Do Anti-Vibration Feet Actually Work for 3D Printers?

I run about 10 3D printers in my flat, and there’s someone living directly below me. That’s always been in the back of my mind.

I haven’t had any complaints yet, but I know full well the vibration is getting through the floor. You can hear it downstairs. So I wanted to properly test whether I could reduce that, not just guess.

In this test, I’m using the BIQU Panda Cushion feet on six of my Bambu P1S printers to see if they actually make a difference.

 

The Problem

My setup isn’t exactly ideal for vibration.

All of my printers are on garage-style metal racking. They’re not touching the wall and they’re sat on carpet, which should help, but it doesn’t solve the issue. The vibration still travels.

I’ve already tried the usual fixes:

• Concrete slabs under each printer
• Foam isolation
• Blankets under the shelves

All of that helped a bit, but it didn’t stop the vibration reaching downstairs.

So this is where the Panda Cushion feet come in.

What Are the Panda Cushion Feet?

These are anti-vibration feet designed for Bambu printers:

• P1S
• P1P
• X1C
• X1E
• P2S

They claim to:

• Reduce lateral vibration
• Improve stability
• Require no tools or modifications

I bought these myself. This is not sponsored.

Inside the box you get the feet themselves and some screws, although there were no instructions and the QR code linked to an empty page at the time of testing.

Installation

Installation is about as simple as it gets.

You just lift each corner of the printer and slide the feet underneath. That’s it.

They sit between the printer and whatever surface you’re using. The base is textured and the top holds the printer foot in place.

One thing to note is height.

They raise the printer by roughly three quarters of an inch. That doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re using AMS units and you’ve left just enough room to open the lid, you might run into problems.

I can still use mine, but the clearance is definitely tighter.

How I Tested Them

I wanted something repeatable.

So I ran the same print on all six printers and used a decibel meter app on my phone. I placed it in a consistent position and recorded:

• Maximum dB
• Current peak
• Average dB

I let the printers run for around 10 minutes to get past the startup phase, since that’s usually the loudest.

Then I repeated the exact same test after installing the feet.

Results

Before installing the feet:

• Max: 83 dB
• Peak: 61 dB
• Average: 57 dB

After installing the feet:

• Max: 72 dB
• Peak: 55 dB
• Average: 50 dB

That’s a noticeable drop across the board.

Even if you ignore the max value, both the peak and the average came down quite a bit.

Real World Difference

The numbers are one thing, but the actual feel of it is what matters.

Before installing the feet, I could feel the vibration through my desk. The whole area had a constant hum to it.

After installing them, that pretty much disappeared.

The printers feel different too. There’s a bit of give now, almost like a spring. That disconnect between the printer and the shelf seems to be doing the work.

Holding onto the shelving unit, you can tell the vibration is massively reduced.

Do They Replace Other Solutions?

In my case, I’m still using:

• Concrete slabs
• Blankets under the shelving

Could I remove them and rely only on the feet? Probably.

But right now, everything is working together and it’s clearly helping. I don’t see a reason to take that away.

Are They Worth It?

That depends on your situation.

If you’re running printers in a detached space or a garage, probably not worth it.

If you’re in a flat, or your printers are above someone’s bedroom, then yes, I think they are.

They’re around £10 to £12 per set, which adds up quickly if you’ve got a lot of machines. If you’re running a full farm, it’s not cheap.

But compared to dealing with noise complaints or having to shut printers off overnight, it’s a small price to pay.

Downsides

A couple of things worth mentioning:

• No proper instructions at the time of testing
• No way to secure them to the printer
• They can shift slightly when moving the printer
• Added height can mess with AMS clearance

None of these are deal breakers, but they’re worth knowing before you buy.

Final Thoughts

I went into this expecting a small improvement.

What I got was a pretty clear reduction in both measurable noise and physical vibration.

They’re not magic, but they do work.

If you’re in a shared building and you’re even slightly worried about noise, this is one of the easiest upgrades you can make.

If you’ve got other ways of reducing vibration or noise, I’m always open to trying new things. Let me know.

Thanks for reading.