Bambu Lab R1: Specs, Price, and How It Stacks Up Against the xTool P2S and H2D Laser
Bambu’s first standalone laser is a 55-watt CO2 cutter and engraver for $2,499. It cuts clear acrylic, which the diode laser on an H2D can’t, and it comes in under the xTool P2S on price. Here’s what the spec sheets say, and what’s still unknown on launch day.
Launch-day note. We haven’t tested an R1. Its numbers here come from Bambu Lab’s own spec page and launch announcement, and the rivals’ from each maker’s spec pages. Hands-on details come from the two reviews published at launch, by Tom’s Hardware and Hackster, and are credited where used.
CO2 laser at 10,600 nm, in a liquid-cooled glass tube
Millimeters of work area. Stock up to 3,000 mm long feeds through with the Conveyor add-on
US price with shipping, before tax. Pre-orders opened September 22; shipping starts in October
Less machine volume than the xTool P2S by our math, for 3% less work area
The short version
- Buy the R1 if you want a CO2 laser that aligns its own mirrors and focuses itself, you already use Bambu’s software, and you’d rather not wear goggles. It’s Class 1 with the lid closed, for $2,499.
- Pick the xTool P2S if you want LightBurn support, adjustable air assist, and a longer track record. It was $2,799 on sale at 3D Universe on launch day, and backordered there.
- Keep the diode laser on your H2D or H2C if you mostly engrave, and cut wood, leather, and dark acrylic up to about 15 mm. One machine that also prints is worth a lot on a small bench.
- Step up to the xTool P3 if you need a 915 × 458 mm bed and 80 W for production work. It starts at $6,999.
- Glowforge’s Pro HD is hard to justify on specs: $7,999 for a 45 W tube, a 495 × 279 mm cut area, and a Class 4 rating.
- Wait for more reviews if you’ll cut thick stock every day. The lens in the box tops out at 15 mm black walnut, per Bambu, and Tom’s Hardware needed the optional long-focus lens and four passes to get through 19.5 mm pine.
What an H2D laser can’t cut
Bambu’s H2D and H2C can already laser. Their 40-watt blue diode module engraves wood and leather and cuts basswood plywood up to 15 mm, per Bambu’s specs, all inside a 3D printer. What it can’t do is cut clear acrylic. Blue light at 455 nm passes through clear acrylic instead of heating it. Glowforge, for one, tells owners of its own diode lasers to avoid white, clear, and blue acrylic.
A CO2 laser works at 10,600 nm, deep in the infrared, where acrylic and glass absorb the beam. That’s the gap the R1 fills, along with a 600 × 300 mm work area that’s 2.3 times the H2D’s 310 × 250 mm laser area.
It also isn’t a printer. The R1 is a dedicated laser cutter and engraver with its own software, Bambu Suite, and no hotend anywhere.
Bambu Lab R1 specs
The processing numbers below come from Bambu’s own spec page, and Tom’s Hardware’s review filled in size, weight, and cooling. Each row names its source, so you can see which figures are Bambu’s. For anything that changes after launch, check Bambu’s R1 page.
| Spec | Bambu Lab R1 |
|---|---|
| Laser | 55 W CO2, 10,600 nm, in a liquid-cooled glass tubeSource: Bambu; wavelength and tube: Tom’s Hardware |
| Work area | 600 × 300 mm standalone, or 600 × 3,000 mm with the ConveyorSource: Bambu |
| Top speed | 1,000 mm/s and 20,000 mm/s² acceleration, with laser power that scales with speed so engraving tone stays evenSource: Bambu |
| Thickest cut | Short-focus lens, the one in the box: 15 mm black walnut, 20 mm acrylic. Medium- and long-focus lenses: 18 mm black walnut, 20 mm acrylic, and Bambu says the long lens is faster at the same thicknessSource: Bambu |
| Materials | Cuts and engraves wood, acrylic including clear, leather, fabric, paper, EVA foam, and shell; engraves coated metal (not bare metal), glass, and ceramicSource: Bambu |
| Lenses | Short-focus included, with a Ø0.11 mm spot; medium (Ø0.17 mm) and long (Ø0.19 mm) sold separatelySource: Bambu |
| Positioning | Bed camera, toolhead camera, pinpoint laser, a distance-measuring laser for autofocus, and XY encoders. Under 0.2 mm tracing accuracy; under 0.1 mm over 600 mm with the optional Vision EncoderSource: Bambu |
