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Best cutting machines for vinyl and iron-on
Vinyl and iron-on are what most people buy a cutter for. Every machine here is built for them. The real questions are how wide and how long a design can be, if you can cut without a mat, and if you're tied to one brand's materials to do it.
Sorted by CraftGearGuide editorial score, highest first. The unscored CAMEO 5 Alpha Plus is listed last because we haven't found independent testing of it yet.
The picks
Best overall for vinyl
Cricut Explore 5
Up to 11.7 in wide and 12 ft long without a mat, on Cricut Smart Materials.
- 11.7 in wide matless
- 12 ft max length
- 6 compatible tools
- Bluetooth + USB
Check price on AmazonLinks to a bundle with extra materials. Specs here are for the machine.Read the Cricut Explore 5 reviewBest compact vinyl cutter
Cricut Joy Xtra
8.5 in wide and up to 4 ft long matless. Big enough for most shirt fronts, not for wide banners.
- 8.5 in wide matless
- 4 ft max length
- Print then cut on Letter/A4
- Bluetooth only
Check price on AmazonLinks to a bundle with extra materials. Specs here are for the machine.Read the Cricut Joy Xtra reviewVinyl plus thick materials
Cricut Maker 5
Same 12 ft matless length, plus 3 mm cutting and engraving. Pay for it only if you'll use the extras.
- 12 in wide matless
- Up to 3 mm thick
- 13 compatible tools
- Bluetooth + USB
Check price on AmazonLinks to a bundle with extra materials. Specs here are for the machine.Read the Cricut Maker 5 reviewLongest cuts in a 12-inch machine
Silhouette CAMEO 5 Alpha
Silhouette lists a 16 ft maximum cutting length, versus Cricut's 12 ft.
- 12 in wide
- 16 ft max length
- 2 tool mounts
- USB + Bluetooth
Wider decals
Silhouette CAMEO 5 Alpha Plus
Up to 15 in wide for larger decals and signs.
- 15 in wide
- 16 ft max length
- 2 tool mounts
- USB + Bluetooth
Not scored yet: Not scored: we found no independent hands-on testing of this model yet.
Matless cutting: read the fine print
Cricut's long matless numbers (12 ft on the Explore 5 and Maker 5, 4 ft on the Joy Xtra and Joy 2) apply to Cricut Smart Materials, which have a stiff backing made for loading without a mat. Other brands' vinyl normally goes on a mat, which caps a cut at about 11.5 x 23.5 in on a 12 x 24 in mat.
Silhouette lists a 16 ft maximum cutting length for the CAMEO 5 Alpha and Alpha Plus. Silhouette doesn't tie it to its own brand of vinyl the way Cricut does with Smart Materials.
Worked example: how many 10-inch decals in a 12 ft run?
12 ft is 144 in. With 10 in decals and 0.5 in between them, each takes 10.5 in, so 144 / 10.5 = 13.7. That's 13 decals in one pass, if they're under 11.7 in wide on an Explore 5. On a 12 x 24 in mat you'd fit 2 per load.
Calculated estimate. Assumes a single column, 0.5 in spacing and no test cut. Your software may add margins.
The top 12-inch machines side by side
| Spec | Cricut Explore 5 | Silhouette CAMEO 5 Alpha | Cricut Maker 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CraftGearGuide editorial score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Max cut width (matless) | 11.7 in (Cricut Smart Materials) | 12 in class (11.6 in listed for lined material) | 12 in (Cricut Smart Materials) |
| Max length (matless) | 12 ft (Smart Materials) | 16 ft (Silhouette's maximum cutting length) | 12 ft (Smart Materials) |
| Max cut area on mat | 11.5 x 11.5 in (12 x 12 mat); about 11.5 x 23.5 in (12 x 24 mat, per Jennifer Maker) | 12 x 24 in guaranteed operating area | 11.5 x 11.5 in (12 x 12 mat); 11.5 x 23.75 in (12 x 24 mat) |
| Print-then-cut max (US Letter) | 9.94 x 7.44 in | Not stated by Silhouette (uses four-point registration marks) | 9.94 x 7.44 in |
| Max material thickness | Not stated by Cricut; about 1.5 mm with the optional Deep Cutting Tool (per Jennifer Maker) | 3 mm | 3 mm (Cricut-approved materials; cut and engrave) |
| Tools | 6 compatible; one tool clamp plus a snap-in pen holder | 2 plunger tool mounts; automatic blade adjustment | 13 compatible; one tool clamp plus a snap-in pen holder |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth; USB cable included | USB 2.0 and Bluetooth | Bluetooth; USB cable included |
| Subscription | Not required to cut; paid Cricut Access unlocks the full library and some features | None required; SVG and PDF import needs the paid Designer Edition upgrade | Not required to cut; paid Cricut Access unlocks the full library and some features |
| Size (W x D x H) | 19.8 x 7.5 x 4.7 in | 22.28 x 6.94 x 4.89 in | 19.8 x 7.5 x 4.7 in |
| Weight | About 10 lb (per Jennifer Maker; not on Cricut's page) | 11.5 lb | 10.9 lb |
| Links | Check price on AmazonBundle listingCricut Explore 5 review | Check price on AmazonSilhouette CAMEO 5 Alpha review | Check price on AmazonBundle listingCricut Maker 5 review |