Sadly, we found that neither of the two 3D pens designed for children tested can be recommended. Both broke down within half an hour of use, repeatedly clogging. This seems to be a recurring issue right across the 3D pen spectrum. How easy they are to get working again plays an important factor in if they\u2019re worth purchasing. In the case of our top pick, the 3Doodler Create+, some tools are provided to help you take the pen apart in a bid to resolve the clog. However, the firm\u2019s pen for children, the 3Doodler Start, uses triangular security screws that are seemingly purposefully designed to stop you from being able to open and potentially repair it.<\/p>\n
To find out more about our experiences with 3D pens and potential candidates for purchase, carry on reading. To see what\u2019s new and changed from our last update, check out the new \u2018What\u2019s\u00a0Changed?<\/a>\u2018 section.<\/p>\n 3Doodler\u2019s Start is a 3D pen that has been specifically designed for children aged 3 and up.<\/p>\n Drawing with it feels quite nice in the hand as, much like an actual pen, there\u2019s no wire sticking out of the back of it, meaning you won\u2019t get all tangled up while using it. The controls are simple, and it feels good in the hand. Unfortunately, that\u2019s about as far as we can tell you about it, as ours clogged three times in the first 20 minutes of using it. Soon after, a fourth clog put it out of action for good, with 3Doodler support confirming there was nothing we could do but send it back under warranty in exchange for a new one.<\/p>\n We would have attempted to open it up and fix the issue ourselves, but the 3Doodler Start uses triangle security screws.<\/p>\n Our experience with the 3Doodler Start really doesn\u2019t line up with the somewhat pricey $49.99 it asks for on the 3Doodler official website. Perhaps we got unlucky with ours, but plenty of user feedback online points to similar experiences.<\/p>\n The 3Doodler Create+ is not going to be suitable for children without supervision, as the nozzle gets very, very hot. On the plus side, that means that unlike the child-safe pens and their low-temperature materials, the Create+ can handle your typical 3D printing materials such as ABS, PLA, flexibles, and wood filaments.<\/p>\n Handily, there\u2019s a window to the chamber where the filament passes through, so you can see if things are running smoothly. Should something go awry \u2013 blockage clearing and nozzle removal tools are included with the 3D pen.<\/p>\n After some hours of use over several days, we noticed the rubber end protecting fingers from the hot end (as well as shrouding the flow control buttons) came a little loose. We get the impression this might not last too long through prolonged use.<\/p>\n Among the pens we tested for this guide, the Create+ feels weighty and sturdy, with a quality finish coming from its glossy metal body. It\u2019s also accurate when it comes to drawing, with the filament flowing cleanly and consistently throughout our test. Subjective as this is, the pen seems like it\u2019s made of sterner stuff than the others tested. Of all the pens tested, only the Create+ and Mynt3D 3D Pen Pro did not clog once during testing.<\/p>\n Mynt3D\u2019s Junior is another pen intended for children. The company\u2019s website states that its products are \u201c\u2026built to tolerate a lifetime of use,\u201d setting an expectation that doesn\u2019t match our experience using it.<\/p>\n The Junior started well for us, extruding accurately and at a slow but consistent pace. After around 45 minutes, the blockages began. You\u2019re not provided with any troubleshooting guidance, so whether you manage to unblock is left to you. Handily, it doesn\u2019t use unusual screws like 3Doodler\u2019s kid-friendly pen, so you can easily take it apart to attempt unblocking yourself. A short exchange with customer support ran through the usual questions about filament used (we used the material provided in the box with the 3D pen), trailing off with no official solution to the blockage.<\/p>\n It shares a similar cable-free design to the 3Doodler Start, which we like, but feels a bit cheaper in hand, with rattly buttons and small gaps in its snap-fit casing.<\/p>\n The Junior\u2019s child-friendliness comes from its use of low-temperature PCL filament, meaning the nozzle will never be quite hot enough to burn skin.<\/p>\n The Mynt3D 3D Pen Pro is a pretty interesting proposition. Its temperature setting is adjustable all the way up to 230 \u00b0C, and it has a handy speed control slider. You can also go mobile, using battery power banks to power it when you want to draw far away from an outlet. Useful.<\/p>\n Interestingly, Mynt3D offers replacement nozzles for the Pro for ~$6. We\u2019re not sure if this is either an admission that you might have issues with it or just a handy, modular solution to wear and tear. Regardless, if your nozzle gets irreparably clogged up, you can switch it out for a new one, prolonging the 3D Pen Pro\u2019s life.<\/p>\n A helpful little OLED display helps you see the current temperature of the nozzle, useful for monitoring your pen while it\u2019s on. The buttons and controls are straightforward, though the speed control isn\u2019t as varied as you\u2019re led to believe. In testing, we found the 3D Pen Pro at its best when laying down thick, broad lines of filament, a strength that\u2019s obvious when laying down designs that need strength.<\/p>\n Being able to slow the extrusion speed down is particularly handy for drawing vertical. Of all the pens we tested, the 3D Pen Pro handled tall, delicate structures best.