Creality’s Rainbow PLA+

Creality’s Rainbow PLA+—!Rainbow PLA+—is exactly the sort of filament that yanks a maker’s attention: splashy gradients, “improved” toughness, and less drama with moisture, which frankly sounds like a 3D-printing utopia in a city that has more rainy days than not.

Let’s cut through the shimmer and get practical. The color effect is the obvious selling point, but it’s nowhere near as magical as the stock images imply. Unless you’re printing something large enough to need both hands to handle, you’ll see only wide, harsh stripes—not those dreamy, slow-fading rainbows. Small gadgets and minis? They’ll wear a single color or maybe look like they barely survived an 80s paintball war. Want an even blend for a robot shell or phone stand? Not a chance.

As for the mechanical properties, Rainbow PLA+ is a smidge tougher than lower-end basic PLA, but don’t kid yourself: it’s no replacement for PETG or ABS if you’re chasing robust parts that can handle stress. The material has decent dimensional consistency; my calipers showed the variation to be within spec, and most printers won’t choke on it—unless you ignore humidity or let it unspool wildly. Tangle-free, the roll claims, but it can still loop around itself like a confused headphone cable. On a Bowden setup, especially with older or less torquey extruders, jams are very much on the menu if the filament binds up, leaving your print halfway to completion and your mood even lower.

Printability isn’t as forgiving as some other PLAs, and you’ll want to run a bit hotter and possibly slower than your usual presets. Stringing and blobs crop up if you try to rush, or if you get lazy with the dry box (come on, the weather here makes the air as damp as an aquarium). I wouldn’t count on layer adhesion for anything mission-critical—parts look great when fresh off the bed but can be disappointingly brittle when you flex tabs or push snap-fits.

To be fair, if you’re just out to make cosplay props, trophies, or decorative models the size of a coffee mug or larger, Rainbow PLA+ does exactly what you want: it jazzes things up with plenty of color and holds its shape fine for stuff you’ll put on a shelf. But if your plan is functional prototyping, mechanical bits, or any print that will ever take a beating, look for a tougher filament. And if your project lives or dies on the perfect fade between colors, you’re better off painting after the print.

My verdict: Rainbow PLA+ is a party trick, not a workhorse. Go for it if your build plate needs a little color chaos and you’re not invested in flawless detail or bulletproof reliability. Those who want utility, consistency, or even subtlety in finishes will be way happier with something else. Don’t let the rainbow fool you—underneath, it’s still just PLA with a flashy new jacket.