TPU 85A class and softer
Thermoplastic Polyurethane, rated 87 Shore A or softer
18 products from 12 makers. Bambu Lab lists this material type for the H2C; the listing covers the type, not each brand.
- Tensile modulus (XY)
- 0.0127GPa
- 4 products · middle half 0.011–0.016
- Tensile strength (XY)
- 22MPa
- 7 products · middle half 17–24.8
- Tensile strength (Z)
- 8.25MPa
- 2 products · 6–10.5
- Notched Charpy impact
- 15.3kJ/m²
- one product
- Not applicable:
- HDT at 0.45 MPa.
- Price
- 58CAD/kg
- 3 products · 50–158
TPU 85A class and softer is a soft thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer with a glass transition of -46 °C. Makers sell it for insoles, prosthetic components, wearables and cushioning parts. A part keeps about 57 % of its flat tensile strength across the layers. On the H2C the sheets that say allow a standard nozzle, but a maker says its softness makes printing challenging and dry filament crucial.
Partly documented Notched Charpy impact rests on 1 product, tensile strength (Z) on 2 products, price on 3 products and tensile modulus (XY) on 4 products. Each figure is the median of the products that publish it comparably, and beside it the middle half of them; a value on a test bar no document describes as printed, or with no stated test load, is set apart, except a heat deflection of a plastic that cannot crystallise, which its glass transition sets, unless its document points to a moulded or resin bar.
On the H2C
Printing in full- Nozzle
- 220–240 °C
- most products that give one
- Bed
- 45–50 °C
- most products that give one
- Heated chamber
- 25–45 °C
- one product
- Drying
- 50–90 °C, 1–24 h
- 9 of 18 products call for it; 2 more give it as optional
- Nozzle type
- standard
- 6 say a standard nozzle is enough; the rest are silent
No product's setting is beyond the H2C's limits: nozzle 350 °C, bed 120 °C, heated chamber 65 °C.
Among the materials
Against TPU-CF, TPU 85A class and softer is 69 % less expensive. Against TPU 95A class, TPU 85A class and softer is 63 % weaker across the layers, 53 % less stiff and 30 % less expensive. Among the materials, TPU 85A class and softer has a high elongation at break (XY) and notched Charpy impact, and a low tensile modulus (XY), tensile strength (XY) and tensile strength (Z): each is in the top or bottom quarter of the materials that publish it. Its density and price sit in the middle half.
Against its alternatives, TPU 85A class and softer has the lowest tensile modulus
How does it compare with what an engineer would buy instead?
- TPU 85A class and softer: its products' median and middle half
- an alternative
- lowest to highest
- each material's median (top row)
- set apart: test bar not described as printed, or no stated load
- beyond the scale
Each row is a material, each column a property: the bar is the middle half of a material's products, the tick their median, the hairline their lowest to highest; the ticks above the rows are every material's median.
The figure as a table
| Material | Modulus (XY) (GPa) | Strength (XY) (MPa) | Strength (Z) (MPa) | Notched Charpy (kJ/m²) | Price (CAD/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPU 85A class and softer (this material) | 0.0127 (0.011–0.016) · 4 | 22 (17–24.8) · 7 | 8.25 · 2 | 15.3 · 1 | 58 · 3 |
| TPU-CF | 0.2 as published (1) | 60 as published (1) | — | 40 as published (1) | 189 · 2 |
| TPU 95A class | 0.027 (0.0166–0.0396) · 11 | 29 (27–34) · 17 | 22 (18.5–22) · 5 | 78 · 1 | 83 · 2 |
| TPC | 0.048 · 2 | 12.7 · 2 | — | — | 88 · 2 |
| TPE, maker-undisclosed elastomer | 0.15 · 1 | 18 · 1 | — | — | — |
| TPS | 0.054 · 1 | 7 · 1 | 2 · 1 | — | 55 · 1 |
Each cell is the median of the products ranked, its middle half in brackets, and how many.
Where TPU 85A class and softer sits among the 15 flexible materials on file
Where is it in the landscape: stiffness against strength, heat resistance against price?
