Updated on July 23, 2024
Top 10 Reasons I Love My Cricut Explore: Print then cut. Wireless. iPad app. Cut your own fonts. Plus, check out the Cricut vs. Silhouette.
I have had a Cricut machine for many years. I started off with the Cricut Expression and earlier this year I upgraded to the Cricut Explore while competing in the Cricut Design Space competition. It will come as no surprise that I love this machine. And as much as I loved my Expression, the new Explore can do so much more!
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If you are on the fence about whether or not the Cricut Explore™ is worth the money, then this post is for you. Below, I am going to share my top 10 reasons of why I LOVE my Cricut Explore Machine.
1) It cuts almost anything.
Personally I have cut card stock, glittered card stock, vellum, kraft paper, vinyl, fabric, glitter iron-on, and printer paper. I know other crafters that have cut cork, felt, chip board and thin wood.
Percept Labs (an unbiased 3rd party) did a study comparing the Cricut vs. Silhouette. The Explore cut nearly all of the 8 popular crafting materials they studied, while the Silhouette only cut one.
2) It can cut, score and write.
Depending on the blade or attachment you use, you can create amazing projects. It will cut just about any material you can think of. You can create score marks for folds in cards and decorative elements. You can also use a pen or marker to write on your projects.
3) You can create projects using any font you currently have on your computer.
Before I knew everything else this machine could do, this was the biggest selling point for me. I didn’t like having to buy a cartridge just for the font. Now, any font I own, I can use to cut or draw with. Plus, I still have available the special Cricut fonts that come with the cartridges I purchased.
4) Print then cut.
You guys. This feature is amazing! I used it in creating several different elements for my son’s Minecraft party. What would have taken me hours to cut by hand took me literally minutes. I worked on other projects while the Cricut Explore did all the hard work for me!
There are a ton of designs in Cricut Design Space™ to choose from, but I love that you can upload your own images to print and cut as well.
5) Precise cuts.
For my Halloween Soirée I created a very intricate design for the treat bags. I was blown away by the detail and the precision of each and every cut. You can see below the small, detailed cuts made for the black overlay on the bag.
6) The SmartSet Dial.
Now, you no longer have to worry about setting the blade depth or speed. On my Expression I would sometimes end up wasting material trying to figure out the correct blade depth, pressure and speed to cut different materials with.
With the SmartSet Dial, the guesswork is done for you. If your material is not one on the dial, simply select “custom” and you have a huge list to choose from or you can specify the exact settings you need.
7) It is quiet!
My kids are older and I don’t have to worry about crafting during nap times anymore, but sometimes I do my crafting after the kids are in bed. This machine makes hardly any noise at all while cutting. This is a huge benefit when I want to craft late at night.
8) Cricut Design Space™ is a free software that is simple and easy to use.
I was worried about learning a new software after being so comfortable using cartridges and Cricut Craft Room. The new software is very intuitive. You can resize images, choose layers and cut with ease.
And since the software stores images and projects in the cloud, you can access your work anywhere. At first I thought it would be a hassle to have to have my machine connected through the online software. However, I found that I can create my projects whenever I need to, save them and print them when it is convenient for me.
9) It cuts wirelessly.
You can purchase a Wireless Adapter that plugs into your Cricut Explore machine. Then, you simply send your project to the machine from wherever you have Wi-fi. I often use my laptop in the living room or at the kitchen counter. My Cricut Explore is most often plugged in at the desk in my office. With the wireless adapter, I can send my project from my laptop to the Cricut Explore in my office. Now, I don’t have to have any extra cords crowding up my workspace!
10) It is the only electronic die-cutting machine that has an iPad app.
And the app is getting major improvements to be released this January. You will be able to design right on your favorite device! And I got a sneak peek at all the features this iPad app is going to have. You do not want to miss it!
Best of all, the app itself is free. It works very similarly to Cricut Design Space on your computer. However, it has some great features that are even better. For one, you can cut a project and then start working on designing your next one while the first project cuts. This is huge! I often am waiting around for my machine to cut and am anxious to work on the next part of my project. Well, with this new app you will be able to do just that!
Since the software is in the cloud, you can start a project on the computer, design some more on the iPad, go back to the computer and finish cutting. Your projects stay with the software in the Cricut Cloud!
Ready to get a Cricut for yourself? Cricut is has some truly awesome Black Friday deals for you. Starting tomorrow, Thursday, November 27th, the Cricut Explore™ will be on sale for $229! Also, you can take advantage of these amazing deals:
- Just for my readers: $10 off with the code EXPLOREBFBLOG
- $5 Off Orders $50+ with code: CRICUTBF5
- Get free shipping to the U.S. until the end of November with codeFREESHIPNOV

There are three amazing Cricut bundles you can get for only $214.99 using the codes above (good Thursday through Monday):
- Deluxe Starter Set— Scoring tool and Deep Cut Blade with pens
- Bluetooth Bundle – Great for using the new iPad app coming out in January
- Best Selling Fonts Set- Perfect for any project
Thanksgiving & Black Friday Sale: Cricut Explore $219 + $30 off all Explore Bundles
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