6 PETG Brands Tested: Strength, Stringing, and Print Quality

PETG is the workhorse filament for functional parts — stronger than PLA, more heat resistant, food-safe in many formulations, and significantly easier to print than ABS. But not all PETG is created equal. After printing with dozens of different PETG brands over the past year, I noticed meaningful differences in stringing behavior, layer adhesion, and overall print quality that prompted me to run a proper side-by-side test.

Here is what I found after testing 6 popular PETG brands on identical prints with identical settings.

Test Setup

Printer and Settings

All tests on a Bambu Lab A1 with a textured PEI plate:

• Nozzle: 0.4mm brass
• Layer height: 0.2mm
• Print speed: 100mm/s (slower than PLA to account for PETG's characteristics)
• Nozzle temperature: 240°C for all brands
• Bed temperature: 80°C
• Retraction: 0.8mm at 25mm/s
• Part cooling fan: 50%
• No enclosure

Test Prints

1. Calibration cube — dimensional accuracy
2. Stringing torture test — multiple towers with varying gaps
3. Tensile test bar (ASTM D638) — mechanical properties
4. Overhang test — quality without supports at various angles
5. Bridging test — progressively longer unsupported spans
6. Water container test — waterproofness of printed vessel after 24 hours

Each test was printed twice per brand. All filament was dried for 4 hours in a Sunlu filament dryer before testing to eliminate moisture as a variable.

The 6 Brands Tested

1. Polymaker PolyLite PETG (~$22/kg) — Premium brand
2. Hatchbox PETG (~$23/kg) — Community favorite
3. eSUN PETG (~$19/kg) — Budget-premium
4. Overture PETG (~$18/kg) — Amazon popular
5. Sunlu PETG (~$16/kg) — Budget
6. Prusament PETG (~$32/kg) — Premium European

All rolls tested in black to minimize color-dependent variation.

Results

Overall Rankings

| Rank | Brand | Score (out of 100) | Price/kg | Standout Quality | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Prusament PETG | 93 | $32 | Layer adhesion | | 2 | Polymaker PolyLite | 90 | $22 | Surface quality | | 3 | Hatchbox PETG | 87 | $23 | Consistency | | 4 | eSUN PETG | 84 | $19 | Strength | | 5 | Overture PETG | 81 | $18 | Value | | 6 | Sunlu PETG | 74 | $16 | Price |

Stringing: The PETG Challenge

PETG strings. That is the nature of the material. But some brands handle it better than others.

| Brand | Stringing Level (1=minimal, 5=extreme) | Notes | |---|---|---| | Prusament | 2 | Best in class — surprisingly clean | | Polymaker | 2 | Very good, thin easily-removable whiskers | | Hatchbox | 3 | Moderate, typical for PETG | | eSUN | 3 | Moderate, slightly thick strings | | Overture | 3 | Moderate, consistent | | Sunlu | 4 | Heavy stringing, required significant post-cleanup |

Prusament and Polymaker both string noticeably less than the other brands at the same settings. This likely comes down to the specific polymer blend and additives that control melt viscosity.

For context, even the "level 2" PETG brands string more than most PLA. If you are coming from PLA and expecting clean travel moves, PETG will always require some adjustment — lower temperatures, Z-hop, and combing mode all help. See my stringing troubleshooting guide for specific PETG fixes.

Mechanical Strength

PETG is chosen for functional parts, so strength matters. Tensile test results:

| Brand | Tensile Strength (MPa) | Elongation at Break (%) | Layer Adhesion (qualitative) | |---|---|---|---| | eSUN | 47.8 | 12.4% | Good | | Prusament | 46.5 | 11.8% | Excellent | | Polymaker | 45.9 | 11.2% | Very good | | Hatchbox | 44.7 | 10.5% | Good | | Overture | 43.8 | 9.8% | Good | | Sunlu | 41.2 | 8.5% | Adequate |

eSUN edges out Prusament on raw tensile strength, but Prusament has noticeably better layer adhesion — parts are harder to split along layer lines. For parts where inter-layer strength matters (which is most functional applications), Prusament's superior layer adhesion makes it the stronger choice in practice.

According to CNC Kitchen's PETG testing, layer adhesion is often more important than raw tensile strength for 3D printed parts because the weakest point is almost always the layer interface, not the bulk material.

Moisture Sensitivity

PETG is hygroscopic — it absorbs moisture from the air. But some formulations are more sensitive than others. I exposed each brand to ambient conditions (no sealed storage) for 7 days, then reprinted the stringing test:

| Brand | Stringing After 7 Days (1-5) | Quality Degradation | |---|---|---| | Prusament | 3 (from 2) | Minimal | | Polymaker | 3 (from 2) | Minor | | Hatchbox | 4 (from 3) | Moderate | | eSUN | 4 (from 3) | Moderate | | Overture | 4 (from 3) | Moderate | | Sunlu | 5 (from 4) | Significant |

All brands degraded after moisture exposure, but the premium brands (Prusament, Polymaker) were less affected. This suggests either a more moisture-resistant formulation or better initial drying.

