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Cricut Discover 4: at a look
Worth: £299 / $299 (bundle offers differ)
Launch date: 2025
Greatest for: Passion crafters, small enterprise makers, DIY house initiatives
Key options: Good Supplies compatibility, 100+ supported supplies, device storage, push-button lid, Bluetooth connectivity
I’ll admit it: the variety of Cricut machines in the marketplace may be overwhelming, and I needed to pinch myself that Cricut is now in its fourth era of craft machines, with Discover 4 now out. How time flies whenever you’re having enjoyable.
In some ways, the Discover 4 feels just like the pure evolution after the Cricut Discover 3 assessment: it’s sooner, smarter, and extra user-friendly, with a couple of considerate tweaks that make a noticeable distinction. With assist for Good Supplies, over 100 appropriate mediums, and a beneficiant starter bundle, it’s clear Cricut desires this to be probably the greatest Cricut machines for many customers.
For these weighing up the most effective Cricut options, Discover 4 now sits confidently within the mid-range class, bridging the hole between portability, energy, and precision. However learn beneath to see why this stays probably the greatest entry-level digital craft machines to your cash.
- Cricut Discover 4 at Amazon for £249
Cricut Discover 4: specs
(Picture credit score: Future / Cricut)Swipe to scroll horizontallyCricut Discover 4 vs Maker 4 specs
Discover 4
Maker 4
Dimensions
56 x 15 x 15cm (enable 25cm clearance at again)
57 x 18 x 18cm (barely bigger footprint than Discover vary, enable 25–30cm clearance at again)
Predominant slicing methodology
Drag blade
Adaptive device system with rotating, scoring, engraving, and embossing heads
Supplies supported
100+ (cardstock, vinyl, bonded cloth, chipboard, skinny magnets, extra)
300+ (from skinny paper and vinyl to cloth, leather-based, balsa wooden, chipboard, and extra)
Included instruments
High-quality-point blade, scoring stylus, scraper, spatula, weeder, mini weeder (new), Cricut pens (black + purple)
High-quality-point blade, rotary blade, pen adapter (helps Knife blade, scoring wheel, engraving tip, debossing tip, foil switch device, bonded cloth blade, plus pens and markers)
Bundled supplies
Good vinyl (everlasting & detachable), Good iron-on, medium cardstock, switch tape sheets, gentle grip mat
Varies relying on retailer (usually consists of Good vinyl, Good iron-on, switch tape, cardstock, and mats)
Connectivity
Bluetooth and USB cable
Bluetooth and USB cable
Software program
Cricut Design House (Mac, Home windows, iOS, Android)
Cricut Design House (Mac, Home windows, iOS, Android)
Subscription
Cricut Entry (£7.49/month or £71.88/yr)
Cricut Entry (£7.49/month or £71.88/yr)
Numbers are one factor, however expertise tells the actual story. The Discover 4’s 56 x 15 x 15cm body makes it bigger than the Pleasure, however nonetheless desk-friendly. The 25cm clearance on the again retains lengthy supplies feeding easily, which is a welcome reduction for bigger initiatives. In contrast to older Discover fashions, Good Supplies work with no mat, which is a game-changer for slicing bigger designs shortly.
In comparison with the Cricut Maker, it’s easier: no rotary blade, no embossing or engraving, and fewer accent choices. However that simplicity comes with velocity and predictability. For paper, vinyl, iron-on, and different customary crafting mediums, the Discover 4 feels sooner and simpler to deal with than its predecessor. The less equipment over the Maker 4 are a hindrance, however as an entry-level craft machine, it does every thing you want (although quilters like me will want Maker 4’s rotary blade).
General, the specs, measurement, and equipment of the Discover 4 hit the candy spot for informal crafters and small enterprise customers alike.
Cricut Discover 4: within the field
(Picture credit score: Future / Cricut)
Cricut consists of every thing it is advisable to get began: blades, pens, Good Supplies, cardstock, switch tape, a mat, and instruments. The mini weeder, new to this mannequin, is a refined however very helpful addition, particularly when coping with intricate vinyl designs.
