ABS vs ABS+: What the 'Plus' Actually Means

Is there an ABS+ standard?

None of the maker documents we checked points to a published specification that a filament must meet to be called ABS+. Each brand defines the name for itself, if at all. eSUN describes its ABS+ as "based on the modification of ABS material" and files it in a "PLUS Series," separate from the standard ABS in its "Basic Series." Flashforge sells "ABS Basic" and "ABS Pro" on one US product page. Polymaker calls its ABS Pro "an engineering-grade ABS filament developed for users who require more performance than standard ABS can provide."

Other makers don't use a "plus" name at all but say their standard ABS improves on ordinary ABS. Polymaker, Overture, and Kexcelled compare theirs with "traditional ABS," and Bambu Lab says its ABS "is designed to reduce warping and cracking," so the line between "ABS" and "ABS+" is blurry even before you compare numbers.

None of these documents names the additive or modifier used. Treat any claim about what an ABS+ "contains" as a guess unless the maker publishes it.

Makers that publish both grades

eSUN ABS+ vs eSUN ABS

eSUN is the clearest case, because its ABS+ and ABS product pages use identical property tables. The ABS+ page says the filament "has higher mechanical properties, lower odor and lower shrinkage rate than conventional ABS materials," and credits "eSUN's micro-level formula" with reducing warping. The standard ABS page makes no odor or shrinkage claim. It describes ABS as "a material with low cost and good mechanical properties."

eSUN's own tables show smaller differences than the marketing suggests, and some go the other way:

So on eSUN's own pages, the "plus" shows up mainly as a lower minimum nozzle temperature and slightly higher elongation. Impact is practically the same in XY, and the heat figure and stiffness are lower. The product pages don't name a test standard, specimen type, or HDT load for these values.

eSUN's documents also disagree with each other:

• Heat. The ABS+ page has an "89°C Heat Resistance" feature that says "Heat deflection up to 89'C," while the same page's table and the data sheet (GB/T 1634, no load stated) list 73 °C.
• Strength. The page's feature text says "Tensile strength up to 33 MPa," while its own table lists 40.12 MPa (XY).
• Specimens. The ABS+ data sheet (V4.0, Nov. 2021) lists 42 kJ/m² Izod impact (GB/T 1843) and 40 MPa tensile strength (GB/T 1040), and says its properties "are obtained based on the injection molding spline test." Injection-molded bars aren't printed parts, so don't set those figures against the product pages' XY and Z values.
• Shrinkage. The data sheet claims lower shrinkage than conventional ABS, yet its own precautions say "The shrinkage rate of ABS+ material is large," and tell you to print "in a printer with a closed chamber."
• Fan. The data sheet recommends 100% fan, while the product page table lists 0% and says to "Turn off or reduce the cooling fan to minimize shrinkage and warping."

eSUN also says to "Ensure the printing area is well ventilated." It publishes no drying settings for either grade.

Flashforge ABS Pro vs ABS Basic

Flashforge's UK page says ABS Pro "significantly improves in lower shrinkage, less odor, milder printing conditions, and better mechanical properties" compared with traditional ABS. Flashforge publishes no numbers for any of those claims, and no heat deflection figure.

The printing settings show one possible difference. Flashforge's US ABS page, which offers both ABS Basic and ABS Pro as types, has a single specification block listing a 100–110 °C build plate, and it stays the same with either type selected. The UK ABS Pro page lists 80–100 °C. Both pages give a 220–260 °C nozzle, 40–250 mm/s, a 0–50% fan, and drying at 80 °C for 5 hours in a convection oven. So "milder printing conditions" shows up, at most, as the UK page's lower bed range, not a cooler nozzle. The US page describes "Flashforge's ABS" as having "high toughness, high impact resistance, good heat resistance," and neither page gives enclosure or ventilation guidance.