The takeaway: always dry PETG before printing, regardless of brand. A filament dryer is not optional for PETG — it is essential.

Surface Quality

Examining Benchy and calibration cube surfaces under good lighting:

| Brand | Surface Quality (1-10) | Notes | |---|---|---| | Polymaker | 9.0 | Smooth, consistent, attractive matte sheen | | Prusament | 9.0 | Excellent, very uniform | | Hatchbox | 8.5 | Very good, slight variation on large surfaces | | eSUN | 8.0 | Good, slightly more textured | | Overture | 7.5 | Decent, visible layer lines slightly more prominent | | Sunlu | 7.0 | Adequate, occasional surface blemish |

Polymaker and Prusament tie for best surface finish. Both produce a smooth, slightly glossy surface that looks professional. Budget brands show more visible layer lines and occasional inconsistencies.

Bridging Performance

PETG bridges well because of its viscosity and slow cooling. Test results for maximum clean bridge length:

| Brand | Max Clean Bridge (mm) | Notes | |---|---|---| | Overture | 45mm | Surprisingly good — best bridging | | Hatchbox | 42mm | Very good | | eSUN | 40mm | Good | | Polymaker | 38mm | Good, slight droop at longer spans | | Prusament | 38mm | Good | | Sunlu | 32mm | Moderate, sags earlier |

Overture wins bridging despite not topping other categories. This suggests good viscosity characteristics at the tested temperature.

Waterproofness

I printed thin-walled containers (1mm wall, 3 perimeters) and filled them with water for 24 hours:

| Brand | Water Retention After 24hrs | |---|---| | Prusament | No leakage | | Polymaker | No leakage | | Hatchbox | Minimal seepage | | eSUN | Minimal seepage | | Overture | Minor seepage | | Sunlu | Noticeable seepage |

The premium brands produced effectively waterproof vessels without any post-processing. Budget brands showed some water permeation through layer interfaces. For waterproof applications, use premium PETG with 5+ walls and consider sealing with epoxy for absolute certainty.

My Recommendations

Best Overall: Polymaker PolyLite PETG

Polymaker offers the best combination of surface quality, low stringing, decent strength, and reasonable price. This is my daily-driver PETG.

Best Quality: Prusament PETG

Prusament edges out Polymaker in layer adhesion, moisture resistance, and dimensional consistency. The $32/kg price is steep, but for critical functional parts, the quality justifies it.

Best Value: Overture PETG

At $18/kg, Overture delivers acceptable quality across all categories. It won the bridging test and holds its own in strength. If you are printing large functional parts where per-kilo cost matters, Overture is hard to beat.

Best for Strength: eSUN PETG

eSUN had the highest raw tensile strength in testing. For load-bearing applications, it is a solid choice at a reasonable price.

Avoid for Quality Work: Sunlu PETG

Sunlu's PETG showed the most stringing, weakest strength, worst moisture sensitivity, and lowest surface quality. It works for non-critical prints where cost is the primary concern, but I would not use it for anything functional or visible. The Sunlu PLA is better value within their lineup.

PETG Printing Tips (Any Brand)

1. Dry your filament. Every time. No exceptions. Four hours at 65°C minimum.
2. Lower the temperature. If stringing is bad, drop 5°C at a time.
3. Reduce retraction speed. 25mm/s works better than 40mm/s for PETG.
4. Enable Z-hop. 0.3-0.5mm prevents the nozzle from dragging through existing layers.
5. Use a textured PEI bed. PETG bonds too aggressively to smooth PEI and can damage the surface. Textured PEI releases cleanly.
6. Part cooling at 40-60%. Too much cooling causes layer adhesion issues. Too little causes drooping overhangs.

As noted in the Prusa Knowledge Base, PETG requires a fundamentally different approach than PLA — lower fan, higher bed temperature, and adjusted retraction.

Optimize Your PETG Settings

PETG is more demanding than PLA, and getting the settings right makes a bigger difference than the brand choice. Use the AI Settings tool on 3DSearch to get PETG-specific settings optimized for your printer and the model you want to print.

Final Thoughts

PETG brand selection matters more than PLA brand selection because the material is more demanding and the differences between formulations are more pronounced. Premium PETG (Prusament, Polymaker) strings less, adheres better between layers, resists moisture degradation longer, and produces cleaner surfaces.

That said, even budget PETG produces strong, functional parts when properly dried and printed with optimized settings. The brand you use matters, but your settings and filament storage practices matter more. Dry your filament, use a textured bed, and tune your temperature — those three things improve PETG print quality more than any brand upgrade.