Best filament for hinges: living or rigid

The short answerPETG for living hinges. TPU for flex hinges.

A hinge either bends as a thin living joint or flexes as a soft part. PETG is the pick for a living hinge that survives many cycles. TPU is the pick for a soft flex hinge. PLA cracks at the joint.

What a hinge asks of a filament

A living hinge is a thin bridge that bends, so it needs a filament that flexes without cracking. A rigid hinge pivots on a pin, so it needs toughness. PLA is too brittle for a living hinge, because it snaps after a few cycles.

How the materials compare

When to pick PETG

Pick PETG for a living hinge. The thin bridge flexes and returns, and PETG survives many more cycles than PLA. Print it at 240 to 260 °C for strong layer adhesion, because the hinge takes repeated stress.

When to pick TPU

Pick TPU for a soft flex hinge that bends a lot. The Polymaker PolyFlex TPU95 sheet lists a nozzle of 210 to 230 °C. TPU hinges flex without any fatigue, but they are soft, not rigid.

For the materials, read the PETG guide or the TPU guide. For print-in-place joints, see best filament for articulated models.