It’s been nearly four years since Cricut refreshed its central products, but today you can buy its newly updated Maker and Explore cutting machines. The new Cricut Explore 4 and Cricut Maker 4 get big upgrades, focused almost exclusively on improving what the previous versions do well.
You won’t get far in the home crafting space these days without hearing the name Cricut. Most of the company’s direct competition has either disappeared or become less relevant over the last couple of years, a fact immediately evident when you walk into any craft store. You don’t have to look far to see hand-made stickers, iron-on clothing art, vinyl decals and beautiful greeting cards across Etsy, nearly all of which have been made with the help of these popular machines.
At first glance the biggest difference between the 4 series and its predecessors is a bolder array of color options. Where the 3 series exterior has a lighter, more pastel shade, you’ll find deeper, richer color options for this upgrade. Both the Maker and Explore look nearly identical to the previous model, but if you look underneath the primary cutting blade you’ll find a small white plastic foot.
This shell hides a new optical sensor aimed at providing greater accuracy when cutting printed designs, like stickers or iron-on designs. A light shines from under the plastic to illuminate whatever you’re trying to cut, ensuring it will function the same, no matter how bright your craft space is.