| Alignment | Motorized mirrors line up the beam path automatically in about a minuteSource: Bambu |
| Safety | Class 1 (IEC 60825-1) with the lid closed; Class 4 with the Riser Base or Conveyor. Lid interlock, flame sensor, emergency stop; automatic fire extinguishing optionalSource: Bambu |
| Air | Crossflow ventilation with an exhaust hose and fan included; air assist pump at 30 L/min and 30 kPaSource: Bambu; hose and fan: Tom’s Hardware |
| Size and weight | 940 × 560 × 200 mm, 33.5 kgSource: Tom’s Hardware |
| Connections | Wi-Fi, USB, color touchscreenSource: Tom’s Hardware |
| Software | Bambu Suite for Windows and macOS, tied to your Bambu account and MakerWorldSource: Bambu |
| Price | $2,499 in the US (shipping included, tax extra); €2,499 in the EU. Pre-orders from September 22, shipping from OctoberSource: Bambu |
| Add-ons | Riser Base, Conveyor ($499), Rotary ($269), medium and long lenses, Vision Encoder, E1 Pro Air Purifier, Auto Fire Extinguishing SystemSource: Bambu; prices: All3DP |
What’s new at this price
It aligns its own mirrors
A CO2 laser bounces its beam off mirrors on the way from the tube to the head, and keeping them lined up is usually a manual job with test shots. The R1 has motorized mirror mounts: you clip Bambu’s alignment sensor to the head, and it corrects the beam path in about a minute, per Bambu. Hackster’s reviewer singled this out against the xTool P2S, which you align by hand.
Class 1 in the box, Class 4 out of it
With the lid closed, the R1 is a Class 1 laser product under IEC 60825-1, so no goggles and no separate room. Add the Riser Base or the Conveyor and the enclosure is no longer complete: Bambu says the R1 then becomes a Class 4 device that needs CO2-rated eyewear and trained operators. For comparison, the xTool P2S is listed as Class 4 in the US, the xTool P3 is Class 1 until you add its conveyor, and Glowforge rates its Pro as Class 4.
It knows where the head is
Bambu calls its camera-and-sensor package TriSense: a camera over the whole bed, a toolhead camera for close alignment, a pinpoint laser, a distance-measuring laser that sets focus on flat or curved parts, and XY encoders that report where the head really is. Bambu quotes under 0.2 mm when tracing and cutting around printed artwork, and 0.1 mm over 600 mm of travel with the optional Vision Encoder. Tom’s Hardware praised the camera accuracy.
Speed without tone changes
Top speed is 1,000 mm/s, against 600 mm/s for the xTool P2S. Bambu pairs it with what it calls Speed-Synced Laser Power, which scales power with speed so an engraving doesn’t darken where the head slows for corners. Keep the headline in perspective, though: that’s an engraving speed. Tom’s Hardware cut 19.5 mm pine at 10 mm/s.
Crossflow air, and a fire plan
Air enters one side and leaves the other, and at the pass-through opening the incoming air forms a curtain, Bambu says. The R1 ships with an exhaust hose and fan for venting outside; Bambu’s E1 Pro purifier, with activated carbon, is the option if you can’t. A flame sensor and lid interlock are standard, and an automatic extinguishing system is an add-on.
What the first two reviews found
Two outlets had an R1 before launch. Both liked it, and both found launch-day rough edges.
Tom’s Hardware gave it an Editor’s Choice, praising easy assembly, simple calibration, camera accuracy, and a smaller footprint than other lasers in its class. The complaints: it’s the loudest laser the reviewer had tested, with cooling fans that never stop. The included short-focus lens didn’t get through 19.5 mm pine, while the long-focus lens did it in four passes at 80% power and 10 mm/s. Swapping lenses means removing tiny screws and running a five-minute camera calibration, and the material presets are thin for now.
Hackster called it very good and a match for the xTool P2S on hardware. It cut 3 mm birch plywood and painted MDF, but found Bambu Suite less mature than xTool Studio: there’s no step-down between passes, and no camera view while you design. Its verdict was that neither machine is the obvious winner.