- TPU 85A class and softer: median, middle half as a cross
- a TPU 85A class and softer product
- an alternative
- another material
- beyond the scale
Tensile strength (XY) against tensile modulus (XY)
MPa
Tensile modulus (XY), GPa, log scale
Grey points are every other flexible material's medians; the alternatives are named.
The figure as a table
| Material | Tensile modulus (XY) | Tensile strength (XY) |
|---|---|---|
| TPU 85A class and softer (this material) | 0.0127 GPa · 4 | 22 MPa · 7 |
| TPU-CF | 0.2 GPa as published | 60 MPa as published |
| TPU 95A class | 0.027 GPa · 11 | 29 MPa · 17 |
| TPC | 0.048 GPa · 2 | 12.7 MPa · 2 |
| TPE, maker-undisclosed elastomer | 0.15 GPa · 1 | 18 MPa · 1 |
| TPS | 0.054 GPa · 1 | 7 MPa · 1 |
Mechanical properties
Printed flat (XY), TPU 85A class and softer typically reaches a tensile strength of 22 MPa at a modulus of 12.7 MPa, and breaks at 680 % elongation. In bending, its flexural strength is typically 1.55 MPa at a flexural modulus of 23 MPa.
TPU 85A class and softer's products spread most in tensile strength: the middle half runs 17–24.8 MPa
How strong, stiff and tough are its products, and which stand out?
- a product
- set apart: test bar not described as printed, or no stated load
- middle half and median
- beyond the scale
One mark per product on each property's scale (zoomed where its products sit close together, as its label says); the band is the middle half of the products the median counts, and the line the median.
Hover or select a product to find it in every figure; its name opens its card on the Products page.
The figure as a table
| Property | In the median | Median | Middle half | Lowest in the median | Highest in the median | As published | Added filler or additive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength (XY) (MPa) | 7 | 22 | 17–24.8 | colorFabb varioShore 85A, 6.2 | colorFabb TPU85A, 30 | 10 | 0 |
| Tensile modulus (XY) (GPa) | 4 | 0.0127 | 0.011–0.016 | Bambu Lab TPU 85A, 0.0068 | colorFabb TPU85A, 0.025 | 2 | 0 |
| Elongation at break (XY) (%) | 6 | 680 | 604–722 | colorFabb TPU85A, 560 | Recreus 70A, 900 | 9 | 0 |
Every TPU 85A class and softer product that publishes these values is drawn; each value, with its document and conditions, is on the Products page.
| Product | Tensile strength (Z) | Notched Charpy impact |
|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab TPU 85A | 10.5 MPa | not published |
| colorFabb TPU85A | not published | 15.3 kJ/m² |
| Essentium TPU 80A-Z | 6 MPaZ (ZX) | not published |
Across the layers (Z), TPU 85A class and softer keeps 57 % of its flat strength and 76 % of its flat stiffness
What does a printed part lose across the layers (Z) against flat (XY), and is that usual?
- a product
- equal share: 100, 75, 50 and 25 %
- TPU 85A class and softer's median share
- an alternative
Tensile strength
Z keeps 57 % of XY, median of 2 products
flat (XY), MPa
Share kept: TPU 95A class 81 % · TPU 85A class and softer 57 %
Tensile modulus
Z keeps 76 % of XY, median of 1 product
flat (XY), GPa
Share kept: TPU 85A class and softer 76 % · TPU 95A class 76 % · TPS 69 %
Elongation at break
Z keeps 32 % of XY, median of 2 products
flat (XY), %
Share kept: TPU 95A class 41 % · TPU 85A class and softer 32 % · TPS 3 %
Each point is a product that publishes both from one sheet: below the 100 % ray it keeps less across the layers than flat. Under each plot, the median share its alternatives' products keep.
