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Cricut Maker 4 assessment: One-minute assessment
Cricut Maker 4 is a wonderful addition to the spectacular lineup of crafting machines from Cricut. If you wish to craft at house and produce professional-level outcomes, the Maker 4 may help you create decorations, presents, jewellery, clothes, keepsakes, and way more. It isn’t the best instrument to make use of – Maker 4 will assist your crafting attain new heights, nevertheless it received’t make issues for you – but with some endurance and apply, the outcomes could be actually astonishing.
Cricut Maker 4 is probably the most succesful Cricut machine you should buy. There’s a bigger, commercial-strength Cricut Enterprise machine, however the Maker 4 can minimize a greater diversity of supplies. Each Cricut reducing machine can minimize paper, cardstock, vinyl, and related supplies, however solely the Cricut Maker sequence can minimize thick supplies like wooden and leather-based. It’s sturdy sufficient to engrave aluminum sheets, however delicate sufficient to chop high quality particulars into felt.
You don’t have to improve to the brand new Cricut Maker 4 if in case you have an earlier Cricut Maker machine, except you might be turning out enormous volumes of initiatives and also you need a machine that’s a lot sooner. Maker 4 is as much as twice as quick as Cricut Maker 3, however that’s the important thing distinction. In any other case, the capabilities and even the design are primarily unchanged.
In the event you don’t have a Cricut machine but, the excellent news is that the brand new Cricut Maker 4 begins at a cheaper price than earlier than, and bundles can be found that provide you with every little thing that you must leap into crafting on day one.
In the event you’re completely new to Cricut, your first query shall be what precisely is a Cricut machine? Cricut hates when folks name its machines a printer, and it’s nearer to a laser cutter than a printer. So think about a printer, however as a substitute of spraying ink on paper, it makes use of a blade (or a wide range of blades) to chop.
You possibly can minimize designs into everlasting stickers fabricated from vinyl, after which apply the design to your favourite mug, your partitions, even your automotive. You should purchase iron-on materials or heat-transferable ink that can persist with a shirt or hat and make your individual souvenirs. And I’m simply getting began, that is solely the tip of the Cricut iceberg.
As a long-time Cricut person I’ve made t-shirts and hats, mugs and journey tumblers, and decorations for my home and my classroom again after I was a highschool instructor. I’ve made easy labels for spice jars and tea containers, and I’ve made complicated, multi-layered shadowbox designs with paper, felt, and fake leather-based that I dangle on my wall.
My years of Cricut expertise have been with a Cricut Discover and not too long ago a Cricut Pleasure Xtra that I obtained from Cricut when that smaller machine launched. These machines are nice for my ornamental wants, however Cricut Maker 4 can deal with thicker supplies like wooden, leather-based, and aluminum. Nonetheless, vital caveats apply.
I used to be very excited to strive reducing new supplies. Cricut Discover can use particular instruments, just like the scoring wheel to create exact folds in cardstock, however it may’t minimize wooden or leather-based.
Cricut was good sufficient to ship me samples of felt, basswood, fake leather-based, and aluminum to strive, together with a collection of reducing blades and reducing suggestions, just like the embossing tip for aluminum and the rotary reducing instrument that slices up cloth like a fishing line by water.
The outcomes have been principally spectacular, with one unhappy exception. Cricut Maker 4 simply minimize by fake leather-based, creating an intricate and detailed design, then it dealt with a sheet of soppy felt with the identical finesse. It took a while, nevertheless it’s cool to look at the machine chug alongside.
Sadly, issues got here to a halt after I minimize the basswood layer for my venture. Whereas Maker 4 can minimize by wooden, it requires 14 separate passes with the blade to chop right through. My Maker 4 failed throughout each try. It didn’t spoil the wooden, it merely stopped reducing and gave me an error message. Cricut says there’s a firmware repair coming that can repair the issue, and I’m excited to place Maker 4 to the check with more durable supplies.
This brings me to my largest grievance about Cricut Maker 4, and all of Cricut’s reducing machines. To make use of a Cricut machine, it’s essential to use Cricut Design House in your desktop, telephone or pill. It really works on Mac and PC, iPhone and Android. Sadly, it’s a foul piece of software program, being buggy and tough to make use of. The efficiency is so sluggish that I usually questioned if it had registered my enter in any respect. Choices would seem and disappear, and it’s onerous to determine make issues work correctly.