R1 vs the H2D and H2C laser editions
If you already own an H2D or H2C with a laser module, the question isn’t which is better. It’s whether you need what a CO2 tube adds.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Spec | Bambu Lab R1 | H2D, 40 W laser | H2D, 10 W laser |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laser | 55 W CO2, 10,600 nm | 40 W blue diode, 455 nm | 10 W blue diode, 455 nm |
| Laser work area | 600 × 300 mm | 310 × 250 mm | 310 × 270 mm |
| Thickest cut, per Bambu | 15 mm black walnut with the lens in the box, 18 mm with the optional lenses; 20 mm acrylic | 15 mm basswood plywood | 5 mm basswood plywood |
| Top engraving speed | 1,000 mm/s | 1,000 mm/s | 400 mm/s |
| Clear acrylic | Cuts it | No: the beam passes through | No |
| Glass | Engraves it | Not listed by Bambu | Not listed by Bambu |
| Laser safety | Class 1, lid closed | Class 1 overall | Class 1 overall |
| Also 3D prints | No | Yes, two nozzles | Yes, two nozzles |
| Price, September 22 | $2,499 | $2,699 at 3D Universe ($3,499 at launch in 2025) | $2,149 at 3D Universe ($2,799 at launch) |
Keep the module if your laser work is mostly engraving, plus cutting wood, leather, and dark acrylic. The 40 W diode cuts 15 mm basswood, per Bambu, and it shares the printer’s enclosure and software. Our H2C laser breakdown covers the 10 W versus 40 W decision.
Add an R1 if you want clear acrylic for signs, display cases, and printer enclosure windows, engraved glass, or full 600 × 300 mm sheets. And one practical point: an H2D can’t print while it’s lasering. An R1 beside a printer lets both jobs run at once.
R1 vs the xTool P2S, xTool P3, and Glowforge Pro HD
The xTool P2S is the R1’s closest rival: the same 55 W tube class and nearly the same bed. The P3 and the Glowforge are here for scale, one bigger and faster, one smaller and pricier.
Swipe the table sideways to see every machine.
| Spec | Bambu Lab R1 | xTool P2S | xTool P3 | Glowforge Pro HD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price, September 22 | $2,499 | $2,799 on sale ($2,999 list) at 3D Universe; backordered | From $6,999 at xTool | $7,999 |
| Laser | 55 W CO2, glass tube | 55 W CO2, glass tube | 80 W CO2 | 45 W CO2, glass tube |
| Work area | 600 × 300 mm | 600 × 308 mm | 915 × 458 mm | 495 × 279 mm |
| Top speed | 1,000 mm/s | 600 mm/s | 1,200 mm/s | Not listed in mm/s |
| Thickest cut, per maker | 15 mm black walnut with the included lens, 18 mm with the optional lenses; 20 mm acrylic | 18 mm solid walnut or cherry; 20 mm clear acrylic in one pass | Not listed | Not listed |
| Laser safety | Class 1; Class 4 with Riser Base or Conveyor | Class 4 as listed in the US | Class 1; Class 4 with the conveyor feeder | Class 4 |
| Mirror alignment | Automatic | Manual | Not listed | Not listed |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled tube, water and antifreeze | Built-in water cooling, 1.4 L | Built-in water chiller | Closed-loop internal cooling |
| Air assist | Built in, 30 L/min at 30 kPa | Built in, adjustable 15–150 kPa | Built in, up to 200 kPa | Not listed |
| Long material | Conveyor, up to 3,000 mm | Pass-through, up to 118 in (3,000 mm) | Conveyor feeder, any length | Pass-through slot, up to 6.3 mm thick |
| Software | Bambu Suite (Windows, macOS) | xTool Studio or XCS; LightBurn without camera or autofocus | xTool Studio on a PC only | Glowforge’s own app |
| Size, W × D × H | 940 × 560 × 200 mm | 1000 × 639 × 268 mm | 1250 × 808 × 496 mm | 965 × 527 × 210 mm |
| Weight | 33.5 kg | 45 kg | 105 kg | Not listed |
| Tube life, per maker | Not in the specs we’ve seen | 6,000–8,000 h | About 10,000 h | Not listed |
R1 or P2S
The R1 costs $300 less than the P2S’s sale price, has a two-thirds higher top speed, aligns itself, and is Class 1 out of the box. Two things go the other way. Out of the box the R1 cuts 15 mm black walnut against the P2S’s 18 mm claim, so matching it means buying the medium or long lens; and the P2S’s air assist runs from 15 to 150 kPa where the R1’s pump is fixed at 30 kPa. Add LightBurn support, Ethernet, and xTool Studio, which Hackster rated as more mature, and the P2S still has answers. If you already run LightBurn on another laser, that alone may decide it.
R1 or P3
The P3 is a different class: 80 W, a 915 × 458 mm bed, 1,200 mm/s, a built-in chiller, and 105 kg. At $6,999 and up it’s a production machine, and it only runs xTool Studio on a PC.
