Last Updated on February 17, 2022
Our editors independently research the best products online to produce this list. We may receive commission on purchases made from the links below but this will never affect our product choices.
Top 6 Best Vinyl Cutters
- Cricut Explore Air 2 (Editor’s Choice)
- Silhouette America Cameo (Luxury Choice)
- Cricut Joy (Best Value)
- Cricut Maker
- VEVOR 14” Signmaster
- UKcutter Plotter Machine with Stand
A vinyl cutter machine is an excellent investment as it turns vinyl rolls into your desired shapes, typically in less than 20 minutes. Vinyl cutters offer you the ability to make signs, decals, and heat transfers. You simply create a design using graphic design software and print it via your machine. One of the most popular uses of vinyl cutters or plotters is heat transfer vinyl, commonly called HTV. This is mainly used to customise t-shirts, caps, and other garments as it comes in a variety of finishes.
Moreover, the adhesive decal vinyl also has a wide range of applications that include car decal, wall décor, and window graphics for businesses. Another use of a vinyl cutter is the contour cut print graphics, also referred to as print cut, which involves printing a graphic with a registration mark via an optical sensor.
Therefore, a vinyl cutter perfectly cuts your printed graphic out of the background.
When looking for a high-quality vinyl cutter, performance features to consider are speed, force, tracking, and media width. To help, we have scoured the web and found the best vinyl cutter in the UK and five other suitable choices – enjoy!
How we Compared Vinyl Cutters
To find the right vinyl cutters we considered multiple factors, including:
- Performance
- Dimensions
- Connectivity
- Cutting width
- Compatibility
Our team independently examined and compared hundreds of products to help satisfy different needs. We spent our time researching vinyl cutters and consulting customer reviews to ultimately bring you what, in our opinion, are the best options on the market right now.
To find out more about our editorial process, take a look here.
Vinyl Cutter Reviews – Top 6 Picks
Cricut Explore Air 2 (Editor’s Choice)
Our pick for the best vinyl cutter UK is the Circut Explore Air 2. This is an improvement in the previous Explore Air model and has a host of upgrades. The shape and style of the printer look fantastic. It has a pastel mint colour, and the body and chassis are made from durable materials. It is also relatively small and light at 4.8kg, so it can easily be used as a desktop printer.
The Cricut Explore Air 2 can cut 100+ different materials for print versatility. This includes cardstock, vinyl, and a range of materials for iron-on projects. It also can cut a wide range of speciality materials. The cutting process is aided by the fine-point blade and the special fast cutting mode that allows for up to 2x quicker cutting.
This printer is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS software. Also, for smartphone printing, it has Bluetooth wireless technology. Included in the basic package, you get the printer, a fine-point blade, a fine-point pen, a 12” x 12” cutting mat, and a USB cable.
This is our pick for the best vinyl cutter UK, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Firstly, some customers have found an incomplete printer on delivery, including missing blades and housing. Secondly, if you have never used a Cricut product before, you could initially find a slight learning curve when using this machine.
Pros:
- Can cut over 100 different materials, including cardstock, vinyl, and iron-on materials
- It has a fine point blade for precision cutting
- Includes a fast cutting mode that can cut up to 2x faster
- Smart and compact design that can easily fit on a workbench
- Has Bluetooth wireless technology for convenient use
Cons:
- Some customers have found the blades and housing missing on delivery
- You may find there is a slight learning curve to the machine
Silhouette America Cameo (Luxury Choice)
The Silhouette Cameo is the top vinyl cutting and ultimate DIY machine due to its unmatched versatility; multitask with the convenience of a dual-carriage feature. You can cut over 100 different craft materials, including vinyl, cardboard, cardstock, fabric, and paper. A unique feature of this cutting machine is the auto-blade system self-adjusts the blade depth that allows you to cut materials with a thickness of up to 2mm, like craft foam and leather. With the Silhouette deep cut blade and 5kg cutting power, you can engrave any design you want.
