Bambu Lab R1 vs xTool X1: the two lasers on the way (and we will have both)
, by Strato3D, 6 min reading time
Bambu Lab R1 and xTool X1: the two new lasers on the way, and we will be bringing both to Strato3D. What we know so far and how to join the priority list so you do not miss the release.
Within a few days we received the same two screenshots at our premises, sent by different customers: the teaser for the Bambu Lab R1 (“A new Ray of making, coming September”) and the one for the xTool X1 (“The Next-Gen Laser Machine”). The question was always the same: “which one do I get — and will you have them?”. Let us answer the second one straight away: yes, we will be bringing both to Strato3D, as soon as they are released. We are already in contact with the official channels and we want to be among the first in Italy to have them available, with machines to try in person at our sites.
And the first question — “which one do I get?” — we tackle with our heads, not with the hype: today the full specifications are not yet public, so we will tell you what is confirmed, what to expect, and how to be ready on launch day. Because one thing is certain: plenty of people will want these two machines, and those who move first pay less and wait less.
What is really confirmed (not much)
The Bambu Lab R1 is Bambu Lab's first laser machine: until now the company has made 3D printers, and with the R1 it enters the world of laser engraving and cutting for the first time. The teaser came out in mid-August 2026, the full specifications are expected at the end of August and pre-orders should open in September. The stated philosophy is the same as their printers: less tinkering, more things done. On price, power, laser source type and working area, however, Bambu has said nothing official yet. Anyone giving you those numbers now is guessing.
The xTool X1 is announced as a “next-generation laser machine”. Here the context is different: xTool has been working in laser for years and is one of the reference brands, with a range that goes from enclosed diodes (the S1 series) up to the larger CO₂ systems (the P3 seen at CES 2026), and in recent months it has pushed hard on integrating AI functions to assist designers. For the X1 too, though, the precise specifications are not public: the teaser shows an enclosed machine and says “next-gen”, the rest is still under embargo.
To sum up honestly:
| Bambu Lab R1 | xTool X1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Laser engraver/cutter | “Next-gen” laser machine |
| Novelty for the brand | Bambu's very first laser | Yet another from an already laser-first brand |
| Status | Teaser (Aug 2026), specifications at the end of August | Teaser, specifications not public |
| Release | Pre-orders in September 2026 | To be confirmed |
| Price / power / area | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
As you can see, the most important row — the one with the numbers — is empty for both. And as long as it stays empty, any verdict of “this one is better than that one” is hot air.
Why this clash is interesting all the same
Beyond the specifications, the announcement of the R1 is a small earthquake for one precise reason: Bambu Lab changed the rules of the game in 3D printers by making them simple to use for people who are not technicians, and now it is trying to do the same with the laser — a world that, let us be honest, has stayed more awkward than necessary for years. If it succeeds, the biggest benefit will not be a number on a datasheet, but the fact that a laser finally becomes accessible to people who avoid one today for fear of having to fight with it.
xTool, on the other side, plays at home. It does not have to prove it can make a laser: it already does it well. The X1 is an attempt to raise the bar further on a mature platform, presumably focusing on automation, safety (enclosed machines are their direction) and intelligent software. In plain words: on one side the challenger bringing a new way of thinking, on the other the reigning champion refining what it already knows how to do.
Who will win will be decided by the facts — real power, working area, supported materials, safety, and above all the price. We know none of these today.
Get ready now: when they come out, they fly
Let us face market reality: Bambu Lab and xTool launches sell out. The first stock disappears in days, launch prices are the best you will see, and those who arrive late end up on a waiting list while the others are already engraving and cutting. It will be the same with the R1 and X1 — in fact, with Bambu Lab's first laser in play, anticipation will be even higher.
The good news? You do not have to chase anything. We will follow every announcement, and you get ready in one single way: by joining the priority list. Those on the list receive price and availability in advance, before they run out online, and reserve their unit before the rush.
And if you are wondering which to go for: those who love Bambu's simplicity and perhaps already have one of their printers will head straight for the R1; those who want the depth of a laser-first brand will find their ground in the xTool X1. We will have both, so you do not even have to choose now — you just have to make sure you are in the front row when they arrive.
Join the R1 & X1 priority list
Do you want to be among the first in Italy to have the Bambu Lab R1 or the xTool X1? Write to us from the contacts page and we will add you to the priority list: as soon as the official price and specifications are out, you are the first to know and the first to be able to reserve. No teasers to chase, we will take care of it.
In the meantime, if you need a laser right now and do not want to wait until September, in our laser cutting and engraving workshop you will find machines ready to ship, to see and try in person at our sites in Milan, Monza and Rome. Come and get an idea: when the R1 and X1 come out you will already know exactly what you need.
In two lines
Bambu Lab R1 and xTool X1 are the two most eagerly awaited lasers of the moment, and we will be bringing both to Strato3D as soon as they are released. The full specifications arrive in September (for the R1 it is a matter of weeks): join the priority list and you will be the first to have the price, the availability and the chance to reserve — before the rush. This article will be updated as soon as we have the official numbers.
👉 Put me on the R1 & X1 priority list
Article published in August 2026 on the basis of the official teasers. Update scheduled: September 2026, when the full specifications are released.
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