R1 or Glowforge Pro HD
On paper, the Pro HD asks $7,999 for a 45 W tube and a 495 × 279 mm cut area, about 23% less area than the R1’s, and it’s Class 4. Glowforge also rates the Pro for rooms between 60 and 81 °F (16–27 °C).
What the $2,499 doesn’t cover
Somewhere for the smoke to go. The included hose and fan vent outside, through a window or a wall. If you can’t vent, budget for a purifier such as Bambu’s E1 Pro; we haven’t seen a price for it, and carbon filters are a recurring cost.
Lenses for thick stock. Bambu’s own cutting table splits by lens: the short-focus lens in the box does 15 mm black walnut, while 18 mm needs the medium or long lens. Tom’s Hardware needed the long lens for 19.5 mm pine.
The long-material kit. The Conveyor is $499, per All3DP, and Hackster notes it needs the Riser Base. Either one makes the R1 a Class 4 laser that needs CO2-rated eyewear.
A rotary for tumblers and bottles. $269, per All3DP.
Coolant. The tube is cooled by a mix of distilled water and antifreeze that you fill at setup, per Tom’s Hardware. Glass CO2 tubes wear out eventually; xTool rates the P2S’s at 6,000 to 8,000 hours, and we haven’t seen a tube-life rating for the R1.
Someone in the room. The flame sensor and optional extinguisher are backups. Our rule for any laser that cuts: stay with it while it runs.
San Diego notes
- Venting
- A CO2 laser cutting plywood makes a lot of smoke, and cut acrylic has a sharp smell. In an apartment or a garage that shares walls, plan the vent run before the machine arrives, or budget for a purifier.
- Garage heat
- Water-cooled tubes like cool rooms. Glowforge, for one, rates its Pro for 60 to 81 °F, and inland garages from Escondido to El Cajon run hotter than that in late summer. We haven’t seen an operating range for the R1, so check before you plan a garage install.
- Buying one
- There’s no Bambu retail counter in San Diego County. Pre-orders are through Bambu’s online store, and the first units ship in October.
Printer and laser: who does what
The R1 won’t replace a 3D printer, and a printer won’t cut a sheet of clear acrylic. Together they cover most of what a small shop makes. Print the shapes a laser can’t make: enclosures, brackets, knobs, anything with depth. Laser the flat parts a printer does badly: clear windows, big panels, engraved faces, and signs.
A printed enclosure with a laser-cut clear acrylic lid, or a printed base holding an engraved acrylic sign, uses each machine for what it does best.
Printable parts for a laser bench
Lens caddy
Holds the short, medium, and long focus lenses capped and dust-free between swaps.
PETG or PLAWindow vent adapter
Seals the exhaust hose into a sliding-window insert so smoke doesn’t leak back in.
ASA for a sunny windowOutfeed roller stand
Supports long stock coming off the Conveyor so it doesn’t sag or twist.
PETGTest-card rack
Holds your material test cards, labeled with power and speed, next to the machine.
PLAHose and cable clips
Keep the exhaust hose and cables off the floor and away from the lid hinge.
PETGJigs: laser them, don’t print them
Anything that sits in the beam’s path during a job should be cut from MDF or acrylic. Printed plastic in the beam melts and burns.
MDF or acrylicKeep printed parts outside the enclosure. The beam doesn’t care that it’s a jig.
Adding a laser to a Bambu setup?
We service Bambu printers across San Diego County, on site or at our Carmel Valley shop, and print parts from $7 an hour of machine time plus material. We haven’t had an R1 on the bench yet, so on laser questions we’ll tell you what we know and what we don’t. If your H2D or H2C needs work, printer or laser module, send a repair request and we’ll tell you whether it’s something we can fix.
Request a repair or printCall or text 858-342-6984
Email dreaming3dprinting@gmail.com
Instagram @dreaming3dprinting
What we don’t take on: metal printing, flight hardware, firearm components, load-bearing or safety-critical parts, and patient-contact medical devices.
Common questions
What is the Bambu Lab R1?
A 55 W CO2 laser cutter and engraver, and Bambu Lab’s first standalone laser. It has a 600 × 300 mm work area and a top speed of 1,000 mm/s, and it costs $2,499 in the US. It doesn’t 3D print.
How much does the Bambu Lab R1 cost, and when does it ship?
$2,499 in the US, with shipping included and tax extra, or €2,499 in the EU. Pre-orders opened September 22, 2026, and Bambu says shipping starts in October. Add-ons cost extra, including the Conveyor ($499) and Rotary ($269), per All3DP.
