TPU Filaments

TPU Filaments — The Ultimate Flexible 3D Printing Material for Precision & Performance

Welcome to the TPU Filaments collection at Elanique — your definitive destination for premium thermoplastic polyurethane filament, the most versatile, durable, and technically capable flexible material in the world of FDM 3D printing. TPU filament occupies a unique and irreplaceable position in the 3D printing materials landscape: it is the material that bridges the gap between the rigid, brittle world of standard thermoplastics and the soft, elastic world of rubber and silicone, offering a combination of flexibility, toughness, chemical resistance, and printability that no other filament material can match. At Elanique, we have curated a premium selection of TPU filaments that spans every hardness rating, colour, diameter, and technical specification, so you can find the perfect material for every flexible printing application.

What Is TPU Filament?

TPU — thermoplastic polyurethane — is a class of polyurethane plastic with thermoplastic properties, meaning it can be melted, extruded, and re-solidified repeatedly without significant degradation of its material properties. This thermoplastic behaviour makes TPU ideal for FDM (fused deposition modelling) 3D printing, where the filament is melted in the printer’s hot end and extruded through a nozzle to build up a three-dimensional object layer by layer.

What distinguishes TPU from other thermoplastic filaments — such as PLA, ABS, or PETG — is its exceptional flexibility and elasticity. TPU is a true elastomer: it can be stretched, compressed, and bent repeatedly without cracking, breaking, or permanently deforming, returning to its original shape when the deforming force is removed. This elastic behaviour, combined with TPU’s excellent abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and impact strength, makes it the material of choice for a vast range of functional 3D printing applications that require parts to flex, compress, or absorb impact in use.

Key Properties of TPU Filament

Understanding the key material properties of TPU filament is essential for selecting the right grade and specification for your application. Here are the most important properties to consider:

• Shore Hardness: The most important specification for TPU filament, Shore hardness measures the resistance of the material to permanent indentation — in other words, how hard or soft the printed part will feel. TPU filaments are available across a wide range of Shore A hardness values, from very soft and rubber-like (Shore 60A – 70A) to semi-rigid (Shore 95A – 98A). Softer grades are ideal for applications requiring maximum flexibility and cushioning, such as phone cases, shoe insoles, and gaskets, while harder grades are better suited to applications requiring a balance of flexibility and structural rigidity, such as cable management clips, protective covers, and mechanical components.
• Elongation at Break: The percentage by which the material can be stretched before it breaks. High-quality TPU filaments typically offer elongation at break values of 400–600% or more, meaning the printed part can be stretched to four to six times its original length before failure. This exceptional elongation makes TPU ideal for applications that require significant deformation in use.
• Tensile Strength: The maximum stress that the material can withstand before breaking under tension. TPU filaments typically offer tensile strengths of 30–50 MPa, which is significantly higher than many other flexible materials and comparable to some rigid thermoplastics, making TPU parts both flexible and genuinely strong.
• Abrasion Resistance: TPU has exceptional resistance to abrasion and wear, making it ideal for applications where the printed part will be subject to repeated friction or contact with other surfaces. This property makes TPU the material of choice for shoe soles, wheels, rollers, and other wear-prone components.
• Chemical Resistance: TPU offers good resistance to oils, greases, fuels, and many common solvents, making it suitable for applications in automotive, industrial, and outdoor environments where exposure to chemicals is likely.
• Temperature Range: TPU maintains its flexibility and mechanical properties across a useful temperature range, typically from around -40°C to +80°C or higher for some grades, making it suitable for both cold-weather outdoor applications and moderately elevated temperature environments.

