How to Know Which Cricut Machine is Best For Me
Hello! Years ago, when I was first looking for a Cricut machine, I didn’t even realize they had more than one machine. So, here I am with no clue about Cricut machines, but I knew I wanted to buy one. I was a little bit like, “Buy now, worry about it later” – instant gratification, right?! (My husband is at the opposite end. If he’s interested in buying something, he will research every little thing & it will take him months to possibly buy an item!) But not I!
As I was saying, with the Cricut machines… I didn’t know what I was purchasing or anything about the machines, but I liked seeing everything you could make with one. So…I ended up buying the Explore Air 2. At the time, the Maker was the top machine, but I didn’t want to pay more money for it when I didn’t even know if I would like it.
So for anyone out there that is in my prior situation, I wanted to make a post about the Cricut machine & to hopefully help you make the best decision you can in what machine to purchase. So let me start by telling you what a Cricut is & what it does!
WHAT IS A CRICUT & WHAT DOES IT DO
What is a Cricut, you ask? A Cricut is an electronic cutting machine that can cut designs from various materials like cardstock, paper, vinyl, iron-on, & more. You can even cut wood with a Cricut. It’s a die-cutting machine, like the Sizzix machines or the Crafter’s Companion Gemini, but it’s digital & much more advanced.
Think of everything you could make with a Cricut machine; home decor, iron-on tees, journals, necklaces, leather pouches, totes, mugs, quilts, cards & more. You can personalize just about anything with monograms or whatever design you wish. You can make gifts for someone or even make money from your designs. I could go on & on. The possibilities are endless!
I get asked this question over & over… “Do you have to have a computer to use a Cricut cutting machine?”. Short answer – yes. The computer is how you tell your Cricut what to do. You can use your computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. This is my opinion, but I recommend your computer or laptop because you see all the icons & tools. The other options have hidden icons & tools that you have to find.
HOW MANY CRICUT MACHINES ARE THERE?
I would like first to tell you about all the available machines. There is the Cricut Joy, Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Explore 3, Cricut Maker, & Cricut Maker 3. [There were other machines before these, but you can no longer purchase them.] Then there are the specialty machines that work alongside the cutting machines like; Cricut Mug Press, Cricut Easy Press Mini, Cricut Easy Press 2, Cricut Easy Press 3, Cricut Hat Press & the amazing Cricut Auto Press (some day, some day…). All the machines are amazing!
WHICH CRICUT IS RIGHT FOR ME?
Here’s the big question I get, “which Cricut machine is best for me?”. There are several differences between Cricut machine models. It’s important to “research” (yes, I said it!) & compare the different models to determine which one best suits your needs. Let me tell you a little about each machine.
Cricut Joy
The Cricut Joy is the world’s smallest, & I must say, cutest electronic cutting machine on the market. Don’t think because ‘it’s small it must not be able to do a lot’. This little machine is amazing!
It was made without any buttons. Not one! You use this with the design app called Cricut Design Space. You can use this with your smartphone, tablet, computer or laptop.
It’s perfect for customizing labels, stickers, vinyl decals & more for planners or your kid’s school projects, or labels for your pantry or to make greeting cards. It can cut over 50 different materials. It’s great for last-minute projects or for crafting around the house.
Storage is not a problem because of its size. It could fit just about anywhere. It’s so portable you can take it to a friend’s house to craft. The Joy has its own set of tools like; gel pens, infusible ink pens, regular pens, blades, & mats. Cricut has vinyl, iron-on, Infusible Ink, etc., that are all compatible & sized just for the Joy. It even cuts Smart materials, so you don’t need to use a mat when you cut with it. They also have a Cricut card mat that you can use with the Cricut insert card sets to make a card in minutes!
CRICUT EXPLORE AIR 2
Let me start by saying I love this machine!! Remember, this was my first Cricut purchase & I still have it. This is what made me fall in love with Cricut EVERYthing! I personally think this Cricut is awesome with doing intricate cuts & I love the foiling job it does.
