🏆 Quick Answer
Best All-Purpose Nozzle: E3D V6 Brass Nozzle — Perfect for PLA, PETG, ABS, and TPU. For abrasive filaments (carbon fiber, glow-in-the-dark), get a Micro Swiss Plated A2 Hardened Steel Nozzle — it'll last 10x longer than brass.
Your nozzle is the last thing your filament touches before becoming a print, and choosing the right one matters more than most people realize. Different nozzle materials, sizes, and designs affect print quality, durability, and what filaments you can use.
Brass nozzles wear out quickly with abrasive filaments. Hardened steel is durable but conducts heat poorly. Ruby tips last forever but cost a fortune. Here's our guide to choosing the right nozzle for your needs.
| Nozzle | Material | Compatible Filaments | Wear Resistance | Heat Conductivity | Price | Rating | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E3D V6 Brass | Brass | PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU | Low | Excellent | $8-12 | ⭐ 4.8/5 | Check Price |
| Micro Swiss Hardened A2 | Hardened Steel | All + abrasive | Very High | Good | $15-22 | ⭐ 4.7/5 | Check Price |
| E3D Nozzle X | Hardened Steel + coating | All + abrasive | Very High | Good | $25-35 | ⭐ 4.7/5 | Check Price |
| BondTech CHT | Brass (bi-metal) | PLA, PETG, ABS | Low | Excellent | $18-25 | ⭐ 4.6/5 | Check Price |
| E3D Revo Nozzle | Various | Depends on material | Varies | Varies | $12-20 | ⭐ 4.5/5 | Check Price |
| Olsson Ruby | Ruby-tipped | All + extreme abrasive | Extreme | Excellent | $90-110 | ⭐ 4.6/5 | Check Price |
1. E3D V6 Brass Nozzle — Best Standard Nozzle
The E3D V6 brass nozzle is the gold standard (literally) for 3D printing. Brass offers the best thermal conductivity of any nozzle material, meaning heat transfers evenly and consistently to the filament. This translates to smooth extrusion and reliable printing.
E3D manufactures their nozzles to tight tolerances with clean, well-formed orifices. Cheap knockoff nozzles often have rough internal channels that create turbulent flow and inconsistent extrusion. The difference between a genuine E3D nozzle and a $0.50 clone is immediately visible in print quality.
Brass nozzles are available in sizes from 0.15mm to 1.2mm, with 0.4mm being the standard default. They're perfect for PLA, PETG, ABS, and TPU. However, brass is soft — abrasive filaments like carbon fiber, glow-in-the-dark, and metal-filled will wear through a brass nozzle in just a few hours of printing.
✅ Pros
- Best thermal conductivity — smoothest extrusion
- Tight manufacturing tolerances
- Inexpensive and widely available
- Available in all common sizes
- Perfect for standard filaments
❌ Cons
- Wears quickly with abrasive filaments
- Contains lead (not food-safe)
- Needs replacement every few months with heavy use
Best for: Standard filament printing (PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU). The default choice for most 3D printing.
2. Micro Swiss Plated A2 Hardened Steel — Best for Abrasive Filaments
When you need to print carbon fiber, glow-in-the-dark, wood-filled, or metal-filled filaments, a hardened steel nozzle is essential. The Micro Swiss A2 tool steel nozzle with a TwinClad XT coating is the best option we've tested.
A2 tool steel is extremely hard (60+ HRC), resisting abrasion far better than brass. The TwinClad XT coating adds a non-stick layer that improves filament flow and prevents buildup. In our testing, this nozzle showed minimal wear after 500+ hours of carbon fiber PETG printing — a brass nozzle would be completely destroyed.
The thermal conductivity is about 70% of brass, which means you may need to increase print temperature by 5-10°C and slow down slightly. The trade-off is absolutely worth it for the durability.
✅ Pros
- Extreme wear resistance for abrasive filaments
- TwinClad non-stick coating
- Lasts 50-100x longer than brass with abrasives
- Good thermal conductivity for steel
- Reasonable price for the longevity
❌ Cons
- Lower thermal conductivity than brass
- May need +5-10°C temperature increase
- Slightly rougher internal surface than brass
Best for: Carbon fiber, glass fiber, glow-in-the-dark, wood-fill, metal-fill, and other abrasive filaments.
3. E3D Nozzle X — Premium Hardened Steel
E3D's Nozzle X is designed for the most demanding printing applications. Made from hardened tool steel with a proprietary coating that prevents filament adhesion, it's incredibly durable while maintaining good thermal properties.
The Nozzle X resists wear from the most abrasive filaments and handles high temperatures without degradation. The non-stick coating is a genuine advantage — it prevents the carbon buildup that plagues standard steel nozzles over time.
At $25-35, it's expensive for a nozzle, but if you regularly print abrasive materials, the longevity justifies the cost. It's also the nozzle E3D recommends for their own printers when using specialty filaments.
✅ Pros
- Premium build quality
- Non-stick coating prevents buildup
- Excellent wear resistance
- Made by the most trusted nozzle brand
- Works with all filament types
❌ Cons
- Expensive
- Lower thermal conductivity than brass
- Overkill for standard filaments
Best for: Heavy-duty use with abrasive filaments, especially in production environments.
