The Best Filament Dryers of 2026

The Creality SpacePi X4 is the best filament dryer for most serious printers right now: four spools, two independent chambers and an 85 C ceiling for $159.00 (price read Oct 23, 2026). Buy it if you print nylon, PC or carbon-fiber blends, or run several printers off one box. If you only print PLA and PETG, the SUNLU FilaDryer S4 at $116.99 or the Sovol SH02 at $59.99 does the job for less.

Picks here come from published specs, certification databases and named third-party measurements, not from our own lab (how we score). Polymaker’s PolyDryer suits people who want a sealed box that doubles as storage. The SUNLU S4 Pro is a newer four-spool model with an 85 C claim, but we found no independent measurement of it, so it ranks on brand specs and a lower confidence.

How we picked

We scored five dryers on five weighted criteria: max temperature and evenness (30%), spool capacity (20%), print-while-drying and humidity display (15%), build and safety (15%) and 3-year cost (20%). The cost math is price plus electricity, assuming 1 hour a day at full rated power at $0.17 per kWh. Rated watts come from each brand, so a dryer that mostly holds temperature will cost less to run.

The final order is Creality SpacePi X4 at 7.7, SUNLU FilaDryer S4 at 7.0, SUNLU FilaDryer S4 Pro at 6.9, Sovol SH02 at 6.7 and Polymaker PolyDryer at 6.5. Every pick cleared 6.0. The scores are close for a reason: the cheap dryers lose points on capacity and heat but win them back on cost, and the premium ones do the reverse. Which one is right for you depends on the filament, not on the total score. If you want only the lowest 3-year cost, the SH02 at $87.91 and the PolyDryer at $92.65 lead; the X4 is the most expensive to own at $226.01 and earns it with its 85 C range.

Sources we read: the brand store pages for Creality, SUNLU, Sovol and Polymaker; the CPSC SaferProducts recall database (no recall found on Oct 23, 2026 for “filament dryer”, Creality, SUNLU, Sovol or Polymaker); and named reviewers including The Phonograph, Makers101, Gambody and Creality Experts. Where nobody publishes an independent figure, the table of measurements says so. The picks are researched from published data, not tested in our own lab, as explained on How we score. This article exists because SUNLU is an affiliate partner, and the scores follow the evidence only.

What to look for

• Max temperature by material. Makers101’s chart lists PLA at 45 to 55 C, PETG at 55 to 65 C, ABS and ASA at 60 to 70 C, nylon at 70 to 80 C and PC at 80 to 90 C. A 70 C dryer covers everything up to ABS; pick 85 C for nylon and PC.
• Capacity that matches your spools. Check the spool limit. The SpacePi X4 takes spools up to 200 mm in diameter and 150 mm wide; the PolyDryer box takes 205 mm by 78 mm and one spool.
• A feed port for printing while drying. Look for PTFE outlets. For nylon, drying while printing is the setup Makers101 calls ideal.
• A humidity readout you can cross-check. Makers101 reports that the built-in sensor on the cheaper SUNLU S2 reads far higher than other meters, so keep a standalone hygrometer in the box and trust it over the dryer’s own number.
• A lid gasket if you want storage. No gasket means no airtight storage when the power is off. The PolyDryer box and the Sovol SH02 are built with seals.
• Rated power under 400 W and a safety rating. The SpacePi X4 lists a UL 94 V-0 flame rating for its housing. Unplug any heater you will not watch.

FAQ

Do I need a filament dryer at all?

Not always. Makers101 says dry-stored PLA and ABS often skip the dryer, while PETG, TPU and nylon are where a dryer matters. Rule out slicer settings and a worn nozzle first.

What is the best filament dryer for nylon?

The Creality SpacePi X4, because it is the only pick with a published 85 C range and two chambers. The SUNLU S4 Pro claims 85 C too, but no independent figure exists yet. For PLA, see our best PLA filament list.

Can I print while the filament is drying?

Yes on the X4, S4, SH02 and PolyDryer, per their brand pages and reviewers. The X4 has 8 PTFE connections, the S4 has 8 filament holes and the PolyDryer has a continuous drying mode. The S4 Pro page we read lists four spools but we did not confirm its feed layout. Keep tube bends gentle so the filament does not snap, a warning other reviewers give for brittle filament.

Is the SUNLU S4 still worth it?

Yes for PLA, PETG and TPU on a budget. A reviewer cited by Makers101 found about a 10 C gap across the chamber, so set the temperature 5 to 10 C below a preset. Read our SUNLU FilaDryer S4 review.

Should I buy one big dryer or several small ones?

It depends on how many materials you run at once. A SpacePi X4 or S4 Pro handles four spools in one footprint, and the X4 and S4 Pro let you set two different temperatures. The PolyDryer works the other way: one $79.99 dock with extra $29.99 boxes, one spool each. Four spools that way cost about $170 before electricity, and you can only dry one box at a time on a single dock. For electricity, 3 years at 1 hour a day of full rated power runs from $12.66 for the PolyDryer dock to $70.74 for the S4 Pro, and your own cycles will differ.