Some users often do not know how to properly store their filament. These filaments can be exposed to moisture in the environment, which could lead to poorer print quality, stringing, and even print failures. I decided to write an article on the best ways to store filaments.
To properly store your 3D printer filament, you can keep it in vacuum-sealed bags, zip-lock bags, airtight containers, dry boxes and similar. This helps to prevent moisture from coming in contact with the filament, which can lead to poor print quality and other extrusion issues like stringing.
While this is just a short answer, keep reading to find out the best ways you can store your 3D printer filament.
3D Print Filament Storage – Best Ways to Store
Here are some of the ways you can store your 3D printer filament.
Vacuum Bags
Filament Racks
Air-Tight Container
Filament Dry-Boxes
Zip-Lock Bags
1. Vacuum Bags
One way to store to your 3D printer filament is to keep them in everyday vacuum bags. These bags usually have a hole/valve that can be used to suck out all of the air in the bag after placing the filament in it.
These valves are specifically designed to let air in one direction, i.e., to get every ounce of air out of the bag to provide maximum compression.
To get rid of the air, dust, or other forms of debris in the bag, the valve is attached to a hand pump or a vacuum cleaner.
These bags come in various sizes which allows them to hold more than 3 filament spools in them. While they may not seem as durable as plastic containers, they do not rip easily.
You can also lower the humidity and improve the efficiency of these bags by adding silica gel or other types of desiccant to them. These help to absorb any form of moisture or humidity that may build up in the bag as time goes on.
【Packing List】One eSUN vacuum kit pro includes Vacuum Bags*10, Electric Pump*1, Sealing Clip*2, Discoloration Desiccants*15, Valve Stickers *10. One kit 38pcs in total, which can satisfy storaging 10 used filaments at the same time.
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It has some very positive reviews from users saying it works well to keep filament sealed and protected from moisture.
One user gave a list of things he liked about it:
The USB driven vacuum is very strong and able to completely seal the bag in under a minute
Cost-effective for the number of bags they provide, though the bags could be smaller
The extra seals included were great
Also includes sealing clips since it can be tricky doing it by hand.
Check out this video of the vacuum bags for filament at work, along with a silica packet.
2. Filament Racks
Another way you can store your 3D printer filament is to store it on wooden or plastic racks/shelves. This allows you to easily access and keep track of your filament’s inventory.
One major downside to this type of storage is that it doesn’t handle the issue of moisture. So, if you live in an area where humidity levels are high, this method is not advisable.
While it helps to keep your filament organized and easy to access, the quality of your filament may dwindle with time. To counter this problem, you can store the filament in a rack/shelf that has doors or some form of covering then you can place desiccants in them to help absorb moisture.
Also, you can place the filaments in transparent bags or vacuum bags to help tackle moisture. This way you stand to gain the benefits of storing your filament in a vacuum bag and a shelf/rack.
You can purchase these racks from stores (e.g. IKEA) near you or you can put your creativity to the test by making a custom DIY shelf. For example, you can source for STL files of shelf that you can 3D print for use.
Some popular STL files you can print include the following:
The FilaBracket by Kitsune83 is a wall mounted shelf that you can 3D print to store your filaments. It is very easy to print and doesn’t require supports when printing. Simply upload your STL files and print as many brackets that can fit on your wall.
Then you can mount the brackets and connect them with 12mm steel rods, wood or aluminum pipes of similar dimensions.
Another popular shelf you can 3D print is the RepRack shelf. This shelf is very easy to print and assemble since it has only a few parts. Once you are done printing, you can either mount the shelf on a wall or on a table-top.
This is a pretty cheap alternative when you consider the cost of other shelves/racks in the market.
Some other parts you would need for the assembling include:
½” EMT(~19mm Outer Diameter pipe)
#6 x 5/8″ (16mm) Thread Forming Screws
#8 x 3″ (75mm) Wood screws
French Cleats
Check out this video from NERO3D for a step-by-step process on how he printed and assembled the RepRack shelf.
The Filament Holder by OlafPeter is another very easy shelf to print. It consists of two parts that need to be printed with rods (iron or wooden) placed in between them to support the weight of the filaments.
The designer recommends mounting them with 5mm screws and 28mm rods.
One user stated that he stores his on top of a shelf out in the open for a couple of months and they still print just fine. He said he believes that some materials are more sensitive than others and the moisture content of the area where you live plays a huge role.
3. Air-Tight Containers
You can also store your 3D printer filaments in airtight containers. These containers help to keep moisture and dust away from your filament while maintaining a stable environment for your filament.
These simple everyday household items are very efficient and also offer a cheap solution for storing filament properly.
