Hobby Lobby vs Amolen Silk PLA: Which One Is Actually Worth It?

Hobby Lobby vs Amolen Silk PLA: Which One Is Actually Worth It?

Silk PLA always looks amazing. That glossy, almost metallic finish makes prints pop in a way standard PLA just can’t match.

But here’s the problem…

Silk PLA is usually weaker, trickier to print, and sometimes just inconsistent.

So the real question is:

Which silk PLA is actually worth your money?

Today, we’re putting Hobby Lobby Silk PLA vs Amolen Silk PLA head-to-head to find out:

  • Which prints better

  • Which looks better

  • Which is actually stronger

And yeah—we’re not guessing. We’re testing.

How We Tested These Silk PLAs

If you’ve seen any MakerBuildIt filament tests, you already know—we keep things consistent.

Everything was printed on the same setup:

  • Printer: Bambu Labs A1

  • Same temps

  • Same speeds

  • Same settings

  • Same models

No tweaks. No favoritism.

Test Prints Used

To get a full picture of performance, we used:

  • Purge (Poop Test) – Flow and extrusion behavior

  • Benchy – Overall print quality

  • Calibration Cube – Accuracy and consistency

  • Goblin Head – Fine detail + curved surfaces

  • Bridge Strength Test – Real-world durability

First Look: Shine & Appearance

Let’s talk about the reason most people buy silk PLA—the finish.

Winner: Amolen (Slight Edge)

  • Amolen (White): Noticeably more glossy and “silky”

  • Hobby Lobby (Silver): More muted, almost gray-looking

Now to be fair—this wasn’t a perfect comparison (white vs silver), but even with that:

👉 Amolen had a more premium shine overall

If your goal is that “wow” factor on display prints, Amolen stands out just a bit more.

Print Quality Breakdown

Goblin Head (Detail Test)

This is where things got interesting.

  • Amolen: Cleaner surface, fewer visible layer lines

  • Hobby Lobby: Slightly more noticeable layer lines

Both looked good—but Amolen had the edge in fine detail.

Benchy Test

  • Hobby Lobby: Slightly cleaner overall

  • Amolen: More stringing (likely moisture-related)

Important note:

The Amolen filament had been sitting in the shop for a while, so moisture may have affected results.

👉 In a fresh vs fresh comparison, this could change.

Calibration Cube

Honestly?

👉 Tie

Both printed clean, accurate, and consistent.

No complaints here.

Extrusion Test (The “Poop” Test)

This one tells you more than you think.

  • Hobby Lobby: Thicker extrusion

  • Amolen: Slightly thinner, more controlled

Both were on the thicker side (typical for silk PLA), but:

👉 Hobby Lobby felt a bit more “over-extruded” visually

Bridging Performance

This is where Amolen started pulling ahead.

  • Amolen: Cleaner top surface, less distortion

  • Hobby Lobby: More roughness and imperfections

👉 Amolen handled bridging better overall

Strength Test (This Is the Big One)

Let’s be real—silk PLA is not known for strength.

But there are differences.

Results:

  • Hobby Lobby: ~28 Newtons

  • Amolen: ~29 Newtons

So yeah… very close.

BUT—and this is important—

Failure Behavior:

  • Hobby Lobby: Cracked along a layer line (bad sign)

  • Amolen: Held together better, more gradual failure

👉 That layer-line split on Hobby Lobby is a red flag for real-world durability

Price Comparison

  • Hobby Lobby Silk PLA: ~$17.99

  • Amolen Silk PLA: ~$22.99

Difference: about $5 per roll

Final Verdict: Which Silk PLA Should You Buy?

🥇 Winner: Amolen Silk PLA

Here’s why:

  • Better shine and finish

  • Cleaner detail on complex prints

  • Stronger layer adhesion

  • Better bridging performance

  • More consistent overall

🥈 Hobby Lobby Silk PLA

Still solid, especially if:

  • You want something cheaper

  • You need it locally (same-day pickup)

  • You’re doing non-structural prints

Is Amolen Worth the Extra Cost?

Short answer: Yes

For a few extra bucks, you get:

  • Better visual quality

  • More consistent prints

  • Slightly stronger parts

And when you’re using silk PLA—which already sacrifices strength—you want every bit of performance you can get.

🧰 Gear Used: 
• Bambu Labs A1 - https://amzn.to/3Q61E5P
• Force Meter - https://amzn.to/484PZdZ
• Hobby Lobby Silk PLA - https://amzn.to/47Lwu9Z
• Amolen Silk PLA - https://amzn.to/4sdANlF

Final Thoughts

Silk PLA is all about looks—but that doesn’t mean performance doesn’t matter.

If you’re printing:

  • Display pieces

  • Props

  • D&D models

  • Decorative parts

👉 Amolen is the safer bet

Hobby Lobby still looks good—but Amolen just feels more reliable across the board.

MakerBuildIt Take

Shiny may get your attention…

But consistency gets the win.

 

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