Unlike the Joy, the Cricut Explore Air 2 has buttons. It actually has buttons plus a dial. The dial is for picking which material you’re going to cut with. You can also turn the dial to ‘custom’ & pick your material right through Design Space. In front of the dial is a power button & in front of that are three other buttons. One is arrows going up & down & that’s for loading & unloading your mat. The next button has the Cricut logo on it & that is basically the ‘go’ button. The last button has a pause sign & that’s exactly what it’s for.
The Cricut Explore Air 2 also has storage compartments on the left of the machine & if you open the bottom flap you’ll see storage there also. This machine has two tool holders if needed.
This machine can pair with your computer or mobile device by Bluetooth. You just go to your Bluetooth setting menu to make the connection. If asked for a password, it’s 0000 (zeros). If you’d like to hook up to your computer with the USB cable, you can do that also. For your mobile device, you’ll have to connect thru Bluetooth.
Cricut’s Explore Air 2 uses three specialty blades. The fine-point blade, deep-point blade, & the bonded-fabric blade. Fine point blade is what is used for the majority of the time. This blade cuts vinyl, cardstock, iron-on, poster board, etc. The deep-point blade is made for thicker materials, like foam, magnetic material, felt, etc. The bonded-fabric blade is used for fabric. If you’re into quilting or sewing you would use this blade.
A ‘scoring stylus’ that puts subtle indented lines where a fold should be into cardstock is a great tool you can use with the Explore Air 2. This makes it much easier to fold, whether it be a card or envelope, or other craft.
CRICUT EXPLORE 3
The Cricut Explore 3 is the newest of the Explore series. It works with the same tools & cuts the same materials, plus more, as the Cricut Explore Air 2. They are the same size & the design is just a little different where they took the dial off the Explore 3. You use Design Space to tell your machine what materials you’re using instead.
They did drop the “Air” in the name of the machine, but for the most part, there are just three main differences between the machines.
1) With the Explore 3, you can use Cricut’s Smart materials, whereas, the Explore Air 2 does not.
2) The Explore 3 cuts twice as fast as the Explore Air 2 with the “fast mode” setting.
3) They included a more advanced light sensor for “Print-then-Cut” projects. You can now use colored paper with the Explore 3!
CRICUT MAKER
The Cricut Maker is the first of its own series. The Maker is slightly smaller than the Cricut Explore Air 2, slightly! It does not have a dial like the Explore 3. You use Design Space to tell your machine what materials you’re using.
Some of the other things that are different between the Maker & the Explore series:
1. It has a space for your phone or tablet to sit in on top of the machine.
2. The Maker has a USB port on the right side so that you can charge your phone if you need to while you’re crafting. Some people don’t even know it’s there!
3. There is a little more storage than the Explore series. Any amount of extra space is great!
4. The Maker can use twice as many tools than the Explore series.
5. There is no “open” button anymore. You just lift the first flap & the whole thing opens up. Pretty cool!
6. The Maker can cut more materials than any of the other machines, besides the Maker 3. Over 300 materials! Wow!
Above, I mentioned the Maker could use twice as many tools. I want to clarify that the Explore series & the Maker can use the same tools, but there are a few tools that can only be used with the Makers.
First, the knife blade, which is used for thicker & stronger materials, is only used in the Maker series. Second, the rotary blade that can cut in any direction, is used for fabric. This too is only for the Makers.
Also, there is a specialized “housing” (the tool that the blades go into is called a “housing”) that is called a “QuickSwap” housing. This is where you can change just the tips to be able to cut differently.
There are six “tips”; single scoring wheel, double scoring wheel, debossing tip, wavy blade, perforation blade & engraving tip.
1. Both the scoring wheels are to make fold lines so when you make cards or envelopes, for example, you have nice crisp lines to fold.
2. The debossing tip makes indents into, for example, cardstock. It’s the opposite of embossing.
3. The wavy blade, is just wavy! 😁 It makes a pretty cut line.
4. Perforation blade is for cardstock that you might need tearing, for example, coupons or tickets.
5. The engraving tip is to inscribe, for example, letters into your material.
This is what sets the Explore & the Maker series apart. With this housing, Cricut can add more “tips” without you having to purchase a new machine & you’ll always be up-to-date.
