Bambu Lab sells its replacement hotends by printer family, each in a choice of nozzle sizes and materials. So start with your printer, then pick the nozzle size, then decide whether you need hardened steel. P1S owners who want carbon or glass fiber filament have one extra step: Bambu says the extruder needs upgrading too, not just the hotend.
Quick picks
| Pick | Fits (Bambu’s listing) | Nozzle options Bambu sells | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Hotend - P1 Series (Amazon search) | P1 Series (P1P, P1S) | 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 mm hardened steel; 0.2 mm stainless steel | You need a spare or a different size for a P1P or P1S |
| Bambu Lab Hardened Steel Upgrade Combo (Amazon search) | P1 Series | Hardened steel extruder gear assembly plus a 0.4 mm hardened steel complete hotend | You want to print carbon or glass fiber filament on a P1S |
| Bambu Hotend - A1/A2 (Amazon search) | A1, A1 mini or A2L (separate options) | 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 mm hardened steel; 0.2 and 0.4 mm stainless steel | You own an A-series printer |
| Bambu Hotend - X1C (Amazon search) | X1 Series | 0.4 mm hardened steel (the size the X1C ships with), 0.6 and 0.8 mm hardened steel; 0.2 mm stainless steel | You own an X1 or X1 Carbon |
Amazon searches for these names also return third-party hotends, so check that the brand is Bambu Lab, or use the Bambu Lab store links in each section below.
None of these listings names Bambu’s newer P2S, H2 or X2D printers. Those take separate hotends, such as the Tungsten Carbide Hotend - H2/P2S/X2D in Bambu’s hotend collection .
1. Bambu Hotend - P1 Series: for the P1P and P1S
This is Bambu’s replacement hotend for the P1 Series. Bambu’s wiki groups the P1P and P1S as the P1 Series, and its P1S upgrade guide tells P1S owners buying a hardened steel hotend to choose the one “for P1 Series.” You can buy it as a Complete Hotend or as the Hotend on its own, and Bambu’s wiki has replacement guides for both.
Size options are 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm in hardened steel and 0.2 mm in stainless steel. The P1S ships with a 0.4 mm stainless steel nozzle, so a hardened steel 0.4 mm hotend from this listing is the like-for-like size in a harder nozzle.
On a P1S, though, a hardened hotend alone isn’t Bambu’s answer for fiber-filled filament. See the next pick.
2. Hardened Steel Upgrade Combo: a P1S route to carbon and glass fiber
Bambu’s P1S spec sheet rates carbon/glass fiber reinforced polymer as “Not Recommended,” and its P1S store page goes further: it is “not recommended to directly print fiber-reinforced filaments such as glass fiber or carbon fiber, before an extruder and hotend upgrade is done.”
The Hardened Steel Upgrade Combo is Bambu’s kit for that upgrade on the P1 Series. The box holds a hardened steel extruder gear assembly (X/P Series) and a hardened steel 0.4 mm complete hotend for the P1 Series. Bambu says the hardened gear and hotend are better able to print tough engineering filaments containing carbon or glass fiber, with enhanced abrasion and clogging resistance.
Skip it if you only print PLA, PETG and the other materials Bambu marks as “optional” for hardened steel (below).
3. Bambu Hotend - A1/A2: for the A1, A1 mini and A2L
One listing covers Bambu’s A-series printers, with a separate printer-model option for the A1, A1 mini and A2L. Pick the option for your printer, not just the size. Each comes in 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm hardened steel and 0.2 or 0.4 mm stainless steel.
The A1 and A1 mini ship with a 0.4 mm stainless steel nozzle. Bambu’s A1 and A1 mini spec sheets list ABS, ASA, PC, PA, PET and carbon/glass fiber reinforced polymer as “Not Recommended.” Bambu’s A1 store page does say that filaments with hard particles, such as PLA-CF and PETG-CF, need a hardened steel nozzle on the A1, so treat a hardened hotend as the minimum for those filaments, not as a change to the spec-sheet rating.
4. Bambu Hotend - X1C: for X1 owners
Bambu designed this hotend for the X1 Series. The X1 Carbon already ships with a hardened steel 0.4 mm nozzle, and its spec sheet rates carbon/glass fiber reinforced polymer as “Ideal.” So X1C owners mostly buy this as a spare, or to add 0.6 mm or 0.8 mm hardened steel or 0.2 mm stainless steel. Like the P1 version, it comes as a Complete Hotend or the Hotend alone.
The X1, X1 Carbon and X1E reached end of life on March 31, 2026. Bambu says spare parts and support continue until March 31, 2031, but that “some parts may sell out earlier,” and it recommends buying replacements in good time.