Furthermore, cut straight from a vinyl roll without a mat to accommodate your creative ideas. You can perfectly cut a print image, font on the computer or sketch a design with markers or pens. Easy connectivity to the Silhouette picture cam technology creates wirelessly with the built-in Bluetooth feature. Plus, you can even ink stipple to create a unique masterpiece.
The Cameo 4 unlocks your creative potential with its ability to customise projects for school, home, and business. Design anywhere and anytime you want with the Silhouette studio app. Quickly create custom apparel, decorate with vinyl decals, and build 3D projects to impress everyone. To cut aluminium or other metals, visit our best Laser engravers review.
Although this is an excellent vinyl cutter, it may have some minor issues. For example, the instructions may not be easy to interpret. Also, you could struggle to find replacement blades for the cutter if they get damaged or break.
Pros:
- 5kg power
- 30.5cm cutting width
- Integrated roll holder
- Cross cutter
Cons:
- Some may find the instructions difficult to understand
- It may be difficult to find replacement blades for this model of vinyl cutter
Cricut Joy (Best Value)
If you want an affordable vinyl cutter for simple home projects and arts and crafts, the Cricut Joy is a great model to have. This is one of the smallest and lightest vinyl cutters available and weighs just 1.75kg. It also has overall dimensions of just 21.4×13.8×10.8cm. As a result, it can be stored easily when not in use or kept out on your desk.
This compact vinyl cutter can still cut 50 different materials for printing, including vinyl, cardstock, paper, and smart materials. It also has a smooth cutting process due to the fine blade and does not need a cutting mat underneath.
The Cricut Joy can cut individual shapes up to 1.2m / 4ft long in terms of overall cutting capacity. Alternatively, it can make repeated cuts up to a 6m / 20ft length: this gives you great flexibility for repeat designs or marking larger banners, for example. We also like that you can create and cut projects directly from the included Cricup companion app for smartphones.
This Cricut product is a great item for arts and crafts, but it could have a few small issues. For example, it is not suitable for larger print projects due to its smaller size. Also, although the cutting blade is sharp, it may not be the most durable and could need replacing over time.
Pros:
- Incredibly small and lightweight for desktop use
- Can cut 50+ different materials, including paper, vinyl, and cardstock
- Also, it can cut individual shapes up to 1.2m, and repeated cuts up to 6m
- Brilliant for printing banners and cards
- Compatible with the Cricut app for design inspiration
Cons:
- It may not be suitable for larger print projects due to width limitations
- You may find that the cutting blade is not the most durable
Cricut Maker
If you want a professional cutting machine to cut vinyl, leather, and mat board, Cricut Maker is the machine you need.
The Cricut maker features a sleek, modern design that is compatible with an adaptive tool system that drives the mechanics of blade housings, determining each move and cut. Therefore, you have a rotary blade, knife blade, scoring wheels, engraving, embossing, and perforation.
This allows to you move one step forward from paper crafting; you can cut designs, emboss or deboss, and stipple on metal or wood. The rotary blade that comes with the machine is better than a fine-cut blade as it makes precise, intricate detail cutting so easy for the Cricut Maker. You can accurately cut more than 300 different materials, thanks to its high power and 2x faster speed.
Additionally, the accessory adapter comes pre-installed on the A-side that can be used for pens or scoring stylus. Your device will never run out of power, as the Cricut maker features a USB port. Featuring a storage cup, a deep and shallow pocket with silicone padding at the bottom makes it easy to store blades and hold accessories. Plus, the three storage compartments at the front bottom means there’s space for everything. If you want to complete your DIY tool kit, then we suggest you check out our guide on the best stud finders.
This is a great vinyl cutter, but it may not be without its problems. Firstly, it is supposed to include cutting mats, but some customers have reported them missing. Also, not everyone will like the utility of the Cricut software.
