Which is Better? The Cricut Explore Air 2 or the Silhouette Cameo 3

Sharing is caring!

It's the Crafting Question of the century: Which personal crafting machine is better The Cricut Explore Air 2 or the Silhouette Cameo 3?

I am often asked what is the difference between Cricut and Silhouette Crafting Machines, and which is better.  The truth is, as, with any close competitor, their crafting machines have a lot in common. This is especially true once Silhouette came out with their latest Cameo 3 to compete with Cricut's Explore Air and Air 2 Machines. When you look at the breakdown of the Cameo 3 and Explore Air 2 you can see that at least on paper both machines have a lot in common.

The real test comes in how well they perform. Personally, I have owned both the Cricut Explore Air  (and now Air 2) as well as a Silhouette Cameo Crafting machines and after using both Cricut and Silhouette I personally prefer Cricut. (Read about why I replaced my Silhouette Cameo with a Cricut Explore Air Crafting Machine) For those who don't have the ability to try both machines here are 2 videos made by Heather over at Whipperberry when she tested both the Silhouette Cameo 3 and Cricut Explore Air 2 to see which performed better. (read more of her findings when comparing the Cameo 3 and Explore Air 2)

Like me, Heather concluded that the Cricut Explore Air 2 machine overall performed better than the Silhouette Cameo 3.

In addition to the performance of the Cricut Explore Air 2, there are 5 big reasons why I prefer Cricut over Silhouette.

1. Cricut uses an online cloud server which means that I can access my designs from any computer, tablet, or phone (tablets and phones require the Cricut App to use) by just logging into my Design Space account. I adore how this makes my Cricut a lot more portable to use.
2. The Cricut Explore Air 2 has a fast mode option. I love that when doing projects that are not finely detailed I can save a lot of time using the Fast mode. And let me tell you, anything that can save me time is great.
3. Cricut Design Space is EASY to use. I love how easy Cricut's Design Space is to use while still allowing me to do amazing design work. Cricut makes it easy for both beginner and expert crafters to create their desired projects.
4. The Physical Machine. I love that the tool storage is easy to access.  I like the the tool/pen holder on the side of the Cricut for easy access while making projects.   And I especially love the guiding tabs on the Cricut and longer loading tray which make it easier to load the cutting mats without damaging the mat/project.
5. Quality Cricut Materials. I have tried many of Cricut Crafting materials and have LOVED them all. I have never had any problems when using Cricut's materials for my projects. I also love the various Cricut cutting mats. they are sturdy and come in various levels of stickiness to work best with the many different materials you want to use.

Those 5 reasons, as well as the overall performance of the Cricut machine, are why I am Cricut all the way!

If you liked this post you might also like these: (click on the photo to go to the post)