Best Value Wireless Printers for Home and Office
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Compare value wireless printers in the UK, including HP, Epson and laser all-in-one models for home, office and mobile printing.
The Cricut Joy Xtra is the strongest starting point for beginners who want to make stickers, cards, labels and personalised T-shirts. It has a 21.6 cm maximum cutting width and can cut Smart Materials up to 1.2 m without a mat.
For broader craft projects, the Cricut Maker 4 offers more capability. It can cut more than 300 materials and works with 13 tools for cutting, writing, engraving, embossing, foiling and scoring. Cricut’s UK comparison page lists the Joy 2 at £99.99, Joy Xtra at £189.99, Explore 5 at £199.99, Maker 4 at £349.99 and Venture at £749.99.
In practical terms, Joy Xtra is the best Cricut machine for a beginner who wants a compact, relatively affordable machine. Explore 5 is the middle option for someone who wants beginner-friendly setup without moving up to Maker-level capability. Maker 4 is the better choice for regular crafters who expect to work with fabric, leather, thicker materials or specialist tools.
These are four distinct Cricut options for different budgets and project types. The prices in the tables below were listed by the cited UK retailer or Cricut page when checked on 9 September 2026; promotional prices and retailer availability can change.
| Model | Best suited to | Listed price | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cricut Joy 2 | Small, simple projects | £99.99 on Cricut’s comparison page | The lowest listed price among these options |
| Cricut Joy Xtra | Beginners, stickers, cards and T-shirts | £179.99 at Currys | 21.6 cm cutting width; cuts, writes, draws, foils and scores |
| Cricut Explore 5 | Beginners wanting more than the entry model | £199.99 on Cricut’s comparison page | Cricut describes it as beginner-friendly, with simplified setup |
| Cricut Maker 4 | Regular crafters and varied materials | £329.00 at Currys | 300+ materials, 13 tools and a 30.5 cm maximum cutting width |
The Joy Xtra is the most straightforward choice for a first Cricut. Cricut recommends it as a starting point for popular projects such as stickers, T-shirts and cards. Its 21.6 cm maximum cutting width is suitable for many small and medium designs, while Smart Materials can be cut up to 1.2 m without a mat.
The Joy Xtra can cut, write, draw, foil and score. It requires the Cricut Design Space app and works with iOS, Mac, Windows and Android devices. This gives beginners a useful range of everyday functions without paying for the Maker 4’s specialist tools.
Currys lists a Joy Xtra Digital Cutting Machine Starter Bundle at £179.99, reduced from £219.99. Argos lists a Starter Pack at £199.99, reduced from £219.00, while Cricut lists the machine at £189.99. The Currys listing is therefore the lowest of these stated Joy Xtra prices.
The Joy Xtra does not support engraving, debossing, perforating, fabric cutting, leather cutting, wood veneer or chipboard cutting in Cricut’s comparison chart. Buyers planning those techniques need a model from the Maker range instead.
For someone searching for a Cricut Joy Xtra bundle UK, the bundle format is useful because it gets the machine and starter supplies into one purchase. However, the important distinction is still the machine’s narrower 21.6 cm working width and its more limited material support, rather than the word “bundle” on the product listing.
Explore 5 is a sensible middle option for a beginner who wants a model above the entry-level Joy range. Cricut describes it as beginner-friendly, with simplified setup, compact size and a lower price than more advanced models.
Cricut’s UK comparison page lists Explore 5 at £199.99. That places it close to the Joy Xtra’s official listed price. The choice is therefore best made by matching the machine to the projects you expect to create rather than focusing only on the small price difference.
Explore 5 is the option to consider when you want Cricut’s beginner-focused setup but do not need the Maker 4’s documented range of 300-plus materials and 13 tools. Joy Xtra remains the simpler low-cost choice for stickers, cards and personalised T-shirts, while Explore 5 is the more natural step up for a buyer who wants a broader everyday crafting platform.
Maker 4 is the strongest choice for regular crafters who want one machine for a broad range of materials. Cricut states that it can cut more than 300 materials and works with 13 tools. The tool range covers cutting, writing, engraving, embossing, foiling and scoring, although some tools are sold separately.
Maker 4 is described for vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, fabric, leather and thicker materials. Cricut’s product information says it can work with materials up to 3 mm in relevant applications. It has a maximum cutting width of 30.5 cm and can cut Smart Materials up to 3.6 m without a mat.
Currys lists a Maker 4 deluxe bundle at £329.00, reduced from £399.00. Hobbycraft also lists the machine at £329.00, reduced from £399.00, with Click & Collect available on the checked page. Cricut’s published UK MSRP is £399.99.
Hobbycraft also lists a Maker 4 and Essentials Bundle at £379.00, reduced from £449.00. This is the clearest current route for someone searching for a Cricut Maker bundle, while the £329 machine listings are the lower-cost choice if the included extras in a bundle are not needed.
| Feature | Cricut Maker 3 | Cricut Maker 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Mat-based cutting | Up to 30.4 cm × 60.9 cm | Maximum cutting width of 30.5 cm |
| Matless Smart Materials | Up to 3.65 m | Up to 3.6 m |
| Material and tool range | Maker platform | 300+ materials and 13 tools |
| Documented project materials | Smart Vinyl and Smart Iron-On cuts | Vinyl, iron-on, cardstock, fabric, leather and thicker materials |
Maker 3 supports matless Smart Material cuts up to 3.65 m. Maker 4 has a 30.5 cm maximum cutting width, supports matless cuts up to 3.6 m and is listed with a 300-plus-material and 13-tool specification. Those are the key documented differences for buyers comparing the two models.
The main buying point is that Maker 3 remains relevant as a specification comparison, but Maker 4 is the current model with the clearly documented retailer listings used in this guide. If a buyer is deciding between the two, the Maker 4’s listed capabilities and current bundle prices make it the more straightforward new-purchase option.
