Everyone who has ever bought a personalized cutting machine has heard about CRICUT. Why? Because they are one of the world leaders and developers of personal electronic cutting machines in a time spanning over 50 whooping years! With several tools that inspire and engender creativity such as the Cricut Design Space™ online design software and their range of Cricut electronic cutting machine, they have become a brand to trust completely with your cutting needs and requirements.
Before we begin to explore fully the functionality and specs of this elegantly designed machine, it is essential that we first address the emotions this machine elicits when you open up the carton. Already preordered and in use by a million people, the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine has a lot of functions (check out a comparison of Silhouette Cameo 3 vs Cricut Explore Air 2) but it is advertised as designed to make life beautiful. It can cut over 100 materials quickly, beautifully and neatly; leather inclusive, comes available in a myriad of beautiful colors and is a ‘click and cut’ tool.
More: Cricut Maker vs. Cricut Explore Air 2.
Now that we have that out of the way, join us for an in depth review of the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine.
About Cricut Explore AIR 2 Machine
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Coming at a weight of 16 pounds, and dimensioned 24 x 9.5 x 9.5 inches, the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine is a smart cutting machine. This machine is a ‘Do it yourself’ Speed machine that enables quick and smarter cuts, allowing you the freedom to make any project of your choice on and through over 100 different types of materials. And when used with the Cricut mobile Apps and predesigned projects on the app, you even spend less time on cutting projects.
What’s included in the box of the Cricut Explore Air 2, you might ask?
The box contains the machine itself, a Design Space software and app – the software is where you get ready-to-make projects for getting you started. You can also send files from your PC or smartphone to your cutter. It works with traditional Cricut cartridges, and it is cloud based.
Introducing the Cricut Explore Air™ 2
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Just like some of its predecessor – the Explore Air 2 can work with over 100 different materials. It is quite versatile, and its materials include cardstock, vinyl, paper and fabric which can be selected from the Smart Set Dial settings on the machine. It can also work on other materials such as metal and leather.
With a writing speed nearly twice of its older model; an appropriate estimation being that while the Cricut Explore Air Machine writes the same job at one minute, 32 seconds, 49 microseconds, the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine does this in just fifty nine seconds. Can you imagine?! It also comes with an embedded Bluetooth to aid wireless cutting.
More: Cricut Machines Comparison & Reviews: Which One You Should Buy?
We have taken the liberty to present some of the product’s unique functions and abilities as a list below:
i. With the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine, you are able to cut the most intricate of details with savant like accuracy. From details ranging from fine snowflakes designs to lace stationery designs, to spider webs, this machine is capable of cutting them out with pristine detailing.
ii. With the Pens that can be attached to the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine, you can create customized handwritten cards and projects by choosing over 370 fonts available, or by using a favorite font from your computer, all you need do is sit back and watch the Cricut Explore write away.
iii. Also with the Scoring Stylus, this machine enables you create perfect fold lines for envelopes, cards, 3D paper crafts, boxes, acetate pinwheels, etc.
iv. The Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine is capable of cutting every material you need a cutter for – from thin vellum to thick leather. It comes with a Smart Set dial and also custom material selection in Design Space, to ensure that more than 80 different material settings are at your disposal and fingertips.
v. With the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine, you will be able to Print full-color images and a myriad of patterns, then stand back as your Cricut Explore machine cut these images out for you! With the accompanying Design Space accessible to all Cricut users online, there are over 50,000 printable images and a little under a thousand printable patterns availe to you. Or you can simply upload your own!
So with the above reasons, We are sure that the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine would meet all the needs you need a cutting machine to fill out for you. But as usual, just in case you are still not convinced on how amazing the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine is, here is a detailed list of what we found particularly amazing about this piece of invention and what we had some issues with. We hope this helps.
More: Cricut Expression 2 Review: Alternative Option for More Savings.
- 1. The Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine actually comes inclusive of a test project with materials for you to try your hands on, and understands how to use the pen in conjunction with the blade. And although laid out instructions available online, for those willing to learn, in under a few minutes, the project can be completed. The moment you see just how easy it is to make this test project, you’ll be stoked at just how awesome the results you get from this machine can be.
- 2. Following the above point, it goes to say that the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine is pretty much easy to learn how to use. Online instructional videos aside, the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine is designed in such a way that even beginner users or hobbyists can in no time be proficient in its handling.
- 3. The online design studio is a lot easier to use than that of other cutting machines. Although this requires you to log onto the internet first.
- 4. Once you log on the internet and access the website (you can easily find the website located on the USB cable), it is easy to set up the machine and start cutting, just by going through the on-screen prompts that show up.
- 5. Let us be a bit vain, for the sake of aesthetics and not functionality. The product comes in a range of colors and its design is one of the sleekest for a cutter of its caliber that we have encountered. This was one of the things that won us over.
- 6. We also loved the embedded Bluetooth that enables wireless cutting. With the help of the embeded Bluetooth, it becomes easier to move the designs from the computer into the machine.
- 7. The machine also doesn’t have the sliding mat slipping issues noticeable when using other cutting mats. This is achieved because the sliding mat of the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine is held into place securely by pieces on the machine.
- 1. The Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine doesn’t come with any instructional manual on how to use it or get you started. And for a machine that costs what the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine costs, this was a little bit of a let down. Yes, there are instructional manuals available online and one can go to YouTube where you are sure to find myriad instructional videos on how to run this baby (this was what we actually did), but just for the sake of convenience it would have been nice to have these information assessable in hardcopy.
- 2. We must also point out that a lot of value added features of the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine do not come with the machine. One very easy to recognize example is the design studio, it is available on the internet. But imagine if there was one that came in with every cutting machine which updates online. That would be sweet wouldn’t it?
Cricut Explore Air 2 – Setup & First Projects
With the aforementioned features of the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine, it is definitely a must buy as the range of uses, the speed, the precision, the deliberate thoughtfulness put into this craft and of course the beauty makes it a DIY buff’s dream child. It is a solid yes for us.
More: Check out the latest comparison of Cricut Maker vs. Cameo 3. Or you can check out the best Cricut Explore Air 2 bundles here that’s good for beginners.
robertjobb says
May 5, 2017 at 9:15 pmAmazing for this machine! I love Cricut Explore AIR 2 Machine so much, because of it has a lot of features, compact and easy to use. I also recommend this machine to my friends who love design jobs as well. it help us a lot of printing job such as print on a lot of materials. nice review & deeply detail.
Sue says
November 18, 2018 at 1:53 amCan you connect with a chrome note book or tablet?
John Smith says
November 19, 2018 at 4:05 amNo. Cricut machine is entirely web based and requires installation of Cricut Design Space™ plugin that not permitted with Chrome OS. The Cricut Design Space™ can operates on a Mac or Windows OS when you connected on a PC or laptop.
Cricut expression says
June 9, 2019 at 7:23 pmHi team!
That was an awesome article for the time. Great job!
Now take a look at the changes Cricut have in 2019: https://cricut.com/en_us/cricut-maker
We’d love you to make a review like the one I attached to my nickname.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me via e-mail I also attached.
Thanks,
Garrett