Empty spool weights
Polymaker empty spool weight: cardboard spool vs older plastic
Polymaker moved its standard lines to a recycled cardboard spool, and their own product pages list the 1 kg cardboard spool at 140 g give or take 7 g. If you still have older stock, some of it shipped on a heavier plastic spool nearer 215 g. Mixing the two up throws your remaining-filament math off by about 75 g, close to a whole Benchy of error.
So the first question is which spool you are holding. PolyLite, PolyTerra, PolyMax and most current Polymaker filament come on the cardboard spool now. The cardboard also drifts a few grams with humidity, because it absorbs moisture along with your filament, so weigh one once if you want to be exact.
Polymaker spool weights at a glance
| Spool | Empty weight (g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cardboard spool (current, 1 kg) | ~140 | Polymaker's own spec is 140 +/- 7 g. Used across current PolyLite, PolyTerra, and most standard lines. |
| Cardboard spool (0.5 kg) | ~190 | The half-size cardboard spool, per Polymaker's product specs. |
| Plastic spool (older stock) | ~215 | The heavier black plastic spool Polymaker used before the cardboard switch. Community-measured. |
Spools vary a few grams batch to batch, so treat these as good starting points. The exact answer takes one minute: weigh an empty spool of the type you use, write the number on it with a Sharpie, and pick Custom in the calculator from then on.
How to weigh it right
- Take the spool off the printer or out of the AMS. Anything supporting the spool skews the reading.
- Use a kitchen scale on a flat surface. Gram resolution is plenty; you do not need a lab scale.
- Enter the total weight above, pick the matching spool type, and read off grams remaining. The result updates as you type.
Frequently asked
- Is my Polymaker spool cardboard or plastic?
- Current Polymaker filament ships on a recycled cardboard spool, which their product pages spec at 140 g for the 1 kg size. If your spool is solid black plastic rather than cardboard, it is older stock and weighs closer to 215 g. When in doubt, weigh the empty spool and pick Custom.
- Why does my cardboard spool weigh more than 140 g empty?
- Cardboard absorbs moisture. A spool that lived in a humid room can read several grams heavier than one out of a dry box. Polymaker's own figure carries a plus-or-minus 7 g tolerance on top of that, so anything in the low-to-mid 140s is normal.
- Does Polymaker publish official spool weights?
- Yes, for the cardboard spools. Polymaker's product pages list the 1 kg cardboard spool at 140 g and the 0.5 kg at about 190 g. The older plastic spool weight comes from community measurements. Either way, your own scale is the final word.
Where these numbers come from
Community measurements and crowdsourced spool databases, cross-checked in July 2026. If your spool disagrees, trust your scale over any table, including this one.