In the event you’ve used actual design software program like Photoshop or Illustrator, or much more fundamental format instruments like Apple Pages or Google Slides, you’ll be confounded by Cricut Design House. Many of the issues I had within the month I’ve spent with Cricut Maker 4 got here right down to preventing the software program and determining make it truly do what I assumed I’d requested it to do.
I’ve requested Cricut on quite a few events if there may be any main replace coming they usually don’t have any plans for any huge repair.
The excellent news is that it’s simple to get assist. There’s a enormous neighborhood of artful individuals who share suggestions and provide recommendation. In the event you purchase a Cricut machine, or in case you’re even contemplating a Cricut, I’d begin watching YouTube video tutorials now. Learn the Reddit subgroups, or be a part of a gaggle for Cricut learners on Fb. You’ll discover assist, and also you’ll discover folks assembly the identical obstacles.
As a result of Cricut Maker 4 is an incredible instrument, and it makes exact and delicate cuts at an astonishing pace, leading to a last product that appears professionally produced – if you already know what you might be doing. Maker 4 received’t make the initiatives for you.
This isn’t a turnkey answer the place you insert supplies at one finish and out pops a accomplished venture. This can be a instrument that can get you from level A by factors B, C, and D with extra precision than you imagined. However there may be nonetheless loads of work so that you can do.
Cricut Maker 4 assessment: worth and bundles
- Begins at $399 / £399 / AU$699 with fundamental supplies and instruments
- Cricut’s bundle is best if you purchase a month of Cricut Entry
Cricut Maker 4 begins at $399.99 within the US, which is a bit lower than the Maker 3’s $429.99 beginning worth; in Britain you will pay £399 and AU$699 in Australia.
The Maker 4 comes with extra equipment and instruments than earlier than, sufficient to truly begin crafting just a few initiatives and get the dangle of the machine, however you’ll want much more as soon as you actually get into crafting with Cricut. There may be an Every part bundle that features many extra crucial instruments for $459 / £469.99, at present discounted for the launch of Maker 4.
One other price to think about is Cricut Entry, a month-to-month subscription service by the Cricut Design House app. Cricut Entry gives a large provide of inventory photographs and patterns that you need to use, in addition to a library of fonts. In the event you don’t subscribe, you need to use your individual system fonts, which aren’t designed to look good on crafts, and you’ll provide your individual photographs.
After I’m feeling artful, I often subscribe for a few months after which cancel till I wish to make stuff once more. Cricut Entry prices $9.99 monthly or $95.88 for a full yr (scroll down for UK and Australia bundle costs). With the subscription, you additionally get a reduction on Cricut provides and machines, and a reduction in case you purchase licensed photographs and fonts from Cricut Design House, like Star Wars characters or recognizable Disney-branded fonts.
Frankly, shopping for a Cricut machine opens a Pandora’s field of shopping for. If you wish to make hats, you’ll need a Cricut Hat Press. If you wish to make mugs, the Cricut Mug Press is important. If you’re merely making shirts and or urgent vinyl solely cloth, you’ll need a good scorching press to make use of as a substitute of a garments iron. I’ve used all of those equipment from Cricut they usually all work remarkably nicely, making the crafting course of as simple as attainable with app controls and timers.
You’ll additionally want supplies like everlasting vinyl sheets and iron-ons. I’ve bought low-cost manufacturers from Amazon and likewise the good things from Cricut. Each choices work, however Cricut-brand supplies have a a lot larger success charge for me – and fortunately you may all the time discover some Cricut materials on sale both at Cricut.com or at shops like Michael’s within the States.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
USD |
GBP |
AU$ |
|
Cricut Maker 4 |
$399 |
£399 |
AU$699 |
|
Maker 4 + Every part Bundle |
$509 |
£524.99 |
N/A |
|
Maker 4 + Bundle + Cricut Entry |
$459 |
£469.99 |
N/A |
|
Cricut Discover 4 |
$249 |
£269.99 |
AU$399 |
What comes with the Cricut Maker 4?
- Cricut Maker 4 machine
- Advantageous-Level Blade
- Mild Grip Mat (12 in x 12 in)
- Advantageous Level Pen (0.4mm)
- Mini Weeder instrument
- Supplies for apply crafting
What extra do you get with the Cricut Every part Bundle?
