Can you print TPU with any 3D printer?

TPU requires a direct drive extruder. Bowden setups (like the stock Creality Ender 3) will jam because flexible filament buckles in the long PTFE tube. Direct drive printers — Bambu Lab, Prusa MK4, Elegoo Neptune 4, Creality K1, and Voron — handle TPU reliably.

What speed should I print TPU at?

Print TPU at 20–30 mm/s for 95A grades and 10–20 mm/s for 85A grades. Faster speeds cause the filament to buckle, skip, or tangle in the extruder. TPU takes patience — print it slow.

Should I use retraction with TPU?

No. Disable retraction entirely when printing TPU and other flexible filaments. Retraction pulls flexible filament backwards into the extruder drive gear, where it bunches up and causes jams. Use combing in your slicer instead — it routes travel moves inside the part to minimize stringing without retraction.

What is the difference between TPU 95A and 85A?

Shore A hardness measures rubber-like flexibility. 95A is firmer and closer to a hard rubber; 85A is noticeably softer and more stretchy. For most applications — phone cases, gaskets, vibration mounts — 95A is easier to print and handle. 85A requires slower speeds and more careful extrusion control.

TPU & Flexible Filament Guide

TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) is the most printable flexible filament — rubber-like, tear-resistant, and excellent for grips, gaskets, cases, and vibration dampers. The catch: standard Bowden printers cannot reliably print it, and standard speeds will jam every time. This guide covers everything you need to print flexible filament successfully.

What is Shore A hardness?

Flexible filaments are rated by Shore A hardness — a standard scale for rubber and elastomers. Lower numbers are softer: 85A feels like a car tire; 95A feels like a shoe sole; above 98A is barely flexible. For most 3D printing applications, 95A is the best starting point: flexible enough for grip and vibration absorption, stiff enough to feed reliably through a direct drive extruder.

TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) is a broader category that includes TPU. Generic TPE filaments exist in softer formulations below 85A. These require the slowest speeds (10–15 mm/s) and the most careful extruder tension.

Settings by TPU grade

Grade	Flexibility	Nozzle temp	Bed temp	Print speed	Retraction	Notes
TPU 95A	Minimal	220–235°C	25–60°C	20–35 mm/s	Off	Most common grade. Phone cases, hinges, gaskets. Stiff enough to handle easily.
TPU 90A	Medium	220–235°C	25–60°C	15–25 mm/s	Off	More flexible than 95A. Vibration dampers, grips, wristbands.
TPU 85A	High	215–230°C	25–50°C	10–20 mm/s	Off	Very soft. Requires slow speed and direct drive. Shoe soles, squeeze toys.
TPE (generic)	Varies	210–230°C	25–45°C	15–25 mm/s	Off	Broad category. Softer and more variable than TPU. Check vendor specs.

Direct drive is required

TPU cannot be reliably printed on a Bowden extruder. Here is why: flexible filament cannot transmit the push force from the extruder motor through a long PTFE tube to the nozzle. It buckles, compresses, and jams in the gap between the drive gear and the tube. The result is a jam every time.

A direct drive extruder places the drive gear directly above the hotend, with no tube in between (or a very short one). The filament path is rigid enough to handle the flexible material. All modern performance printers (Bambu Lab, Prusa, Elegoo Neptune 4, Creality K1, Voron) use direct drive systems.

Brand / Model	Drive type	TPU rating	Notes
Bambu Lab All models	Direct	Excellent	AMS is blocked for flexible; load directly into the extruder.
Prusa MK4 / MK3S+	Direct	Excellent	Proven direct drive system. Use Prusa TPU profile as starting point.
Elegoo Neptune 4 / 4 Pro	Direct	Very good	Short direct path. Use at 25 mm/s.
Creality K1 / K1 Max	Direct	Good	Works well. Avoid overfeeding — the K1 extruder can be aggressive.
Creality Ender 3 V2 / V3 SE	Bowden	Poor	Long Bowden tube. TPU jams almost guaranteed. Upgrade to direct drive first.
Voron All	Direct	Excellent	Stealthburner/Clockwork2 handles all TPU grades cleanly.

Critical settings for TPU

Disable retraction entirely: Set retraction distance to 0 mm. Flexible filament bunches up inside the extruder when retracted. Enable combing mode instead — it routes travel moves inside printed walls so the nozzle never crosses open air, eliminating most stringing without retraction.
Reduce print speed to 20–30 mm/s: TPU cannot be fed faster than the nozzle can melt it at these temperatures. Faster speeds cause the extruder to skip or the filament to buckle upstream. Set 25 mm/s as your base speed; infill can be a little faster (30–35 mm/s), perimeters should be at or below 25 mm/s.
Reduce extruder tension: TPU is soft — the drive gear compresses it. If your extruder has an adjustable idler tension (Prusa, Voron), back it off by 1–2 turns from the PLA setting. Too much tension grinds grooves into the filament, causing inconsistent extrusion.
Increase flow rate if under-extruding: Some slicers default to a flow rate calibrated for rigid filaments. If prints are thin-walled or not fully solid, increase flow rate to 105–110% and re-test.
Keep the nozzle clear before starting: Purge a few cm of filament before printing to ensure the previous material (if any) is fully cleared. TPU mixed with PLA residue can cause inconsistent extrusion in the first layer.

TPU applications

Flexible filament excels in applications where rigidity would fail:

Phone cases and bumpers — absorbs drop impact, non-slip surface
Cable management clips — snaps on and off without breaking
Vibration dampers and anti-vibration feet — printer feet, motor mounts
Gaskets and seals — weather stripping, O-rings, panel seals
Grips and handles — over-molded knobs, tool handles, game controller grips
Hinges and living hinges — small box lids, snap-together assemblies
Shoe insoles and orthotics — custom-fit cushioning
Medical/wearable prototypes — skin-contact parts that flex with movement

TPU settings in the database

Browse exact TPU settings for every listed printer:

All TPU settings →Bambu Lab TPU →Prusa TPU →Elegoo TPU →

Browse TPU settings by printer

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