Bambu Lab PLA Metal Filament vs Protopasta Rustable Magnetic Iron PLA

These are two different ideas of a metal-look filament. Bambu PLA Metal is a metallic-pigment PLA with no metal filler: it prints near normal PLA speeds, needs no special nozzle, and gives a shiny iridium gold finish. The Protopasta iron composite is a real iron-filled PLA: it is ferromagnetic, about 1.5x the density of standard PLA, and can be rusted on purpose for a cast-metal look. Owners of the iron composite rate it highly and praise the finish, but report brittleness, abrasive wear on nozzles, and slow print speeds. Choose Bambu for easy, fast decorative prints; choose the iron composite for magnetic, heavy, rustable artifacts.

• Choose the Bambu PLA Metal if you want a metallic gold finish with ordinary PLA settings, fast speeds and no nozzle wear.
• Choose the Protopasta iron composite if you need a part that magnets stick to, feels heavy, or can be rusted for an aged metal look.