Articulated prints have been gaining popularity in the 3D printing community for some time now, and it’s easy to see why. These specialized prints afford movement to a solid structure with the addition of hinges, and the flexibility makes them fun to play with, while the wide variety of shapes and sizes make for great decoration items.
In this article, we’ll go over our top 20 picks of the best articulated prints for you to enjoy. Our selection includes prints that either require minimal assembly or that are print-in-place models. The latter can be printed without supports thanks to a clever design that allows each side of the link to bridge over the other without touching. From functional prints like toys to decorative prints that will bring your shelves to life, you’ll have a hard time choosing one or two of these (not that you have to…).
And if you find a print (or two, or five) that’s just right for you, but your printer’s in a mood or you don’t have the exact filament you know will look best, consider Craftcloud. With manufacturers all over the world, your prints will be ready faster than you can spell “articulated”.
Animals & Mythical Creatures
Pangolin
The pangolin, a scale-covered mammal native to the forests and grasslands of Africa and Asia, has been declared an endangered species in recent years. Many conservation projects have been created with the goal of helping this species recover from the threat of extinction, and amaochan on Thingiverse created a 3D printable model of a pangolin to spread awareness of such projects.
The designer has even split the model into multiple parts for printing convenience, and it can all be assembled without screws or adhesives.
- Who designed it? amaochan
- How printable/popular is it? Around 370,000 makers have downloaded this model, with over 800 posting their makes.
- Where to find it? Cults, Thingiverse
Tardigrade
While traditionally too small to see, tardigrades are among the toughest animals alive. This model showcases just how cute these microscopic creatures can be. You’ll find articulated toy versions as well as keychain models, so you can take your tardigrade with you wherever you go.
The designer has updated the model to make it much easier to print, with flat surfaces for good bed adhesion. You’ll find that makers have printed this model in a variety of colors to give it some life. For the best detail, it’s recommended to print the model at a layer height of about 0.20 mm (the picture above shows a 0.4-mm layer height).
- Who designed it? biocraftlab
- How printable/popular is it? This is quite the popular little guy, with 41 makes and 3 remixes already posted.
- Where to find it? Printables
Flexi Rex
This flexible dinosaur is one of the most printed models on Thingiverse and Printables, and for good reason. The creator of this model modified each joint to have three walls instead of the original one, to create a robust and durable connection.
The added strength makes this print perfect for small children or pets to play with, as they won’t break easily even under rough play. The mouth of the Flexi Rex can even hold small items such as pencils or note cards, providing extra functionality.
For printing this model, many of the comments on the post suggest a slower print speed to increase bed adhesion, which can be an issue when printing thin link connections. And when it comes to infill density, most of the posted makes opted for 15-35%.
- Who designed it? DrLex
- How printable/popular is it? This model boasts over 2,500 makes from the sites combined, with some of the 190 remixes on Thingiverse and Printables including keychains, added wings, and even dapper top hats.
- Where to find it? Printables, Thingiverse, Cults
Butterfly
The beautiful insects that hang out in your garden can now be 3D printed thanks to Thingiverse user 8ran. This model can work as a lovely decoration for any indoor plant and can be posed to your liking thanks to its set of flexible wings.
Many makers have added paint or used different colored filaments to replicate the elaborate wing patterns often found on real-life butterflies.
- Who designed it? 8ran
- How printable/popular is it? Over 212,000 makers have downloaded this model, with 485 posted makes and 16 remixes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Slug
Unlike most slugs, this 3D printed one is super cute. This model was designed to not have any of the joint linkages exposed and for all of the connections to be housed by the outer shell of the slug. The hidden links make for a very clean look and also contribute to its durability.
The creator recommends keeping a very slow printing speed due to the thin walls, and most makers report printing their slugs at around 30-40 m/s.
- Who designed it? CopperKeep
- How printable/popular is it? This model has been downloaded almost 20,000 times and 359 makes have been posted.
- Where to find it? Printables
Octopus
If you’re a fan of underwater creatures, check out this octopus model from McGybeer. With over 40 individual joints, each arm can wiggle freely in all directions, making it a perfect fidget toy or stress reliever. And, with more than 300 remixes across platforms, you can give your octopus some swagger with glasses or turn it into a planter.
The model was designed to require no supports, but some makers chose to add some for the mouth to maintain print quality. McGybeer recommends a 15% infill for the main body, with infill for the arm joints being optional due to the number of outer perimeters. This model doesn’t need to be printed on a raft but could benefit from one on printers with poor bed adhesion.
