Cricut Explore 3 Unboxing & Setup

Its here, its here , and Im just so excited.Im unboxing and setting up the new Cricut Explore 3. OMG

I have so much to say about this machine but Im going to start with: ITS A MUST HAVE. Let me start off with a picture of ll of the Amazing products I received along with the Explore 3.

The Cricut Explore is the companies best selling cutting machine and now they’ve made it even better by making it faster and smarter. Now we can spend less time cutting for our projects because this machine cuts 2x faster than the previous models. You can cut on 100+ materials such as; card stock, vinyl, acetate, htv, and more. Writing, scoring, and embellishing can also be done with the Explore 3. Theres 6 tools that it can work with, all sold separately. And we also have a slot to hold our devices like the Maker.

What’s the difference between the Explore Air 2 and the Explore 3?

The difference is speed (it cuts up to 8 inches per second on the x axis, 8 inches per second on the y axis, and has 100 inches per second squared acceleration.), cut length, and it cuts without a mat when smart material is being used, it has an expanded storage cup, lid tray for mobile devices, and it compatible with the roll tray(sold separately).

Is there a physical difference?

Yes, there actually is a physical difference with the new machine. The finish is matte instead of glossy and the dial is no longer there. When you send your project to cut, you’ll choose your setting there instead of from the dial. Just like when you chose custom settings from the Air 2. Theres a new cord as well. You will not be able to use the corn from the old machines with this one.

Is Set up Easy ?

Set up is really simple. Open up design space and at the top left choose “New Product Set Up” and follow the steps. Make sure your machine is plugged in to your computer.

What is “Smart Material”. ?

Smart material was created by Cricut to be used on the machines without a mat. They’re compatible with the new machines. Theres smart vinyl, smart iron on, and smart paper. Remember you can still use other vinyl and htv but you’ll need the mat to use them.

When you purchase your machine you’ll get:

• Your Machine
• Premium Fine Point Blade + Housing
• Welcome card
• USB cable 
• Power adapter 
• Free trial subscription to Cricut Access™ (for new subscribers)
• 100 ready-to-make projects online
• Material for a practice cut

One of the best accessories for this machine is the roll holder. The smart material rolls go up to 75 feet long, so this baby is a life saver to manage all the material neatly.

The roller is only compatible with the Explore 3 and the Maker 3. It holds the rolls of vinyl neatly. It also has a a paper tripper in the top for easy removal of the material used.

The bottom of the tray glides right on to the machine for a secure fit.

Other notable features are:

• Compatible with 6 tools for cutting, writing, foiling & more (each tool sold sperately)
• Fine-Point Blade for cutting a wide variety of popular craft materials
• Works with Foil Transfer Tool adds pro-level foil embellishments
• Works with Scoring Stylus and Deep-Point Blade
• Bluetooth wireless technology
• Free design app for Windows® and Mac® computers and iOS® and Android™ device

And now that Ive given you all of the facts, lets talk about about opinion.

It really does cut faster. The smart material cuts like lightening speed, and when using the mat it still moves faster than the old machines but not as fast as the smart material. I use multiple machines at time and this machine honesty makes me want to replace all of them. The smart sticker card stock is my absolute favorite. Its great for your small pieces and thinner fonts. No more worrying how to neatly glue small pieces of card stock together.

I cut a simple multilayer cake topper to test it out.

This was really easy to design, I chose the Summer wording from design space, the file name is Summer and the file number is #M8781B96. Then I added an offset to the work. then two more offsets and sent them to cut. All 4 layers cut in under 5 minutes.

If you have any questions or comments, drop them below and Ill be more than happy to assist.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and are no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link.