The figure as a table
| Product | Property | Flat (XY) | Across (Z) | Z as a share of XY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab TPU 85A | Tensile strength | 12 MPa | 10.5 MPa | 88 % |
| Essentium TPU 80A-Z | Tensile strength | 22 MPa | 6 MPa, Z (ZX) | 27 % |
| Bambu Lab TPU 85A | Tensile modulus | 0.0068 GPa | 0.0052 GPa | 76 % |
| Bambu Lab TPU 85A | Elongation at break | 700 % | 350 % | 50 % |
| Essentium TPU 80A-Z | Elongation at break | 729 % | 109 %, Z (ZX) | 15 % |
| TPU 95A class (alternative) | Tensile strength | 81 % · 5 | ||
| TPU 95A class (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 76 % · 1 | ||
| TPS (alternative) | Tensile modulus | 69 % · 1 | ||
| TPU 95A class (alternative) | Elongation at break | 41 % · 2 | ||
| TPS (alternative) | Elongation at break | 3 % · 1 |
Flat and across the layers, property by property
Flat and across the layers
| Property | Printed flat (XY) | Across the layers (Z) | Z as a share of XY | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median | Products | Median | Products | ||
| Tensile strength MPa | 2217–24.8 | 7 | 8.25 | 2 | 57 %2 products |
| Tensile modulus GPa | 0.01270.011–0.016 | 4 | 0.0052 | 1 | 76 %1 product |
| Elongation at break % | 680604–722 | 6 | 230 | 2 | 32 %2 products |
| Flexural strength MPa | 1.55 | 1 | — | — | |
| Flexural modulus GPa | 0.023 | 1 | — | — | |
The middle half of the products under each median. The share is each product's Z value as a part of its XY value, from one sheet and one state, and the median of those shares. How XY and Z differ.
Most TPU 85A class and softer products measure 80–85 Shore A
How hard are its products, on the Shore scale their sheets use?
- a product
- middle half and median
- beyond the scale
The figure as a table
| Property | In the median | Median | Middle half | Lowest in the median | Highest in the median | As published | Added filler or additive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shore A hardness (Shore A) | 14 | 83.5 | 80–85 | Recreus 60A, 63 | The Filament TPU 87A, 87 | 0 | 0 |
Every TPU 85A class and softer product that publishes these values is drawn; each value, with its document and conditions, is on the Products page.
Thermal properties
Its glass transition is typically -46 °C. As published, Vicat softening is typically 76 °C and melting typically 200 °C.
Where TPU 85A class and softer's products soften under load
Where do its products soften under load?
- a product
- middle half and median
The figure as a table
| Property | In the median | Median | Middle half | Lowest in the median | Highest in the median | As published | Added filler or additive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass transition (Tg) (°C) | 4 | -46 | -51–-40 | Recreus 60A, -54 | NinjaTek NinjaFlex, -35 | 0 | 0 |
Every TPU 85A class and softer product that publishes these values is drawn; each value, with its document and conditions, is on the Products page.
Not published for TPU 85A class and softer: HDT at 0.45 MPa and HDT at 1.8 MPa.
Printing on the H2C
TPU 85A class and softer softens near -46 °C, below the H2C's 65 °C chamber
What does printing it on the H2C take, and how hot can a part get?
- share of the products that accept each temperature
- what most products accept
- the H2C's limit, and beyond it
- a product
- TPU 85A class and softer: its products' median and middle half
- as published, under each sheet's own test
Printing it on the H2C
In service
°C
One temperature axis for the settings a print needs and the temperatures a part meets. A setting's shade is how many of the products whose sheets give a window accept each degree; the H2C's limit closes its row.
The figure as a table
| Setting or property | Most products, or the median | Products | H2C limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nozzle | 220–240 °C | 18 | 350 °C |
| Bed | 45–50 °C | 18 | 120 °C |
| Heated chamber | 25–45 °C | 1 | 65 °C |
| Drying | 50–90 °C, 1–24 h | 11 | — |
| Glass transition (Tg) | -46 °C (-51–-40 °C) | 4 | — |
| Vicat softening temperature | 66–98 °C | 3 | — |
| Melting temperature | 165–230 °C | 5 | — |
Windows read from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide are not shaded: the guide speaks for every product that reads it.
| Setting | Most TPU 85A class and softer products |
|---|---|
| Nozzle | 220–240 °C most products that give one |
| Bed | 45–50 °C most products that give one |
| Heated chamber | 25–45 °C one product |
| Drying | 50–90 °C, 1–24 h 9 of 18 products call for it; 2 more give it as optional |
| Nozzle type | standard 6 say a standard nozzle is enough; the rest are silent |
Where a product's own sheet is silent, its setting comes from a sheet it shares or from the Bambu Lab Filament Guide; each product's card says which.
