Prusament ASA vs Polymaker ASA

Who this comparison is for

This page is for anyone choosing between these two specific spools: Prusament ASA in Natural, 1.75 mm, 800 g, and Polymaker ASA in Black (SKU PF01001, formerly sold as PolyLite ASA), 1.75 mm, 1 kg. Prusa's store lists this spool as "Prusament ASA Natural 800g" with an NFC option, though the store address still reads 850g. Polymaker says you may still receive the old PolyLite packaging. The two spools differ in color and in weight, so check both on the listing before you buy. If you're still deciding between ABS and ASA, start with our ABS vs ASA guide. For other ASA brands, see the ASA filament shortlist, and for another two-brand view, Polymaker ASA vs Overture ASA.

How we compared them

This is a research-based comparison. Every figure below comes from the makers' own data sheets, product pages, wikis, knowledge base, and blog, 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 Prusa's "UV stable" or Polymaker's "excellent UV stability," 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 test conditions. Print settings line up as each maker's guidance. The test figures don't qualify. The two makers printed their test bars under different settings, Prusa reports yield strength where Polymaker reports tensile strength, and Prusa doesn't say how the specimens behind its heat figures were made, so we list each maker's figures separately.

Side-by-side specs

Temperatures, bed, and cooling

The beds are the deciding spec. Prusa's 110 ± 5 °C range starts 10 °C above the top of Polymaker's 75–95 °C range. Prusa's knowledge base article on ASA gives 105 °C for the first layer and 110 °C after that, and says the bed "should be heated to at least 100 °C." Polymaker's wiki suggests heating the plate to 90–100 °C for 10 minutes before printing "so that the chamber has time to heat up," but its recommended bed range still tops out at 95 °C. Check your printer's documented bed maximum before choosing Prusament.

The nozzle windows overlap only at the top of Polymaker's range, and each maker's own documents vary:

Cooling runs in opposite directions. Prusa's data sheet sets the part fan at 30%, from 0 to 50% "depending on geometry," and says "To improve overhangs and bridges, set 30 % or higher cooling in PrusaSlicer. For larger prints without bridges, cooling turned off may bring better results." Its material page lists "Part Cooling Fan Required." Polymaker's data sheet lists the fan as off, and its printing tips say to "keep the cooling fan off."

On the plate, Prusa's own pages give different advice:

• Store page. Recommends the satin steel sheet.
• Material page. "With the powder-coated or smooth sheet, the adhesion of the material can be too strong, which could potentially result in damage to the surface of the sheet."
• Knowledge base. "Use the smooth or powder-coated PEI sheet with a glue stick."

Follow the sheet guidance for the sheet you own. Polymaker lists PC or textured PEI, with glue when needed, and its product page says to apply a suitable adhesive as a release layer and let the plate cool before removing the print.

Enclosure, warping, and ventilation

Both makers expect you to keep heat around the print, and they phrase it differently.

• Prusament ASA. The material page lists "Skirt or Enclosure Recommended," and says warping on larger models "can be eliminated by printing inside an enclosure or by adding a tall skirt around the object." The store page says "Large models tend to warp. We recommend printing in an enclosure or printing large components with a less warping material, such as PETG." The knowledge base lists "An enclosure is necessary for printing large parts" among the cons, and suggests PrusaSlicer's draft shield if you don't have one. It also warns that "printing a lot of ASA in an unventilated enclosure can cause the fan shroud and/or extruder plastic parts to deform over time."
• Polymaker ASA. The data sheet lists the closure chamber as "Needed." Its wiki says a non-enclosed printer with a 90 °C bed and a 260 °C nozzle "can handle models smaller than fist size," that bigger prints need an enclosed printer at about 40–50 °C, and that models bigger than about 15–20 cm in any direction need an actively heated chamber of about 70 °C or more.

On fumes, Prusa's store page says the material "Contains styrene (potentially harmful fumes). We recommend printing in a well-ventilated area or using an enclosure with active filtration." Its knowledge base adds that when you ventilate the room, you should "not create a draft around the print." Polymaker's wiki says the smell of ASA is "stronger than PLA/PETG" and recommends "proper ventilation and filtration," and its product page says to "Print in a well-ventilated area." Our enclosure planning guide covers heat and exhaust.

Heat and strength figures: listed separately

These can't be set side by side. Both makers give heat deflection under ISO 75 at the same two loads, but Prusa's figures sit in its "Typical material properties" table, which doesn't say how the specimens were made. Its printed-specimen footnote sits under the mechanical table only. Polymaker gives one set of specimen print settings, but draws only its tensile, flexural, and impact bars, not a heat-test bar. The mechanical figures differ in kind too: Prusa reports tensile yield strength with modulus in GPa, and Polymaker reports tensile strength with modulus in MPa. The specimens were printed differently. Prusa used an Original Prusa i3 MK3S at a 265 °C nozzle and a 110 °C bed, with 100% rectilinear infill at 200 mm/s and two perimeters. Polymaker printed at 260 °C on a 90 °C bed in a 90 °C environment, with 100% infill, two shells, three top and bottom layers, and the fan off, and a note under that specimen section reads "Based on testing with Polymaker™ PolyLite ASA (SKU: PF01046)."

