"Which material is strongest?" is one of the most common questions we get — and the answer is: it depends on what you mean by strong. One material can be stiff but brittle, another tough but soft. Here we untangle the different kinds of strength and which materials lead in each.
Different kinds of strength
Before you choose a material, think about the load the part will actually face:
- Tensile strength — how much it takes before it's pulled apart. PLA is surprisingly stiff here, but brittle.
- Impact strength (toughness) — how well it takes a knock without cracking. Here PLA is weak and nylon, PETG and PC are strong.
- Heat resistance — the temperature at which it starts to soften and lose shape. Crucial for parts near motors, sun or hot water.
- Fatigue — how it handles repeated bending, important for hinges and clips.
A part that's "strong" on paper can still fail instantly if it's exposed to the wrong kind of load.
The leading materials
- Nylon (PA) — one of the toughest and most wear-resistant FDM materials. Takes repeated bending and impacts without cracking. Ideal for gears, hinges and moving parts.
- Polycarbonate (PC) — very high impact and heat resistance (often above 110 °C). Among the toughest plastics but demanding to print.
- Carbon-fibre composites — nylon-CF or PETG-CF become far stiffer and more dimensionally stable than the base material. Best when the part must not flex under load, such as brackets and drone parts.
- ABS and ASA — good all-round toughness and heat resistance, with ASA also handling sun and weather.
For most durable everyday parts, PETG or nylon is more than enough — you don't always need the most expensive material.
Design and settings matter just as much
The material is only half the story. How the part is designed and printed often matters more:
- Orientation: an FDM part is always weakest between the layers. Place the part so the load runs along the layers, not across them.
- Walls and infill: more walls and higher infill make a part dramatically stronger — often more than switching material.
- Geometry: rounded corners and distributed load almost always beat a stronger material in a poorly designed shape.
Want to know which material and settings give your part the right strength? Compare material strength side by side, see all our materials or upload your model and get a quote right away.