, workshop-style appearance and build quality that is perfectly suited to any workshop environment where the machine needs to be tough and fixable if anything ever does happen to it. Unlike almost every other machine on the market, because this is on the open-source platform, if you do need to fix anything, all the instructions and components are readily available.
There are a few nifty design changes to go alongside what we've seen before: a front-hinged door and quick hotend access with thumbscrews for nozzle and hotend swaps; a new side filament entry with a flex-friendly path selection switch makes using filament such as TPU easier to load into the NextTruder head. So, if you are a business that utilises specialist materials, then once again, the Core One is a great option, enabling you to print larger than the Core One and also matching with the Prusa ecosystem if you're running a print farm.
Prusa Core One L: Features
Specs
Print Technology: FDM / FFF
Build Area: 300 x 300 x 330 mm
Minimum Layer Resolution: 0.05 mm
Maximum Layer Resolution: 0.30 mm
Dimensions: 469 x 521 x 635 mm
Weight: 21.9 kg
Bed: Cast-aluminium AC magnetic heated bed with removable PEI-coated spring steel sheets
Print Surface: Smooth PEI spring steel sheet (Textured and other variants optional extras)
Software: PrusaSlicer (with Prusa Connect / Prusa App support)
Materials: PLA, PETG, Flex, PVA, PC, PP, CPE, PVB and, when using the optional Advanced Filtration System, ABS, ASA, HIPS, PA
When it comes to features, as you can imagine, the CORE One is absolutely packed, starting with that fully enclosed CoreXY design with a 180° door that offers next-generation technology that we're starting to see emerge across all manufacturers in the 3D printing community.
Prusa Research has been at the forefront of many developments. Sure enough, whilst this new machine takes on much of the new technology and design that we're becoming accustomed to, many of those features have migrated through from the MK4S, including the superb extruder with its orbit design and 360° cooling that enables it to print up to 75° overhangs.
The thing about Prusa is that the MK4S was already fast, especially with that upgrade to the S model in 2024, but now, with the CoreXY kinematics, the high-flow nozzle, the input shaper, and a host of factory-tuned print profiles, this machine is far faster than any of it's predecessors.
The physical design of the Prusa CORE One takes a huge step forward and, compared to the MK4S, takes up 20% less space, which is increased to a huge 50% less if the MK4S is sat inside an enclosure. What's more, not only does it take up less physical space, but it can also produce prints that are a good 30% larger as previously covered, making it an ideal choice for print farms or anyone who just wants to save workspace.
Even with many of the fully enclosed 3D printers out there, material compatibility can still be an issue, with many manufacturers suggesting you open the door for materials such as PLA. Here, the Core One has been designed with a fan system that will enable you to print the likes of PLA with the door closed and just a small vent on top open. With the door shut, you'll be able to print with specialist materials such as ABS, PC, PA, nylons, and many other advanced materials without having to worry about warping.
One of the big features of the new Core One is the ultra-strong steel skeleton that ensures rigidity for high-speed printing and will help cut vibration. What's nice to see here is that, like many of the other product-design 3D printers that are emerging, the Prusa Core One remains accessible, so if something does go wrong, then a screwdriver is pretty much all you need to swap out and replace parts if something does wear out or fail.
Of course, alongside the printer, you also have the support of the huge Prusa community, and as such, you have Printables.com, which supplies you with plenty of different models. You have PrusaSlicer, which is being adapted by a huge variety of 3D print manufacturers, and Prusa Connect, which finally makes connecting your Prusa machine to your computer wirelessly nice and simple. There's also PrusaLink, so you can operate the machine through your browser, bringing it pretty much up in line with many other 3D printers on the market.
However, there are a few specialist features that really separate the CORE One from all other 3D printers, from the fact that you can completely disassemble and reassemble the printer down to the last screw, meaning that it's always maintainable and upgradable to the speed and print accuracy.
