Anycubic

Anycubic Kobra S1

F
Ranked #17 in 3D Printers
87 LP on the category ladder what's LP?

The worst ownership record here: owner reports of repeated hotend failures including a melting unit, QC described as Anycubic's chronic weakness, and support described as terrible. It trades blows with the P1S on paper output, but paper output is not what this lens buys. The tempting price is the trap. Buy the Bambu Lab P1S instead.

Consolidated from 57 cited sources across 49 outlets

Where the cited sources landed, as we read them

  • 1 glowing source
  • 41 positive sources
  • 11 mixed sources
  • 2 unconvinced sources
See the sources
Flagged as a product to avoid

7 of 16 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick.

The worst ownership record on the board: owner reports of repeated hotend failures including a melting unit, QC described as Anycubic's chronic weakness, and support described as terrible, with the tempting price being the trap itself.

Flagged 15 October 2026
  1. The worst ownership record on the board: owner reports of repeated hotend failures including a melting unit, QC described as Anycubic's chronic weakness, and support described as terrible, with the tempting price being the trap itself.

    Flagged 15 October 2026
  2. Although cheaper up-front, its support is poor and ownership costs rise, making it a risky choice compared to better-supported alternatives.

    Flagged 15 October 2026
  3. The cheap Bambu clone that buyer's-remorse coverage keeps warning about: a widely-circulated r/3Dprinting thread calls it the worst printer the owner has bought, says Anycubic's support is terrible and QC is the brand's long-standing problem, and concludes the tempting price is not worth the headache. A prominent review video is literally titled 'The True Cost of a Cheap Bambu Clone.'

    Flagged 15 October 2026
  4. Hardware reviews well, but a prominent reviewer publicly stated they cannot recommend Anycubic printers until the company changes course on locking down its machines, creating a firmware-longevity risk.

    Flagged 15 October 2026
  5. It lacks the two-year reliability record that makes the P1S the safer buy at this class of machine, and Anycubic's support network is thinner for a machine this complex.

    Flagged 15 October 2026
  6. Support is terrible and owners report it as the worst printer they've dealt with, making the low price not worth the headache.

    Flagged 15 October 2026
  7. The budget-trimmed version of the Kobra suffers from reduced build quality and slower firmware updates compared to the standard model.

    Flagged 25 July 2026

Why the boards include products to avoid

Check price

We may earn a commission if you buy through this link.

Pros & cons

  • ✓ Trades blows with the Bambu P1S on paper output
  • ✓ Competitive hardware performance
  • ✓ Enclosed multicolor printing at a lower tier than its main rival
  • ✓ Competitive on speed in a head-to-head against the Bambu P1S
  • ✓ Strong long-term value in reviewer comparison
  • ✗ Owner reports of repeated hotend failures, including a melting unit
  • ✗ QC described as Anycubic's chronic weakness
  • ✗ Support described by owners as terrible
  • ✗ The tempting price is not worth the headache, per owners
  • ✗ Ownership cost rises, making it a risky choice

The sources behind this ranking

We searched the web and YouTube for what has been published about this product, then read the articles, video transcripts and comments we found. 1 outlet wouldn't let us check its link.