Compare the total starting cost, not only the machine price. A bundle can reduce separate purchases when it includes materials and tools you will use immediately. The table separates starter packs and bundles from standalone machine listings so that unlike-for-like prices are not treated as identical products.
| Machine or bundle | Where listed | Price | What it offers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joy Xtra Starter Bundle | Currys | £179.99, reduced from £219.99 | Low-cost entry to common beginner projects |
| Joy Xtra | Cricut UK | £189.99 | Manufacturer-listed machine price |
| Joy Xtra Starter Pack | Argos | £199.99, reduced from £219.00 | A retailer alternative to the Currys bundle |
| Maker 4 deluxe bundle | Currys | £329.00, reduced from £399.00 | Maker capability with included bundle contents |
| Maker 4 | Hobbycraft | £329.00, reduced from £399.00 | Click & Collect listed on the checked page |
| Maker 4 and Essentials Bundle | Hobbycraft | £379.00, reduced from £449.00 | Additional tools and materials in one purchase |
For the search term Cricut machine Argos, the available Joy Xtra Starter Pack is the relevant lower-cost listing, while Argos also lists a Cricut Maker 4 Bundle at £449.00. For Cricut machine Hobbycraft, Hobbycraft lists both the £329 Maker 4 and the £379 Essentials Bundle. These options show why the bundle contents matter as much as the headline discount.
You need a compatible phone, tablet or computer, Design Space, suitable materials and the correct blade or tool. Cricut Design Space is a free desktop and mobile app for discovering, customising, designing and sending projects to a Cricut machine.
Blade costs are part of the practical UK price of owning a Cricut. Hobbycraft lists a Cricut Premium Fine-Point Replacement Blade at £13.00 and Fine Point Replacement Blades 2 Pack at £9.00. It also lists Deep Cut Blades 2 Pack at £14.00, a Rotary Blade and Housing at £51.00, and a Knife Blade and Housing at £44.00.
For Maker 3 buyers, the relevant point is that the machine’s broader capability depends on using the appropriate blade or tool for the material. Fine-point blades cover common cutting jobs, while rotary and knife options represent substantially higher additional costs. Maker 4 has the same practical consideration: the machine supports 13 tools, but some are sold separately.
Cricut Access is optional. Design Space itself is free, while Cricut states that certain features and digital content require a paid subscription or an individual purchase. Cricut Access Standard is listed at £7.49 per month on the UK Joy Xtra product page.
A Cricut machine is a computer-controlled cutting and crafting machine. It follows a design sent from Design Space and can cut, write, draw, foil or score compatible materials. Maker 4’s documented tool range includes options for engraving and embossing, as well as cutting, writing, foiling and scoring.
Depending on the model and tool, Cricut machines can be used for vinyl decals, personalised T-shirts, custom cards, stickers, fabric projects, leather work, wood cutting and metal engraving. The machine does not provide identical access to all of these projects: Joy Xtra, for example, excludes leather, wood veneer and chipboard cutting in Cricut’s comparison chart.
Joy Xtra is Cricut’s recommended compact starting point for stickers, cards and personalised T-shirts. Explore 5 is another beginner-friendly option with simplified setup and a lower price than advanced models. Joy Xtra is the clearer choice for the lowest practical entry price, while Explore 5 suits buyers who want Cricut’s beginner-focused middle option.
Maker 4 can also be a sensible first machine if the buyer already knows they will use fabric, leather, thicker materials or specialist tools. It is less focused on the simplest possible entry, but it avoids moving from a small beginner machine to a larger Maker model later.
You need a compatible device and the Design Space app. Some digital features and content cost extra through Cricut Access or individual purchases. Blades, tools, mats and materials are also ongoing costs, so the machine price is only the starting point for a regular crafting setup.
The other important choice is project size. Joy Xtra’s 21.6 cm maximum cutting width is useful for many cards, stickers and clothing designs, whereas Maker 4 has a 30.5 cm maximum cutting width. Choosing by the projects you actually plan to make is more useful than choosing only by the discount shown on a retailer page.
It can be worthwhile when you have recurring projects that justify the machine, materials and tool costs. Joy Xtra is suited to regular stickers, cards and personalised T-shirts. Maker 4 is easier to justify when you will use a wider range of materials and tools. For only one or two projects, the lower-priced Joy range reduces the initial commitment.
The best value depends on avoiding unused capability. A Joy Xtra is enough for common beginner projects, Explore 5 provides a beginner-friendly step up, and Maker 4 earns its higher price through its wider material and tool range. A bundle is most worthwhile when its included supplies match the projects you intend to make.
No. Design Space itself is free, but Cricut states that certain features and digital content require Cricut Access or an individual purchase. Access is optional rather than a mandatory part of the machine price.
Joy Xtra is the most straightforward choice. Cricut identifies stickers and personalised T-shirts as suitable projects for the model, and its 21.6 cm cutting width covers many small and medium designs.
Maker 3 supports matless Smart Material cuts up to 3.65 m. Maker 4 supports cuts up to 3.6 m, has a 30.5 cm maximum cutting width and is listed with 300-plus materials and 13 tools. Those specifications provide the clearest basis for choosing between them, with Maker 4 the more straightforward current purchase option.
Maker 4 is described for leather and thicker materials, and Cricut lists tools for engraving and embossing among its compatible options. Joy Xtra does not support leather cutting, wood veneer or chipboard cutting in Cricut’s comparison chart.
Choose Joy Xtra for the simplest route into stickers, cards and personalised T-shirts. Choose Explore 5 if you want a beginner-friendly middle model. Choose Maker 4 if your first projects already include varied materials, fabric, leather or specialist tool work.
