3D Filament Spool Holders – Different Kinds of Holders You Can Buy Or Make
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Despite what they have to go through to make the projects we love, 3D printer filaments need a lot more care than many would think.
Because of this, filament spool holders and storage methods are very important to consider when you’re not printing.
3D filament spool holders come in all shapes, sizes, and even have different functions depending on which you go for.
Generic spool holders will hold your filaments out of the way, while dry boxes will help dry your filament to increase its lifespan. There are also auto-rewinders and anti-tangle spool holders to make your life a little easier.
Some of these holders you can buy online from trusted 3D printing retailers, and some are simple projects you can 3D print yourself.
Which one you go for depends on a variety of factors, including what your priorities are when it comes to 3D printing.
Maybe you’re having trouble keeping your filaments dry, or maybe you find they tangle too easily. Maybe you’re just running out of storage space and need a convenient spool holder to free up some room.
Whatever your need, here are some of the best 3D printer filament holders of all kinds to help make your 3D printing ventures smoother and free of worry.
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Why Do You Need a Filament Spool Holder?
Filaments are susceptible to a lot of damaging factors. Most filaments will wear over time, but this wear will be sped up by excessive exposure to heat, light, and dust particles.
Filament spool holders and storage containers reduce this exposure and extend your filaments’ life spans.
Filaments can also tangle and be difficult to re-spool once you’re finished printing.
So as well as protective 3D filament holders, you can also find spools that reduce the chances of knotting and tangling and ones that rewind your filaments similar to a vacuum cleaner cord.
All-in-all, 3D filament spool holders help to both streamline your 3D printing while also protecting your filaments from avoidable damage and wear, saving both money and frustration further down the line.
You can learn more about the best methods to keep your filament protected and long-lasting in our article here.
These spool holders come in a few varieties, some you can make yourself, and some are available for sale online. Here we’re going to look at some of the best options for storing and protecting your 3D filaments.
Polymaker PolyBox Box Edition II
The Polymaker PolyBox is a 3D filament spool holder designed to keep your filaments in the best possible environment to ensure reliability and longevity.
Capable of holding either two 1kg spools or one 3kg spool of filament, the PolyBox is ideal for keeping filament free from dust and heat by allowing you to feed the material to your 3D printer directly from the box.
Be advised, however, that the PolyBox is not heated and won’t actively dry your filaments, so it’s best used on new filaments right away as opposed to those that may have already absorbed moisture.
Despite this, the screen on the front monitors both the temperature and humidity your filament is kept in, allowing you to make sure it’s kept in good condition for as long as possible depending on what kind you’re storing.
Universal Auto-Rewind Spool Holder
The Universal Auto Rewind does exactly as the name suggests, and rewinds your 3D filament back into a neat loop when you’re done printing.
This design helps keep your workspace tidy, and also ensures your filament won’t tangle or be left exposed to the elements for too long.
The highly adjustable clutch and modifiable sizes mean it can be used as a spool holder for just about any kind or size of filament, making it truly universal to all kinds of printing material.
The Universal Auto-Rewind is a self-print spool holder, the files for which you can find on Prusa for single or dual-colored versions, or the latter on Thingiverse.
Mega Anti-Tangle Spool Holder
Speaking of avoiding tangles, the Mega Anti-Tangle is a filament spool holder designed with four clamps to keep any stray strands of filament from tangling up and becoming a pain.
If you’ve ever used earphones or Christmas lights, you’ll know that tangles can just inexplicably happen, almost like some kind of dark magic.
3D filaments are no exception to this seemingly unavoidable law of physics.
The Mega Anti-Tangle is also highly modifiable to fit all kinds of filament spools, though a little more engineering with bearings and attachments will be needed to make sure it’s weighed down and clamped enough to be steady and reliable.
While it’s designed to fit together on its own, you should keep some superglue or screws handy just in case.
If the clamps don’t fit tightly or the parts don’t connect as they should, then the Mega Anti-Tangle will just be a regular spool holder.
Redrex Filament Spool Holder
One of the cheapest filament spool holders on the market, Redrex is a simple but highly upgradable holder that can be adjusted to fit just about any size of filament spool.
The light but durable design makes transportation easy as well as storage, making it quite reliable for something as basic as it is.
Redrex is easily the best option for a filament holder if you’re strapped for cash or otherwise just don’t need or want anything too flashy.
Ender 3 Spool Holder
The Ender 3 holder is a fan-made design for a large and trusty spool holder specifically for the Creality Ender 3 3D printer.
The designer found the standard Ender 3 spool holder to be too far from the machine itself, leading to drop-off, tangling, and a generally awkward printing experience.
