If you’re into craft projects like scrapbooking or making homemade party decorations, a Cricut machine can make your life much easier — and more creative. Instead of hand-cutting materials like construction paper, cardstock, felt or vinyl, this handy machine can cut letters, shapes and graphics with expert precision.
Cricut offers a range of machines, which differ in the materials they can cut, the tools they provide and their cutting speed. Choosing the right model depends mainly on how you plan to use it — some machines work best for quick, everyday projects and others offer professional quality performance.
Shop this article: Cricut Joy, Cricut Explore Air 2 and Cricut EasyPress 2
Some crafters have heard the virtues of a Cricut machine but aren’t sure what it actually does. Simply put, a Cricut machine is an electronic cutting machine that cuts with speed and precision that you just can’t get from hand cutting.
It usually works with any material you can cut with scissors or a utility knife. You can find some Cricut machines that can even cut leather and wood. The machines can connect to your computer wirelessly or receive designs downloaded from your computer, so you can plan the perfect design with cut-out letters, numbers, shapes, patterns and/or other graphics.
Depending on the model, a Cricut machine can use various tools with a blade, including a rotary cutter, a scoring tool or a pen. Other Cricut machines work as heat presses to transfer cut-out designs onto T-shirts, tote bags and more.
Our testers found the budget-friendly Cricut Joy to be a great starter machine for someone interested in learning how to use cutting machines. The testers appreciated Cricut Joy's excellent cutting precision and straightforward design process. This accessible and user-friendly Cricut machine is also compact and easy to store, so it won’t take up too much room in your crafting space.
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If you’re interested in heat transfer projects, this compact machine is an excellent option. It offers three heat settings, an insulated safety base and an auto-shutoff feature for safe operation. It can transfer patterns to customize a range of unusually shaped items, too, including shoes, hats and stuffed animals.
This Cricut machine can cut, draw, score and more at two times the speed as previous models. It features six different tools for cutting and other embellishing and is compatible with more than 100 materials, including cork, bonded fabric and vinyl. It works with a free design app, too, so it’s easy to customize your projects.
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If you want total creative control over your crafting projects, this is the Cricut machine for you. It can cut over 300 materials, including leather, balsa wood and poster board. It includes a rotary blade, a knife blade and a fine-point pen, but it’s compatible with other Cricut tools if you want to expand your options. It also comes with 50 ready-to-make projects, so you can start creating right away.
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For simple everyday crafting projects, this Cricut machine is an excellent option. It can cut over 100 materials, including premium vinyl, faux leather, adhesive foils and specialty paper. It can make custom stickers, home decor, party favors, greeting cards, custom apparel and more. You can easily design your projects from your computer, phone or tablet too.
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For larger heat-transfer projects on flat surfaces, our testers love this Cricut machine. With its even-heating 9x9-inch surface, it’s large enough to transfer most designs onto T-shirts, aprons, tote bags and more without having to reposition. Our testers achieved professional iron-on results in as little as 60 seconds, with larger projects taking just two to three minutes. Try this intuitive Cricut machine on cotton, faux leather, wood and more.
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This handy Cricut machine can help you personalize professional-quality mugs to give as gifts. It produces peel-proof, dishwasher-proof designs in just a matter of minutes. It’s also compatible with a convenient design app that lets you customize your project and then easily send it to the machine.
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For anyone considering the Cricut Maker, this bundle offers outstanding value. In addition to the machine, it also comes with plenty of tools and supplies to help you get started, including exclusive vinyl designs, glitter iron-on sheets, vinyl sheets and more. It comes with a free trial membership to Cricut Access too.
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This Cricut model can cut over 300 materials, including leather, matboard and even the most delicate fabrics. It’s also compatible with 13 different tools that can cut, write, score, foil and embellish your projects. Its operating speed is two times faster and its cutting force is 10 times stronger than previous models.
Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine Bundle
If you’re considering the Explore Air 2, you may want to upgrade to this bundle. Not only does it include the versatile machine, but it also comes with a tool kit that includes a spatula, scraper, scissors and more. It also includes a Getting Started Guide e-book to help beginners learn the ins and outs of the machine.
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Jennifer Blair writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Includes reports from BestReviews Testing Lab and Laura Duerr.