The Elanique TPU Filament Edit — What You Will Find

Our TPU Filaments collection at Elanique has been assembled to offer the most comprehensive and technically capable selection of flexible 3D printing filament across every hardness rating, colour, diameter, and formulation. Every filament in the collection has been selected for its consistency of diameter, quality of raw material, and reliability of print performance. Here is what you can expect to discover:

• Standard TPU Filament (Shore 95A): The most widely used and versatile grade of TPU filament, offering an excellent balance of flexibility, strength, and printability. Shore 95A TPU is semi-flexible — it bends and compresses readily but has enough rigidity to maintain its shape under moderate loads. This grade is ideal for phone cases, protective covers, cable management, gaskets, and a wide range of general-purpose flexible printing applications.
• Soft TPU Filament (Shore 60A – 85A): Softer, more rubber-like grades of TPU filament that offer greater flexibility and cushioning than the standard 95A grade. These materials are ideal for applications requiring maximum softness and conformability, such as shoe insoles, wrist rests, grip covers, and medical or ergonomic devices.
• High-Speed TPU Filament: Specially formulated TPU grades designed for printing at higher speeds without sacrificing print quality or material properties. High-speed TPU filaments are ideal for users with high-speed capable printers who want to maximise throughput without compromising on the quality of their flexible prints.
• Coloured & Specialty TPU Filaments: TPU filaments available in a wide range of colours — from classic black and white to vibrant reds, blues, greens, and translucent finishes — as well as specialty formulations including glow-in-the-dark, metallic, and colour-changing variants. These filaments are ideal for consumer products, artistic projects, and any application where the aesthetic quality of the printed part is as important as its functional performance.
• 1.75mm & 2.85mm Diameter TPU Filament: TPU filaments available in both of the standard FDM filament diameters — 1.75mm, which is compatible with the vast majority of consumer and prosumer FDM printers, and 2.85mm (also known as 3mm), which is used by a smaller number of printers including some Ultimaker and Lulzbot models.

Printing Tips for TPU Filament

TPU filament requires some specific printer settings and techniques to achieve the best results. Here are the most important tips for successful TPU printing:

• Print Speed: TPU should generally be printed more slowly than rigid filaments to prevent the flexible material from buckling or jamming in the extruder. A print speed of 20–40mm/s is recommended for most standard TPU grades, though high-speed formulations may allow faster printing.
• Direct Drive Extruder: TPU prints most reliably with a direct drive extruder, where the drive gear is located close to the hot end. Bowden tube setups can work with harder TPU grades (Shore 95A and above) but are generally not recommended for softer grades due to the risk of the flexible filament buckling in the tube.
• Print Temperature: Most TPU filaments print well at temperatures between 220°C and 240°C, though the optimal temperature varies between brands and grades. Always refer to the manufacturer’s recommended temperature range and perform temperature tower tests to find the optimal setting for your specific filament.
• Bed Temperature & Adhesion: TPU adheres well to a variety of bed surfaces, including PEI, glass, and BuildTak. A bed temperature of 30–60°C is typically sufficient, though some grades print well on an unheated bed. Avoid using adhesion aids such as hairspray or glue stick, as these can make TPU parts difficult to remove from the bed.
• Retraction Settings: Retraction should be minimised or disabled when printing TPU, as excessive retraction can cause the flexible filament to stretch and jam in the extruder. If stringing is an issue, try reducing retraction distance and speed rather than increasing them.

Applications for TPU Filament

The unique combination of flexibility, toughness, and chemical resistance that TPU offers makes it the material of choice for an exceptionally wide range of 3D printing applications, including phone and tablet cases, shoe soles and insoles, gaskets and seals, cable management clips and strain reliefs, wheels and rollers for robotics and RC vehicles, medical and ergonomic devices, protective covers and bumpers, wearable technology components, and artistic and consumer product applications where a soft, tactile surface finish is desired.

Shop TPU Filaments at Elanique

Whether you are an experienced 3D printing professional seeking a premium, consistent TPU filament for demanding functional applications, a hobbyist exploring flexible printing for the first time, or a product designer prototyping flexible components for a new product, the Elanique TPU Filaments collection has exactly what you need. Browse our full edit below and discover the flexible filaments that will expand the capabilities of your 3D printer and open up a world of new printing possibilities. New arrivals are added regularly — bookmark this page and return often to discover the latest additions to our TPU filament curation.