So they went to the drawing board and created this free updated version for anyone else who feels the same.
While designed specifically for the Ender 3, a few modifications should make this 3D filament holder suitable for just about any FDM printer that you could be having trouble with.
It’s simple, it’s free, and you can make it yourself with the files found here.
Gravity Spool Holder
The gravity spool holder relies on the spool’s own weight to ensure there isn’t too much slack when feeding directly to a 3D printer.
This avoids tangling and helps ensure an ideal feeding speed for your printer when mid-project.
The real beauty of the Gravity design is that it lets the filament move up and down to provide just the right amount of slack, this makes it both an ideal 3D filament spool holder as well as a general addition to your 3D printing projects.
While designed specifically for the Prusa MMU2S, it can work with just about any FDM printer without trouble, and makes for an excellent choice for those of you who find your filaments are dropping off just a little too much during printing.
If this sounds perfect for you, then you can find it here.
Spool Holder and Drybox V2
Simultaneously a spool holder and dry box, the V2 enclosure is a great holder that will also keep your filaments protected from outside variables that could reduce its reliability and lifespan.
It’s a simple 3D print that’s hinged for easy access and is even equipped to include a humidity and temperature monitor so you can keep an eye on the internal conditions.
Please note, however, that the design only incorporates a hole for a humidity monitor, and doesn’t come with instructions on how to make your own.
It’s a fairly simple addition, though an optional one, so if you’re happy enough to just keep your filaments in an opaque container, then this is the spool holder for you.
Easy 3D Printed Spool Holders
Most of the homemade 3D filament spool holders we’ve seen so far have had their own practical applications that take a little more than just printing to get working properly.
But if you just need a quick fix or simply don’t want anything too complex, you can instead opt for simple designs for filament spool holders that won’t take much time and still work well for space-saving and storage.
Universal Standalone Spool Holder
One of the easiest 3D spool holders you can make is the Universal Standalone, which accommodates just about any spool (or even spool-less) 3D printer filaments.
The simplicity comes from its no-frills design, which requires no extra engineering or parts.
The Universal Standalone is a completely 3D printed spool holder that’s perfect for beginners to DIY, or those of you who just don’t want to spend a lot of money on something more complicated than you need.
As a popular 3D printed spool holder, the Universal Standalone can be found pretty much anywhere you’d expect to find good 3D prints, including Cults, Thingiverse, Instructables, and MyMiniFactory.
Simple Universal
The Simple Universal spool holder is a little different in that it’s mostly just a curved shape to hold your filament spools upright in and out of printing.
It needs a few screws but doesn’t require anything all that complicated to work well enough.
If you’re unhappy with the curved design, you can always chock it to keep it stationary as a space-saving measure or leave it loose to allow for enough slack.
As a universal holder, it can accommodate all kinds of spool sizes but can be modified before printing if you like.
Filament Spool Holder
This one’s so simple that it doesn’t even need its own title. With simple arms and hooks, this 3D filament holder works perfectly to save space in your workshop or garage.
An easy wall-hanging system, it won’t do much to protect your filaments from heat, light, or dust.
So you will need to consider careful placement of these spool holders to make sure they get as little exposure as possible.
If you’re not too worried about your filaments wearing away or being exposed to moisture (for example, if you happen to 3D print often and go through a lot of filament anyway) then this is the perfect system for you.
It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s effective, and you can find the files here.
Simple and Smart Spool Holders
By far the simplest 3d filament spool holders you can print today, the Simple and Smart spool holders are just small, rotating shapes that you can mount your filament onto and feed it into your printer.
No bells or whistles to be found here, it’s as fast and easy as that.
But like the spool holder above, it won’t do much by way of actively protecting your materials, so you’ll need to take proper storage into account to ensure longevity.
FAQs
What is a spool in 3D printer?
A spool in 3D printer terms is the roll from which your filament is fed into your printer during projects. They’re kept in rolls like thread and can be wound and unwound as needed.
What is a filament spool holder?
A filament spool holder is a containment or storage method for your 3D filament spools. These can be storage boxes, filament drying boxes, or even simple hooks you can hang them from.
How do you store a spool of filament?
Different filaments are susceptible to different environmental factors.
Typically, filament should be stored in a cool, dry place with as little exposure to light as possible. Protecting filament like this is especially important if you don’t print often and don’t go through much filament at once.
How do you make a filament holder?
Filament holders can be printed in a variety of ways, from hinged boxes to wall hangers. They’re generally simple as 3D printer projects and can be designed from scratch or found in a lot of creative forms online.
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