Short answer

For a first bottle, start with a standard resin: Elegoo Standard Resin V2.0, which Elegoo lists as ideal for beginners and everyday use. Move to Siraya Tech Fast when models get handled, or to Siraya Tech Blu when you need functional parts. Anycubic Water-Wash Resin 2.0 suits you if you’d rather rinse prints in water than alcohol and can manage the wastewater. Anycubic 16K Standard Resin is for fine detail on a high-resolution printer.

Resin Type Hardness (Shore D) Tensile strength Elongation at break Wash with Amazon
Elegoo Standard Resin V2.0 Standard 80–86 33.21 MPa ± 10% 10.03% ± 10% Isopropyl alcohol or ethanol Elegoo Standard Resin V2.0, gray, 1 kg
Siraya Tech Fast (standard colors) ABS-like 75 31 MPa 20% — Siraya Tech Fast, gray, 1 kg
Siraya Tech Blu (regular) Tough 80 50 MPa 32% — Siraya Tech Blu, Obsidian Black, 1 kg
Anycubic Water-Wash Resin 2.0 Water-washable 82–85 38–43 MPa 16–22% Water, ethanol or IPA Anycubic Water-Wash Resin 2.0, gray, 1 kg
Anycubic 16K Standard Resin Standard, high detail 83–85 40–50 MPa 12–16% Ethanol and IPA Anycubic 16K Standard Resin, Blue Mist Gray, 1 kg

All figures are the makers’ own, checked October 5, 2026. Siraya Tech lists tensile stress at break. A dash means the maker’s product page doesn’t say. Makers don’t all publish their test setup, so compare figures within one brand rather than across brands.

How these picks were chosen

Each resin is a current product on its maker’s US store, with mechanical figures published by the maker in a product page, comparison table or technical data sheet (TDS). Handling and disposal notes come from the makers’ safety data sheets (SDS). No resin was printed for this page. The five picks cover the three types most buyers compare (standard, ABS-like and water-washable) plus a tough resin for functional parts and a high-detail standard resin.

1. Elegoo Standard Resin V2.0: best standard resin

Elegoo calls Standard Resin V2.0 an entry-level resin with high precision and low odor, and lists it as ideal for beginners and everyday use. Elegoo says it cleans up with isopropyl alcohol or ethanol, and that it’s compatible with most LCD and some DLP 3D printers.

Elegoo’s own comparison table shows why V2.0 is the version to buy over its original Standard Resin. Elegoo lists V2.0 at 10.03% elongation at break versus 8.77%, and 59 kJ/m² impact strength versus 24.20 kJ/m². Hardness is about the same (Shore D 80–86 versus 80–88).

Skip it if: the prints will be dropped, flexed or screwed together. Elegoo’s own figures put its ABS-Like Resin V3.0 at 24% elongation at break, more than twice V2.0’s.

2. Siraya Tech Fast: best ABS-like resin

Siraya Tech describes Fast as tough and not fragile, able to withstand accidental falls, and easy to clean. It lists general printing, tabletop miniatures, digital sculptures and industrial parts as uses. For the standard colors, Siraya lists Shore 75 D, 31 MPa tensile stress at break, 20% elongation at break and a 65 °C heat deflection temperature (at 0.455 MPa).

If you need more give, Siraya sells Fast Tough (Grey and Navy Grey) on the same page. It lists 40% elongation at break and 39 J/m notched Izod impact, versus 25 J/m for standard Fast, and says it’s tougher than regular ABS-like without the need for mixing. Amazon carries it as Siraya Tech Fast ABS-Like Tough, Tough Navy Grey, 1 kg .

Skip it if: you want a harder surface. Siraya lists standard Fast at 75 D, softer than regular Blu at 80 D.

3. Siraya Tech Blu: best tough resin for functional parts

Siraya Tech calls Blu a tough engineering resin and lists engineering prototypes, mechanical aids, and fixtures and jigs among its uses. It says Blu can be tapped without cracking. For regular Blu (Emerald Blue, Clear V2 and Obsidian Black, which Siraya says share the same mechanical properties), it lists Shore 80 D, 50 MPa tensile stress at break, 32% elongation at break and a 70 °C heat deflection temperature.

Siraya also sells Blu Easy (Easy Grey), which it says reduces the original printing difficulty and suits desktop and miniature printing. Its listed figures differ: 75 D, 42 MPa and 43% elongation. Amazon carries it as Siraya Tech Blu Tough, Easy Grey, 1 kg .

Skip it if: you print display models only. A standard resin covers that job.