Something that I do find really interesting especially in a time where everyone is worried about security, is the fact that Prusa has taken the approach that if you want to have, and keep, this printer offline, then you can, with everything from loading the models to updating the firmware being possible over a USB stick without it ever needing to access the internet.
As you'd expect from Prusa, plenty of upgrade options are available, and the design of the enclosure is already lending itself to this, with the cavity on either side of the machine—one that holds the filament and the other, which can be adapted to hold the build plate or other tools. People have already started to make designs that are available on Printables.com.
There's also a range of Prusa extras, including the chamber camera, which I have in this review. It simply magnetises to the top of the enclosure and connects to a USB cable to get started. Once in place, it can then be picked up by either PrusaSlicer or the Prusa app—it's extremely easy. Likewise, there is the new GPIO hacker board – which I haven't looked at as yet. This small board wires directly into the control board and enables you to control and receive input from external devices using the GPIO pins and G-code commands. This essentially enables you to expand on the CORE One so that it suits whatever need you have for the machine.
Then there's also the advanced filtration system, which should be available shortly. This can be plugged into the back of the machine over those dual fans to help catch particulates and reduce odour when you're using materials such as ABS or ASA.
When it comes to the feature set, whilst this machine is an ideal option for anyone who wants a 3D printer, realistically, it is aimed at high-end enthusiasts and professionals who just need a machine that is going to be ultra-reliable and maintainable and will also work perfectly as part of a larger print farm. Everything about this machine has been refined, and if there's any recommendation about how high-quality this machine is, then the fact that Prusa Research is already using these machines to produce its 3D printers should act as testament to the quality of the output.
Prusa Core One L: Performance
When I tested the Core One, I was surprised by just how accurate the prints were for the speed it was capable of reaching. Once again, the Core One L matches the pace of the Core One, with its larger print platform and slightly more advanced heated bed and chamber.
The basic fact is that I've tested most of the printers at this price point, and whilst almost all others now have at least two-filament compatibility, if not more out of the box, the Prusa Core One does initially seem a little left behind with a single filament. However, through the testing, I was impressed at how, with this greater print volume, heat bed and cooling, it was able to print a huge volume of complex models without needing the level of support many multifilament machines require.
Really, if anyone in the product design world were to come to me and ask which 3D printer they should buy for prototyping, the Prusa Core One L would instantly be my recommendation. Firstly, for the speed, it is still far faster than much of the competition. And whilst the Bambu Lab H2D and P2S are exceptionally fast, the time it takes them to run through calibration leaves them well behind the Prusa Core One.
When it comes to print quality, it runs straight alongside the competition, with the prints looking equally fine in terms of surface finish. However, what I did notice when it came to the models, specifically the dimensional accuracy results from the Autodesk Kickstarter 3D print test, was that generally, I've seen a slight reduction in many Core XY machines. That said, the Prusa Core One L performs exceptionally well.
Prusa has clearly focused on all areas of print quality. From bridging to fine detail and negative features, the printer is just able to handle all of it with ease.
Prusa makes a lot of claims in their literature about the CT scan-verified dimensional accuracy and the improvements they've made to surface quality through their consistent surface path planning. It really seems to have paid off, with those additions incorporated into PrusaSlicer.
