Short answer: if your Bambu Lab P1P is still doing the job, you should usually keep the P1P and save the money. Upgrade to the Bambu Lab P2S when you want enclosure, a cleaner current Bambu default, or a one-machine answer that feels easier to live with long-term.
This is not the same question as P2S vs P1P for a new buyer. That page asks which printer makes more sense if you are buying fresh. This page is for someone who already owns the P1P and wants to know whether spending more to move up is actually justified.
When keeping the P1P is the smarter move
Your printer is still covering your normal work
If your P1P is reliable, your parts are coming out fine, and your workload is mostly PLA, PETG, jigs, brackets, organizers, and other mainstream functional jobs, the upgrade case is weaker than it first sounds. The P2S is easier to recommend to a new buyer than an old open-frame branch, but existing owners should judge much harder.
Your real bottleneck is not the machine itself
Many owners get more value from better filament storage, a dryer, replacement nozzles, more material on the shelf, or just printing more often than they do from swapping one capable Bambu lane for another. If the actual pain is moisture, workflow, or available print time, the upgrade does not fix the real problem.
You do not actually need the enclosed-printer lifestyle
The strongest reason to move from P1P to P2S is not that the P1P suddenly became bad. It is that you have clearly outgrown the open-frame tradeoff. If that has not happened, the P1P can still be the smarter owner choice.
When upgrading to the P2S makes sense
You want the enclosed branch now, not later
If you already know you want a cleaner enclosed machine as your main printer, the P2S is the logical step. It makes more sense than hanging onto the cheaper open route while quietly planning the enclosure upgrade anyway.
You want Bambu's current mainstream enclosed default
Some owners do not want to live on the older branch once the replacement or upgrade moment arrives. If you want the machine Bambu buyers are more naturally routed toward today, the P2S is a clearer destination than continuing to rationalize the open P-series path forever.
Your ownership preferences changed
Maybe the printer moved into a shared room. Maybe you care more about containment now. Maybe you started with the cheapest fast Bambu option and now want the more complete one-machine answer. Those are real reasons. They are stronger than vague upgrade itch.
What this upgrade is really buying you
- an enclosed step up from the open P-series ownership experience
- a move from the lower-cost entry path to Bambu's cleaner current enclosed default
- a better fit if you want one main machine that feels easier to justify keeping long-term
- a clearer route if your next printer was always going to be enclosed anyway
What this upgrade is not buying you
- a totally different class of printer
- an automatic fix for poor filament handling, weak workflow, or bad print habits
- a reason to upgrade if your P1P is still matching your actual jobs comfortably
- a big enough jump if your real next move should be something like the X2D or a broader branch change
Who should keep the P1P?
- owners whose P1P is still reliable and productive
- people printing mostly mainstream materials and everyday functional parts
- buyers who would feel the spend more than the upgrade benefit
- owners whose real problem is materials handling, workflow, or time rather than open-frame ownership
Who should upgrade to the P2S?
- owners who already know they want enclosure as part of their next long-term machine
- buyers who want to reset onto Bambu's current mainstream enclosed branch
- people who are at a natural replacement or re-standardization point already
- owners who are tired of talking themselves out of the enclosed step and know that is the machine they really want
What to read next if you are still unsure
If your question is really whether the P1P still makes sense to own, read the P1P worth-it page. If your question is whether you would buy the P2S today from scratch, read the P2S worth-it page. If your question is simply which one makes more sense for a fresh purchase, go to the direct P2S vs P1P comparison.
If the deeper truth is that you do not need another printer right now and just need parts made, it is also reasonable to step sideways into JC Print Farm quote support instead of forcing a machine purchase that does not clearly change your output.
Bottom line
Most current owners should keep the Bambu Lab P1P unless they have clearly outgrown the open-frame tradeoff or are already at a replacement point where moving into the enclosed P2S branch makes sense. The Bambu Lab P2S is the cleaner current default, but that alone is not enough to justify the upgrade for every existing P1P owner.