If you’re a fan of Cricut, you’re probably interested in learning all there is to know about the new Cricut Joy. Today, I will review this compact cutting machine in detail.
As I already mentioned, this cutting machine is small and compact. In fact, it’s the smallest Cricut unit on the market. However, don’t let the size fool you into thinking it’s worthless.
This little workhorse is loaded with new features and ready to win the hearts of crafters worldwide. It’s an electronic machine made with simplicity in mind.
I put the accent on “simplicity” because it features only one button. You can operate this machine from the well-known Design Space application. It can be used on a computer, tablet or phone.
Product Specifications
| Dimensions: | 5.50 x 8.40 x 4.25 |
| Weight: | 3.8 pounds |
| New features: | Fine point cutting blade, smart materials |
| Software: | Design Space |
| Color: | Teal & white |
Design and Basic Features
With this machine, you can add a personal touch to almost everything within moments from any corner in your home or office.
The compact design allows it to be stored almost anywhere. The ability to operate without a cutting mat makes it even more portable and easy to use.
According to the head of design at Cricut, Tom Crisp, the Joy was made as an easy solution for crafters to explore their creative minds and talents.
At only 5×8 inches, this unit can be used anywhere in your office or home, providing you the portability and flexibility to create projects no matter the place.
Plus, it has a booming design which makes it look great on your bookshelf or kitchen counter. The Cricut Joy can be used with perfectly-sized, precut materials.
It’s the ultimate cutting tool that can be utilized on different materials. No matter if you’re a beginner or a professional, you will adore this user-friendly, electronic machine.
As I already mentioned, you can operate the Joy with a downloadable application on your laptop, tablet, and smartphone. The application allows users to cut or draw digital fonts or images.
You can select fonts and images from Cricut Design Space for free but you can also upload your personal designs. This machine allows you to explore your creative mind and talents.
What is Cricut Joy Capable of?
In simple words, Cricut Joy is capable of making your life a lot simpler in terms of personalizing your life. It’s a smart writing and cutting unit you can use for different purposes.
Some of those purposes include birthday banners, iron-on transfers, vinyl decals, and customized labels. Begin by recommended projects or make your own from scratch.
Joy will handle the rest of the job. It’s lightweight and portable enough to travel with. However, it’s also powerful enough to slice repeated forms up to 20 ft long.
This unit is definitely the smallest in the Cricut family. It’s ideal for on-the-go tasks and DIY crafts around the home. I personally like it because it’s great for last-minute projects.
And by last-minute projects, I mean forgotten birthdays and similar events. You can easily make a card in less than 5 minutes with the Joy.
The best part? You can also write which is impressive. If you need to make labels for your pantry quickly, Joy has your back. It can handle this task in just minutes.
Also, it’s perfect for people with limited space that cannot afford to accommodate a bigger cutting unit. If you’re looking for a space-saving cutter, look no further than the Joy.
It fits anywhere within your office or home. But what I like most about this machine are the sensors. It comes with 2 sensors under the rollers that pull material in.
This feature allows the unit to stretch and measure the material inserted. This is awesome because Joy tells you if you have enough material to complete your project.
Let’s take a look at some of the tools and improvements of this new cutting machine that will definitely pique your interest.
Cricut Joy Blade
This model comes with a new fine-point cutting blade made specifically to fit and work with the Joy. It’s not interchangeable with other machines. You can cut over 100 materials with great precision and ease.
Cricut Joy Tools
Cricut Joy has its line of customized markers and pens to make one-of-a-kind creations. This line includes regular pens in different colors, gel pens, and infusible ink pens.
Cricut Joy Mats
Light and standard grip mats can be used with this unit. You will see that there is not a purple strong grip mat because the Cricut Joy doesn’t require a lot of force, unlike other units.
It’s not created with thick materials in mind which means that it’s intended for light use only. It includes a brand new Card mat with a clear attached layer that allows easy cutting of folded cards.
What are Smart Materials?
If you want to cut without a mat, you should look for materials labeled as “smart materials.” They have a thicker backing which allows the unit to draw or cut on them easily.
Cricut Joy Materials
You will find materials such as iron-on, vinyl, transfer tape, writing labels, adhesive-backed paper, pens, and infusible ink perfectly-sized and compatible with the Joy.
