Cricut Maker vs. Cricut Joy vs. Cricut Explore Air 2
Cricut products are a great addition to your crafting tools if you enjoy making your own DIY projects and household décor. As you may know, there are a few different types of Cricut machines and they all vary in a little way.
The Cricut Joy, Cricut Explore Air, and Cricut Maker share are very similar but there are minor differences that make one a better fit for a craft over the others. If you are interested in knowing which machine works best for what, keep reading.
First, we will start with the Cricut Maker. You have 5 colors to choose from, champagne, lilac, mint, rose or blue. The price: $399.99 Included with your purchase is:
- Cricut Maker machine
- Rotary Blade + Drive Housing
- Premium Fine-Point Blade + Housing
- Fine Point Pen, Black
- FabricGrip™ Machine Mat, 12″ x 12″ (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm)
- LightGrip Machine Mat, 12″ x 12″ (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm)
- Welcome Book
- USB cable
- Power adapter
- Free trial membership to Cricut Access™ (for new subscribers)
- 50 free ready-to-make projects, including 25 sewing patterns
- Materials for a practice project
This machine has the strongest cutting force out of all the Cricut machines. Compared to the Cricut Explore Air, its 10X the strength and cutting force.
You will want to use the Cricut Maker when you’re doing crafts that involve cutting fabric and other thicker material. If you want to dabble in some woodworking or leather-working, you will want to stick with the Cricut Maker. All Machines can cut card stock and light materials like vinyl.
The Maker is the only Machine that’s compatible with the Quick Swap Tools. These tools are attachments for the Maker that allows you to work with a multitude of materials. You can read more on these tools here.
Features of the Maker: (as listed on Cricut.com)
- The ultimate in professional-level cutting performance and versatility
- Cuts 300+ materials, from the most delicate fabric and paper to matboard and leather
- Rotary Blade for cutting virtually any fabric without backer
- 500+ digital sewing patterns and quilt blocks available from Simplicity®, Riley Blake™, and more (sold separately)
- Compatible with Knife Blade for thicker materials up to 2.4 mm (sold separately)
- Compatible with QuickSwap™ tools to quickly switch between scoring, engraving, debossing, and other decorative effects (sold separately)
- Compatible with Washable Fabric Pen for marking pattern pieces (sold separately)
- Adaptive Tool System™ for professional-level cutting performance and expandability
- Bluetooth® wireless technology
- Fast Mode for up to 2X faster cutting and writing
- Design Space® software for iOS, Android™, Windows®, and Mac®
The Cricut Explore Air 2 is priced at $249.99 and comes in a large variety of colors. (mint, lilac, raspberry, peacock, black, sunflower, peach kiss, cherry blossom, blush, boysenberry, pistachio, blue, candy apple, denim, periwinkle, coral, cobalt, fuchsia, rose, and emerald)
Included with your purchase is:
- Cricut Explore Air™ 2 machine
- Premium Fine-Point Blade + Housing
- Fine Point Pen, Black
- LightGrip Mat, 12″ x 12″ (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm)
- Welcome Book
- USB cable
- Power adapter
- Free trial membership to Cricut Access™ (for new subscribers)
- 50 ready-to-make projects
- Materials for a practice project
Its a Good machine it just doesn’t cut as much a materials as the Maker. Some of the most popular materials are cardstock, vinyl and iron-on to specialty materials like glitter paper, cork, and bonded fabric.
When it comes to the Cricut Explore, the uses are a bit different. The explore does not have the same strength as the Cricut Maker but that is okay if you are looking to craft with thinner materials. If you have an Explore and you are unsure if you should upgrade to the Cricut Maker, think about the types of crafts you will be doing and the materials you will be working with.
Features of the Explore Air 2: (as listed on Cricut.com)
- combines time-saving performance and class-leading simplicity
- Cuts 100 materials – everything from cardstock, vinyl, and iron-on to a range of specialty materials
- Fine-Point Blade for cutting a wide variety of popular craft materials
- Fast Mode for up to 2X faster cutting and writing(1)
- Bluetooth® wireless technology
- Compatible with Scoring Stylus and Deep-Point Blade (sold separately)
- Double tool holder to keep blade and pen always at the ready
- Design Space® software for iOS, Android™, Windows®, and Mac®
- Upload and use your own images and fonts for free
- Compatible with Cricut cartridges
*Compared to previous models using Fast Mode, which works with popular materials including vinyl, iron-on, and cardstock.
Finally, for the Cricut Joy. Currently this is the only color available. The price is: $179.99
Included with your purchase:
- Cricut Joy machine
- Blade + Housing**
- Fine Point Pen, Black (0.4 mm)**
- StandardGrip Mat, 4.5″ x 6.5″ (11.4 cm x 16.5 cm)**
- Welcome card
- Power adapter
- Free trial membership to Cricut Access™ (for new subscribers)
- 50 ready-to make projects online
- Materials for a practice cut
*Requires Cricut Smart Materials
**Only for Cricut Joy
The Cricut Joy is half the size of the other two machines. This small size is perfect if you often do crafts around the house and at different places rather than having a dedicated craft space. It is perfect if you would like to take one of the machines on a trip or to a friend’s house.
The Cricut Joy does only have a single blade and pen holder, which is where it starts lacking updated features compared to the other machines. Although it is behind on that front, the Cricut Joy has a Card Mat that allows you to make super cute and simple cards. Theres also card insert packs as well. You can’t utilize the print and cut feature with this machine but you can still cut card stock and vinyl (using a Joy mat).
The Joy also has its own materials to only be used with this specific machine, called Smart Material. Theres Smart vinyl (removable and permanent), iron on vinyl, infusible ink, labels, adhesive back paper, and patterned iron on. All smart material does not require a mat to cut, you just load it into the machine. If you use other brand vinyl or iron on, you would need one of the Joy mats.
Features of the Joy: (as listed on Cricut.com)
- Weighing in at only 3.9 lbs (1.75 kg), this smart little cutting and writing machine makes it easy to personalize almost anything
- Cuts 50+ materials, including iron-on, cardstock, vinyl, paper, and Smart Materials™ – super-easy, super-long cuts without a cutting mat
- Draws any shape and writes in a variety of styles
- Cuts individual shapes up to 4 ft long or makes repeated cuts up to 20 ft long*
- Fits in a cubby, packs away easily, sets up instantly
- Perfect companion to full-size Cricut smart cutting machines
- Bluetooth® wireless technology
- Design Space® software for iOS, Android™, Windows®, and Mac®
Now that you know all there is to know about the different machines Cricut offers, it is time to get your craft on. Choose the machine best suited for your craft to get the best results in the easiest way!
But before you go, Im going to give you my opinion on which Machine you should purchase. The best machine to purchase is the Maker. If its not within your budget then you should get the Explore Air 2. If you’re considering the Joy, you should get it if it was an add on machine, not your first machine.
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.
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