One user said they ordered this for the purpose of a dry box for 3D printer filament. He did mention that there was a clip missing for one of the boxes but after getting into contact with the seller, they sent out a replacement quickly, so he says it was a great experience overall.
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For an extra layer of protection, you can also add desiccant packs to absorb any remaining moisture inside the container. Then you can store the containers in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
One user stated that he uses these boxes that have a gasket on the lid, making them very airtight. These boxes can hold about 8 reels of filament. He added some rechargeable desiccant in a pan and placed it in the bottom of the box.
For added protection, he placed a digital humidity gauge in the box to monitor the moisture content of the box. With this method, he’s still able to print with this 3+ year-old ABS filament without any problems.
【EASY TO INSTALL】 Reptile Thermometer Mini Digital Hygrometer Thermometer is Easy to know current temperature and humidity,Embedded opening size (1.81*1.06 inch) or fixed with double-sided tape.
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Another user stated that he keeps his filament in plastic tubs, although these tubs do not have gaskets. He said his basement is usually around 60% humidity and the digital humidity meter pegs at 16% in the tub. He added desiccants into the tub which he recharges about once a month.
Check out this video from HoffMan Engineering on how he stored his filament in Airtight containers.
4. Filament Dry-Boxes
Another great way to store filaments is to keep them in filament-dry boxes. These devices are specialized storage solutions designed to maintain a low-humidity environment for your filament.
They often include a desiccant chamber and airtight seals. Some models even allow you to feed the filament directly from the box to your 3D printer, preventing exposure to moisture during printing.
These filament dry boxes come in various shapes and sizes at various price ranges.
Some popular filament dry boxes include:
SUNLU Dry-Box
Polymaker PolyBox
SUNLU Dry-Box
The SUNLU Dry-Box is a very popular filament dryer among 3D printing enthusiasts. It allows you to adjust the temperature pf the storage compartment with its very intuitive touch controls. It also has preset settings (humidity and temperature) for various filament types.
While it can only store one filament (1kg) at a time, this device would help eradicate any issues associated with wet filament like stringing, clogging, poor adhesion, etc.
It has a default drying time of 6-hours, which can also be adjusted by the user, depending on the type of filament. You can also feed the filament directly to your printer from the storage compartment.
【Say Goodbye to Poor 3D Printing by Wet Filament】Wet 3d printing filament will caused to stringing, clogging, poor adhesion, and Layer Shift. SUNLU FDM 3D Filament Dryer Enclosure can drying while printing to improve your 3D model, reducing the impact of the objective environment on the printing of 3d filaments.
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One user said that the SUNLU filament dry-box, works well and it increased the quality of his prints. He said the device is not very loud and much quieter than his Ender 3 Pro. Overall, its a great addition to his 3D printer supplies.
Here is an in-depth review of the SUNLU Dry-Box from ModBot.
Polymaker PolyBox
Another filament dry box is the Polymaker PolyBox. It has a compartment that is airtight and filled with desiccant to ensure that your filament is in non-humid conditions.
The Polymaker PolyBox can only house filaments not more than 2KG in one go. This could be two 1kg filaments or just one 2KG filament. It also has a screen that constantly displays the temperature and humidity levels of the filaments.
Even with your filament in this device, you can still feed the filament into your 3D printer. This is because the filament is mounted on ball-bearing rollers that allow it to rotate, which ultimately sends filament into your printer.
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5. Zip-Lock Bags
Another cost-effective way to store your 3D printer filament is to make use of zip-lock bags. This is pretty similar to vacuum bags, except that they don’t have the valve to suck out air or water vapor from within them.
Before you place your filament into the zip-lock bag, ensure that it’s dry and free from any form of humidity. If it isn’t, you can use a heat gun to heat up the zip-lock bag or place it in direct sunlight to eliminate any form of humidity in it.
Then you can add Silica gel into the bag after you have placed the filament in it.
I’d recommend you get this Pack of Zip-Lock Bags from Amazon to store your 3D printer filaments.
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One user said that he places his filament in a gallon zip lock freezer bag with the original silica gel packs of the spools inside. He’s been doing this for a couple of years now and has had no problems.
Another user said that he stores his filament in Ziplock bags with a small container full of color-changing desiccant so that he can properly monitor the humidity levels in the bag.
Once the desiccant in the bag changes colors, then it’s due for a change or recharge. To recharge the desiccant (Silica gel), he advised you to place it on a baking plate in the oven for a couple of hours.
Michael Dwamena is the founder of 3D Printerly, a platform dedicated to simplifying 3D printing for hobbyists and professionals alike. Owns over 20 3D printers (filament and resin) and has plenty experience 3D printing. Michael has authored over 900 articles, helping millions navigate the exciting world of 3D printing.
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