Frustrations with Bambu Lab P1S: Shipping Delays and Features

Bambu Lab P1S

Disappointing Start with Bambu Lab P1S: Long Shipping Times and Limited Flexibility

As a long-time 3D printing enthusiast, I’ve been loyal to my trusty Flashforge Pro since 2015. That machine has been a workhorse, seeing me through countless projects without fail. But recently, I decided to take the plunge and try something new—specifically, the much-hyped Bambu Lab P1S. Unfortunately, my experience so far has been anything but smooth, and I feel compelled to share my frustration.

Shipping Delays Since Late 2024

First off, the shipping experience has been a nightmare. Bambu Lab seemed to be riding a wave of popularity during the 2024 holiday season, but instead of stepping up to meet the demand, they’ve fallen short. Customers like me have been left in limbo, waiting far longer than expected for our orders to arrive. Shipping times have dragged on for weeks—or even months—leading to a frustrating start before the printer even reaches your hands.

Restrictive Policies for Third-Party Accessories

Shortly after my order was placed for the P1S, I discovered another major issue: limited compatibility with third-party items. One glaring example is their approach to the popular Panda touch screen upgrade, which is now restricted. For a company touting innovation, this feels counterintuitive and disappointing. The ability to customize and enhance printers with aftermarket parts has long been a staple of the 3D printing community. Why lock users into a closed ecosystem?

“As part of our ongoing commitment to enhance the overall security of our products, we are introducing an authorization and authentication protection mechanism for the connection and control of Bambu Lab 3D printers. This step is a significant security enhancement to ensure only authorized access and operations are permitted.

This change is mitigating any risk of remote hacks or printer exposure issues that have happened in the past and also lower the risk of abnormal traffic or attacks.”

Not the Experience I Expected

Switching from Flashforge to Bambu Lab was supposed to be a step up. I was excited to explore the P1S’s advanced features and rave reviews. Instead, I’ve been left feeling like I made a mistake. My old Flashforge Pro may not be as flashy or fast, but it’s reliable and open to customization—qualities I’ve come to value even more during this experience.

Can I Recommend Bambu Lab? Not Yet.

For now, I can’t recommend the Bambu Lab P1S to anyone, especially those who are accustomed to reliable shipping and the flexibility of aftermarket upgrades. Bambu Lab has a lot of potential, but unless they address these issues, they risk alienating a large portion of their user base.

If you’ve had a different experience—or if you’ve found workarounds to some of these challenges—I’d love to hear your thoughts. For now, I’m left wondering if my loyalty to Flashforge should have remained unbroken.