Let me start by saying - this filament surprised me. As someone who's struggled with TPU's finicky nature on bowden setups, Ataraxia's Flexible PLA is a game-changer. The '5X stretch' claim isn't just marketing fluff - I stretched a test print to ridiculous lengths before it snapped.

The matte black finish (on my early spools at least) gives professional-looking results that don't scream '3D printed'. I've made phone cases that friends assumed were store-bought. Shore 89A hardness hits the sweet spot between flexibility and structure - perfect for functional parts like belt clips that need to bend but not flop.

Printing at 200°C with 60mm/s speeds on my Ender 3 (bowden!), I got clean layers with minimal stringing. The included vacuum bag is a nice touch - though I wish they'd include desiccant packs too. Storage is crucial because like all flexible filaments, moisture ruins the party fast.

Now the downsides: Recent batches seem glossier than earlier ones, losing that premium matte look. And while it prints easier than TPU, you still need dialed-in retraction settings - expect some trial and error. The spool design could use visibility windows to check remaining filament.

At under $20/kg, this is my go-to for flexible projects needing more durability than standard PLA. Just temper expectations about that matte finish if you're buying recent stock.