Pros:
- Adaptive tool system
- Faster speed and power
- Great storage space
- Precise and accurate cut
Cons:
- You may find that the included cutting mats are missing from the delivery
- Some may find the Cricut software difficult to use
VEVOR 14” Signmaster
The VEVOR 14” Signmaster is an older model, but it has a good set of features and a sturdy design. In terms of size, this vinyl cutter is 10” x 21.25” x 8.66” and weighs 10.5kg. This is a little heavier, but it still has a relatively compact design. There are also two other sizes available if you want to accommodate wider cutting widths.
For cutting specifications, it has a maximum feed of 350mm, a maximum cutting width of 285mm, and a variable cutting pressure of 10-500g. The cutting speed is also variable and can easily be adjusted from 10-800 mm per second.
This vinyl cutter also has a powerful set of components for efficient cutting. This includes a 16MB memory cache, and it is capable of precision cutting up to 0.01mm. For connectivity, on the side, this vinyl cutter has a USB 2.0 port and a standard Serial Port.
We also like the precision blades. It is equipped with three precision blades that have a 2mm diameter. This allows for incredible precision, regardless of the materials used. This is complemented by the anti-deviation design.
We like the VEVOR 14” Signmaster, but that doesn’t mean it is a perfect vinyl cutter. Firstly, this printer only has wired connections – a UBS and Serial Port. This means that it has no WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity. Also, some may find the instructions lacking in detail and therefore find the vinyl printer initially difficult to set up.
Pros:
- It has a great cutting capacity at 14-inch vinyl and a maximum paper feed of 350mm
- It also has ample system memory and a powerful motherboard for quick processing
- It comes with a simple digital LCD control screen for easy use
- Adjustable cutting pressure and cutting speeds
- USB & Serial Port connectivity
Cons:
- Does not have any wireless connectivity options
- It does not have an extensive set of instructions for the setup and printing
UKcutter Plotter Machine with Stand
Ukcutter has been helping people get started with vinyl cutting for many years. Planning on starting a new sign and graphics business or want to extend existing print services? The UKcutter vinyl plotter is a great option for those new to vinyl cutting.
With up to 600g of downforce pressure, it is much more powerful than a standard cutter. Plus, it cuts fast with up to 39” a second. The cutter’s 700mm cutting width and fast speed allow it to cut materials like cast and calendared sign vinyl, heat transfer materials, craft paper, cardstock, and so much more. A simple interface panel offers push-button control over pressure and speed making it easy to cut any material precisely.
Moreover, creating and cutting designs are easy with included Flexi-Starter or SignCut Pro software that produces a wide range of vinyl lettering pinstriping and general signage, edit and draw shapes from images, customise texts, and create logos. The optical eye system ensures precision accuracy in cutting pre-printed graphics for print and cut graphics. It is available in many sizes, from a 14” table-top model to a 50” model for extensive format cutting.
To sum up, the UKcutter vinyl plotter is a high-resolution, durable machine with integrated contour cutting with an optical eye. It includes everything you need to start printing and cutting right out of the box. However, it does have some potential drawbacks to consider. Firstly, it does not include any software. This means that you have to buy third-party printing software. Secondly, the printer drivers may not be installed automatically, so you may need to download and install them manually.
Pros:
- Optical eye
- 1-year warranty
- 700mm cutting width
- Precise cutting
Cons:
- It does not include any pre-installed software
- You may also need to install drivers for the printer to work
Conclusion
If you love arts and crafts or want to explore different print media, a vinyl cutter is a superb machine to have. You can use most of these machines to cut different materials to a high degree of precision: this opens up a whole new world of possibilities for your creative endeavours. Moreover, a vinyl cutter could also be a great tool to help start a business venture.
Our pick for the best vinyl cutter UK is the Cricut Explore Air 2. This versatile vinyl cutter can easily fit on your computer desk or workbench top. It also has a stylish mint exterior and is made from durable materials. It can cut over 100 different materials and has a fine-point blade for precision cutting in terms of cutting versatility. If you have multiple projects to work on, the 2x cutting speed setting will also help boost your productivity.
Additional Resources
Nicole has a passion for everything about the home – especially decor. She loves to add new touches and style to every part of the house. Join her as she documents her ideas at Home & Style.
