Monoprice makes more than just headphones and speakers! In fact, their last few 3D printers have been wildly popular by providing good, cheap options for beginners. How does the Monoprice Voxel stand up to Monoprice's past offerings? Find out in today's Monoprice Voxel review.
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Printing Speed
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Build Size
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Precision
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Value
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Design
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User Experience
Monoprice Voxel 3D Printer Review
Monoprice Voxel Review Basics
The attractive Monoprice Voxel is reminiscent of the Flashforge Finder with its cubic shape and prominent touch screen. The resemblance to a Flashforge machine is no mistake – the Monoprice Voxel is simply a rebranded Adventurer 3. They are essentially the same machine with very few differences.
Featuring a modest 5.9 x 5.9 x 5.9 inch build platform, you may expect the Voxel to be a compact machine but the exterior dimensions measure 19.2 x 16.8 x 20.7 inches. That may not seem very big now, but make sure you make enough space before it arrives.
Print with either PLA or ABS in impressive resolutions from 50-300 microns and at average speeds up to 60mm/s. Complete prints are easy to remove once they’re finished thanks to the flexible, removable build platform. In fact, this build platform is one of the Monoprice Voxel’s best features. The specially designed surface texture even helps the first layer of prints stick properly, creating a good foundation for the rest of your model.
Monoprice Voxel Review Pros
Overall Value
The Voxel falls comfortably in most budgets at just $399. It even regularly goes on sale for just $319. For that price you get an awful lot of value in this beginner-friendly 3D printer.The high resolution and quality of the prints is most striking. For under $400, this printer achieves smooth models with no warping, minimal stringing, excellent bridging and overhangs, all with fine details printed in layers as small as 50 microns. That’s already amazing, but the Monoprice Voxel has other great features like its flexible, removable print bed, no-tool nozzle replacement, 8GB of on-board memory, and dependable internet connectivity options. As if all that weren’t enough, this starter 3D printer supports both ABS and PLA thanks to its enclosed print space and heated print bed.
Ease of Use
It’s up and running in under 20-minutes, which is good news for beginners who don’t want to spend hours tinkering before getting started. The MP Flashprint slicing software is also very good, allowing you to use either simple or advanced settings with an intuitive user interface. The Monoprice Voxel’s 2.8” touch screen is also intuitive, if not cramped, to use. Perform a number of actions from this panel, ranging from setting up WiFi connection to calibrating the print bed.
Monoprice Voxel Review Cons
Filament Spool
The most frustrating part of this 3D printer is objectively the proprietary filament spool. This small detail has upset many Voxel users, who have had to make modifications to their machine in order to use 3rd party filaments. That’s because the Monoprice Voxel uses a very thin spool enclosed in a small cabinet on the side of the unit. Neither spool nor cabinet can’t easily accommodate 3rd party filaments, and especially not more than 0.5kg of filament. The idea is to force users into buying Monoprice filament, but most users find alternatives which allow them to feed 3rd party filament from outside of the cabinet.
Monoprice Voxel Review Verdict
This printer may be marketed for beginners, but almost anyone can find value in the Monoprice Voxel. Despite being criminally affordable, the Voxel’s smart design, solid construction and impressive print results speak for themselves. Whether you buy this as your first 3D printer or as a complement to your 3D printer fleet, the Voxel pulls more than its weight as one of the best values in 3D printing today. Does it produce the best ABS results we’ve ever seen? No. Is the proprietary spool thing annoying? Yes. Barring these issues, however, we highly recommend the Monoprice Voxel for beginners and experienced users alike.
