Description

TPU 95A Transparent — Flexible, Clear, and Tough

TPU 95A Transparent is a flexible filament that produces rubber-like prints with a see-through, translucent finish. At 95A shore hardness, it strikes the balance between flexibility and rigidity — soft enough to bend and compress, firm enough to hold its shape and support mechanical loads. The transparent colour makes it ideal for light diffusers, see-through covers, flexible windows, and any application where you need both flexibility and visibility.

What is 95A Hardness?

Shore hardness measures how soft or firm a flexible material is. 95A is the most popular TPU hardness for 3D printing because it’s flexible enough for real-world applications but firm enough to print reliably. For comparison, a rubber band is roughly 25A, a car tyre is around 70A, and a shopping cart wheel is approximately 95A. It bends under hand pressure, absorbs impacts, and returns to its original shape.

Why Transparent TPU?

The clear, translucent finish adds a visual dimension that solid-colour TPU can’t match. Light passes through the printed walls, making it useful for LED light diffusers and covers, protective cases where you want to see the contents, clear flexible windows in enclosures, translucent phone cases and covers, light pipes and indicator windows, and decorative prints with an ice-like or glass-like appearance.

Print with 100% infill and minimal walls for maximum transparency. Thinner walls and fewer layers produce the clearest results.

Printing Tips

TPU requires slower print speeds and some slicer adjustments compared to rigid filaments.

Nozzle temperature: 190–220°C
Bed temperature: 0–60°C
Print speed: 20–50 mm/s — slower is better for flexible filaments
Retraction: reduce retraction distance and speed significantly, or disable retraction entirely to prevent jamming
Extruder: direct drive strongly recommended — bowden setups can struggle with flexible filament due to the long, compressible path between extruder and hotend
Drying: 60–70°C for 6+ hours before printing — TPU is hygroscopic and wet filament causes bubbling, stringing, and poor surface quality

Direct Drive vs Bowden

Direct Drive (Recommended)

The short filament path between the extruder gears and the hotend gives positive control over the flexible filament. Bambu Lab X1/P1/A1, Creality K1, and most modern printers use direct drive and handle TPU well.

Bowden (Challenging)

The long PTFE tube between the extruder and hotend allows flexible filament to compress and buckle instead of feeding. If you must use a bowden setup, print very slowly (15–25 mm/s), disable retraction, and expect some inconsistency.

Applications

Phone cases, bumpers, and protective covers
Gaskets, seals, and vibration dampeners
Flexible hinges and living joints
Grips and handles
RC car tyres and drone landing gear
Wearable items — watch straps, bracelets
Any part that needs to flex, compress, or absorb impact

Filament Specifications

Print Recommendations

Drying Recommendation