Prusament ASA (TDS v1.1)

• Heat deflection temperature: 93 °C at 0.45 MPa, 86 °C at 1.80 MPa (ISO 75)
• Density: 1.07 g/cm³ (ISO 1183)
• MFR: 20–24 g/10 min at 220 °C and 10 kg (ISO 1133)
• Interlayer adhesion: 11 ± 1 MPa (Prusa Polymers' own method)
• Printed specimens, horizontal / "Vertical xz": tensile yield strength 42 ± 1 / 45 ± 2 MPa, tensile modulus 1.6 ± 0.1 / 1.7 ± 0.1 GPa, elongation at yield 3.4 ± 0.2 / 3.8 ± 0.2% (ISO 527-1)
• Flexural strength 64 ± 1 / 69 ± 1 MPa, flexural modulus 2.0 ± 0.1 / 1.9 ± 0.1 GPa (ISO 178)
• Charpy impact, edgewise: unnotched 25 ± 3 / 38 ± 11 kJ/m², notched 12 ± 1 / 15 ± 3 kJ/m² (ISO 179-1)

Prusa doesn't say whether its "Vertical xz" column is the same as a Z-direction (between-layers) test, and it lists interlayer adhesion as a separate figure, so don't read the vertical column as layer strength.

Polymaker ASA (TDS V6.0)

• Heat deflection temperature: 103 °C at 0.45 MPa, 100 °C at 1.8 MPa (ISO 75)
• Vicat softening temperature: 105 °C (ISO 306, GB/T 1633)
• Glass transition: 98 °C (DSC)
• Density: 1.13 g/cm³ at 23 °C (ISO 1183, GB/T 1033)
• Melt index: 25 g/10 min at 220 °C and 10 kg (no standard named)
• Tensile strength: 43.8 ± 0.8 MPa X-Y, 32 ± 1.8 MPa Z (ISO 527, GB/T 1040)
• Young's modulus: 2379 ± 157 MPa X-Y, 1965 ± 136 MPa Z (ISO 527, GB/T 1040)
• Elongation at break: 6.7 ± 0.6% X-Y, 1.65 ± 0.2% Z (ISO 527, GB/T 1040)
• Bending strength 73.4 ± 2.1 MPa, bending modulus 3206 ± 108 MPa, both X-Y (ISO 178, GB/T 9341)
• Notched Charpy impact: 10.3 ± 0.4 kJ/m² X-Y, 6.7 ± 1.4 kJ/m² Z (ISO 179, GB/T 1043)

Prusa's material page sums up its heat figure as "no signs of deformation up to temperatures near 93 °C," the same number as its 0.45 MPa heat deflection figure. Because neither maker shows the specimen behind its heat figures, the gap between them doesn't show which spool handles heat better. For a part that will sit near heat, plan around the lower figure for the spool you buy. Our parts deforming in heat guide covers what to try.

Weather and UV claims

Both makers sell their ASA for outdoor use, and only one publishes results. Polymaker's wiki and product page FAQ describe its own aging tests. After two years of natural aging, the color change was below 2.5 ΔE, and after accelerated aging at 8000 kJ/m² of irradiation, it was below 5 ΔE with "minimal tensile strength loss." Polymaker says outdoor parts "maintain integrity for a minimum of two years." Those are Polymaker's findings on its own material, not a lifespan for your part.

Prusa says Prusament ASA is "Great for outside use – UV stable," and its material page says it "will keep toughness and durability for a long time and will not turn yellow." Prusa publishes no aging test on the pages we checked. Treat both as maker claims. The test figures above say nothing about outdoor life.

Drying, storage, and spools

Both makers give drying settings, and Prusa's is hotter and shorter.

• Prusament ASA. The store page calls it "Slightly hygroscopic (absorbs moisture)" and says it "may require occasional drying when stored improperly." Prusa's drying article gives 80 °C for 4 hours for ASA, and says "It is important not to exceed these temperatures while drying the filament, or the filament will soften and stick together," and to "stick to the recommended drying times to prevent overdrying."
• Polymaker ASA. Polymaker says ASA has "low moisture uptake." The data sheet, wiki, and the product page's specifications panel give 70 °C for 7 hours. The product page's print settings give 70 °C for 6 hours, "Only if the material has absorbed moisture," and its printing tips say 70 °C for 4 hours is "typically sufficient" after brief exposure. We list the data sheet value. Polymaker recommends storing it in a PolyBox or PolyDryer box.