|
Dimensional Accuracy |
x |
x error |
y |
y error |
|
Target 25 |
24.88 |
0.12 |
24.88 |
0.05 |
|
Target 20 |
19.87 |
0.13 |
19.82 |
0.03 |
|
Target 15 |
14.91 |
0.09 |
14.88 |
0.05 |
|
Target 10 |
9.97 |
0.03 |
9.82 |
0.02 |
|
Target 5 |
4.98 |
0.02 |
4.86 |
0.02 |
|
X Error Average |
0.078 |
Row 6 – Cell 2 | Row 6 – Cell 3 | Row 6 – Cell 4 |
|
Y Error Average |
0.034 |
Row 7 – Cell 2 | Row 7 – Cell 3 |
0.254 |
|
X&Y Error Average |
0.056 |
Row 8 – Cell 2 | Row 8 – Cell 3 | Row 8 – Cell 4 |
|
Fine Flow Control |
5 |
|
Fine Negative Features |
5 |
|
Overhangs |
5 |
|
Bridging |
5 |
|
XY resonance |
2.5 |
|
Z-axis alignment |
2.5 |
|
Total |
30 out of 30 |
As it prints, the extruder's 360° cooling really does enable a 75° overhang, and that can be seen on the model with a 4.5 out of 5 score, one of the best finishes for this section of the test that I've seen. But what's even more impressive is that as you print larger, it is able to sustain that print quality. Through the test, where I had all the other printers printing smaller models, the Prusa Core One is one of the only printers that I'm perfectly happy to leave printing for days, large props and other items that most printers do struggle with at the same speed. Whilst almost all printers these days can print large, high-quality items, matched side by side on speed, the Prusa Core One L just makes a better model at those higher speeds. However, I cannot shake the feeling that I would have been far happier with the machine if there hadn't been just the promise of a multifilament upgrade in the near future.
As I ran through the test, I had several projects on the go, some for outdoor brackets, one for an electric car charger, and others for props for some set builds we're doing at the moment. In each case, switching from ASA for the external builds to PETG for essentially some medieval knight and Cyberman MKII helmets, the machine was capable of absolute print quality and accuracy.
Through the test, the Core One L continued to impress in the same way that the Core One impressed when I first looked at it earlier in the year. It's just bigger, but essentially enables you to print with the same speed and accuracy as the original, just on a larger scale. And now, both machines will soon have the option for that all-important multifilament upgrade.
Prusa Core One L: Final verdict
The Prusa Core One L is yet another evolution of the design and offers a larger print platform and volume that many users have been asking for. However, as good as this new machine is, there's still the issue that it doesn't feature multifilament printing as a default option.
What we’ve seen from Prusa Research is the new Bondtech collaboration, and this looks really exciting. I hope to take a more in-depth look at that in early 2026. But for now, the new, larger Prusa Core One is just a single-filament machine.
Whilst I am disappointed that there’s not more to see here, the actual fine tweaks to the print quality do take the machine up a level, even from the Core One. The larger print platform enables great scope for bigger models or small production runs, and the fully enclosed environment once again allows you to print with more specialist materials. I also like the fact that they’ve really thought about the TPU feed through the side – this seems to work exceptionally well.
However, there is some stiff competition out there, and as good as the Prusa print quality is – and as solid as the machine’s reliability always seems to be – without that one key feature that almost every other manufacturer has tackled outside of the B2B industry, it’s going to get harder for Prusa to make their mark.
There’s a reason these machines are more expensive, and if I were working in a business that relied on 3D printing, then the Prusa Core One L is most definitely the machine I would go for – especially if I were running a print farm. However, these days, people need more than just one filament for a variety of different mechanical uses as well as support, and at present, the Core One L is unable to provide this.
So, at present, what we have is one of the best 3D printers on the market, with more potential than any other – and we just have to sit and wait until that full potential is realised. But for now, the Core One and Core One L will sit, working without fuss and reliably, in the workshop as my two favourite 3D printers.
Should you buy the Prusa Core One L?
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Row 0 – Cell 1 | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
|
Value: |
Once again it's another Prusa machine with a hefty price tag, but you're paying for the quality. |
4.5 |
|
Design: |
Solid build quality with larger build volume yet only marginally larger than the smaller Core One |
4.5 |
|
Features: |
The potential is here, however, it's not quite realised and I'll bring you more in the new year |
4.5 |
|
Performance: |
The Core One just takes the lead for the best 3D print quality, however, with no multifilament support out of the box we'll have to wait to see if the performance is on a par with the compitition |
4.5 |
|
Total: |
If you work in business, product design or education then the reliability and no fuss approach makes this an ideal choice. |
4.5 |
Buy it if…
Don't buy it if…
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