Saturday, April 24, 2021
Power cuts are par for the course out here in California and in many places around the world. Even a one-second power cut to your 3D printer is enough for a 22-hour print-to-stop to be ruined. An Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) like the CyberPower CP1500 will keep power flowing to your printer via high-capacity batteries and magic (OK, maybe not real magic), so you should never have to worry. If you're looking to get started in 3D printing, then a UPS is an important first step. Here are the best UPS for 3D printers.
The one I use
CyberPower CP1500 Intelligent LCD UPS System
Staff Pick
This was the first UPS I used on my 3D printers, and it works wonderfully. Using a system called Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR), the CyperPower regulates all the power going into your printer so you have a consistent feed of electricity at all times, even when the power goes out. The 1500va and 900w battery backup is enough to get you through about 15 minutes of a power outage.
Hot swappable batteries
APC BackUPS Pro
Like most of the UPS on this list, the APC BackUPS has AVR and the added bonus of hot-swappable batteries. This gives you the option of changing batteries out with replacement batteries to keep your UPS running for longer. Anything you can do to keep your printer running until the power comes back is a good thing.
Powerhouse
CyberPower Sinewave UPS System
This one is for those of you with multiple printers you want to attach to the same UPS. With eight battery backup sockets and a whopping 1540w of power, the Sinewave is a powerhouse and will keep your printers going for much longer than the standard UPS. It also comes with a three-year warranty covering you for $300,000 of connected equipment damage to rest easy.
The overkill you need
Jackery Solar Generator 1000
The Jackery 1000 with solar panels is a little different from the rest of the UPS options in this list. The solar panels allow it to generate power while in use, and in my Jackery 1000 review, I used it to power a 3D printer for almost 11 hours. If you know you are likely to have a long power cut for the day, then a Jackery might save you from printing delays.
Budget power
CyberPower Compact UPS System
While this is a perfectly good UPS for keeping a server or router going for an hour or two, it isn't going to give you more than five or six minutes of printing time. However, if you live in an area with a fairly good track record of tiny outages, then this could work for you. Sometimes you only need it to last 10 seconds anyway, so why spend a fortune?
Good for travel
Goal Zero Yeti
The Yeti is slightly different from the other UPS in this collection. It's designed for charging multiple devices while traveling or in an emergency rather than being attached all the time. Because of that, however, it's a great purchase if all you want is a UPS for planned outages at your home as well as using it for its original purpose: travel.
Small and cheap
Forza - UPS 1000VA
This is another budget offering, this time by Forza. The smaller UPS work great if you aren't using a heated bed since the stepper motors use such a small amount of power. So if you're using a printer without a heated bed or don't use it when you are printing PLA, something like the Forza may be just enough to keep you going in a short power outage.
Small business protection
CyberPower PR3000
This is overkill for a hobbyist with one or two printers, but if you're a small business owner using 3D Printers, this one UPS could power them for as long as you needed to get a backup generator running. Its 3000va 2700w batteries will keep a rack of printers running for at least an hour, and the three-year warranty covers $375,000 of equipment.
Power up!
These UPS will give your 3D printing a fighting chance when it comes to power outages, and really, the bigger, the better when it comes to power. If you're lucky and live with constant power but still want a UPS as added security, remember to use your UPS occasionally anyway. The batteries need to be used, so they don't fail when you need them most.
Most 3D printing people choose the APC BackupPro for their UPS needs from the research I have done, but I am partial to the Jackery 1000 as it has many other applications, not just as a battery backup. I've used the Jackery to power a printer at a talk I gave on 3D printing, and it worked so well I forgot it wasn't on mains power at all.
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