- Card Mart (13 in x 16.25 in)
- 24 insert playing cards
- Scoring Stylus
- Scraper
- Spatula
- Weeder instrument
- Moveable Trimmer
- Advantageous Level Pen in Magenta
- 2 rolls + 6 sheets Sensible Iron-On
- 2 rolls + 6 sheets Sensible Vinyl – everlasting
- 12 sheets printable vinyl
- 24 sheets cardstock
- 1 roll + 5 sheets switch tape (for vinyl initiatives)
- 1 Tote Bag
- Subscription to Cricut Entry Commonplace (1 month included)
Cricut Maker 4 assessment: What are you able to make?
Cricut Maker 4 begins with a small blade attachment, so you may make something that begins with reducing. You may as well insert a pen to attract in your initiatives with the identical precision. You possibly can minimize paper, vinyl stickers, iron-on vinyl (warmth switch vinyl), cardstock, and different skinny supplies to make inside decorations, small crafts, playing cards, and clothes decorations.
There are a lot of completely different blades and attachments accessible individually for Cricut Maker 4 that reach its capabilities considerably. There are deep reducing blades for thicker supplies, or rolling blades for delicate supplies and high quality, steady cuts. There are instruments that rating cardstock and paper for excellent folds and creases, instruments for engraving in metallic and debossing leather-based, and instruments to create perforations to tear later. There are additionally all kinds of pens you need to use alongside the blades.
The number of blades and instruments accessible is what units Cricut Maker 4 other than Cricut Discover 4 and the opposite Cricut machines. For example, you need to use the rotary blade with Cricut Maker 4, however not with Discover. I attempted reducing felt with the add-on rotary blade and with the included high quality blade and the outcomes have been significantly better with the rotary blade. The sample was minimize completely and far simpler to carry from the mat with out tearing or weeding an excessive amount of extra.
The actual time you spend crafting will come after Cricut Maker 4 finishes its work. A Cricut machine nearly by no means leaves you with the completed venture. You’ll have to weed out all of the scraps and bits you don’t need, and fix completely different items collectively. This requires time and endurance, in addition to correct instruments for weeding and coping with plenty of sticky trash. Cricut Maker 4 comes with a quite simple weeding instrument – you’ll wish to purchase extra instruments earlier than your first venture.
The Cricut Design House software program presents a rotating set of steered initiatives, with new concepts popping up because the seasons change. There’s a neighborhood of contributors who submit new concepts nearly day by day – from house decorations to drinkware to clothes to container labels and way more.
You might positively use Cricut Maker 4 as the muse for a small crafting enterprise, like a memento store or an Etsy retailer. My favourite use for my Cricut to date has been making t-shirts for inside jokes. When any individual makes joke in the future, I’ll put it on a shirt that evening and are available to work the following day carrying what they mentioned. I additionally love the standard of Cricut Mugs, however my cupboard is full so I’ll have to by accident break some earlier than I could make extra.
Cricut Maker 4 assessment: Design
- Wider than a printer and desires house in entrance and behind
- Handy storage for instruments, pens, and blades
Cricut Maker 4 seems rather a lot like a really extensive printer. It’s a squat field that opens to disclose a headliner and a tray on your supplies or a reducing mat. In the event you don’t use Cricut Sensible Materials rolls, you’ll want a reducing mat to carry your materials whereas the Cricut blade slices. The machine comes with a lightweight grip mat that’s acceptable for paper and vinyl, however you’ll want a stronger grip for thicker supplies.
Cricut Maker 4 wants loads of room in entrance and behind when it is working, nevertheless it closes as much as be way more compact. The machine can deal with reducing mats as much as 12 inches extensive, and it may minimize initiatives which might be very lengthy if it makes use of Sensible Supplies.
The machine has handy space for storing for some Cricut instruments in-built. I used to be capable of retailer a variety of additional reducing blades, in addition to my weeding instruments, all contained in the Cricut’s storage compartment. It couldn’t maintain every little thing – the brayer instrument for pushing supplies flat is just too massive, for example – nevertheless it’s a handy use of machine house.
