If you are looking to buy one of the best Cricut machines to enhance your crafting experience, we have prepared an ultimate guide for you. With the Cricut machines, you can create custom decals, greeting cards, customized apparel, and much more. Whether you are a home crafter or an owner of the leading workshop, these best Cricut machines will help you achieve your crafting goal.
Before we move on to the guide where we explore each type of Cricut machine, let’s check out the overview, which one is the best for a particular task.
Best Compact Cricut Machine: Cricut Joy
Best Value: Cricut Explore Air 2
Best for iron-on transfers: Cricut EasyPress2
Best for Mugs: Cricut Mug Press
Best Overall: Cricut Maker 3
Cricut offers three different types of cutting machines, which are the Maker, the Explore, and the Joy. The Cricut Maker series will be perfect for home crafters as well as professionals who commercialize their own creations. For easy money, the Cricut Maker series is one of the best Cricut machines you can work with. The Cricut Maker 3 is Cricut’s flagship model that offers cut and crafting features altogether. However, it does not mean other Cricut machines are not worth looking at.
Not only does it offer features to cut, but it can create designs to customize desired materials with Cricut Design Space software. You can create anything you dream of and upload it into the Design Space app on your iPad, iPhone, or Mac. From your device, you can create anything in Design Space. With each machine, you get interchangeable blades and pens that allow you to cut, score, draw, write, and whatnot. You will specifically want to check out one of Cricut’s heat press machines if you are working on iron-on materials.
Let’s explore all of the best Cricut machines booming in the market right now.
Cricut Maker 3: Best Cricut Machine Overall
The Cricut Maker 3 is known as the ultimate Cricut model, which can cut over 300 different materials ranging from vinyl to paper, leather, fabric, and even various types of wood. With Cricut Maker 3 machine, you can use up to 13 interchangeable tools for different types of tasks, such as writing, scoring, cutting, debossing, foiling, engraving, and much more. Now, you can create projects up to 13 inches wide.
With Cricut Maker 3, the Cricut maker (predecessor model) was replaced as the flagship model. Fortunately, there is not much difference between Cricut Maker and Maker 3 models. The only exception is that the Cricut Maker 3 model offers smart materials, which are faster than its predecessor. If you need smart materials, you can purchase them in large rolls, which means you have a chance to prepare giant projects up to 12 feet long. Whereas the Cricut Maker only offers to prepare projects up to 24 inches long and 12 inches wide. If your project missions do not involve giant crafts, the Cricut Maker will be the best Cricut machine for you.
Advantages
Offers to use over 300 materials
Can utilize smart materials for projects up to 12 feet long
Over a dozen tools to cut, score, write, and more
Offers to do projects that are 13 inches wide
Cricut Explore Air 2: Best Value & Most Popular
The Cricut Explore Air 2 is a full-service and full-sized machine that performs exactly as your Cricut Maker 3. However, you will get these features with the Maker 3 model for a lot less money. The machine will cut over 100 different materials, and your projects are allowed to be up to 12 inches wide. And the length could be up to two feet. You can interchange up to six different tools for writing, cutting, scoring, foiling, and writing. If you are planning to work foremost with paper, iron-on, vinyl, infusible ink, you won’t even need to pay extra for an upscale machine.
Also, you must note if you are planning to explore one of the best Cricut machines, Cricut Explore Air 2 is the newly released model. While comparing Explore Air 2 and Explore 3, the biggest difference is smart materials. With the Explore 3 model, your projects get faster speed and extra width.
Advantages
The machine comes as well-priced
Offers to use over 100 materials
It comes with six interchangeable blades for writing, cutting, scoring, and more.
Cricut Joy: Best Compact Machine
Even though the Cricut Joy model is more limited in its features, it is one of the favorite ones among Cricut machines. You want to know the reason, why? Well, it is certainly small and easy to use. This machine is the perfect choice for users who are just beginning their journey as Cricut crafters. The Cricut Joy machine is a perfect take on a compact design, which is helpful for people with limited craft space or who need something portable.
As per my own experience, I have used Cricut Joy to make labels, t-shirts, greeting cards, decals, and many other projects. So, when I tell you it is the best compact machine you will ever find, believe that. With this machine, you can work with smart materials. It means you can also work on projects up to four feet long. Also, you must understand that most of the materials and accessories of Maker and Explore lineups will not be interchangeable with Joy’s materials.
Advantages
Offers usage of over 50 different materials
It comes with three tools to cut, foil, write and draw
Reasonable price
Smart materials for projects up to 4 feet long.
Cricut EasyPress 2: Best for Iron-On Transfers
You must have used an iron in your entire life, right? Well, the Cricut EasyPress 2 is just like that. You can certainly work with infusible ink and iron-on transfer projects. But the Cricut EasyPress 2 can be set for a specific length and temperature. With this machine, you get more impressive results each time you experiment with it. Throughout the process, the heat is distributed evenly on the heating plate. So, if you are exploring the best Cricut machine to use for iron-on transfers, this is the one for you.
Advantages
Creates pretty impressive iron-on and Infusible Ink projects
Set it up with the exact temperature and time you require
Heats evenly all over the heating plate
Cricut Mug Press: Best for Mug Projects
These days working with infusible ink has become the most popular thing. Once you use the infusible ink over a blank surface, it won’t ever come out, peel. Fade, or crack. The ink actually gets infused onto the item. If you want to create impressive mugs, Cricut Mug Press will be the best Cricut machine for you.
Advantages
Easy mug customization
Can use different types of mug sizes
Offers consistency over the entire project
Conclusion
When you are looking for the best Cricut machine, it all comes down to the investment. If you are looking for something popular and works perfect for a giant project, then install the Explore Air 2 machine. And if you want something in a compact, the Cricut Maker series will be the best Cricut machine for you. After all, it depends on the project requirement that you need to work with. So, don’t wait up and start enhancing your crafting experience with the best Cricut machines right now.
visit:cricut.com/setup
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