After printing
It's not recommended to anneal prints of TPU, or prints with not very simple shape and structure can deform obviously.
Bambu Lab TPU 85A, data sheet, p. 3
What makers say about printing it
Printing advice
Print multiple small parts simultaneously for better results.
Recreus 70A, data sheet, p. 4
Moisture sensitivity
Drying is crucial for optimal results
Recreus 70A, data sheet, p. 2
More from makers: nozzle wear, warping and shrinkage, odour and emissions and adhesion between layers
Nozzle wear
Ruby or hardened nozzle not necessary
Spectrum S-Flex 85A, data sheet, p. 1
Warping and shrinkage
Shrinkage 0,80% D 955
Spectrum S-Flex 85A, data sheet, p. 1
Odour and emissions
Material Safety: Odorless and skin-safe formulation
Recreus 70A, data sheet, p. 1
Adhesion between layers
Extreme layer adhesion
Extrudr FLEX SEMISOFT, data sheet, p. 1
Products
18 products from 12 makers; the most from Recreus (3), Spectrum (3) and colorFabb (2).
- Most documented: Bambu Lab TPU 85A, with values for more properties than any other.
- Highest tensile strength (XY): colorFabb TPU85A, 30 MPa.
- Lowest price: eSUN eFlex, 50 CAD/kg.
These are published values, not recommendations: the selector judges each product against your requirements.
Uses, limitations and chemicals
What it is sold for
Medical & Orthopedic: Custom insoles and prosthetic components
Recreus 70A, data sheet, p. 1this filament offers unparalleled softness and flexibility, ideal for wearables, cushioning components, and ergonomic designs.
colorFabb TPU85A, data sheet, p. 1Due to its low evaporation rate, FLEX Semisoft is particularly suitable for automotive interior applications.
Extrudr FLEX SEMISOFT, data sheet, p. 1
What makers warn about
While TPU 85A presents printing challenges due to its softer nature, careful adjustment of print settings and ensuring dry filament conditions are crucial for success.
colorFabb TPU85A, data sheet, p. 1The nozzle may have impurities after printing for a long time.
eSUN eFlex, data sheet, p. 2
Finish and accuracy
Compatible con una amplia variedad de impresoras, ofrece un acabado suave y preciso, perfecto para proyectos que demandan máxima flexibilidad y confort.
Smart Materials 3D Smartfil FLEX 77A, data sheet, p. 1Surface finish shiny
Spectrum THE FILAMENT TPU 87A, data sheet, p. 1Consistent diameter and material properties providing reliable, high-quality prints
NinjaTek NinjaFlex, maker's product page or guide, p. 1
Chemicals and environment
| Exposure | What makers say |
|---|---|
| Flammability | Flammable, in its one statement |
| Water solubility | Insoluble, in its one statement |
| Acid resistance | Not resistant, in its one statement |
| Alkali resistance | Not resistant, in its one statement |
| Organic solvent resistance | Limited, in its one statement |
| Oil and grease resistance | Limited, in its one statement |
| Hydrolytic stability | Described in words, with no rating, in its one statement |
| UV and outdoor | Described in words, with no rating, in its one statement |
Makers rarely give the concentration, temperature or duration: treat them as indications, not design data. Each product's statements are on its card.
Density and price
TPU 85A class and softer's density is typically 1,180 kg/m³, the middle half 1,120–1,210 kg/m³, across 15 products. TPU 85A class and softer typically costs 58 CAD/kg, across the 3 products with a regular price in the sample; the lowest is eSUN eFlex at 50 CAD/kg.
