eSUN PLA+ vs Polymaker PolyLite PLA Pro

Who this comparison is for

This page is for anyone choosing between these two specific spools: eSUN PLA+ in Black and Polymaker PolyLite PLA Pro in Black (SKU PA07001), both 1.75 mm and 1 kg. If you're still deciding whether you need a "plus" grade at all, start with PLA vs PLA+. That guide explains why "PLA+" and "PLA Pro" are brand labels, not a standard. For more brands, see the PLA filament shortlist. For Polymaker's standard PolyLite PLA against Bambu's, see Bambu PLA Basic vs Polymaker PolyLite PLA.

Polymaker's store now labels the PolyLite PLA Pro page "Old Formula" and links a "New Formula" Polymaker PLA Pro as a separate product. This page covers PolyLite PLA Pro and its data sheet only, so check which version a listing is selling.

How we compared them

This is a research-based comparison. Every figure below comes from the makers' own data sheets and product pages, listed in the sources. We haven't tested either filament, so nothing here is a measured result of ours. Where a maker describes its own product, such as "Clog-Free" or "drop-resistant," we label it as the maker's claim.

We only put numbers side by side where both makers publish the same kind of value under the same named test standard. Where they don't, or where the test setups differ, we say so rather than force a comparison.

Side-by-side specs

Temperatures and build plate

The nozzle windows overlap at 210–230 °C on the data sheets. Polymaker's starts 20 °C lower, at 190 °C. Polymaker's own pages don't agree on the top end, though. Its data sheet gives 190–230 °C, while the product page's print settings and its Technical Specifications panel both give 190–220 °C. If you want to stay inside both makers' current figures, 210–220 °C does that. Polymaker's test specimens were printed at 230 °C and eSUN's at 220 °C.

The bed ranges share 45–60 °C, and Polymaker's goes down to 30 °C. eSUN lists PEI and says a heated bed is required. Polymaker lists PC or textured PEI, with glue when needed.

Neither maker asks for an enclosure. Polymaker's data sheet says a closure chamber is "No Needed," and its product page says it "will print great on any stock FDM 3D printer without any upgrades required," but suggests printing slower on older printers. eSUN doesn't mention an enclosure. If you print PLA in an enclosed Bambu Lab printer, Bambu's filament guide recommends removing the upper glass cover when the bed is above 45 °C, and most of eSUN's 45–60 °C range sits above that.

Speed: neither figure is a tested maximum

eSUN markets PLA+ for "high-speed printing." Its data sheet lists a speed below 300 mm/s under recommended printing parameters, and its product page gives the same figure, labelled a "high-speed printing parameter." That's a recommended ceiling, not a measured result, and the same data sheet's printing tips say to "appropriately reduce the printing speed to achieve the best printing effect." eSUN's store page lists printers it says are compatible at high speed, including the Bambu Lab X1 and P1P and the Creality K1.

Polymaker doesn't sell PLA Pro as a speed grade. Its data sheet and print settings give 50–200 mm/s, but the Technical Specifications panel on the same product page shows "Max Speed 70 mm/s." We can't tell from the page which figure Polymaker means you to use, so we list both. Neither maker defines its figure the same way, so read them as each maker's guidance, not as a race.

Strength figures: where the standards line up

PLA+ formulas differ by maker, and the two data sheets mostly report different tests. They do overlap in three places. eSUN names GB/T 1040 for tensile tests, GB/T 9341 for bending, and GB/T 1033 for density. Polymaker names each ISO standard alongside the same GB/T one: ISO 527 with GB/T 1040, ISO 178 with GB/T 9341, and ISO 1183 with GB/T 1033.

The specimens weren't made the same way. eSUN printed its bars on a Bambu Lab P1S with a 0.4 mm nozzle at 220 °C on a 65 °C bed, with two outer walls, three top and bottom layers, 100% infill, and the fan at 100%. Polymaker printed at 230 °C on a 50 °C bed, with two shells, three top and bottom layers, 100% infill, the fan on, and an ambient-temperature environment. Neither states a print speed. eSUN gives single values with no spread, and Polymaker gives a ± figure for each. These are each maker's figures, not a head-to-head.