Evidence 10 articles, 44 video reviews and 3 community sources

41 positive sources

M Mr Resin Mr Resin · reviewer · Apr 2026
The most obvious difference is the volume: according to Anycubic, we're talking about 2.74 times more print space than the standard S1. But the real change goes far beyond size. While the S1 is an open Cartesian machine aimed at the average user, the S1 Max is a fully enclosed CoreXY designed for serious work.
Read
T The Next Layer The Next Layer · 281K subscribers · Feb 2025
16 Ways The Anycubic Kobra S1 Is BETTER Than a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon
Watch
N Notebookcheck Silvio Werner · reviewer · Apr 2026
Also for printing with more than a dozen filaments: Anycubic has added a new 3D printer to its lineup that is said to support various filament types and, according to the manufacturer, comes with an improved hotend. The Anycubic Kobra S1 ACE 2 Pro Combo will initially be available at a discounted price.
Read
J Just Vlad Just Vlad · 249K subscribers · Jul 2025
The Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo can achieve 4-color printing.
Watch
F Facebook Rob Coleman · owner
I had the original S1 and it came with its casing all bent upwards on one side which made it print terribly most of the time but I did get a couple of good prints out of it and it's print quality is incredible when it works.
View post
E EBPMAN Tech Reviews EBPMAN Tech Reviews · 190K subscribers · May 2026
It has been incredibly stable. It is not the rendered any failed prints for us and what we really like about the printer is the build size and the quality that we're getting from this printer right out of the box.
Watch
M Mr Resin Mr Resin · reviewer · Feb 2026
As we've seen, the Anycubic Kobra S1 is much more than your average 3D printer. It's a true beast that redefines what we can expect in its range: blistering speed, jaw-dropping precision, and incredible ease of use.
Read
N Nuno Silva Nuno Silva · 166K subscribers · Nov 2025
So, this is already looking like a great combo for creative projects. Getting started was super easy. All I had to do was load the filaments into the ACA Pro.
Watch
T TechRadar Article · Dec 2022
Fast and accurate, the Anycubic Kobra S1 is the first 3D printer we've tested to score 30 / 30 in the print quality test. If you're looking for accuracy and fine-detail, you'll find it here.
Read
V VogMan VogMan · 145K subscribers · Jan 2025
Anycubic Kobra S1 + Ace Pro – Surprisingly Easy, Seriously Fun
Watch
T TechRadar Article · Jul 2026
We absolutely loved the Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo when we tested out this 3D printer. It's fast, user-friendly, and suitable for beginners, hobbyists, and even micro-business users.
Read
P Plentiful Props 3D Plentiful Props 3D · 132K subscribers · Jun 2026
So, when I got my hands on a K2 Plus, it was a big game-changer in my workflow, since I could now commit to fairly large 3D prints in pretty advanced materials like ASA and ABS, which is why the Anycubic Kobra S1 Max is such a huge deal. It promises a lot of the same benefits as the K2 Plus and then some for nearly half the price.
Watch
T Tiny Epoch Tiny Epoch · reviewer · May 2026
That is exactly what I want from a modern 3D printer, and it is why I would comfortably recommend the Kobra S1 Combo to most people looking for an enclosed CoreXY machine.
Read
A Aurora Tech Aurora Tech · 124K subscribers · May 2025
The Cobra S1 is definitely one of the best. The bottom layer is also printed very well, even better than some printers at a higher price point. Then I'll print the tolerance model to see how well the parts fit together. This one finished in 1 hour and 18 minutes. Again, an in average time. On the square side, it clears up to 0.05 mm.
Watch
M Mr Resin Mr Resin · reviewer · Apr 2026
The difference here is that everything comes factory-integrated and tested — a real plus if you'd rather skip the technical setup.
Read
T Tech In Black Tech In Black · 122K subscribers · Mar 2026
🖨️ Unboxing and first setup without headaches
Watch
E Embrace Making Embrace Making · 71.3K subscribers · Mar 2025
The Anycubic Kobra S1 features a generous 250mm x 250mm x 250mm build volume and many of the usual offerings of a modern 3D printer. This includes a core xy motion system, nice touch screen, WIFI connectivity, on board time-lapse camera, integrated lighting, and connectivity to the Anycubic cloud app. It even has AI print failure detection and can apparently detect loose belts.
Watch
3 3D Printed Props 3D Printed Props · 40.7K subscribers · Jun 2025
If you’re serious about 3D printing, the Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo is a heavyweight contender in the Core‑XY arena. With a solid 250×250×250 mm build volume, max speeds up to 600 mm/s (300 mm/s recommended), and a hotend heated to 320 °C, this rig handles PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU—you name it .
Watch
B BuildDanielBuild BuildDanielBuild · 34.2K subscribers · Oct 2025
Unboxing the Anycubic S1 Combo — setup in minutes, no print failures, and perfect results.
Watch
C Chad DIY Chad DIY · 33.9K subscribers · Jun 2026
So on paper this thing checks all the boxes. It's fully enclosed, has a huge print area, it's 350 mm cubed, also comes with an optional Ace 2 Pro, so you can do multi-color prints, super fast XY core printing system, and basically everything you'd want in a 3D printer.
Watch
3 3D Print Rancher 3D Print Rancher · 23.3K subscribers · Mar 2026