Cricut Card Mats
Make cards in just moments with Joy and the new customized Card Mat.
If you’re someone who enjoys making cards, you will love this cutting machine. Use the insert card sets to make your own design easily in just moments for various events.
Each card is precut at 4.25 inches x 5.5 inches and includes various colored liners and envelopes. Forget about the days when you were running to the nearest store for a last-minute gift.
With Joy, you can make your own cards in minutes from the comfort of your home. If you’re looking for a machine to make labels, cards, decals, and custom t-shirts, look no further than the Joy.
Limited Options
With smaller size comes limited options, of course. While Joy can cut and draw like any other Cricut unit, it cannot complete creations bigger than 5 inches wide.
However, if you’re someone who likes to dabble in design, you shouldn’t worry about the size. The Joy is still capable of cutting the perfect size for small projects, coasters, and mugs.
If you want to create designs for tees and other pieces of clothes, you will need to break your creation in pieces that the Joy can handle.
For example, you will need to cut one letter at a time if you want to cut out words.
This is time-consuming but if you cannot accommodate or afford a big Cricut cutting machine, the extra time spent is definitely worth it.
Positive sides of Cricut Joy
For starters, the Joy is a great little unit and one that I would recommend for beginners and people who need a lower-key model than the professional Cricut Maker.
The magic of this model hides in its simplicity. You can only draw and cut with this machine. However, I can say that this machine is excellent at what it does.
Basic designs are a breeze with the Cricut Joy and I love the fact that it is capable of cutting up to 20 feet long with repeated cuts.
It’s not as advanced as the Maker. It can only slice a part of the materials and has limited options but it’s also cheaper. Joy is a budget-friendly machine.
This makes it perfect for beginners. It’s easy to set up and use with a small footprint that can fit into the hand. If you have limited space in your home, it’s perfect for you.
Also, if you’re looking for something that can handle basic projects fast, this unit might be ideal for you. Cardmakers will love the card mat that can make custom cards in minutes.
Most people opt for a machine like this for card making. But the Cricut Joy doesn’t stop at cards. On the contrary, it can handle over 50 various materials including iron-on, vinyl, and paper.
Joy has also released smart materials which are usually materials that don’t need a cutting mat. This is one of the best things about this cutting machine that will definitely impress you.
Negative sides of Cricut Joy
There is no such thing as a perfect machine. This applies to the Joy as well.
This model has a few disadvantages. Let’s start with the fact that you will need to spend extra money on accessories to use the machine’s full potential.
Many people will be attracted by the low price. I was too. However, you should leave some extra money for the cutting mats and other necessary accessories.
Some of those accessories include smart materials, markers, and pens. The smart materials allow you to cut without a cutting mat.
Keep in mind that past markers and pens won’t work with the Joy. You will also need to buy a card mat if you want to make cards. This mat is specially made for cutting cards.
Last but not least, you will have to use Design Space.
I personally think that this software is not as bad as presented by some people. Some of the downfalls of this software include the bugging when making updates.
However, I believe that the company is already working on improvement and will soon resolve the issue.
Cricut Joy Release Date
The long-anticipated Cricut Joy is finally available on Cricut’s official website. Grab yours before they sell out.
Can I Use my Maker or Explore Mats, Materials, and Blades with the Cricut Joy?
Unfortunately, you will not be able to use your older materials, blades, and mats. But since you can slice the iron-on and vinyl without a mat, there are fewer mats to purchase overall.
The blade of both Maker and Explore is different than Joy’s blade which means they will not fit your new machine. They simply cannot fit the smaller size of the cutting machine.
As for the materials, you can cut many of them with your new Joy. If you have a regular iron-on instead of smart iron-on you will be able to slice it to size and utilize it with a mat.
The same goes for adhesive vinyl. You can also slice cardstock and other materials that can be sliced utilizing a fine point blade on your Maker or Explore.
Do I Need Joy if I Have Another Cricut?
It depends on you and your budget. If you have space and money, why not have both cutting machines? You will be surprised what this little workhorse can do for your projects.
It’s perfect for quick and small projects. You can cut larger and denser materials with the Explore Air 2 or Cricut maker while the Joy assists you in the drawing and cutting.
