Bambu Lab has announced its first 3D scanner, the S1, due in November 2026. There are no specs or price yet. I’ve been 3D scanning since the Creality CR-Scan Lizard and still own at least four scanners, so here’s what we actually know, and the two problems that make most people give up on 3D scanning, which the S1 needs to fix.
The short version
- Confirmed: a handheld scanner with a pistol grip, called the S1, due in November 2026. Bambu pitches it as easy to use with pro-level results.
- Not announced: specs, scanning technology, software or price.
- Reported, not confirmed: an FCC filing, and a deal with industrial scanner maker SCANTECH.
- Price guess: US$1,000 to $2,000 online. That’s speculation.
- What matters most: whether it makes scanning easy for beginners, and whether it helps you turn a scan into a usable part.
What Bambu Lab has confirmed
Not much. The S1 is a handheld scanner with a pistol-style grip, it’s Bambu’s first 3D scanner, and it’s due in November. Bambu calls it the next step after its printers and the R1 laser cutter, and the pitch is ease of use, not a spec sheet. What we don’t have is just as important: no specs, no scanning technology, no software details and no price. You can sign up for updates on the official S1 page.
What’s only reported
- FCC filing: a filing from September, shared on the Bambu forum, lists a 60 W power rating, 5 GHz Wi-Fi and indoor use only. That fits a wireless handheld scanner, but it doesn’t tell us whether it runs on its own or needs a PC connected the whole time.
- SCANTECH: Bambu reportedly signed a deal with industrial scanner maker SCANTECH in January, and the S1 may have come out of it.
- Price: the guess online is US$1,000 to $2,000 (Tom’s Hardware covered it). Treat it as speculation until Bambu says otherwise.
Wall 1: 3D scanning is a learned skill
Nobody tells you this when you buy a scanner. You can’t take it out of the box, scan an object and get something you can print. Results depend on your technique, how difficult the object is, and what your scanner can and can’t do. Most people hit that wall in their first week, get disheartened, and sell the scanner. When the CR-Scan Lizard came out there was almost no guidance after the Kickstarter, which is why I made my free CR-Scan Lizard course.
What I want to see from the S1:
- Guided scanning that tells you when you’ve missed a surface
- Live coverage feedback, so you know a scan is good before you pack up
- Dark and shiny surfaces that scan without spray
- An onboard processor, so you’re not tied to a laptop and a long cable
- Alignment that doesn’t drift or fail halfway through a scan
Bambu says it wants to lower the barrier to entry. That’s the promise I’ll hold it to.
Wall 2: Turning a scan into a usable part
Most people scan for functional parts: a surfboard so you can design a new fin, or part of your car so you can print a housing for some lights. But you can’t design around raw mesh data, at least not in the scanner software. You normally need CAD like Fusion, Inventor or SolidWorks, and real engineering skills. That’s where the second group drops off: the scan is fine, but the next step is a skill they never signed up for.
Bambu hasn’t said anything about software. It already owns the ecosystem around its printers with Bambu Studio and MakerWorld, so a path from scan to part inside that ecosystem would be the logical move. The big question is whether the S1 stops at the scan or helps you get to the finished part.
Why Bambu Lab is doing this
Bambu set the bar for 3D printers, and much of the industry now copies its hardware and software. Then it went after xTool with the R1 CO2 laser cutter: strong hardware, with software still catching up. Scanning looks like the next gap Bambu thinks it can fill, and it may know something we don’t that got this project the green light.
Where the S1 price might land
If the US$1,000 to $2,000 guess is right, Bambu is pricing against the all-in-one scanners, not the entry-level ones. US list prices from official stores in October 2026:
| Scanner | US list price |
|---|---|
| Creality Pika | $699 |
| Revopoint POP 4 | $839 |
| Revopoint MIRACO | $1,499 |
| Bambu Lab S1 | $1,000 to $2,000 (guess, unconfirmed) |
| Revopoint MIRACO Plus | $2,199 |
| Creality Sermoon P1S | $2,299 |
| Creality Sermoon P1 | $3,299 |
| 3DeVOK MT Gen2 | $8,299 |
Prices at the time of writing; sale prices vary (the Pika has been around $630 on sale). Sources: Creality store, Revopoint store, Creality Pika launch, 3DeVOK MT.
What I’ll check first in November
- Does it run on its own, or does it need a direct connection to a PC?
- Does it actually guide a beginner through scanning?
- Is there a path from the finished scan to a usable part?
After that come price, accuracy and independent testing. Nothing about the S1 counts until it’s been tested properly, and I’m hoping to get one in for real tests.
Need something scanned and printed, like a replacement part or a replica? Get in touch.