The Cricut Explore Air 2 has a special place to plug in old Cricut cartridges. Here is one of the many reasons why you should: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The main differences between the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore Air 2 are cutting force and tools. Not only can it cut over 100 different materials, but it allows you access to a huge library of sewing patterns and has the Adaptive Tool System. It helped me a great deal! It’s the perfect tool for thick materials and deep cuts. But the Maker just inches ahead when you think about which cutter you’ll want by your side for the next few years. Cricut Maker vs. Cricut Explore Air 2 – Should you upgrade? Vinyl Cutting Machines — Copyright © — Your guide to the best vinyl cutters. This is not an issue unless you have an old Cricut machine/cartridges. The Maker weighs about 30 pounds while the Explore Air 2 weighs 21 pounds. With the Cricut Maker, you get the most bang for your buck, and you can cut the widest variety of materials. It’s more versatile, will last longer, gives better Print Then Cut functionality, is a revolutionary tool for sewers, is easier to use and is an all-round better cutter. The Cricut Maker weighs more than the Explore Air 2 because it is 10x stronger. It’ll grow with you. The Cricut Makeris the new machine that is on the market. More Possibilities. The Cricut Joy is a small personal cutting machine that is capable of cutting the most popular Cricut materials. Thanks to the Adaptive Tool System, Cricut have more or less guaranteed that the Maker will be a vessel for all the different blades and tools they plan to release in future. If you want to cut these materials, you will need to invest in the Cricut Maker. Both machines cut materials up to 12″x 24″ in size. This post also contains affiliate links for your convenience. The Maker, however, is the machine to use for all sewists — aside from an actual sewing machine that is! The Maker cuts thicker materials as well as fabrics that might be too “slippery” for the Explore Air 2 to cut. Both the Cricut Maker and the Explore Air 2 are amazing tools for crafters! Tool storage is greater with the Maker than the Explore Air. Another important thing to consider is how long the machine will last. The Maker has two little cups on top that can hold blades or tools. Cutting Force Differences The Cricut Maker has 10x the cutting force of the Explore Air 2. If you’re new to Cricut and the world of cutting crafts, you can ignore this section. So, when Cricut reached out to me and asked me to try out their Explore Air 2, I was excited to try it and compare the two models. This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we earn a small percentage of each sale. The opinions and text are all mine. Today we are talking about two of my favorite cutting machines. We are also part of several other craft-related affiliate programs. Print Then Cut is likely the most common reason for needing to calibrate your machine, which is the exact problem I encountered myself! First things first. They connect to a great free software – Cricut Design Space – which allows you to create custom designs. It can cut through practically any fabric and doesn’t require any backing material. Also, if you are a sewer and want to cut out a lot of patterns with non-bonded fabric, you definitely need the Maker. […], Copyright by The Charleston Crafted Blog, LLC, 2020 | Trellis Framework by Mediavine, read my complete review of the Cricut Maker here. What kind of patterns? However, the Maker can cut them faster, better, and with more precision. This machine will be perfectly sufficient for crafters that stick to thin materials and don’t require any specialist intervention. Is this a machine for life or simply one to tide you over until the next big thing comes out? This is especially important if you’re making DIY stickers. It’s got double the amount of storage space and even space to charge your phone or tablet. You can still use your cartridges with the Maker, but it’s a little more difficult. While it’s clear that the Cricut Maker has some serious improvements on the Explore Air 2, for some people, those new features won’t justify the price increase. Click here to see all of the materials your Cricut can cut! We should add that discounts and sales are common, and you may find these machines for different prices on marketplaces like Amazon. - New Rotary Blade. Print Then Cut (PtC) is one of our favorite features with the Cricut machines. Prices will vary depending on sales, but the Maker standard price is $399 while the Explore Air 2 is normally $299. Winner: Cricut Maker. We should add that discounts and sales are common, and you may find these machines for different prices on marketplaces like Amazon. Just speaking generally, it’s clear that the Maker has been designed for use at home, in a specialized craft room or space. The Maker is — you guessed it — for makers, while the Explore Air is for more dedicated cutting crafters. Anything that we think you might like. It’s served crafters very well for this past year and we think it will continue to be very popular in the years to come as well. Check out the pros and cons of each in this article and then take that information and make the best decision for your needs! Another important but often overlooked feature is how portable are