Head-to-head comparison
Anycubic Kobra X vs Bambu Lab A1: Native Color or AMS Lite?
The short answer
Pick the Kobra X if you want to start with multicolor printing without an extra accessory, with four native colors and a top speed advertised at 600 mm/s. Pick the A1 if a built-in touchscreen, an automatic filament cutter, and a lighter machine, 8.3 kg versus about 9.5 kg, matter more than native multicolor.
Documentary comparison of manufacturer specifications. Not personally tested.
Choose the Anycubic Kobra X if…
- Four native colors with no extra ACE box, versus an optional AMS lite needed for any multicolor on the A1.
- A top speed advertised at 600 mm/s and acceleration up to 20,000 mm/s², versus 500 mm/s and 10,000 mm/s² for the A1.
- TPU 68D compatibility documented by Anycubic, alongside PLA and PETG.
- A 720p camera and LeviQ 3.0 auto-leveling built into the base machine.
Choose the Bambu Lab A1 if…
- A built-in 3.5-inch touchscreen, equipment the Kobra X's listing doesn't detail the same way.
- An automatic filament cutter included per Bambu Lab, absent from the Kobra X's listing.
- A lighter machine, about 8.3 kg advertised versus about 9.5 kg for the Kobra X.
- A microSD slot for offline printing, alongside WiFi, per Bambu Lab.
Specifications side by side
| Specification | Anycubic Kobra X | Bambu Lab A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Filament (FDM) | Filament (FDM) |
| Build volume | 260 × 260 × 260 mm (10.2 × 10.2 × 10.2 in) | 256 × 256 × 256 mm (10.1 × 10.1 × 10.1 in) |
| Printer dimensions | 455.4 × 445.3 × 461.3 mm (17.9 × 17.5 × 18.2 in) | 465 × 410 × 430 mm (18.3 × 16.1 × 16.9 in) |
| Weight | 9.5 kg (20.9 lb) | 8.3 kg (18.3 lb) |
| Enclosure | Open frame | Open frame |
| Claimed top speed | 600 mm/s | 500 mm/s |
| Claimed acceleration | 20,000 mm/s² | 10,000 mm/s² |
| Max nozzle temperature | 300 °C (572 °F) | 300 °C (572 °F) |
| Max bed temperature | 100 °C (212 °F) | 100 °C (212 °F) |
| Multicolor | Four native colors; up to nineteen with four ACE 2 Pro units and suitable connections. The seven-color Combo is a separate bundle. | AMS lite; check the exact bundle. |
| Materials | PLA and PETG are practical starting points; TPU and other filaments require compatible hardness, profiles and feed paths. | PLA and PETG with manufacturer profiles. |
| Built-in camera | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB | Wi-Fi, microSD card |
| Listed features | Auto bed leveling, filament runout sensor | Filament runout sensor, filament cutter |
| Screen | — | 3.5-inch touchscreen |
— : not listed by the manufacturer on the pages we reviewed.
Build volume and footprint
The Kobra X advertises a slightly larger volume than the A1, 260 × 260 × 260 mm versus 256 × 256 × 256 mm per Anycubic and Bambu Lab. The gap stays marginal, 4mm per axis, rarely decisive on its own.
On weight, the A1 is advertised as lighter, about 8.3 kg versus about 9.5 kg for the Kobra X. Both keep an open frame, with no enclosure as standard.
Speed and motion
The Kobra X advertises a top speed of 600 mm/s and acceleration up to 20,000 mm/s² per Anycubic, above the 500 mm/s and 10,000 mm/s² advertised for the A1. Anycubic recommends 300 mm/s for regular print speed, though, with the maximum figure mostly applying to travel moves.
That acceleration gap, twice as high on the Kobra X per the manufacturer listings, mainly matters on detailed parts with many direction changes, provided the slicing profile keeps up with that advertised speed.
Multicolor: native or AMS lite
The Kobra X prints four native colors out of the box per Anycubic, with no extra ACE 2 Pro box needed; the advertised nineteen-color extension requires four units and the matching connections, and active drying stays limited to the ACE 2 Pro.
The A1 stays single-color with no accessory: AMS lite, needed for any multicolor use, is optional per Bambu Lab, and the exact bundle contents, with or without AMS lite, need checking before buying.
Everyday features
The A1 advertises a built-in 3.5-inch touchscreen and an automatic filament cutter on the base machine per Bambu Lab, two points the Kobra X's listing doesn't detail the same way. The Kobra X answers with a 720p camera and LeviQ 3.0 auto-leveling.
On connectivity, the Kobra X advertises WiFi and USB per Anycubic, while the A1 adds a microSD slot for offline printing, alongside WiFi per Bambu Lab.
Sources
- Anycubic — Kobra X tech specs (store.anycubic.com)
- Bambu Lab — A1 tech specs (bambulab.com)
- How we compare printers
Published 2026-09-28, updated 2026-09-28.