At 3DSourced, we pride ourselves in our hands-on testing of the latest 3D printers we review and recommend.

We love finding out the lesser-known tidbits that separate the top picks from the also-rans, and helping you find the best 3D printer for you based on those factors.

Examples of 3DSourced Hands-On Product Reviews

3DSourced how we test products 3D printers page showing the real hands-on reviews we have done

Here are links to some of the recent hands-on reviews we have done:

How We Evaluate Products

While there are more factors than this that we consider, here are some key factors we think about when testing 3D printers and 3D scanners:

Build Quality and Reliability: we consider this both from an overall quality level, and on a relative level – how good is this for the price? Is it good value, and for who? We would not want to recommend a 3D printer that is not likely to be reliable for you in years to come.
Price: obviously, we want to not just recommend the best pick for you, but also save you the most money wherever possible. We think about this again with regards to “what is the best value for what you need?”
Upgradeability: we don’t want to see a 3D printer as a fixed, finished product. Printers like the Ender 3 don’t start out as top-tier machines, but they can be upgraded to do specific things really well. Where possible, we try to make recommendations on versatility, and list the available upgrades.
Beginner-friendliness: our mission at 3DSourced is to make 3D printing as accessible as possible, so that anybody who wants to get started can do so. Especially when reviewing 3D printers in the lower price ranges, or those geared towards newer makers, we emphasize how easy it is to build, the firmware, and reliability.

That said, even with these criteria in mind, we understand everybody values different things, and wants to create different projects. So, we try to highlight specific usecases and pros and cons with each machine we test so you know exactly what you’re getting.

We Want Our Readers to be Satisfied

At 3DSourced, we’re grateful for the trust you place in us to provide you with reliable recommendations. We take that responsibility seriously, and we always keep your best interests in mind.

Our Promise of Integrity

We openly disclose that our content and our team of writers are funded in part due to affiliate earnings from our recommendations, and we understand that this has the potential to create a conflict of interest.

If we have an affiliate relationship with a manufacturer, we will always mention this.

While we do include affiliate links in some of our articles, this does not affect which products we do or do not recommend. We often recommend products that we do not earn from if you purchase, and we will always recommend a product if it is the best, irrespective of whether it is an affiliated link.

Affiliate links are however instrumental to us remaining independent, and we could not fund our interviews with 3D printing experts, and other content without them.

Real Users, Real Reviews

We also believe that personal experience is the most important thing when evaluating which 3D printer to buy.

That’s why we try out the products ourselves.

We only want to give you our honest thoughts and opinions. We also take into account what other customers have to say and look for reviews from reliable sources to give you the full picture with the least possible bias.

We Call it As We See It

And finally, we’re not afraid to tell you if we don’t like something – and the negatives associated with a product. Even if the manufacturer of the 3D printer emails us to voice their displeasure (this has happened multiple times).

We do not allow ourselves to be pressured by companies to give better marks because the manufacturer has sent us the printer to review, and all manufacturers who send us products are told about our policy on reviewing products.

We believe that it’s important to give you a balanced view, so you can make the best decision for you.

How We Do Product Reviews