My Cricut Maker 4 pattern got here within the seashell colour, which is a beautiful, mild pink. Nonetheless, I used to be jealous to study that Michael’s has an unique sage colour accessible. The capabilities are the identical, I identical to exclusives.
Cricut Maker 4 can hook up with your pc by way of Bluetooth, nevertheless it might want to join by way of USB at the least as soon as for a firmware replace and preliminary setup. It comes with a really lengthy USB-C to USB-B cable, in addition to an influence adapter.
Cricut Maker 4 assessment: Setup and ease of use
- Setup requires a USB connection (cable included)
- Use requires Cricut Design House app for desktop or cell
Cricut Maker 4 is straightforward to arrange with Cricut Design House. It received’t work with another software program, however there’s a Cricut app accessible for MacOS, Home windows, Android and iOS, so no matter machine you utilize, you’ll be coated, except Chromebooks. There isn’t a web-based setup choice.
For fundamental initiatives, Cricut Maker 4 could be very simple to make use of, however not with out frustration or effort. As soon as your venture is minimize, weeding the scraps takes precision and endurance, and that is the place most of my initiatives failed after I by accident ripped out one thing I wished to maintain. Having , shiny mild helps, in addition to sharp eyesight. Cricut crafting is how I spotted I wanted to begin carrying studying glasses.
The worst a part of Cricut crafting by far is Cricut Design House. The extra I take advantage of the software program, the extra I hope that Cricut takes a sledgehammer to the present construct and begins from scratch. It’s merely a tough, buggy, poorly designed piece of software program, and sadly it is the gatekeeper for all Cricut crafting. You will need to use Design House to make use of Cricut Maker 4.
Concern not, as a result of assist is on the market from the neighborhood. I’ve joined Cricut followers on Reddit and Fb and located loads of pleasant assist, and there are tons of YouTubers and bloggers who’re crafting with Cricut and able to provide directions and recommendation.
Nonetheless, this is not a do-it-all-for-you crafting machine. This can be a exact instrument that can elevate your crafts to a brand new stage of precision and refinement. You’ll be capable of create objects that look pretty much as good as merchandise you’d purchase in a retailer, however you’ll have to spend extra time than you count on getting it proper. I failed many occasions on my complicated crafting initiatives, and I’ve put some much more superior initiatives apart whereas I apply my approach on simpler crafts.
Cricut Maker 4 assessment: Ought to I purchase Cricut Maker 4?
If you’re affected person, craft-centric and serious about making unimaginable initiatives that can impress, go forward and purchase Cricut Maker 4. The outcomes are gorgeous, and when you get the dangle of your favourite sort of initiatives, you’ll be capable of crank out new objects with ease. After a dozen t-shirts or so, I may simply whip up a recent design and have it able to put on in a few hours or much less.
In the event you’re a instructor, what are you ready for?! Purchase this now! or have your faculty purchase one, or inform your folks on Fb that they should help their native instructor with a Cricut Maker 4. It’s a useful instrument for educators – I used to be capable of enhance each inch of my room, from the partitions to the home windows to the desks, at a tiny fraction of the conventional price.
Really, overlook the conventional price as a result of I by no means embellished as completely earlier than I had my very own Cricut machine. I redecorated for each new lesson unit. When you get the dangle of fundamental decorations, you’ll begin utilizing Cricut to create helpful class supplies, after which it’s going to actually show its value.
Do you want Cricut Maker 4 over Cricut Discover 4? Most individuals will most likely be capable of create every little thing they need with an Discover 4, although the pliability and precision of Maker 4 is sweet in case you could sometime wish to incorporate felt or leather-based into your crafts. Cricut’s fake leather-based is an superior materials and it cuts fantastically into complicated shapes.
Alternatively, if wooden is your factor, I’d look elsewhere. Cricut hasn’t mounted the firmware problem that precipitated my basswood initiatives to fail, and moreover, it takes hours and hours to chop a wooden venture. Woodcrafters would possibly wish to take into account a laser cutter, though they’re twice as costly as Cricut Maker 4 for even a fundamental machine.
I’d strongly advocate getting a Cricut bundle as nicely. The bigger weeding instruments and scraping instruments are important, and it’s good to have a collection of supplies available if you first get the brand new machine to strive some initiatives earlier than you agree into your inventive groove.
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
[First reviewed March 2025]