Bambu Lab, the company that reset expectations for consumer 3D printers, is doing it again in lasers. The new R1 is a 55W CO2 laser cutter and engraver priced at $2,499, shipping November 2026. That undercuts most name-brand CO2 machines with a similar work area by a wide margin.
Specs
| Spec | Bambu R1 |
|---|---|
| Laser | 55W CO2 |
| Work area | 600 x 300 mm (conveyor option for longer stock) |
| Max single-pass cut | 20 mm wood, clear acrylic, leather, and similar materials |
| Engraving speed | Up to 1,000 mm/s, 20,000 mm/s2 acceleration |
| Positioning accuracy | 0.2 mm (camera + XY encoder alignment) |
| Price | $2,499 |
| Availability | November 2026 |
How it stacks up
A 55W CO2 tube with a 600 x 300 mm bed typically lands in the $4,000-to-$6,000 range from OMTech, xTool, or Glowforge’s pro tier. Those usually need a separate water chiller and ventilation hardware too.
The R1 includes automatic laser alignment, vibration compensation, and an enclosed Class 1 safety design at $2,499. The trade-off, flagged in early coverage, is that adding the riser base or auto-feed conveyor drops it out of the Class 1 enclosure, which means eyewear and stricter handling rules.
Smoke handling is also a real cost. Bambu’s Purifier E1 Pro filter runs $899 on its own, and experienced users will tell you filtered-only setups can still smell. Plan for venting out a window regardless of what the spec sheet promises.
Who this is for
This is a maker and small-business machine, not a jobsite tool. But plenty of tool people cross over: sign shops, personalized flasks and knife scales, engraved tool boxes.
If you’ve been pricing CO2 capability, the R1 moves the line considerably. We’d still verify the fire-suppression and ventilation requirements before ordering, since the auto fire extinguisher is sold separately and required for unattended runs.
For smaller laser-adjacent work, our electric engraving pen roundup covers the cheap way to mark metal and glass. If your shop needs a fume plan anyway, our small-shop dust collection guide covers the airflow basics.
And if you mainly want a laser for layout work instead of cutting, see our laser level guide.
Sources: Bambu Lab launch coverage at ToolGuyd (September 22, 2026); Bambu Lab product pages.