Two patterns stand out. Across the layers (X-Y), eSUN's sheet lists higher tensile and bending figures, while Polymaker's lists more elongation. Between the layers (Z), the tensile figures are within about 0.2 MPa of each other. eSUN also publishes Z-direction bending figures, 56.4 MPa strength and 2873.94 MPa modulus. Polymaker lists those as N/A. Polymaker publishes a Young's modulus, 2932.2 MPa X-Y and 2633.0 MPa Z, and eSUN doesn't.

Impact and heat figures don't compare

This is where most comparisons of these two go wrong. Polymaker reports notched Charpy impact under ISO 179 (with GB/T 1043): 17.1 ± 1.2 kJ/m² in X-Y. eSUN reports Izod impact under GB/T 1843: 7.27 kJ/m² in X-Y and 2.22 kJ/m² in Z. Charpy and Izod are different tests, with the bar held and struck differently, so the gap between 17.1 and 7.27 doesn't tell you which spool is tougher. Our PLA vs PLA+ guide explains why in more detail.

Heat is similar. eSUN lists a heat distortion temperature of 53.78 °C at 0.45 MPa under GB/T 1634. Polymaker lists heat deflection at 59 °C at 0.45 MPa and 58 °C at 1.8 MPa under ISO 75, and a Vicat softening point of 63 °C. The two sheets name different standards, so we haven't put them side by side. Either way, both sit in the 50s °C, so neither suits a hot car, a sunny windowsill, or a part near a heater. Polymaker's product page says to use PLA Pro "as long as your project doesn't require high heat resistance or flexibility," and eSUN's data sheet lists UV resistance as "NO."

We also left out melt flow. eSUN gives 3.7 g/10 min at 190 °C and Polymaker gives 15.5 g/10 min at 210 °C, so the test conditions differ. eSUN gives no water absorption figure, so Polymaker's 0.291% equilibrium figure at 23 °C and 70% RH has nothing to set it against.

Drying, spools, and the AMS

Bambu's filament guide marks drying PLA as recommended rather than required, and both makers give drying settings.

• eSUN PLA+. The data sheet and product page give 50 °C for 8–12 hours. eSUN's store page says each 1 kg reel holds 340–350 m of filament and gives a ±0.03 mm diameter tolerance.
• Polymaker PolyLite PLA Pro. The data sheet and product page give 55 °C for 6 hours, and the product page adds "Only if the material has absorbed moisture."

Polymaker ships PLA Pro on cardboard. It moved all its filaments to recycled cardboard spools in 2021, with 4 mm pressed cardboard faces, and its FAQ says its spools have redesigned edges so they "spin great in the AMS." eSUN doesn't state the spool material on its product page or data sheet. Its official store page points Bambu Lab AMS users to a printable "paper/cardboard spool adapter" file on eSUN's website, so check what your spool is made of when it arrives. Bambu's own AMS notes "highly recommend" plastic spools that fit correctly, and "strongly advise" a spool adapter or adapter ring for cardboard spools. Our AMS filament compatibility guide covers spool sizes and adapters.

What each maker says it's for

• eSUN PLA+. eSUN says the strength is "significantly improved compared with ordinary PLA" and describes it as "Warp-Free, Clog-Free, String-Free," with "High Strength & High Toughness." It suggests prototypes, cosplay, decoration, and mechanical parts. eSUN's PLA+ data sheet doesn't include standard-PLA figures, so you can't check the "improved" claim from that sheet alone.
• Polymaker PolyLite PLA Pro. Polymaker says it combines "outstanding toughness and high rigidity" with the easy printing of PLA, for "durable, drop-resistant prints," from props to engineering prototypes. Polymaker also sells a standard PolyLite PLA, and our PLA vs PLA+ guide sets the two data sheets side by side.

eSUN

eSUN PLA+ (Black, 1.75 mm, 1 kg)

Best for

Everyday prints that need a bit more toughness than standard PLA.

