Bambu Lab H3C Puts Nine Print Tools into One $2,499 Printer

The Bambu Lab H3C carries nine print tools on one machine, each with its own filament path and heater, and the company says it can switch between materials in as little as 6 seconds. It is the first printer in what Bambu Lab calls its third generation, and it sells for $2,499 in the US with the AMS 3H filament system included.

The tool changer, which Bambu Lab calls Swaptek, keeps each tool's filament loaded and ready to preheat ahead of a switch, so nothing has to be retracted before the next material feeds, and Active Pre-Heat warms the incoming nozzle while the current one is still printing. The 6-second figure comes from internal tests with PLA Basic in a filament-saving purge mode under optimal conditions, and the company notes that real switching times vary with filament type and slicer settings.

A separate FlexFeed extruder takes both 1.75 mm and 2.85 mm filament. With dedicated 2.85 mm TPU, the H3C prints material as soft as 75A, the company says. In its internal testing, that reached up to three times the maximum volumetric flow of the previous generation on 1.75 mm filament.

Bambu Lab puts the toolhead at 40% lighter than the H2D's. It says the lighter toolhead and X-axis assembly allow acceleration of up to 25,000 mm/s² and speeds of up to 1,400 mm/s. Optional high-flow nozzles are available where the model allows, and the company says prints finish more than 10% faster on average than on the previous flagship.

The AMS 3H sits inside the printer rather than beside it, with nine sealed slots and automatic loading. Two of the slots dry filament at up to 85°C, and drying can run during a print only if the filament stays dimensionally stable at that temperature. Connecting an older AMS through print tool 1 raises the ceiling to 24 spools in a single print. The H3C has a 330 × 320 × 325 mm build volume. Its nozzles reach 350°C, and the chamber is actively heated to up to 65°C.

Mixed nozzle sizes on the H3C need additional hotends, color mixing needs CMYKW PLA Palette filament, and the cutting, drawing and debossing tools are sold separately. The optional BirdsEye top-view camera is also separate, and BirdsEye-enhanced AI monitoring is planned for the first half of 2027, subject to change. US pricing, before tax:

Bambu Lab is also bringing mixed nozzle sizes within a single part to the H2D, H2C and X2D, with some of those features due by the end of 2026 and others by the first quarter of 2027.