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Bambu Lab TPU 85A | 58 CAD/kg |
| NinjaTek NinjaFlex | 158 CAD/kg |
| eSUN eFlex | 50 CAD/kg |
Regular prices, never sale prices, from 9 Canadian shops and 10 foreign shops, sampled 10 Sep–20 Oct 2026, not live; shipping and tax are not included.
Other properties, as published
15 more properties are published, each under its own sheet's test conditions, so they are listed, not ranked.
The 15 properties, lowest to highest
| Property | Products | Lowest–highest |
|---|---|---|
| Abrasion loss | 8 | 25–45 mm³ |
| Tensile stress at 100 % elongation | 6 | 2.5–11 MPa |
| Tensile stress at 300 % elongation | 6 | 4.5–22 MPa |
| Compression set | 4 | 20–45 % |
| Water absorption | 3 | 0.22–0.8 % |
| Mould shrinkage | 2 | 0.8–1.2 % |
| Tear strength | 2 | 55–135 kN/m |
| Compression strength | 1 | 42 MPa |
| Decomposition temperature | 1 | 230 °C |
| Elongation at yield | 1 | 65 % |
| Hardness | 1 | 33 Shore D |
| Melt mass-flow rate | 1 | 8.76 g/10 min |
| Poisson's ratio | 1 | 0.46 |
| Tensile strain at strength | 1 | 775 % |
| Tensile stress at 200 % elongation | 1 | 8.4 MPa |
Sources
27 documents from 11 publishers (20 data sheets, 6 makers' product pages and guides and 1 printer document), read 10 Sep–19 Oct 2026. Each value on TPU 85A class and softer's Products page names its document and page, and links to the original.
Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide (the H2C's printer guide): print settings for 18 products.
Every document (27), by publisher
| Publisher | Documents | Values | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | 8 | 21 | 5 |
| Extrudr | 4 | 29 | 1 |
| Recreus | 3 | 32 | 3 |
| colorFabb | 3 | 16 | 2 |
| NinjaTek | 2 | 12 | 1 |
| Bambu Lab | 1 | 13 | 1 |
| Siraya Tech | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Essentium / Nexa3D | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| FormFutura | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Smart Materials 3D | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| eSUN | 1 | 3 | 1 |
- Bambu Lab, Bambu Filament Technical Data Sheet - TPU 85A
- Bambu Lab, H2C Filamant Printing Guide | Bambu Lab Wiki
- colorFabb, colorFabb Print Support– 3D Printing Guides, Tips & Support
- colorFabb, Technical datasheet colorFabb TPU85A
- colorFabb, Technical datasheet varioShore 85A
- Essentium / Nexa3D, technical data sheet ESSENTIUM TPU 80A-Z
- eSUN, eFlex Technical Data Sheet
- Extrudr, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET FLEX SEMISOFT
- Extrudr, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET FLEX SEMISOFT
- Extrudr, TECHNISCHES DATENBLATT FLEX SEMISOFT
- Extrudr, TPU FLEX Semisoft Filament – Shore Hardness A85 | Extrudr
- FormFutura, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET ReForm rTPU 85A
- NinjaTek, NinjaFlex 3D Printer Filament (85A)
- NinjaTek, Technical Specifications NinjaFlex® 3D Printing Filament
- Recreus, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET FILAFLEX 60A
- Recreus, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET FILAFLEX 70A
- Recreus, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET FILAFLEX 82A
- Siraya Tech, Flex 85A TPU Filament - Flexible, Durable, and High-Speed Printing
- Smart Materials 3D, FICHA TÉCNICA FLEX 77A (Smartfil)
- Spectrum, 3D Printing Filament Manufacturer PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
- Spectrum, Filament drying - Spectrum Filaments
- Spectrum, Spectrum Filaments Product Portfolio 2025 — Prografen pp28–29
- Spectrum, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET S-Flex 85A
- Spectrum, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET THE FILAMENT TPU 82A
- Spectrum, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET THE FILAMENT TPU 82A
- Spectrum, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET THE FILAMENT TPU 87A
- Spectrum, TECHNICAL DATA SHEET THE FILAMENT TPU 87A