If you’ve been going backwards and forwards and ask “Should buy a Cricut Explore Air 2“, then look no further! This week I’m going to talk about the middle child in our series.

Meet the Cricut Explore Air® 2

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Although I am an Ambassador to Cricut South Africa, I will always make it clear if I have been paid for my opinions. Im hoping to answer your question of Should buy a Cricut Explore Air 2?

In comparison to The Cricut Joy™, the Cricut Explore Air® 2 has a few more features that take you from smaller projects and decals to being able to start larger projects and work with a larger range of materials. If you’re looking to start a small side hustle, then the Cricut Explore Air® 2 is the perfect machine for you.

How big is the Cricut Explore Air 2

The Cricut Explore Air® 2 is a decent sized cutting machine and has a good sturdy weight to it.

The dimensions are:
60cm in length by 24cm in height and width.
The weight comes in at a solid 6.35kg
The cutting mat squares in at 30.48cm by 30.48cm comes in a variety of colours, each one representing a different tack for different materials.

What software do I need for a Cricut Explore Air 2?

Cricut has its own managing software called Cricut Design Space. If you are comfortable working with Powerpoint, GIMP etc then you won’t have a problem adapting to Design space. If you are an absolute beginner to these design spaces, then I highly suggest a beginners 101 course. It’s a very friendly intuitive software and you will be up, running and creating within 1 hour.

The benefits of the Design space is that you can work on your designs right from your phone, your ipad, tablet or desktop and not lose any of your designs. Cricut Design Space is cloud-based, so it will work on any of your devices at any time. The only downside is that it does require internet access. This means if you have dodgy internet or are in a loadshedding area, you will sit in the dark like the rest of us. The biggest pro to design space is that you can upload your own SVG files and are not obligated to only using the Cricut SVG.

How does the Cricut Explore Air® 2 compare to other cutting machines in the market?

There are great cutting machines out there, but what sets the Cricut Explore Air® 2 aside from others is the cutting pressure. What does that mean? Well the standard cutting pressure on the competitor machines is limited to only 210g cutting power. The Cricut Explore Air® 2 however, has a whopping 140g EXTRA cutting pressure set at 350g. This allows the machine to cut through tougher and thicker materials like rubber or leather and why it can handle more than 100 different types of materials.

Another huge plus point is that it comes with a dual carriage. The double tool holder allows you to use two tools at the same time. I have used this numerous times to draw or write and then cut the design in one click of a button. No stopping and changing tools or panicking that you have moved the mat and won’t be able to align it again. You just set up your design, click the Cricut go button and walk away, no need to babysit.

Here is a list of features:

Print and Cut – yes
Drawing – yes
Cutting force – 350g
Dual carriage – yes
Max material thickness – 2.0mm
Wireless connection – yes
Noise level – much better and quieter than its competitors.
Speed – fast mode

Overall thoughts on the Cricut Explore Air® 2?

Its an excellent cutting machine, and a reliable one to boot as well. It’s so easy to get started and you can (if you’re so inclined) create and sell your first design in super fast time. I managed to pay back my investment in just 3 months by selling what I created in design space.

You can purchase any of the materials listed below right here in our Customisable Shop, and be assured that all these materials are compatible with your machine.

Perspex Keyrings
Glitter Cardstock
Glitter Heat Transfer vinyl
Inkjet printable vinyl
Oracal 651 Permanent vinyl

In my opinion, if you’re looking to start a side hustle then this is the perfect machine for you. It has enough reliability and capability to keep you busy for hours on end. It also comes with the ability to cut over 100 materials and allow you to create just about any project or design your heart desires. I am absolutely besotted with my Cricut Explore Air® 2 and I’m already looking towards investing in my next one. What can I say – Im in love.

Next week: We will be reviewing The Cricut Maker® so be sure to come back and join the fun.

Cricut and Crafting

Lizl Martini