- Who designed it? McGybeer
- How printable/popular is it? This model has more than 4,000 makes across different platforms.
- Where to find it? Cults, MyMiniFactory, Printables, Thingiverse
Monkey
You may have seen this curious monkey showcased on TikTok. It has become quite a popular model, with a fully flexible tail that doubles as a hook so you can leave your little friend hanging wherever you see fit. Unfortunately, bananas aren’t included, but you can always print your own.
This model is designed with multicolor printing in mind, allowing you to seamlessly add color to the raised hands, feet, face, and belly to give your print some personality. The best part, you don’t need a multi-material printer to pull this off. The designer has left some printing instructions to help you out if you aren’t familiar with this process.
- Who designed it? fixumdude
- How printable/popular is it? You won’t be surprised to find that this popular model has been downloaded over 1,500 times, with several makes shared by the community.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Chameleon
If you’re looking for a great conversation starter, print this articulated chameleon. This model has a 10-segment-long tongue that stretches 5 inches. The designer created the tongue and main body as separate parts, so you can have your chameleon catching flies or taking a nap on a shelf.
Print your chameleon in one color to blend in with its surroundings or in its full spectrum of colors, as this user did. You can also choose to give your chameleon accessories, such as this hammock for basking in the sun.
- Who designed it? McGybeer
- How printable/popular is it? This model has grown quite popular, with over 90,000 downloads and more than 310 makes on all sites.
- Where to find it? Cults, MyMiniFactory, Printables, Thingiverse
Unicorn
If you’re a fan of mythological creatures, this model by Benchy4Life is for you. Unlike some articulated models, this unicorn can stand up by itself thanks to its cleverly designed legs. If you want added functionality, makers have uploaded remixes of this model to add a flexible tail or magnets to hang it on the fridge.
Due to the fragility of the front horn, many comments suggest using supports when printing at a larger scale.
- Who designed it? Benchy4Life
- How printable/popular is it? This model has a whopping 160,000 downloads and 159 shared prints.
- Where to find it? Cults, Thingiverse
Shark
If you’re looking for a cool pool toy for this summer, check out this menacing model. Depending on the infill percentage, you can print this to either sink or float on the surface of water. There are even different versions, so you can give your shark a happy or scary expression, and you can opt for a shark with a moving or a static jaw.
The designer recommends a layer height of around 0.16 mm to preserve the flexibility of the joints.
- Who designed it? McGybeer
- How printable/popular is it? So far, there are around 1,500 posted makes of this model on the different sites combined.
- Where to find it? Cults, MyMiniFactory, Printables, Thingiverse
Gecko
This bendable gecko model has a wide variety of uses. Some makers use it as a fidget toy because of its palm-sized design, while others use it as a decoration and display it on their windowsill or with their potted plants. This flexible reptile can also be added to your favorite backpack or keychain with one version of the model allowing for a keyring.
No supports are required, as the model was designed for simplicity and ease of printing.
- Who designed it? jtronics
- How printable/popular is it? This model has been downloaded over 87,000 times from the different platforms, and 46 makes have been shared.
- Where to find it? Cults, MyMiniFactory, Thingiverse
Elephant
This articulating elephant was modeled after the giant Mechanical Elephant that takes people around the city of Nantes. This replica even features the elephant’s signature moving trunk. The movable legs make this print a hit among small children for playtime and for anybody wanting to decorate their office or workspace.
Many of the posted comments recommend using supports for the finer details, such as the ears and tusks, as well as printing on a raft to secure each of the leg segments to the print bed.
- Who designed it? LeFabShop
- How printable/popular is it? This cute elephant has well over 1,500 makes combined from all sites.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse, Cults
Dragon
Articulated dragons have gained a lot of popularity in the 3D printing community of late, and while there are some models for free, there are some incredible ones that we couldn’t leave out, even if they’ve got a price tag attached.
Among the most impressive models we found, the Crystal Dragon is a staggering two feet in length when fully stretched out, but, not to worry, the design prints curled up to accommodate smaller printers. The designer recommends printing on a raft to maximize bed adhesion, as well as opting for a higher-density infill to hold up to any rough play by small children.
If crystals aren’t for you, there are a wide variety of different themed dragons, such as an Imperial Dragon with interlocking spikes or a Majestic Sea Dragon with fins and flippers. Many makers comment that good retraction settings are crucial for printing the fine detail.
- Who designed it? Cinderwing3D
- How printable/popular is it? There are 166 shared community prints and the design has over 30,000 downloads.