these machines? Maker vs. explore. This includes the Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Explore Air, Cricut Explore One and Cricut Explore. Of course, this doesn’t take away from the respectable cutting specs of the Explore Air 2. Here's what I found! This site is part of the Amazon affiliate program. Recently the original Cricut Explore, Cricut Explore One, and Cricut Explore Air were discontinued as well. Click here to get this comparison in a FREE printable PDF! We’ve broken down every battle in the war of Cricut Maker vs Explore Air 2 to help you make the choice of which is the best cutter for you. The Rotary Blade itself, which comes included with all purchases of the Maker, is enough to elevate the machine high above the Explore Air 2. Cricut Design Space is cloud-based so you can design on your phone and tablet, as well as your computer. They each cut tons of materials easily. That means we earn commission for purchases made through some of our links. The Cricut Explore Air 2 has always been one of the best desktop cutters considering its entry level price. This post and the photos within it may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. It’s straightforward to use and allows you plenty of editing options so you can really personalize your designs. Which machine do you need? I started with new blades and mats on each so it was as close as possible to be the same cutting conditions. Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, Sure Cuts A Lot and Make The Cut should be on your radar as better design programs. Long time Cricut users, however, will be very familiar with cartridges — and will probably have at least one shelf in their craft room dedicated to them! The major difference here is that the Explore Air 2 comes with the Smart Set Dial on the front. Pretty damn cool. I am definitely a cutter, not a maker! If you just want to cut paper and vinyl – the Explore Air 2 is enough for you. - Expandable suite of tools. You can use digital cartridges without having the buy the adapter as these download directly into Design Space. As another added bonus, the Maker is also able to work with some really sophisticated new blades: the Rotary blade and the Knife blade. Now available in an array of stunning hues and value‑packed bundles. Raspberry, Fushia, Lilac, Rose, Blue, Mint, Black, Sky. With its powerful blades, pens, and scoring tool, Cricut Maker grows with you as you learn each new craft. This helps us to keep the site running. Very easy. , When the Cricut Maker was released this Summer, one of the most popular questions we heard was, “how does it compare to the Explore Air 2?”. Cricut Explore Air ™ 2. There are no dials or buttons on the actual machine because of the Adaptive Cutting System which makes the dial unnecessary. Both of these Cricuts can cut over 100 materials. have been contemplating on which cutter is the best.. The Cricut Joy vs Explore Air 2 vs Maker: which is better? Everyday I love testing new machines, materials and techniques and passing my tips and reviews along to my crafting friends and readers. What a great and well written review. The Explore Air 2 is the oldest of the three machines, but don’t let that fool you – it’s still an incredibly versatile and accurate cutting machine. If you can’t afford the extra money, then nothing is worth it! Both machines have a maximum cutting size of 12″ wide by 24″ long. Cricut seems committed to putting out new blades on a regular basis. The Cricut Explore Air 2is not going anywhere either. Easy peasy — and you don’t have to do anything at all! Enjoy this Cricut Maker versus Cricut Explore Air 2 video. Both the Cricut Maker and the Explore Air 2 can cut leather, but the type of leather will determine whether or not you can use the fine point blade (Cricut faux leather), deep cut blade (tooling leather), or the Maker-only Knife Blade (thicker leather or garment leather). Particularly when the Explore Air 2 is only around a year old… The Explore Air 2, on the other hand, is advertised at the moment on the Cricut site for $299.99. We do think that you get a lot of bang for your buck here, but there’s no doubt that that’s a significant sum to lay down on a new cutter. When you say the Maker prints sewing patterns, do you mean shapes for Appliques? Not only will the Maker cut your sewing patterns for you, it will also mark them too — with the included washable fabric marker pen. Published October 31, 2018 by Lindsay. Regardless, if you’re on a budget, the Explore Air is a clear winner. This will be less important if you only like to craft when sat at a desk, but if you travel with your cutting machine, or simply like to move it between rooms, it’s worth taking note. The Maker is about 30 lbs, while the Explore is 21 lbs. This isn’t especially difficult; just a little annoying. The blades have the same sharp precision as they do in the older machine, but this time they’ve got a hell of a lot more force behind them: a whopping 4,000 grams of force vs the Explore Air’s somewhat paltry 400 grams. I don’t like to play favorites, but it’s hard to deny that the Silhouette Cameo and Cricut cutters hold a special place in my heart! The PtC offering on the Maker is exactly the same as with the Explore Air 2, except that now it can PtC on patterned and colored paper! The Cricut Maker also comes with tools that aren’t backward compatible