Best Cricut For Vinyl (2021): Choosing Your Cricut for Vinyl Cutting

Vinyl is such a versatile material that can be used to customize a wide range of products including shirts, hats, wood, glass, and more. You can design your own stickers, wall decals, magnets, labels, and more using a Cricut to cut vinyl. But which is the best Cricut for vinyl? The best Cricut for vinyl overall is the Cricut Explore Air 2 while the best portable Cricut for vinyl is the Cricut Joy. Keep reading to find out why and to find inspiration for vinyl projects you can do with these two Cricut smart cutting machines.

The Best Cricut for Vinyl: Cricut Explore Air 2 & Cricut Joy

Model	Best Cricut For Vinyl Overall: Cricut Explore Air 2	Best Portable Cricut for Vinyl: Cricut Joy
Price	Currently on Sale at 179.99 USD	Check Price
Dimensions (LDH)	22.17″ x 7″ x 5.0″	8.4″ x 5.5″ x 4.25″
Weight	21 lbs	3.9 lbs
Best For	Versatility and speed Cutting bigger vinyl projects	Portability Cutting Smart Vinyl without a mat Cutting long vinyl projects
Max Cutting Area	12″ x 24″	4.25″ x 6.5″
Cutting Versatility	Cuts 100 materials	Cuts 50+ materials
Tools	Compatible with Deep-Point Blade and Scoring Stylus	Cricut Joy only
Tool Holder	Double	Single
Material Dial	Yes	No
Mat-less Cutting	No	Yes
Software	Design Space	Design Space
Upload Own Design	Yes	Yes
Tool Storage	Yes	No
Connectivity	Bluetooth	Bluetooth
Colors	Blue, Cherry Blossom, Matte Black, Twilight, Mint, Persimmon, Rose	White/Turquoise

Overall Best Cricut for Vinyl: Cricut Explore Air 2

The Cricut Explore Air 2 can cut a wide range of vinyl and other materials. It features Fast Mode and a large 12″ x 24″ cutting area.

With a 400-gram cutting force, the Cricut Explore Air 2 can cut up to 100 types of materials. Apart from vinyl, it can also cut cardstock, faux leather, and bonded fabric. While it is not the most powerful Cricut cutting machine (that would be the Cricut Maker), we picked the Explore Air 2 as the best Cricut for vinyl as it can cut a wide range of vinyl materials with excellent precision and quality. In addition, this Cricut comes at an attractive price point, especially when it goes on sale.

With its 12″ x 24″ cutting area, the Cricut Explore Air 2 lets you design and cut bigger vinyl projects on Design Space. This allows you to print and cut stencils, decals or other designs for larger surfaces. This Cricut also features a Fast Mode, which is best for cutting more vinyl projects in a shorter time. The Cricut Explore Air 2 also comes with two tool holders so you don’t have to keep changing tools from drawing to cutting. For the organization-conscious crafters, this Cricut offers a tool holder on the side and a tool storage tray at the bottom.

What’s comes with the Cricut Explore Air 2

When you purchase a Cricut Explore Air 2 for cutting your vinyl projects, you will get the following with the cutting machine:

• Cricut Premium Fine Point Blade and Housing
• Cricut 12″ x12″ LightGrip Adhesive Cutting Mat (Great for cutting Cricut Vinyl and HTV),
• Black Fine Point Pen
• Access to Design Space, Cricut’s design software
• Free 2-week trial to Cricut Access, Cricut’s vast library of fonts, images, and designs

Cricut Explore Air 2

Best Portable Cricut for Vinyl: Cricut Joy

A very beginner-friendly Cricut, the Cricut Joy is a portable machine that can cut extra-long vinyl projects even without a cutting mat

The Cricut Explore Air is the best Cricut for vinyl for its versatility, impressive precision, wide cutting area, and attractive price point. However, it’s not as portable and space-saving as the Cricut Joy, the latest machine from Cricut. It’s so compact it can fit at the top of your palm and can mesh well with your shelf decor.

The Joy is the best Cricut for cutting vinyl while on the go. For crafters and makers who often travel with their cutting machine or are in the organization business, the Cricut Joy is a must-have. Something to consider when thinking of getting the Cricut for cutting vinyl though is its limited cutting width. It is designed to cut extra long projects, but its maximum cutting width is 4.25 inches. If you need to cut vinyl projects that are wider than that, you are better off getting the Cricut Explore Air 2.

In addition to its portability, users love how the Cricut Joy is very beginner-friendly. One of its best features is the Cricut Joy can cut Smart Vinyl even without a cutting mat. Its Smart Materials are designed specifically to work with the Cricut Joy directly from the roll. This further allows this new Cricut to cut designs up to 4-feet continuously and up to 20ft-long repeated designs. If you’ve ever had to sit with your Cricut while it cuts so you can change the mat, you’ll know how game-changing and time-saving this feature is.

Cricut Joy

Best Cricut Ideas for Vinyl Projects

Cricut and cutting vinyl offer endless design and customization possibilities. We collate some of the most beautiful and creative vinyl projects from Cricut’s website for your inspiration.

1. Cut vinyl patterns and texts for walls.

Whether you want to use patterns or wall quotes and messages, Cricut can cut vinyl you can use to fashion your walls into what you like. If you live in a rented apartment where you’re not allowed to paint the walls, removable vinyl can still let you add your personal touch to an otherwise generic, plain wall. Unlike permanent vinyls, removable vinyl doesn’t leave a residue when peeled.

2. Customize shirt, shoes, blankets, towels, pillow covers and more using Cricut Iron-On Vinyl

Vinyl is such a versatile material that you can cut different types of vinyl to customize fabric. You can use the Cricut Iron-On Vinyl, which is also called Heat Transfer Vinyl by other brands. Cricut and other brands carry an array of vinyl materials, including glitter, holographic, foil, sports-grade vinyl, and more. To yield impeccable heat transfer results, you can get the Cricut EasyPress. Its heat plate boasts even heating from edge to edge can get hot for up to 400°F.

3. Label away using your Cricut machine and vinyl

These labels are made from basic Cricut Vinyl, which is among the most affordable ones Cricut offers.

4. Personalize a wide array of products

This vinyl balloon (left) by Jen Causey of Something Turquoise looks like it’s not just a simple DIY vinyl project. The Cricut Explore Air 2 can cut foil vinyl precisely so your vinyl project looks impeccable. One of the best things about the Cricut Explore Air 2 or Cricut Joy for cutting vinyl is you can turn your projects into something profitable.

5. Design and cut your own stickers using Cricut Printable Vinyl

Up your sticker game by designing and cutting your own stickers using the Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut Cricut Printable Vinyl. Cricut boasts a Print Then Cut feature. With this, you can design your sticker on Design Space and print on the Cricut Printable Vinyl using a compatible InkJet printer. Afterward, the Cricut will the images around the edges so you can peel your stickers easily.

Summary

These are the best Cricut for vinyl that are worth your investment

Cricut Explore Air 2

Buy at Cricut.com

Cricut Joy

Buy at Cricut.com

 

The Cricut Explore Air 2 takes the crown as the best Cricut for vinyl as it offers the best value for your money. It’s a versatile cutting machine that can cut most vinyl materials with impressive quality without the steep price tag. Meanwhile, if you want a more portable alternative, the Cricut Joy is the best portable Cricut for vinyl. In addition to its compact size, it’s very beginner-friendly and can cut Smart Vinyl without worrying about the mat.

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