4. Anycubic Water-Wash Resin 2.0: best water-washable resin

Anycubic says Water-Wash Resin 2.0 rinses clean with water alone, with no isopropyl alcohol required, and its TDS also allows ethanol or IPA. The TDS lists Shore D 82–85, 38–43 MPa tensile strength and 16–22% elongation at break. Anycubic also says the resin keeps a low viscosity at 15–20 °C, which it says helps in unheated rooms.

The catch is the wash water. Anycubic says not to drain it into sewers. Instead, let it settle, put it in sunlight until the resin cures, and dispose of the solid as plastic waste. Its SDS classifies the liquid resin as harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects (H412).

Skip it if: you have nowhere to leave wash water to cure, or you already run an IPA wash station.

5. Anycubic 16K Standard Resin: best for fine detail

Anycubic’s TDS describes 16K Standard Resin as a high-precision resin with minimal shrinkage and a matte finish. It names prototyping, anime figurines, miniatures and bust sculptures as uses. On its product page, Anycubic also says the formula cuts down on vertical lines. The TDS lists Shore D 83–85, 40–50 MPa tensile strength and 12–16% elongation at break, and says to wash prints with ethanol and IPA.

Despite the name, Anycubic says it is compatible with all 405 nm printers. Pair it with a high-resolution machine from our best resin 3D printers list to make use of the detail.

Skip it if: you need parts with more give. Anycubic lists 12–16% elongation at break, below the 16–22% it lists for Water-Wash Resin 2.0.

Standard, ABS-like, tough or water-washable?

Standard resin is for models that sit on a shelf. Elegoo and Anycubic both pitch their standard resins at everyday and display work.

ABS-like and tough resins are for parts that get handled, dropped or fastened. Compare elongation at break and impact figures within a brand. Siraya’s Blu lists higher tensile stress, elongation and heat deflection than its Fast.

Water-washable resin changes the wash liquid, not the hazard. Anycubic’s SDS for Water-Wash Resin 2.0 uses the signal word Danger and lists skin irritation, allergic skin reactions and serious eye damage (H315, H317, H318). It carries the same glove and eye-protection advice (P280) as Elegoo’s SDS for its alcohol-wash standard resin.

Wavelength matters more than brand. Elegoo and Anycubic make these resins for 405 nm printers. Check your printer’s light source before buying a resin from another brand.

Handling and disposal

Read the SDS before opening the first bottle. Elegoo’s US SDS for its standard resin uses the signal word Warning and lists skin irritation and allergic skin reactions among its hazards. It says to wear protective gloves and eye protection, suggests butyl rubber gloves and protective goggles, and calls for good ventilation. Anycubic’s SDS for Water-Wash Resin 2.0 calls for chemically resistant gloves tested to EN 374, goggles, and adequate ventilation.

Neither liquid resin belongs in a drain. Elegoo’s SDS says not to dispose of it with household garbage or let it reach the sewage system, and Anycubic treats cured resin as plastic waste. For wash and cure hardware, see our best wash and cure stations . For gloves, eye protection and room setup, see our 3D printer safety accessories guide and ventilation guide . To match resin cost to part use, see our resin pricing guide .

FAQ

Is water-washable resin safer than standard resin?

Not according to its safety data sheet. Anycubic’s SDS for Water-Wash Resin 2.0 lists skin irritation, allergic skin reactions and serious eye damage, and Anycubic says not to pour the wash water down the drain. Water-washable resin changes the cleaning liquid. You still need gloves and eye protection.

What is the difference between ABS-like and tough resin?

Names vary by brand, so compare the maker’s figures. Within Siraya Tech’s range, Fast ABS-like lists 31 MPa tensile stress at break and 20% elongation, while regular Blu tough resin lists 50 MPa and 32%, and a higher heat deflection temperature (70 °C versus 65 °C).

Will any resin work in my printer?

Check the wavelength first. Elegoo and Anycubic make these resins for 405 nm printers. Elegoo says its standard resin is compatible with most LCD and some DLP printers. Anycubic says its two resins work with all 405 nm printers. Siraya Tech lists wide compatibility with LCD and DLP printers.

How do I get rid of resin wash water?

Don’t pour it down the drain. Anycubic says to let the wash water from Water-Wash Resin 2.0 settle, then place it in sunlight until the resin cures, and dispose of the solid as plastic waste. Elegoo’s SDS for its standard resin says not to let the product reach the sewage system. Follow your local hazardous-waste rules for anything still liquid.

Sources