This paper investigates the crashworthiness performance of circular advanced polylactic acid (PLA+) lightweight protective structures inspired by the natural morphology of the horsetail. The specimens were created using 3D-printing technology and tested under quasi-static axial compression. Three design parameters were employed, each with four levels, in order to calculate the crashworthiness behaviors and deformation histories of the intended tubes. The design parameters are the inner diameter (d) and the outer diameter (D) (d/D = 0.5/4, 1/4, 2/4, and 3/4), the number of ribs (N = 2, 4, 6, and 8), and the internal shape (S = circular, square, hexagonal, and octagonal). Furthermore, the designed tubes were compared with the hollow tube. Later on, various crashworthiness indicators, i.e., the initial peak load , total absorbed energy (U), average crash load ( ), crash force efficiency (CFE), and specific absorbed energy (SEA), of the proposed tubes were evaluated. Based on the obtained results, the studied parameters have a noteworthy influence on the crashworthiness performance and the deformation history. In addition, the findings revealed that increasing the d/D and N led to enhanced energy absorption capacity. Furthermore, the circular inner shape documents the best inner structure. The maximum, , , U, CFE, and SEA were recorded for the CN8R (1/4) specimen with an enhancement percentage of 120.09, 321.44, 320.86, 93.17, and 101.31% compared to the hollow tube, respectively.