How Much Does the Cricut Joy Cost?
You can buy the Cricut Joy for less than $200 on Cricut’s Store. If you ask me, this is a reasonable price for the technology it provides. It’s suitable for both beginners and experts.
Some of the advantages of this machine include a low price, compact design, matless cutting with smart materials, ease of use, and wireless cutting which requires no stray wires.
You can easily make a personalized gift card with the Card Mat. However, remember that you will have to purchase additional things like card mats, smart materials and cutting mats.
Joy comes with two capabilities, writing and cutting and cannot do both at the same time which is a big disadvantage. Some people find the Design Space annoying and difficult to use.
Cricut Joy vs Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore Air 2
The biggest difference between the Cricut Maker and the Joy is the size. The Joy is significantly smaller than the rest of Cricut’s cutting machines. It’s compact and lightweight.
This makes it travel-friendly and easy to store. The new model is also capable of cutting longer materials. It’s also capable of measuring and stretching the inserted materials.
However, what I like most about Joy is that you can cut without a cutting mat. Also, it’s controlled by the application and uses its own pack of pens and blades.
The Explore Air 2 and Cricut Maker, on the other hand, need mats to cut. Also, they have many switches on the exterior while Joy has only one.
If you already own some of the previous models, you may be wondering, do I need the Joy? The answer is yes because this model is compatible with any Cricut machine.
It’s perfect for quick and small projects. You can cut larger and denser materials with the Explore Air 2 or Cricut maker while the Joy assists you in the drawing and cutting.
Let’s not forget that Joy was designed with portability and beginners in mind which makes it easy to use and travel-friendly. You can easily store your new crafting buddy anywhere.
Cricut Joy vs Portrait 2
Silhouette Portrait 2 is the cheaper, smaller buddy of the Silhouette Cameo family.
If you’re familiar with both brands, you’re probably wondering which one is better and more suitable for you – the new model by Cricut or the Portrait 2?
Like Joy, Portrait 2 comes with less power and capabilities than the bigger machines in its family but appeals more to people who search for something easy to use.
Comparing the two units side by side, I would say the Joy is slightly better. The reason why I believe this is the ability to cut without a mat. Also, Joy is compact and easier to use.
Portrait 2, on the other hand, is a little bit stronger and bigger than the Joy.
Cricut Joy vs Cricut Maker
I have had a few interested buyers emailing to ask whether they should give Joy a chance or choose one of the previous proven models such as the Cricut Maker.
Here is the truth. They’re different units with different things to offer. Neither is “worse” or “better”. It’s just that they’re made with different purposes in mind.
As you probably know, the Cricut is a high-end desktop cutting model with a lot of capabilities. It offers a professional level crafting and cutting.
Joy, on the other hand, is perfect for crafting enthusiasts. If you’re looking to make simple and quick projects, look no further than the Cricut Joy.
Also, if you’re a beginner, you should definitely consider Joy when shopping for a cutting machine. It is suitable for beginners. However, serious crafters can also enjoy it.
FAQ
Final Thoughts
To wrap it up, I am a huge fan of Cricut and their newest member of the family.
Joy is the true DIY friend that we all needed. There is not another cutting unit quite like it on the market at the moment. It delivers great performance at a low-cost.
Similar machines with fewer features come at a higher price. Joy makes the ideal alternative for Maker or Explore Air 2. It’s perfect for beginners and enthusiastic crafters.
However, professionals can also enjoy the matless cutting and other impressive features that this little workhorse has to offer. I fell in love with the design of Joy at first glance.
It’s compact and lightweight. However, don’t let the size fool you into thinking it’s cheaply-made and unworthy. On the contrary, Joy has a few features that bigger units lack.
It allows you to cut single creations up to 4 feet long and create repeated cuts up to 20 feet long thanks to the sensors that measure your materials automatically.
With smaller size comes limited options, of course. While Joy can cut and draw like any other Cricut unit, it cannot complete creations bigger than 5 inches wide.
However, if you’re someone who likes to dabble in design, you shouldn’t worry about the size. The Joy is still capable of cutting the perfect size for small projects, coasters, and mugs.
Hopefully, my Cricut Joy review can help you determine if this cutting machine deserves to be your new best friend. What do you think of this machine? Share your opinion in the comments.