The Anycubic Kobra S1 Max can handle professional-grade engineering parts AND massive DIY crafting projects.
Watch
3 3D Print Rancher 3D Print Rancher · 23.3K subscribers · Oct 2025
That sounds pretty cool. Then right on Any Cub's Any Cubic's official page, Cobra S1 Max first look. Well, the name's kind of in it. It's the Cobra S1 Max. And that's a helmet in there. What's always my son is the one. I'm not into the whole like, you know, making the kind of outfits and stuff, but my youngest son, he's 14.
Watch
D DraftID DraftID · 21.1K subscribers · Dec 2025
And jumping right to my conclusion, this is a great printer, and I'm honestly surprised. Lately, a lot of printers been coming to me for testing and review purposes, and this is probably the first time I've seen a printer that actually ticks all the boxes.
Watch
3 3DPrinterMike 3DPrinterMike · 16.4K subscribers · Mar 2026
So there's a lot to like about the Anycubic Cobra S1 Max.
Watch
G Greedy 3D Greedy 3D · 16.3K subscribers · Aug 2025
The Anycubic Kobra S1 is an awesome 3D Printer and the addition of the ACE PRO makes it even better…Today im adding 5 3D POrinted add ons to make it even better !
Watch
G Greedy 3D Greedy 3D · 16.3K subscribers · Sept 2025
The Cobra S1 comes from any cubic. A decade into 3D printing. Now, this offering promises fast printer speeds, ease of use, and is compatible with a heated AMS that brings it into bamboo level territory.
Watch
G Greedy 3D Greedy 3D · 16.3K subscribers · Sept 2025
The Anycubic Kobra S1 is an awesome 3D Printer and the addition of the ACE PRO makes it even better…Today I’m reviewing this beauty …make sure to check it out
Watch
W Where Nerdy is Cool! Where Nerdy is Cool! · 15K subscribers · Nov 2025
If you’re looking for fast, reliable printing with modern features, this one is definitely worth a look.
Watch
S Scratch 3DPrinting Scratch 3DPrinting · 11.6K subscribers · Apr 2026
this 3d printer is amazing! It can print all types of materials!
Watch
C CoshTech CoshTech · 9.4K subscribers · Aug 2025
Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo Unboxing, Setup & Review | Better than Bambu Labs X1C | Multi-Color Printing
Watch
C CoshTech CoshTech · 9.4K subscribers · Oct 2025
And after putting a couple hundred hours on both of these machines, I can confidently say that both of these 3D printers are the best ones I've ever used.
Watch
C CraftingbyMayra CraftingbyMayra · 8.2K subscribers · Apr 2026
This is perfect for small business owners, DIY creators, and anyone looking to expand into 3D printing.
Watch
C Crushr Reviews Crushr Reviews · 7.8K subscribers · Mar 2025
I have been truly impressed with this printer so far, and I’m glad I have it. Hands down a great printer for the beginner as well as the professional at a budget price
Watch
3 3DPUK TECH CHANNEL 3DPUK TECH CHANNEL · 7.2K subscribers · Mar 2026
From its impressive build volume to smart auto-leveling and high-speed printing capabilities, this printer is built to take your projects to the next level.
Watch
H Hazel & Jayson 3D Prints Hazel & Jayson 3D Prints · 5.9K subscribers · Dec 2025
And the print quality on this thing is insane. So just like the Bambble FP1S, as you guys can see, the Any Cubic Cobra S1 is 3D printing at very fast speeds as as well.
Watch
L Little Mod Shop Little Mod Shop · 5.3K subscribers · Mar 2025
So, I've purchased a new 3D printer, the Any Cubic Cobra S1 Combo. And why did I choose an any cubic machine over Bamboo Lab 1? Well, that's what we discuss today. I am Paul. This is my little modup.
Watch
D Doug Does Stuff! Doug Does Stuff! · 4.8K subscribers · Nov 2025
In Episode 28 of the Kobra S1 Series, I’m diving deep to help you reinvigorate your joy for 3D printing (especially if you're recovering from Ender series trauma like me!). We are covering everything from the Ace Pro and hotend swaps to modifying the stock bed and installing Rinkhals to help achieve that perfect bed mesh.
Watch
S Startup Chuck Startup Chuck · 1.6K subscribers · May 2026
But, so far, um I'm impressed. Check out the review. Nice. They put a big fragile sticker on it. Tear along the arrow. Separate the box. Lift it out together. All right. >> What's in the box? Power cords. Sensor. Lots of cables. All right. So, there's quite a few zip ties in here. Now, we got zip ties up here. Oof.
Watch
H Hahakenny Hahakenny · 949 subscribers · Feb 2026
And this test print completed with no issues whatsoever. Uh I know I could have done a larger print, but since this was my first time using carbon fiber, I didn't want to risk uh wasting all that filament. But uh so far so good. I will go ahead and remove all these supports and clean it up a bit. And here's the final result. It's actually pretty good. I love this material.
Watch
T The Larkins Life The Larkins Life · 532 subscribers · Feb 2026
So, first off, the number one reason I recogn recommend this printer because in its class for all the features that it has, it is the cheapest option available on the market. Um, and it is decent quality. Looking inside here, it is a corxy is fully enclosed which let which lets you print engineering grade filaments. Your hotend gets up to I believe 320° C.
Watch
T The Real Sam Prentice The Real Sam Prentice · channel · Dec 2025
This is the first time we’ve seen a consumer-level 350mm enclosed CoreXY with both high-temp engineering material support and 16-colour switching in one integrated platform.
Watch