with the Cricut Explore. Let’s take a good look at it, and compare it with the other Cricut Machines! Plus there’s a huge store of ready-to-make projects and quick cuts to get you started right off the bat. The Cricut Explore Air 2 What is the Cricut Explore Air 2? If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. That means that the Maker will be the perfect machine regardless of how much your crafting evolves over the next few years. The Cricut Explore Air can cut thicker materials, such as balsa wood, aluminum, and chipboard. The Cricut Explore Air 2 cuts with a deep cut blade, but the knife blade on the Maker can go even deeper. THIS IS A HUGE AND GIGANTIC STEP, and because of this force, you are now able to use more powerful tools and more complex materials. Moving on, the two machines provide you with a 12×12 inch cutting area. Overall, it should be clear that the Cricut Maker is the better machine. Disclosure: VCM uses affiliate programs, including Amazon Associates. You can read my complete review of the Cricut Maker here! If you’ve got a question on any machine with a servo motor, make sure you come straight to me! Design Space is a pretty good software program for beginners. However, as you might expect, the Cricut Maker is also more expensive than the Explore Air 2. Thanks for this review! Explore Air 2 . If you are trying to start a business with the Cricut, you might also want to invest in the Maker – you never know when you might want one of the newest blades or tools and you are better off only buying one machine to start! You’ll need to buy the cartridge adapter separately (available from December 2017), which will allow you to link your physical cartridges into Design Space. But it’s definitely not a perfect program: it can be a little buggy and it’s certainly limiting if you’re creating your own designs within the program. Before you dive into precise testing of both devices, you are invited to check the quick notes about Air and Air 2. The clue is in the name: the Maker is a machine for makers. Let’s start with the biggest difference between the machines, Cricut Maker’s Adaptive Tool System™. Cricut Explore Air 2 vs. Cricut Maker Comparison I have an Explore Air 2 now. If you want to be open to more possible materials, I definitely think that the Maker is worth the extra $100! Great news for anyone looking to jazz up their PtC projects and go the extra mile. It can do everything that the Explore Air 2 can do — which is already quite a bit — and much more. Aside from being lighter, it has a lower amount of storage (although frankly still well endowed in this area) and will be better for people that like to craft on the road — or even take around to friends’ houses for craft night! Both machines can hold two tools at once – such as a blade as well as a pen so you can do two different types of actions in one project without having to swap tools. The variety of shapes used is to simulate simple to more intricate cutting. Let me start by saying that I absolutely love both machines and have been using the Cricut Maker for over a month now and I’m in love with it! Particularly when the Explore Air 2 is only around a year old…. The issue that we — and plenty of other users — have with this is that the materials that you most commonly use aren’t necessarily the most common materials for the Cricut community at large. We’ve already mentioned the huge sewing pattern library that comes with your purchase of the machine but it goes a little further than that. So, what are you paying an extra $100 for with the Maker? The Explore Air 2, on the other hand, is advertised at the moment on the Cricut site for $299.99. Of course, if you’ve got everything you need right now, then there’s no real need to upgrade. Posted on Published: November 20, 2019 Categories Cricut. Our posts may contain affiliate links where we are compensated for purchases you make. Cricut Maker vs. Explore Air 2: Cutting Fabric. Can anyone sum up what the … Press J to jump to the feed. As you can see, there are many pros and cons to buying each different Cricut model. We’ll be totally upfront: we think that both are excellent stand alone machines and we’re pretty sure you’ll be happy if you buy either of them. Some of the differences with the new Cricut MakerMachine and the Cricut Explore Air 2are more obvious than others. The machine will then automatically adjust its cut settings according to what you’ve set on the dial. It also has hidden storage for extra blades. Today I’m comparing the Cricut Maker vs Explore Air 2, I have one of each of these machines currently and I’ve used both extensively for a variety of projects and material types. The Cricut Maker has no cartridge slot. It’s certainly not obsolete, but it doesn’t have the strength and engineering behind it to support the new tools and blades that Cricut are releasing. Well, like most things in life, it depends. That said, the Cricut cutter is the most compact one of the two with a 6-inch height … Is it worth the extra money? You can upload your own designs and convert them for free so if you’re a little more experienced and like to create your designs in a more sophisticated program, you have the option to do that. Cricut Maker vs. Cricut Explore Air 2. I have been loving using my Cricut Maker for over six months now. 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