<\/p>\n The 3D Pen Pro feels almost as good in the hand as the 3Doodler Create+, though it is lighter and the plastic body is a little less premium than the Create+. We also found it a little more challenging to be accurate following stencils, particularly at higher speeds. Overall though, this is a pleasant 3D pen to use, and we didn\u2019t encounter any major issues with it during our time.<\/p>\n The Scrib3D P1 appears to have a good reputation among users. Better than that, though, is that it\u2019s a cheap 3D pen. And as a 3D pen is unlikely to survive all that long, this makes it a good choice for somebody wanting to give a 3D pen a go without splashing out too much cash.<\/p>\n This pen will handle both PLA and ABS, though you may want to save yourself some unwanted side effects of ABS fumes and stick to PLA. It\u2019ll take any 1.75 mm filament, though Scrib3D does sell its own, which should also save you some cash, as more expensive 3D pens (looking at the 3Doodler Create+ here\u2026) will only take their own pricey proprietary filaments.<\/p>\n Online you\u2019ll find this pen has mostly positive reviews, though there are plenty of accounts stating it didn\u2019t work, clogged up, or broke easily too. In short, expected issues and fairly standard complaints about a 3D pen. One other criticism was that the flow of the filament was not too easy to control, despite the addition of an adjustable feed speed button to this pen.<\/p>\n The big takeaway from the Scrib3D is that you\u2019re not paying all that much for it. At around $30, this is a chance to play around with a 3D pen without spending too much, and at the end of the day, if it doesn\u2019t last you that long, you haven\u2019t lost too much money in the process, especially if you\u2019ve already got some filament kicking about.<\/p>\n Though 3D pens find practical use in art and as a tool for 3D print fixing, it\u2019s difficult to see their appeal outside of a simple plaything. This test has almost completely shown them to be largely unreliable and overpriced, with only a couple of exceptions. Some rely on an almost subscription-style business model with filament that improves the 3D pen\u2019s chances of success, but in our testing, does not guarantee it.<\/p>\n 3D pens are inherently inaccurate tools and it\u2019s enormously difficult to produce anything that doesn\u2019t have the deliberately wibbly-wobbly hand-drawn look. As for any claims of 3D pens being handheld 3D printers, dismiss it as the nonsense it is. 3D pens are 3D printers in the same sense that we\u2019re Beyonc\u00e9 Knowles. Sure, we share almost entirely similar components, but we are also absolutely nothing alike.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the subject of ABS. ABS is often accommodated as a printable material by 3D pens, with some of the stuff provided as filament with many of these pens. Inherently unpleasant, even in an ordinary 3D printer, ABS is not a melting substance you should want your face to be next to for any period of time.<\/p>\n When extruded, it gives off styrene, and though the long-term health effects of ABS have not been conclusively studied, the United States Department of Labor says \u201cHealth effects from exposure to styrene may involve the central nervous system and include complaints of headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, malaise, difficulty in concentrating, and a feeling of intoxication.\u201d We certainly experienced a couple of these symptoms during our testing.<\/p>\n As a product category, testing from a sample of three of the more well-known 3D pen manufacturers, our experience has been one mainly of disappointment. 3D pens are \u2013 mostly \u2013 expensive, short-lived amusements that are poorly made and prone to breaking down even fresh out of the box. Fortunately, we\u2019ve gone hands-on to experience the disappointment first-hand, so you don\u2019t have to. Get the\u00a03Doodler Create+<\/span>\u00a0for a mostly frustration-free time. Or the\u00a0Mynt3D 3D Pen Pro<\/span>.<\/p>\n This article used to be updated biannually, meaning our recommendations could be anywhere up to six months out of date. That\u2019s not so useful for buying advice, so we\u2019ve binned that schedule and moved to a rolling update cycle. The moment we see a 3D pen that deserves to be known, it goes on this list.<\/p>\n Below, you\u2019ll find a changelog mentioning things that have changed and the date we changed them.<\/p>\n (Lead image:\u00a03Doodler<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n3Doodler Start<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/06\/01\/16766456fb80fd96.png\")
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3Doodler Create+<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/06\/01\/7792d0792af325ce.png\")
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Mynt3D Junior 3D Pen<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/06\/01\/9738d2497489b7eb.png\")
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Mynt3D Professional 3D Printing Pen<\/span><\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/06\/01\/8207b7e3168dced7.png\")
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Scrib3D P1<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.facfox.com\/imgs\/2022\/06\/01\/760a5f649c49dab5.png\")
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FINAL 3D PEN THOUGHTS<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
WHAT’S CHANGED?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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