Can the Bambu R1 cut clear acrylic?
Yes. Bambu lists clear acrylic among the materials it cuts, up to 20 mm thick. A CO2 beam at 10,600 nm is absorbed by acrylic, while the 455 nm blue light from a diode laser passes through clear acrylic, which is why the H2D’s laser module can’t cut it.
How thick can the R1 cut?
The lens decides. With the short-focus lens in the box, Bambu lists 15 mm black walnut and 20 mm acrylic. With the medium or long lens, sold separately, it lists 18 mm black walnut and the same 20 mm acrylic, and says the long lens is faster at the same thickness. That matches Tom’s Hardware’s test: the included lens didn’t get through 19.5 mm pine, and the long-focus lens did, in four passes at 80% power and 10 mm/s.
Do you need goggles or a vent for the R1?
With the lid closed it’s a Class 1 laser, so no goggles. With the Riser Base or Conveyor installed it becomes Class 4, and Bambu calls for CO2-rated eyewear. The smoke has to go somewhere: outside through the included hose, or through a purifier such as Bambu’s E1 Pro.
Should I buy the R1 or the xTool P2S?
The R1 costs less at launch ($2,499 against $2,799 for the P2S on sale), has a higher top speed (1,000 mm/s against 600), aligns its own mirrors, and is Class 1 out of the box. The P2S supports LightBurn and adjustable air assist and has a longer track record. Hackster found the hardware comparable and xTool’s software more mature.
Is the R1 better than the laser on a Bambu H2D or H2C?
For cutting, yes: 55 W CO2 against a 40 W diode, a 600 × 300 mm work area against 310 × 250 mm, and it cuts clear acrylic and engraves glass. The H2D or H2C laser is the better value if you mostly engrave wood and leather and want one machine that also 3D prints.
Does the Bambu R1 work with LightBurn?
Bambu names only its own Bambu Suite, for Windows and macOS, and we haven’t seen any word on LightBurn support. If LightBurn matters to you, the xTool P2S supports it, without its camera and autofocus features.
Can Dreaming3D help with a Bambu laser setup in San Diego?
We repair Bambu printers across San Diego County, on site or at our Carmel Valley shop, and print parts to order. We haven’t serviced an R1 yet. Call or text 858-342-6984, or send a request at dreaming3d.net/pages/repair-request.
Keep reading
Would you buy a dedicated CO2 laser from Bambu, or stick with a diode module on your H2? And what would you cut first? Tell us in the comments.
Sources and notes
- Bambu Lab launch announcement (PR Newswire, September 22, 2026). Price, availability, work area, speed, cutting claims, TriSense, alignment, safety classes, ventilation, accessories, software, and the space claim.
- Bambu Lab, R1 specs page. Laser type, supported materials, cutting capacity by lens, working area, speed and acceleration, spot sizes, motion accuracy, and the air assist pump.
- Tom’s Hardware, Bambu Lab R1 review. Size, weight, wavelength, cooling, air assist, lens tests, noise, and presets.
- Hackster, Bambu Lab R1 review. P2S comparison, mirror alignment, and software gaps.
- All3DP, launch coverage. Conveyor and Rotary prices, and the Glowforge Pro HD price.
- xTool, P2S product page. Cutting claims and pass-through length.
- MatterHackers, xTool P2S listing. P2S spec sheet: work area, size, weight, speed, safety class, cooling, air assist, tube life, connections, and LightBurn.
- 3D Universe, xTool P2S listing. Sale and list price, and stock status.
- xTool, P3 page. Starting price, work area, speed, safety class, and cooling.
- xTool support, P3 FAQ. Size, weight, tube life, conveyor safety class, air assist, and software.
- Glowforge, performance tech specs. Pro laser power, cut area, size, pass-through, safety class, cooling, and operating temperature.
- Glowforge, home page. Guidance to avoid white, clear, and blue acrylic on its diode lasers.
- 3D Universe, H2D Laser Full Combo listing. H2D laser specs as published by Bambu, and current prices.
- 3D Printing Industry, H2D launch specs. H2D size, laser areas, speeds, and launch prices.
- Comparison math (work area, floor space, volume, and work area as a share of floor space) is ours, from the dimensions above.
Dreaming3D Inc. isn’t affiliated with Bambu Lab, xTool, or Glowforge, and none of the links in this post are affiliate links. We haven’t tested the R1 or its rivals for this post; figures attributed to a maker are that maker’s claims. Specs and prices are as of September 22, 2026, and launch-day prices change fast.