- Where to find it? Cults
Figures & Toys
Lucky 13
If you’re into drawing or animation, you should definitely consider Lucky 13 for your next print. This poseable figure can act as the perfect reference that you can pose however you wish. It also makes a great action figure. Print multiple figures to create your own scene!
It’s recommended to print the pieces in PETG at a 0.15-mm layer height for the best results. While assembly is required, you can find all of the instructions in the model’s description on Printables.
- Who designed it? soozafone
- How printable/popular is it? This model has seen over 93,000 downloads and there are an incredible (and creative) 1,619 makes to show for it.
- Where to find it? Printables
Mech
Inspired by the piloted mechs in the Titanfall 2 video game, this articulated figure is one of the most detailed designs on the list – it’s evident that a lot of care went into creating this model. If you find this model interesting, you can find more like it on groover_92’s Cults page, although it should be noted that the designs for other titans are ~$3 each.
The majority of the files are optimized for 3D printing, with only a few being trickier given the support placements. In total, 54 pieces make up the assembly process of this mech. While this may seem like a hassle for some, for others, it gives them a chance to give their mech a custom paint job before assembling it.
- Who designed it? groover_92
- How printable/popular is it? With almost 4,000 downloads, this model has definitely earned some popularity. You can find a very detailed make as well, pictured above.
- Where to find it? Cults
Iron Man
A fully 3D printable Iron Man action figure in his well-known MK3 armor set. This articulated figure is separated into 27 unique parts, making it very easy to print with multiple colors to get the desired finish on your figure. The designer has even included a detailed assembly guide in the downloads!
The base figure stands at about seven inches tall to get the most amount of detail out of your prints. The designer doesn’t recommend sizing the files down unless you plan on printing with resin. You can find a complete step-by-step guide on printing, post-processing, and assembly in this model’s description.
- Who designed it? OpenFigure3D
- How printable/popular is it? Of the over 6,000 downloads this model has, 17 decided to share their makes.
- Where to find it? Printables
Robot
FlexiFactory has created some of the most popular articulated models around. This print-in-place Fokobot 2.0 is a model born from a collaboration between FlexiFactory and another maker, dsopala.
The designers have done a great job eliminating many of the common troubles that plague articulated models, such as weak or ridged joints. You can expect to get great results without any supports or a raft. Good bed adhesion is a must, as some smaller parts could have trouble sticking to the bed. The designers recommend printing the robot in PLA.
- Who designed it? dsopala, FlexiFactory
- How printable/popular is it? With over 140 shared makes and over 46,000 downloads on both sites combined, it’s safe to say this model is a hit.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse, Cults
Skeleton
It’s never too early to start preparing your home for Halloween. This flexible skeleton is a great print that most printers should have no issues recreating, sporting many flexible joints. Be sure to use some glow-in-the-dark filament for an extra level of spookiness.
While a raft isn’t required, you may find it easier to maintain bed adhesion using one, as this print is on the smaller side. If you’d like to use these skeletons as decorations, check out the remixes for both a light clip and a keyring version.
- Who designed it? Liang0108
- How printable/popular is it? This print currently has 44 makes, while the STL file has been downloaded over 42,000 times.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Snake Puzzle
While similar articulated snake models exist, many require additional hardware pieces to hold the model together. This design is entirely 3D printed, with no additional hardware needed for the snake to function properly.
The designer recommends pointing the toy in ABS or ASA to give the joints some added durability, though they mention PETG and PLA are suitable materials should you not have any alternatives on hand. Quite a bit of assembly is required in order to snap all of the pieces together, and because of this, you’ll want to ensure that your printer is well calibrated. Once finished, you are left with a very unique toy!
- Who designed it? animatorgeek
- How printable/popular is it? You can find 20 makes and 3 remixes already available for this articulated toy.
- Where to find it? Printables
Infinity Cube
Last but definitely not least, a special articulated print that’ll mean plenty of hours fidgeting. You may have seen similarly designed flexible cubes before. Now, you can print your own in your favorite color, or colors, of filament. The cube’s hinges are quite loose, requiring little post-processing to get the whole thing moving freely.
This model is about as simple as it gets. The model is optimized for a 0.2-mm layer height (including the first layer), so expect to have your cube printed in no time! The designer used hairspray to ensure good bed adhesion. A variety of different sizes are readily available for download, so you can pick the one(s) you want the most!
- Who designed it? waveman
- How printable/popular is it? This model now has over 5,000 downloads, with around 80 makes shared on both sites.
- Where to find it? Printables, Thingiverse
License: The text of "Articulated 3D Print: The 20 Best Models" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.