Creating spectacular iron-on shirts, accessories and more require a machine capable of applying evenly distributed heat throughout the design. Deciding between the Cricut EasyPress 2 or a traditional heat press can be made easier once you determine what your preferences and future projects are like. For this comparison, we’ll feature one of the most highly-rated heat presses available online, the FancierStudio Heat Press.
Navigation
Cricut EasyPress vs Heat Press Comparison Chart
| Model | Cricut EasyPress 2 | Fancierstudio Heat Press |
 |  | |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Width | 9″ | 30″ |
| Depth | 9″ | 19” |
| Weight | 5.7 lbs | 51 lbs |
| Heat Plate | 9″ x 9″ | 15″ x 15″ |
| Coating | Ceramic | Teflon |
| Wattage | 1150 watts | 1800 watts |
| Max Temperature | 400°F | 699°F |
| Heat-up Time | 3 minutes | 8 minutes |
| Temperature Control | Yes | Yes |
| Pressure Control | Manual | Adjustable |
| Timer | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Shutoff | Yes | No |
| Safe Touch Exterior | Yes | No |
| Dedicated Power Outlet | Not required | Required |
| Customer Support | Yes | N/A |
Design and Size
The Cricut EasyPress 2 is portable and more versatile than a heat press.
Weighing just 6 lbs., the Cricut EasyPress 2 can be easily lifted with one hand, moved across the room or even brought to a friend’s place. The bigger 12″ x 10″ EasyPress 2 isn’t that much heavier at 8.6 lbs. It’s also easy to store away when not in use, and take up little space in your craft room. The same just isn’t true with the Fancierstudio Heat Press, which, at 45 lbs., is much too heavy to move around comfortably.
You’ll want a bit more space around it, too, since you’d want to keep its edges away from anything you won’t want getting hot. Once you’ve settled a place for it in your craft room, you won’t want to move it unless necessary. Design-wise, it has the same industrial-grade look of most heat presses, which are built for function and not for aesthetics. Having the Cricut EasyPress 2 in your work area will definitely be a lot more visually resonant with your creative pursuits.
Heat Settings
The Cricut EasyPress 2 heats up faster than a heat press and is better for rounded items.
Cricut improved the heat-up time of the EasyPress by 25% with the newer model. It can reach desired temperatures in under 2 minutes, allowing projects to be completed quickly. In contrast, the Fancierstudio Heat Press needs around 8 minutes to achieve the same heat level, in which time you’re likely to already be done with a press using the Cricut instead.
Still, heat presses are more easily able to retain its temperature. If you’re about to print the same design, material and base multiple times, say on a bunch of 20 T-shirts, the Fancierstudio heat press will be much faster for it.
One thing you’ll find very hard to do on a heat press though is applying iron-on sheets onto rounded items. Hats, stuffed toys, bulky home decor, thick materials and other objects that can’t be flattened simply won’t fit between the plates of a heat press. With the portability of the Cricut EasyPress 2, customizing these with HTV designs is very doable.
Ease of Use
The Cricut EasyPress 2 is intuitive to use and has reliable customer support.
Learning how to use the Cricut EasyPress 2 is easy. It comes with a full manual and you can easily find video tutorials on the web if you’re trying new materials and bases or want to experiment on different techniques. What’s more, you can consult the Interactive Quick Reference Guide online at anytime to ensure that you’re selecting the optimal temperature and duration settings for any project.
On the other hand, if you haven’t used a heat press before, you’ll find the size and non-intuitive design of the Fancierstudio heat press to be a bit daunting. You’re also more likely to understand how to operate it by searching videos on YouTube and through trial and error, as the instruction manual isn’t very instructional.
Finally, and perhaps more importantly for many, you won’t come close to getting the customer support you’ll receive from Cricut as from other heat press manufacturers. If the unit you receive isn’t working as intended or develops problems early on, you’ll have a much smoother experience getting answers and fixes from Cricut.
Safety Features
The Cricut EasyPress 2 has a safe-to-touch plastic shell, an auto-shutoff feature, and a Safety Base.
Cricut optimized the EasyPress 2 to be as safe to use as possible. Its plastic exterior remains safe to touch even when the machine is in the middle of a press. It comes with an insulated Safety Base where you can dock it while it’s heating up or cooling off. Plus, there’s an auto-off feature that will turn it off if you haven’t moved it in 13 minutes.
The Fancierstudio Heat Press simply doesn’t have any counterparts to these safety features. You’ll have to be very careful not to graze the plates while you’re taking out an item while it’s hot, and you mustn’t forget to turn it off after you’re done. It also generates a lot of heat and requires more power; you’ll need to plug it into a dedicated power outlet to avoid blowing fuses.
Verdict
The Cricut EasyPress 2 is simply better for non-commercial use than the Fancierstudio Heat Press.
Cricut EasyPress 2
Fancierstudio Heat Press
Unless you’re expanding a crafting business with a lot of volume, the Cricut EasyPress 2 is simply the superior choice. It’s easier and safer to use, and you’ll have plenty of fun experimenting with designs and different materials. Customer support is topnotch, and you can access an extensive inventory of HTV supplies from Cricut themselves. Plus, it looks great in your craft room and it’s actually more affordable than the majority of low-cost heat presses.
You’ll only really want a traditional heat press like the Fancierstudio Heat Press when you’re looking to get large volumes of prints done within a shorter time span. Its ability to be continuously used to press the same designs on the same materials make it ideal for mass producing customized items.