What to look out for when buying a 3D printer for kids?
Choosing between a fully assembled kids 3D printer or a kit depends on your child’s age and experience level. Pre-assembly is a good option for children aged 10-12 as it gives them the opportunity to experience the printing process and start printing with a low barrier to entry.
The kit is a great 3D printer for kids aged 12+ who want to learn how a 3D printer works. This is best for older kids who already have some knowledge of the printing process and want to gain a deeper understanding. It’s also best for kids who have some experience with advanced model kits, drone kits, or electronics kits.
Safety should be one of the first considerations when purchasing a 3D printer for children. While 3D printers are an amazing technology, they do pose some health and safety risks if used incorrectly. Hot parts like nozzles and heated print beds can pose a risk of burns, while certain materials like ABS can release harmful chemicals into the air.
These problems can be minimized or avoided by choosing the right machine and using it according to security best practices. The enclosures on children’s 3D printers keep them away from the parts of the printer that are most likely to harm them.
Likewise, the print monitoring system gives you the peace of mind to keep your Longer LK5 PRO 3D printer away and let your children use it unsupervised.
While printing with high temperature filaments like PETG and ABS requires a heated print bed, you can also use it with low temperature filaments like PLA. Setting the heated bed to a low temperature can help PLA prints adhere to the bed better, which is great for kids who are still learning how to level the build platform and get good first layer adhesion.
One of the downsides of using a heated bed with kids is that it can present some safety hazards. Due to the larger size, it is much easier to accidentally touch the thermal print bed than the nozzles, so it is important to supervise young children when the thermal print bed is on.
While 3D printer enclosures are usually made to help prevent heat from escaping from the print area when using high temperature filament, they are an important safety feature for younger users.
Fully enclosed 3D printers prevent children from touching the nozzle or heated bed during printing, minimizing the chance of burns. It also minimizes fumes generated during printing to improve air quality.
Buying an enclosed 3D printer or adding an aftermarket enclosure is one of the best safety measures you can take when purchasing a 3D printer for a young child.
One great feature to look for when shopping for the best 3D printers for kids is print monitoring. This means that the printer is equipped with a built-in camera that you can use to remotely view the build plate during the printing process. In addition to being a good safety feature, watching the 3D printer at all times during the 3D printing process has some educational value for your child.
Remote print viewing means users don’t need to be in the same room as the Longer Orange 4K Resin 3D printer to check print progress or check for errors. This also minimizes the risk of exposure to printer fumes, especially when using filaments with high VOC output, such as 3D printing nylon or ABS, which are not vented to the outside.
The ease of printer setup and 3D printing is one of the most important factors to consider when buying a 3D printer for children. Calibrating and troubleshooting a 3D printer can be frustrating even for adults, so kids who want to get good results easily can easily become overwhelmed by an advanced printer with many confusing features.
3D printers with simple touchscreen menus or apps to control are best for younger users. These printers have a much lower learning curve than 3D printers, which need to be fully controlled by a computer.
3D printers are excellent educational tools, which is one of the main reasons they are present in so many classrooms. They keep kids interested in the learning process and teach them 3D design and engineering skills.
For older kids, 3D printer kits are another way to add educational value to 3D printing, since they have to assemble all the parts correctly to use them. This allows them to better understand the printer and how it works.
When purchasing a Longer LK4 X 3D printer for a child, it is important to consider the printer’s maximum build volume and what the child in question will want to print. The smaller build volume is perfect for younger users making their own toys and other small items, as it is easier to get good bed level and first layer adhesion with a smaller bed.
If the 3D printer is mainly used for 3D printing cosplay armor, 3D printing helmets, props, educational models and other large models. Larger prints can be made on small build plates by printing them in several pieces and gluing them together, an extra step that might frustrate even older children.
