I tested Snapmaker’s long-awaited new 3D printer – and it’s a seriously fast, affordable, multi-color, multi-material machine

Key Takeaways:

• Snapmaker shifts focus from multi-tool platforms to a dedicated 3D printer.
• The U1 houses four independent print heads for simultaneous, multi-material work.
• Reviewers cite fast print speeds in initial tests.
• The design generates “far less waste” than previous models.
• Despite the feature set, Snapmaker markets the U1 as an affordable option.

The Evolution of Snapmaker
Snapmaker built its reputation on machines that could mill, laser-engrave and print. With the U1, the company narrows its ambitions to perfect a single craft: 3D printing. As TechRadar notes, “Snapmaker is known for its multi-tool machines, but with the U1… it focuses on refining 3D printing.”

Four Heads, Four Materials
At the heart of the new device is what the review calls a “four 3D print tool head design.” Each head can be loaded with a different filament, allowing users to switch colors or materials without pausing production. Out of the box, the printer “can handle four materials,” instantly expanding design possibilities for hobbyists and professionals alike.

Speed as a Selling Point
Time is money, and the U1 appears to respect both. TechRadar’s early hands-on found “fast print speeds,” a crucial metric for any workshop looking to move prototypes or finished parts quickly from file to physical object.

Waste Not
Plastic scrap is a persistent flaw in additive manufacturing. Snapmaker’s latest effort tackles the problem head-on. The review highlights one metric above all: “far less waste.” Fewer purges and more precise material use promise savings in both budget and conscience.

Affordable Ambitions
Perhaps as surprising as the technical leap is the price. TechRadar labels the new model “affordable,” signaling Snapmaker’s intent to keep the learning curve and the cost curve equally gentle.

What Comes Next
Multi-color, multi-material printing at high speed and lower waste points to a maturing field where features once reserved for industrial rigs reach the desktop. If the U1 lives up to its early billing, Snapmaker may have rewritten the rules—again—this time by focusing on just one tool, executed four ways.