Best Ender 3 Print Bed Replacements – Better Adhesion
Reading Time: 8 minutes If you are looking to upgrade the Ender 3 print bed, you can implement many upgrades and replacements to make it better and more convenient.
Depending on your 3D printing activities and your personal preferences, you can upgrade your print bed to enhance your 3D printing experience with advancing 3D printing projects.
Here are some of the best Ender 3 print bed upgrades or replacements you can get:
- HICTOP Flexible Steel Platform with PEI Surface
- BuildTak 3D Printing Build Surface
- Creality Ender 3 Tempered Glass Bed
- Creality Removable Magnetic 3D Printer Build Surface
Let’s go through each one of these below.
1. HICTOP Flexible Steel Platform with PEI Surface
The HICTOP PEI sheet is very easy to install. You just need to stick the magnetic bottom sheet to your hotbed and then place the steel platform with the PEI surface on top.
The maximum temperature for this print bed is 130℃. At about 60℃, you can get excellent adhesion during printing without any need for glue or other adhesives to help the model stick to the print bed. It also allows you to print PETG with less chance of warping, but the print bed’s temperature should be around 80-85℃.
Once you’re done printing, you can easily pop off your prints from the HICTOP platform when it reaches room temperature. If it is still stuck after the print bed cools down, gently flex the plate to remove your print.
One user stated that before he got this print bed, he had replaced his Ender 3 V2 glass bed with the Creality magnetic bed. He compared it to the HICTOP PEI sheet and stated it didn’t compare.
This was because the PLA would only stick to the Creality bed when you didn’t want it to. But on the HICTOP PEI sheet, it stays put for as long as you want and then pops right off.
He also stated that this magnetic bed doesn’t get weird bubbles like the Creality one. He further stated that this print bed is a huge improvement to his printing experience, and he definitely recommends it to other users.
Another user stated that the magnetic sheet was the correct size and it was easy to install. He also stated that the PEI sheet was able to withstand more heat than the OEM plate. His first print stuck just right fine and literally fell out after completion and cooling.
The user stated that it was definitely worth the money.
You can purchase the HICTOP Flexible Steel Platform with PEI Surface from Amazon.
2. BuildTak 3D Printing Build Surface
The BuildTak 3D printing build surface is another great upgrade for your Ender 3. This print bed consists of three parts: the magnetic mounting base, the spring steel sheet, and an adhesive.
It is very easy to install with fewer chances of air bubbles after installation. It is also very heat-resistant, and durable as it can be reused for many consecutive prints. The BuildTak print bed is compatible with various filaments such as PLA, ABS, HIPS, PET+, Brick, Wood, and TPE filaments.
The BuildTak print bed ensures great adhesion between your print and the build surface while ensuring the print can pop off easily after printing.
One user stated that he had adhesion issues with the factory build surface for his printer, even when using glue sticks. He decided to try this BuildTak print bed and his prints started sticking, sometimes too well.
Although, he said leveling the bed with a little more Z-offset and less squish resolved that issue for him.
There are some mixed reviews though, with one user saying he wouldn’t recommend the BuildTak print bed upgrade.
He stated that his print got stuck and it snapped while he tried to pop it off the bed due to too much adhesion. He said the adhesion is too good and for that reason, he would give it 5 stars for adhesion and 2 stars for practicality.
Many other users complained about the adhesion properties being too strong when they tried to pop their prints off the bed. One of the users who complained about this stated that he was able to resolve it by leveling the bed with a little more Z-offset and less squish.
You can also use something like glue stick or hairspray on the bed to have another layer of material that your 3D prints can be removed from.
You can purchase the BuildTak 3D Printing Build Surface from Amazon.
3. Creality Ender 3 Tempered Glass Bed
If you are looking to upgrade or replace your print bed, the Creality Ender 3 Tempered Glass bed is a great choice. The Creality Ender 3 tempered glass bed ensures strong adhesion due to the microporous composite coating applied on its surface.
This helps to reduce curling or warping during printing.
The microporous layer contracts after cooling making it easier to remove prints from its surface without any tools. The glass bed is very thick and of very high quality. Its hardness is about an 8 on the Mohs scale and can withstand temperatures up to about 400℃.
The Creality Ender 3 tempered glass bed also ensures reusability for various prints. You just need to wipe its surface with alcohol or acetone after repeated use. Its surface is very smooth compared to the Magnetic Bed or PEI sticker.
It is the flattest build surface in the market with a flatness error range of about 0.15mm, which is very low.
Installation is very easy and straightforward. You just need to attach the Glass bed to the build area using the clips provided, then level the bed afterward.
One user stated that he upgraded from the magnetic PEI sheet on his Ender 3 Pro to the Creality tempered glass bed and it fits perfectly. It took a little while for him to get the settings dialed in as it is not as easy as the magnetic PEI sheet that adheres to anything and easily releases.
The quality of the finish is so much better and it is more durable according to this user. He also said that it is much easier to keep clean than PEI. Hairspray or glue stick is helpful, especially for anything with a bigger surface area.
As a last resort, he once stuck the whole plate in the freezer for an hour to pop off a print that was really stuck.
Another user said he loves the tempered glass bed, but it doesn’t work well with ASA filaments without something to help it adhere. The corners nearly always warp upwards due to it not sticking to the glass plate for him. PEI would be best for ASA filaments.
He also stated the tempered glass bed is perfect for PLA as it prints it to near perfection. Although, he also said that sometimes it is a little too hard to remove the prints and he has broken a few prints while trying to get them off the glass bed.
The first layer is important to not have your 3D prints adhere too hard to the bed, as well as using an adhesive like glue sticks.
You can purchase the Creality Ender 3 Tempered Glass Bed from Amazon.
4. Creality Removable Magnetic 3D Printer Build Surface
The build plate is magnetically secured in place. This ensures that you can easily take off the upper magnetic build plate and flex it to remove your prints. It is recommended to heat the hotbed for 2-3 minutes before removing the model with the removal tools.
It is very easy to install but can be quite tricky. To install, first ensure the bottom of the soft magnetic sticker and the top layer are firmly stuck together before installation. If they are not stuck properly, rotate it 90 degrees and try again until they are completely stuck together and will not separate.
Secondly, after finding the correct magnetic direction, you can stick the bottom part on the hotbed, but do pay attention to the direction before installation.
One user said that having a flexible build plate on your printer is an amazing upgrade that is perfect. This is because it makes removing models easy and has a slight texture to the mat that makes adhesion a breeze.
He mentioned has used his so much that he wore it out and needed another. He also said that we should not let this statement fool us, they are very durable and do last a long time.
He went on to say that they are very easy to care for, just a little dish soap and water every now and then makes it new.
Another user stated it took a little to get used to it on an Ender 3 V2, but it worked great. He said that his prints are turning out perfect every time and found out that increasing the bed temperature makes the first layers adhere better than the glass bed.
Since installing it, he hasn’t had any trouble taking off completed prints, but he did let the bed cool slightly before taking the prints off. He also said it is a very nice upgrade for very little.
You can purchase the Creality Removable Magnetic 3D Printer Build Surface from Amazon.