Check the spool before you dry on it. Prusa says that starting in October 2025, all Prusament filaments ship on a redesigned spool, and its blog says the new spools are made "from recycled polycarbonate" with a plastic core. Its drying article says the new black spool "resists drying temperatures as high as 90 °C." Older black Prusament spools have plastic sides pressed onto a cardboard core, and Prusa says they "can be heated up safely up to 45 ºC" unless you add a screw with a thread of at least 65 mm to hold the sides together. That's well below Prusa's 80 °C ASA setting, so check which spool you received before drying it. The blog also says the new spool is "3 mm slimmer" for "compatibility with a wide range of multi-color and multi-material systems," without naming one.

Polymaker ships on a cardboard spool with 4 mm pressed cardboard faces, and its FAQ says its spools have redesigned edges that "spin great in the AMS." Bambu Lab's AMS notes "strongly advise" a spool adapter or adapter ring for cardboard spools. Polymaker doesn't publish a temperature rating for its cardboard spool, and says it doesn't sell refills. See our filament dryer vs dry box guide before drying either spool.

What each maker says it's for

• Prusament ASA. Prusa calls ASA "a true successor to ABS" and says that compared with ABS it's UV stable, shrinks less, and "the fumes produced are much less noticeable." It lists outdoor parts, heat-stressed parts, acetone-smoothed parts, and mechanical parts such as a bike bottle holder, and its store page lists supported Prusa print profiles for "All Prusa FDM 3D printers." Prusa also says every spool comes with "the actual measured data from manufacturing: diameter readings along the entire length, weight, and ovality."
• Polymaker ASA. Polymaker calls it "an advanced alternative to ABS" with improved weather resistance and UV stability, that "prints with settings very similar to ABS," for functional parts, enclosures, and prototypes. It says it can be smoothed with acetone.

Prusament

Prusament ASA (Natural, 1.75 mm, 800 g)

Best for

Prusa owners and anyone who wants a thoroughly documented, UV-stable ASA for outdoor parts.

Skip this if

Your bed can't reach 110 °C or you print in an unventilated room.

Specs, strengths, and limitations

Material

ASA

Diameter

1.75 mm

Net filament

800 g (filament only, not packaged weight)

Format

other

Maker's nozzle range

250–270 °C

Strengths

• Manufacturer states ASA is UV stable and shows no deformation up to about 93 °C.
• Prusa publishes a full TDS and measures diameter along every spool.
• Manufacturer states it can be smoothed with acetone vapor and sanded wet or dry.

Limitations

• Spool holds 800 g, less than the 1 kg spools here.
• Needs a 110 °C bed, and Prusa recommends an enclosure or tall skirt to control warping.
• Prusa warns of styrene fumes and recommends ventilation or an enclosure with active filtration.

View on Amazon ↗ (opens Amazon in a new tab)Details checked 2026-10-07 against the manufacturer. Price and availability are on Amazon.

Polymaker

Polymaker ASA (Black, 1.75 mm, 1 kg)

Best for

Outdoor and sun-exposed functional parts printed on an enclosed machine.

Skip this if

Your printer is open-frame or can't reach a 95 °C bed and 260 °C nozzle.

Specs, strengths, and limitations

Material

ASA

Diameter

1.75 mm

Net filament

1000 g (filament only, not packaged weight)

Format

cardboard spool

Maker's nozzle range

230–260 °C

Strengths

• Manufacturer states it is an alternative to ABS with improved weather and UV resistance.
• Manufacturer TDS lists a heat deflection temperature of 100 °C (1.8 MPa).
• Manufacturer states it prints with settings very similar to ABS.

Limitations

• Needs an enclosed printer per the TDS.
• Requires higher nozzle and bed temperatures (230–260 °C, 75–95 °C) than PLA or PETG.
• Cardboard spool: Bambu Lab strongly advises a spool adapter or adapter ring for cardboard spools in the AMS.

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 Prusament ASA if…

• Your bed holds 110 °C, and you print on a Prusa machine with its own ASA profile.
• You want measured diameter data for your spool and a stated ±0.04 mm tolerance.
• You'll dry at 80 °C on Prusa's newer spool, and you're fine with 800 g instead of 1 kg.

Choose Polymaker ASA if…

• Your bed tops out below 100 °C, and Polymaker's 75–95 °C range fits it.
• You want the maker's own outdoor aging results and a Vicat figure alongside heat deflection.
• You want size-based enclosure and chamber guidance, a 1 kg spool, and you're fine with cardboard.

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 2026-10-13. We haven't printed with either filament for this page, so nothing here is a measured result of ours. Prusa's data sheet columns don't extract in line with their row labels in every mode, so we matched each value to its row and its test method by position, and checked them against a second extraction. Prusa's own pages differ on nozzle temperature and sheet advice, as shown above. Prusa's drying article rates the new spool to 90 °C, while its blog says the spool is reliable "up to 100 °C," so we've used the lower figure. Polymaker's data sheet link still carries a V5.4 file name but opens version 6.0, and its product page disagrees with its data sheet on nozzle temperature and drying. We've said which figures we followed. Prusa's spool change means older stock may still arrive on the old spool. Values vary by color and revision, so check the current data sheet for your spool. Read more in our editorial standards and affiliate disclosure.

Specialty materials: what to check before you buy a spool ↗