Skip this if

The part will be outdoors or near heat, or you need a guaranteed plastic spool.

Specs, strengths, and limitations

Material

PLA (PLA+ (eSUN enhanced PLA))

Diameter

1.75 mm

Net filament

1000 g (filament only, not packaged weight)

Format

other

Maker's nozzle range

210–230 °C

Strengths

• Manufacturer states strength is significantly improved compared with ordinary PLA.
• Manufacturer states low warping and stable dimensions.
• Manufacturer TDS recommends a printing speed below 300 mm/s.

Limitations

• Not suited to heat: the TDS lists a heat distortion temperature of 53.78 °C (0.45 MPa).
• eSUN's TDS lists no UV resistance, so it is not for outdoor parts.
• Spool material isn't documented for this listing; a cardboard spool may need an adapter in some AMS units.

View on Amazon ↗ (opens Amazon in a new tab)Details checked 2026-10-06 against the manufacturer. Price and availability are on Amazon.

Polymaker

Polymaker PolyLite PLA Pro (Black, 1.75 mm, 1 kg)

Best for

Functional PLA parts, props, and prototypes that need more drop resistance than standard PLA.

Skip this if

The part will see heat above about 55 °C (TDS HDT 58 °C at 1.8 MPa) or needs to flex.

Specs, strengths, and limitations

Material

PLA (PLA Pro (toughened PLA))

Diameter

1.75 mm

Net filament

1000 g (filament only, not packaged weight)

Format

cardboard spool

Maker's nozzle range

190–230 °C

Strengths

• Manufacturer states it combines high toughness and high rigidity with the ease of printing of regular PLA.
• TDS lists notched Charpy impact strength of 17.1 kJ/m² (X-Y).
• Manufacturer publishes a full TDS with mechanical, thermal, and drying data.

Limitations

• Not for heat: the TDS lists a heat deflection temperature of 58 °C (1.8 MPa), and Polymaker says it is not for projects needing high heat resistance or flexibility.
• Cardboard spool: Bambu Lab strongly advises a spool adapter or adapter ring for cardboard spools in the AMS.
• Polymaker now calls this the 'Old Formula' and sells a separate 'New Formula' Polymaker PLA Pro; check which version an Amazon listing ships.

View on Amazon ↗ (opens Amazon in a new tab)Details checked 2026-10-06 against the manufacturer. Price and availability are on Amazon.

Verdict: which should you buy?

Choose eSUN PLA+ if…

• You print fast on a modern printer and want a PLA+ its maker sells for high-speed printing.
• You want a stated ±0.03 mm diameter tolerance and data for nozzles from 0.2 to 0.8 mm.
• Your usual PLA profile already runs at 210 °C or above.

Choose Polymaker PolyLite PLA Pro if…

• You want an ISO data sheet with a notched Charpy impact figure and heat deflection at 1.8 MPa.
• You print on an older or slower printer, or want a nozzle window that starts at 190 °C.
• You're fine with a cardboard spool, and with an adapter if your material system's maker recommends one.

Safety and limits

How this page was checked

Every temperature, speed, drying setting, spool detail, and test figure above comes from the manufacturer documents in the sources section, retrieved on 2026-10-09. We haven't printed with either filament for this page, so nothing here is a measured result of ours. Polymaker's data sheet file is named V5.4, but the document is headed V5.5. Polymaker's product page disagrees with its data sheet on nozzle temperature and, in its Technical Specifications panel, on speed, and we've listed both. The same panel also gives a glass transition of 58.1 °C against the data sheet's 62 °C. Values vary by color and revision, so check the current data sheet for your spool. Read more in our editorial standards and affiliate disclosure.

PLA: what to check before you buy a spool ↗