CRICUT MAKER 3
To me, the Cricut Maker 3 is the ‘big guy’ of all the Cricut machines. It is the newest machine, coming out in June of 2021 & yes, it is the most expensive. But….it was a perfect Christmas gift to myself! 😁
The biggest difference between the Cricut Maker & the Maker 3 is that the Maker 3 can cut Smart materials. They even made a Smart materials tray to hook onto the front of the Maker 3 for your materials. You can cut up to 12’ at once! It also cuts twice as fast as the Maker.
The Maker 3 uses the same tools as the Maker. It uses the Quickswap tool system. It looks almost like the Maker with no dial & has an updated, pretty blue-ish color. You can still cut over 300 materials!
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR BOX
Cricut machines come with everything in your box to get set up & to perform a test cut. After you’re set-up, you’ll be given a free 30-day trial membership to Cricut Access for new subscribers.
CRICUT JOY
- Cricut Joy machine
- Blade + Housing
- Fine Point Pen, Black (0.4 mm)
- StandardGrip Mat, 4.5” x 6.5”
- Welcome book
- Power adapter
- Materials for test cut
CRICUT EXPLORE AIR 2
- Cricut Explore Air 2 machine
- Power Cord
- USB Cord
- Premium Fine-Point Blade + Blade Housing (pre-installed in the B clamp)
- Pen and accessory adapter (pre-installed in the A clamp)
- Welcome Book
- Quick Start Guide
- 12 x 12 LightGrip cutting mat
- Materials for test cut
CRICUT EXPLORE 3
- Cricut Explore 3 machine
- Premium Fine-Point Blade + Blade Housing (pre-installed in the B clamp)
- Accessory Adapter (pre-installed in the A clamp)
- Quick Start Guide
- Safety document
- Warranty document
- USB cable
- Power adapter and power cord
- Material for test cut
- Bonus materials
CRICUT MAKER
- Cricut Maker machine
- Rotary Blade + Drive Housing
- Premium Fine-Point Blade + Blade Housing (pre-installed in the B clamp)
- Pen and Accessory Adapter (pre-installed in the A clamp)
- FabricGrip Mat 12” x 12”
- LightGrip Mat 12” x 12”
- Welcome book
- Quick Start Guide
- USB cable
- Power adapter
- Materials for test cut
CRICUT MAKER 3
- Cricut Maker 3 machine
- Premium Fine-Point Blade + Blade Housing (pre-installed in the B clamp)
- Accessory Adapter (pre-installed in the A clamp)
- Quick Start Guide
- Safety document
- Warranty document
- USB cable
- Power adapter and power cord
- Material for test cut
- Bonus materials
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
- How do you see yourself as a crafter in 12 months?
- If you see yourself as a casual crafter, go for Cricut Joy or Cricut Explore Air 2. If you want to sell projects, I’d go for the Cricut Maker 3.
- Have you just started crafting or are you an avid crafter?
- If you are just starting crafting, I’d go for the Cricut Joy or the Cricut Explore Air 2. If you’re an avid crafter, Cricut Explore 3 or the Cricut Maker or Maker 3 all depends on what you can afford.
- Have you been crafting but need to speed up the process of creating projects? Go for the Cricut Maker 3.
- Are you not really a crafter, but you want to personalize things for gift-giving? Go for a Cricut Joy or Cricut Explore Air 2.
- Are you going to want to start a business selling your projects? I would say a Cricut Explore 3, or if you know you’re going to want to make projects with Smart materials, then the Cricut Maker 3.
- What is my budget?
- If you can afford it, I’d say the Cricut Maker 3 is the “big guy” to choose! You will be set for making & selling everything. If you can’t afford that much but still want a machine, I’d say the Cricut Explore Air 2.
SUMMARY
I hope this post has been helpful in determining which Cricut machine is best for you. The questions & answers are my opinion only. After you make a purchase, find some of my posts that will help you get started, like “What to Do With My New Cricut?” If you liked this post, please share on social media & I would love it if you followed me while you were there! I would appreciate it so much! If you are interested in my new “Complete Font Guide – How to Work With Fonts in Cricut Design Space” there are a couple places on my home page that you can sign up for it. Have a good one! 💕