Creality Hyper ABS vs CR-ABS

Creality's product page text for Hyper ABS gives no print settings or figures, so the most useful comparison is its materials buying guide, which describes both grades. It says Hyper ABS "provides excellent flow for faster, more efficient printing, with impact strength nearly double that of PLA," and that it releases "fewer volatile substances to protect your health, and supports open printing." It names no baseline figures, no test method, and no settings for printing open.

For the standard CR-ABS, the same guide says "Improved shrinkage reduces warping and cracking" and recommends an enclosed printer or a Creality heated chamber. It also recommends an enclosed printer or heated chamber for ABS in general. So in Creality's own words, the warping claim belongs to the standard grade, and the Hyper grade adds speed and lower volatiles.

Polymaker PolyLite ABS vs ABS Pro

Polymaker's standard grade is PolyLite ABS. Its upgraded grade is Polymaker ABS Pro, which the data sheet (V1.1) describes as having "enhanced heat resistance, strength, and impact resistance." Both data sheets use ISO methods, so they can be set side by side, with one caveat below.

The heat claim holds: ABS Pro lists a higher HDT at both loads. The impact claim isn't backed by these two sheets, because ABS Pro lists a lower notched Charpy figure than PolyLite ABS. The specimens weren't made the same way, though. PolyLite ABS specimens were printed at 260 °C with a 90 °C environment, and ABS Pro specimens at 240 °C in ambient air. So treat the gap as a reason to check, not as proof either way. ABS Pro also needs a hotter nozzle and bed.

Polymaker says PolyLite ABS uses "a specialty bulk-polymerized ABS resin, featuring significantly lower volatile content than traditional ABS," and its product page still says to "Print with an enclosure and good ventilation."

Makers that sell one improved ABS

These makers publish one ABS grade, often described as better than "traditional ABS," but no separate standard grade to compare it with. Read each on its own.

Kexcelled THE K5 ABS

Kexcelled's product page says K5 ABS is "Specially formulated to solve traditional ABS issues—delivering significantly reduced shrinkage and improved layer adhesion to prevent edge warping and cracking." It also says it's engineered "for lower printing temperatures and minimal odor output." The data sheet (KT012, rev. 05) lists "Excellent toughness|lower shrinkage|lower print temperature" as its characteristics and gives a 240–280 °C nozzle and an 80–100 °C bed.

Its heat deflection temperature is 85 °C at 0.45 MPa (ISO 75). Impact figures come from specimens printed on a Bambu Lab X1C at 270 °C: 35–40 kJ/m² unnotched and 10–15 kJ/m² notched (ISO 179) in the X,Y orientation. The product page and data sheet disagree on melt flow rate (ISO 1133, 220 °C/10 kg): 22–37 g/10 min on the page, 22–32 g/10 min on the sheet. Kexcelled publishes no drying, enclosure, or ventilation guidance.

Bambu ABS

Bambu Lab's data sheet (V3.0) says ABS "warps easily and stinks when printing," and that "Bambu ABS is designed to reduce warping and cracking but maintain outstanding impact resistance." It lists an HDT of 84 °C at 1.8 MPa and 87 °C at 0.45 MPa, and X-Y impact (ISO 179) of 39.3 kJ/m², or 21.5 kJ/m² notched, from specimens annealed at 80 °C for 12 hours.

Bambu Lab's own documents disagree on odor. The data sheet lists odor as "Odorless," while the store page warns "Pungent and unpleasant odors may be released during printing" and says the filament "may release harmful gases, including styrene" at printing temperatures. The store page calls for an enclosed printer and a well-ventilated area or air filtration. Bambu Lab ABS vs Polymaker PolyLite ABS sets it against Polymaker's standard grade.

Overture ABS

Overture's data sheet (V5.1) says its ABS uses "a specialty ABS resin, which has significantly lower volatile content compared to traditional ABS resins," with "minimal odor during printing." Its product page claims "heat deflection up to 98°C" without a load or method.