Nozzle size: what Bambu says each one is for
All three hotend pages carry the same size guide:
- 0.2 mm: “perfect for small and intricate models,” such as miniatures, logos and text. Bambu marks it “NO” for PLA Sparkle, PLA Marble, wood/rock/metal-filled PLA, PA, TPU and all carbon or glass fiber filaments. It says particle-filled filaments “are prone to clog a 0.2 mm nozzle.”
- 0.4 mm: “ideal for everyday use with the perfect balance of speed and quality.” It is the size the P1S, A1, A1 mini and X1 Carbon ship with.
- 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm: “faster speeds and capable of printing high-performance filaments, with some decrease in resolution,” for large structural and functional parts.
When hardened steel matters
Bambu’s filament chart is clear. Hardened steel is optional for general PLA, PLA Sparkle, PLA Marble, wood/rock/metal-filled PLA, PETG, PVA, ABS, ASA, PC, PA and TPU. It is required for Bambu PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PAHT-CF and PET-CF, and for carbon or glass fiber filaments from other brands.
Size matters for fiber-filled filament too:
- Bambu PLA-CF and PETG-CF: Bambu recommends a hardened steel 0.4 mm nozzle.
- Bambu PAHT-CF and PET-CF: Bambu recommends hardened steel 0.6 mm.
- Other brands’ carbon or glass fiber filament: Bambu marks 0.4 mm “Not Recommended” and 0.6 mm and 0.8 mm “YES.”
The chart lists metal-filled PLA as optional, but Bambu’s P1S upgrade guide says abrasive filaments, such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, metal-filled and glow-in-the-dark, can wear out its stainless steel parts quickly. It says a hardened steel hotend and extruder let the P1S handle them reliably.
The nozzle chart says what a hotend can run. Your printer’s spec sheet still sets what the machine is rated for. Check both before buying fiber-filled filament.
After the swap
Bambu’s wiki says to update the nozzle information on the printer’s screen whenever the new hotend has a different diameter or material. On the A1 that is under Settings, Maintenance, Nozzle. Recent Bambu Studio versions show that setting for display only, so the change has to be made on the printer. On the P1 Series, the wiki’s check after replacing a complete hotend is to run the printer’s Calibration process, which takes about 20 minutes.
Sources
Checked October 5, 2026:
- Bambu Lab store: Bambu Hotends collection , Bambu Hotend - P1 Series , Hardened Steel Upgrade Combo , Bambu Hotend - A1/A2 , Bambu Hotend - X1C , P1S
- Bambu Lab spec sheets: P1S , A1 , A1 mini , X1 Carbon
- Bambu Lab wiki: P1 Series , P1S Abrasive Filament Extruder Upgrade Guide , P1 Series complete hotend replacement , A1 hotend replacement
- Bambu Lab blog: The X1-series is EOL
FAQ
Which Bambu hotend fits my printer?
Buy by printer family. Bambu Hotend - P1 Series fits the P1P and P1S, Bambu Hotend - A1/A2 has separate options for the A1, A1 mini and A2L, and Bambu Hotend - X1C fits the X1 series. Bambu’s P2S, H2 and X2D printers take separate hotends.
Do I need hardened steel for PLA or PETG?
No. Bambu’s filament chart marks hardened steel as optional for PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, PC, PA, TPU and PVA, and required only for carbon fiber and glass fiber filaments.
Can a P1S print carbon fiber filament with just a hardened steel hotend?
Bambu says the P1S should not print fiber-reinforced filaments such as glass fiber or carbon fiber until an extruder and hotend upgrade is done. Its Hardened Steel Upgrade Combo for the P1 Series pairs a hardened steel extruder gear assembly with a 0.4 mm hardened steel complete hotend.
What nozzle size should I start with?
Bambu describes 0.4 mm as ideal for everyday use. It positions 0.2 mm for small, intricate models and 0.6 mm or 0.8 mm for faster prints and high-performance filaments, with some loss of resolution.
See Also
If you want to pressure-test this shortlist, read Best High-Detail 3D Printers: Choosing One for Sharp Text and Parts, Best Easy-To-Use 3D Printers for Home: Beginner Picks for 2026, and Flexible 3D Printer Filament: TPU, TPE and Exact Grade Checks next.
For more context beyond the main ranking, Nozzle Temperature Mismatch Detector Tool for 3D Printing and Bambu Lab P1S vs X1 Carbon: Which Printer Fits Your Needs? add useful comparison detail.