4. BondTech CHT Nozzle — Best for Speed Printing
The BondTech CHT (Core Heating Technology) nozzle takes a radically different approach — instead of changing the material, it changes the internal geometry. The nozzle splits the filament into three streams inside, dramatically increasing the melt surface area and allowing much higher flow rates.
This means faster printing. BondTech claims 3x the volumetric flow rate compared to standard nozzles, and in our testing, we consistently hit 2-2.5x improvement. If you're running a Bambu Lab, Voron, or other speed-focused printer, the CHT nozzle can make a noticeable difference.
The trade-off is that the complex internal geometry can make cleaning more difficult, and the nozzle is brass (so no abrasive filaments). For high-speed PLA and PETG printing, it's a game-changer.
✅ Pros
- Up to 3x volumetric flow rate
- Enables faster printing
- Drop-in replacement for standard nozzles
- Excellent thermal conductivity (brass)
❌ Cons
- Brass — not for abrasive filaments
- Harder to clean due to internal geometry
- Not helpful at slow print speeds
- Premium pricing for brass
Best for: Speed printing on high-performance printers. Ideal for PLA and PETG batch production.
5. E3D Revo Nozzles — Best Tool-Free System
E3D's Revo system revolutionizes nozzle changes — swap nozzles by hand, at room temperature, in seconds. No wrenches, no heating, no burnt fingers. Each Revo nozzle integrates the heat break and nozzle into a single unit.
Available in brass, ObXidian (hardened steel), and high-flow versions, the Revo ecosystem covers all use cases. The convenience factor is enormous — switching from a 0.4mm to a 0.8mm nozzle takes 10 seconds instead of 10 minutes.
The downside is ecosystem lock-in: Revo nozzles only work with Revo-compatible hotends. If you don't have a Revo hotend, you'll need to upgrade. But if you do switch, the convenience is addictive.
✅ Pros
- Tool-free nozzle swaps in seconds
- No heating required for changes
- Multiple material options available
- Integrated heat break — fewer components
❌ Cons
- Requires Revo-compatible hotend
- More expensive per nozzle
- Smaller size selection than V6
- Ecosystem lock-in
Best for: Users who frequently change nozzle sizes and want maximum convenience.
6. Olsson Ruby — Ultimate Durability
The Olsson Ruby nozzle features a synthetic ruby tip — one of the hardest materials available. It's essentially indestructible by abrasive filaments. The brass body provides excellent thermal conductivity while the ruby tip handles wear.
At $90-110, it's an investment, but for users who print abrasive filaments daily, it can pay for itself. The ruby tip maintains its exact diameter indefinitely, meaning consistent print quality over thousands of hours.
✅ Pros
- Virtually indestructible tip
- Maintains diameter permanently
- Brass body for thermal conductivity
- Best for extreme abrasive use
❌ Cons
- Very expensive
- Ruby tip is brittle — drops can chip it
- Overkill for occasional abrasive printing
Best for: Production environments printing abrasive filaments continuously. Industrial and professional use.
Buying Guide: Choosing the Right Nozzle
Nozzle Size Guide
- 0.2mm: Maximum detail for miniatures and small parts. Very slow.
- 0.4mm: The standard — best balance of detail and speed. Start here.
- 0.6mm: Good for functional parts where speed matters more than detail.
- 0.8mm: Fast printing for large objects, vases, and structural parts.
- 1.0mm+: Maximum speed for very large prints and draft quality.
Material Compatibility Quick Reference
- PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU: Brass nozzle (cheapest, best quality)
- Carbon fiber, glass fiber: Hardened steel or ruby (mandatory)
- Glow-in-the-dark: Hardened steel (the phosphorescent particles are very abrasive)
- Wood-fill, metal-fill: Hardened steel recommended
- Standard filaments at high speed: BondTech CHT
When to Replace Your Nozzle
Signs of a worn nozzle: under-extrusion despite correct settings, rough surface finish, inconsistent layer widths, poor first layer adhesion, and visible wear on the tip. Replace brass nozzles every 3-6 months with regular use, or immediately if you accidentally print abrasive filament through them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Glow-in-the-dark filament contains strontium aluminate particles that are extremely abrasive. A brass nozzle will be destroyed in just a few hours. Use hardened steel or ruby-tipped nozzles for any phosphorescent filament.
Start with the standard 0.4mm nozzle. It offers the best balance of detail and print speed for general use. Once comfortable, try 0.6mm for faster functional prints or 0.2mm for detailed miniatures.
Cheap nozzles ($0.20-0.50 each) are fine for casual PLA printing, but quality varies wildly. The internal bore may be rough or off-diameter, causing inconsistent extrusion. For reliable results, spend $8-12 on genuine E3D or Micro Swiss nozzles. The difference in print quality is noticeable.
Yes, but it's not ideal. Hardened steel has lower thermal conductivity than brass, which can cause slight under-extrusion at high speeds. Increase your temperature by 5-10°C. For standard filaments, brass gives better results. Use steel only when you need abrasion resistance.
Make sure you're using the right filament with your nozzle — check our guides on Best PLA Filaments, Best PETG Filaments, and Best ABS Filaments. See our Best 3D Printing Tools and Accessories Kit for essential maintenance tools.