11 mixed sources

G Goodprints3d Article
For the right buyer, that is a real lane. For the wrong buyer, it is easy overkill. If your work regularly demands large one-piece parts and you want to stay in the enclosed prosumer world, the Kobra S1 Max is worth attention. If you mostly print normal-size jobs, you are probably better off saving money, space, and complexity with a smaller machine.
Read
J JJ Shankles JJ Shankles · 322K subscribers · Mar 2026
This is a very large 3D printer with a lot of features packed in, but there are several downsides in the software department that left me a little underwhelmed. Now, before we dive into the details of this machine and some of my criticisms, I have sent a list of my issues to Anycubic, and they did send back a detailed response addressing all of my points.
Watch
F Facebook Facebook post
I 100% agree. Out of 5 of my Kobra S1s, only 1 works now. The others have layer shift nightmares, retraction problem, and extrusion problems. Just bought my 2nd and 3rd P1S.
View post
A Advanced Geekery Advanced Geekery · 63.8K subscribers · Feb 2026
However, reliability became the deal-breaker. Across repeated tests, I was unable to get this printer to start two prints in a row without intervention. After one successful print, subsequent jobs frequently failed to load, feed, or begin correctly, requiring disassembly and troubleshooting before printing again. This happened across different models, profiles, and even Anycubic filament.
Watch
3 3D Revolution 3D Revolution · 56.1K subscribers · Mar 2026
there are some concerns we really need to address.
Watch
N Nicole Balian Nicole Balian · 28.3K subscribers · Aug 2026
After spending some time putting this printer through its paces, I have a pretty good idea where it shines, where it could still improve, and who I think it's really for.
Watch
R Rad Dad's Print Lab Rad Dad's Print Lab · 14.7K subscribers · Aug 2025
“I’ll walk you through what stood out, what could be better, and if this combo kit is actually worth your money.
Watch
E Elevated MakerSpace Elevated MakerSpace · 6.2K subscribers · Nov 2025
But under that kind of pressure, things started to break. This isn't just a long-term review. This is what early reviews got wrong. the quirks that show up after weeks of real use, the problems that tuning can't fix, and the surprising things this printer actually gets right.
Watch
A Anthony Figueroa Inspiring to Create Anthony Figueroa Inspiring to Create · 628 subscribers · Apr 2026
Um uh the only thing or one of the things that is a little different about it is yeah it is definitely prone to nozzle clogging. Um even with the low settings um yeah I even removed this lid. Uh, one of my buddies, he says he has the S1 and he actually removed the door completely and the lid completely and he said he doesn't have any problems with it.
Watch
I If I Can Do it, You Can Do it. 3D Printing. If I Can Do it, You Can Do it. 3D Printing. · 69 subscribers · Jun 2026
Uh everything for the most part has been going pretty good uh after I did the firmware update. So, when it's switching from one spool to another spool if you're using the same colors, you can get that overshift like I did on the first one. See this? Supposed to be like this. Came out like this. So, that seems to have been rectified with the the firmware update.
Watch
C Crydteamprinting Crydteamprinting · channel · Sept 2025
And yes, I know the Any Cubic Copra S1 Combo has already been out for a few months now. So, you might be asking yourself why a review only now. The reason is actually quite simple. Right after release, many YouTubers had already published the tests. A lot of quick impressions, the usual Beni and tolerance tests, and of course, the weaknesses that immediately stood out back then. But there's the th
Watch

Frequently asked questions

It ranks #17 of 20 on our 3D printers tier list, in F tier. That placement draws on 57 cited sources across 49 outlets.

2 of the 55 sources with a clear view are critical of it: Makers101 and Tony Kramer (TKMakes). Owner reports of repeated hotend failures, including a melting unit. QC described as Anycubic's chronic weakness. Support described by owners as terrible. The tempting price is not worth the headache, per owners. Ownership cost rises, making it a risky choice.

Ranked nearby in 3D Printers