Overture's temperatures don't agree across its own documents. The product page description says "nozzle 230–250°C, heated bed 90–110°C, enclosed chamber recommended," while the same page's specification section and the data sheet give a 245–265 °C nozzle and an 80–100 °C bed. The page also says "Enclosed Printer Required" and suggests printing "in a well-ventilated space." The data sheet's mechanical specimens were printed at a 205 °C nozzle and a 40 °C bed, below its own recommended ranges for ABS, so we don't use its mechanical figures here. For eSUN ABS+ and Overture ABS side by side, see eSUN ABS+ vs Overture ABS.

ELEGOO ABS

ELEGOO sells a single ABS without a "plus" name, and it makes no odor or warping claims for it. Its product page lists enclosed printing as "Required," build plate glue as "Required," a 45–60 °C chamber, a 240–280 °C nozzle, and a 90–100 °C bed. It lists an HDT of 85 °C at 0.45 MPa and says the filament "withstands temperatures up to 85 °C without deforming." It's a useful baseline: a well-documented ABS that doesn't claim to be anything more.

Can you compare ABS+ figures across brands?

It's tempting to line up every impact figure and pick the biggest. The tests behind them differ too much:

• eSUN reports Izod impact, on injection-molded bars in its ABS+ data sheet, and with no named specimen type on its product pages.
• Polymaker, Bambu Lab, and Kexcelled report Charpy impact under ISO 179, on printed specimens made with different printers, temperatures, and annealing.
• ELEGOO lists "Impact Strength" without naming a test method.
• Flashforge and Creality publish no impact figures on the pages we checked.

Heat figures have the same problem. eSUN gives a heat distortion temperature with no load stated. Polymaker and Bambu Lab give HDT at both 1.8 and 0.45 MPa. Kexcelled and ELEGOO give 0.45 MPa only, and Overture gives an "up to" figure. The comparisons that work are within one maker: eSUN ABS+ vs ABS, and Polymaker ABS Pro vs PolyLite ABS. For heat ratings across ABS spools, see the caveats in our ABS filament shortlist.

Does ABS+ still need an enclosure and ventilation?

Several makers claim less warping or shrinkage:

None of them drops the enclosure. eSUN, Creality, Polymaker, Bambu Lab, ELEGOO, and Overture all recommend or require one, and the rest give no guidance either way. If prints still lift or crack, our warping troubleshooting guide covers drafts, chamber heat, and adhesion.

Odor claims describe each maker's resin compared with "traditional" or "conventional" ABS. They aren't emission figures, and none of these makers publishes one. eSUN, Polymaker, Bambu Lab, and Overture still tell you to ventilate, and Bambu Lab's styrene warning applies to its own ABS, which its data sheet calls "Odorless."

Print settings: start from the spool's own numbers

Creality's Hyper ABS page text publishes no temperatures, so use your slicer's Creality profile. An upgraded grade can run cooler than its maker's standard ABS, as eSUN's ABS+ does at the low end of its nozzle range, or hotter, as Polymaker's ABS Pro does. Don't reuse a profile from another ABS without checking.

Before you buy an "ABS+" spool

• Find what the maker says the "plus" changes: odor, shrinkage, speed, heat, or toughness.
• Look for the same maker's standard ABS and compare like with like. eSUN and Polymaker make this possible.
• Check the impact test method and the HDT load. A figure without either is a weak basis for comparison.
• Plan for an enclosure and ventilation regardless of the odor or warping claims.
• Set your slicer to the maker's nozzle and bed ranges, and check your hotend and bed can reach them.
• Rule out food-contact, child-use, or safety-critical uses. No ABS grade makes a printed part safe for those.

Deciding between materials first? PLA vs ABS covers when ABS is worth the extra setup, and ABS vs ASA covers outdoor parts. The ABS filament shortlist matches specific spools to printers, and the PLA vs PLA+ guide looks at the same naming question for PLA.

ABS: what to check before you buy a spool ↗