One small quibble: not all bundles embody sticker cardstock, which implies you could want a fast journey to the craft retailer earlier than finishing sure starter initiatives. That mentioned, Cricut and plenty of craft shops usually supply distinctive Cricut bundles that may lower your expenses, so when you’re trying to purchase an Discover 4, I would recommend procuring round.
Learn our guides to the most effective Cricut equipment and the most effective supplies for Cricut for what can work with Expore 4
Cricut Discover 4: design and setup
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(Picture credit score: Future / Cricut)(Picture credit score: Future / Cricut)(Picture credit score: Future / Cricut)
The very first thing that strikes you is the push-button lid. Including this new little button is a tiny design tweak, however one you’ll admire each time you open and shut the machine (the previous mannequin was guide). Add the device storage within the lid, and it instantly seems like a machine designed to take a seat on an actual desk and be used.
General, Cricut hasn’t moved distant from its clear and curvy design present in all of its machines, and feels increasingly just like the ‘Apple of crafting’. One of many wins Cricut has all the time had and does not mess with is the attachments clamp. This little system holds blades and pens, and is tremendous straightforward to make use of and swap new instruments out and in.
Setup was clean through Cricut Design House. Connecting over Bluetooth labored immediately, and the cable choice is there if wi-fi isn’t your factor. When you already personal a Cricut, switching machines may be barely hidden within the dropdown menu, however as soon as chosen, the interface is intuitive and welcoming.
Usually, Cricut has taken a couple of dangers with Discover 4, and why ought to it? The design stands up, the brand new adjustments work properly, and the setup course of is less complicated than ever. For anybody new to digital crafting, it is a good place to start.
Cricut Discover 4: software program
(Picture credit score: Future / Cricut)
Cricut Design House continues to impress. It’s clear, logical, and loaded with ready-made initiatives. You too can add your individual SVGs or design from scratch. Whereas many initiatives sit behind the Cricut Entry subscription, the library’s depth makes it price contemplating when you plan to craft repeatedly. (Learn our article on why you want Cricut Entry for extra particulars.)
Cricut’s tutorials and initiatives are wonderful. The Discover 4 consists of starter initiatives for stickers, decals, and paper cuts, that are good for getting your ft moist with out feeling intimidated. Even full learners shall be slicing with confidence in below an hour.
You’ll be able to, after all, use extra software program with Cricut, resembling Illustrator, Krita, and Photoshop, and recordsdata exported can be utilized in Design House. I personally nonetheless create every thing in Design House, however learn our information to the most effective Cricut software program for extra concepts of what can be utilized.
Cricut Discover 4: efficiency
(Picture credit score: Future / Cricut)
Pace and precision are the place the Discover 4 shines. Paper cuts are crisp, vinyl weeds cleanly, and iron-on goes down with no hitch. I discover utilizing the brand new Good Supplies made lengthy cuts easier than ever, and non-obligatory equipment just like the deep-point blade add to what may be completed.
The Cricut Discover 4 is stuffed with surprises, and some of the spectacular add-ons must be the Foil Switch Equipment. This opens up my initiatives to some fancy new therapies and finishes. It comes with three ideas – tremendous, medium, and daring – that slot in simply, and I discovered they provide me management over the look of my designs. The foil itself is held in place with tape from the equipment, after which the Discover 4 presses the sample into the floor. Sitting again and watching the machine draw out the strains in foil is surprisingly compelling, and the outcomes stand other than the same old cuts and shapes the Discover 4 is understood for.
There’s additionally the choice to attract instantly onto initiatives utilizing Cricut’s personal pens. These match into Clamp A on the Discover 4, and whereas they’re an additional buy, the value is affordable. The pens are a great way to stipulate photographs or add textual content alongside reduce designs, and it’s easy to mix each in a single venture. (Learn our information to the most effective Cricut pens for what can be utilized with Discover 4.)
(Picture credit score: Future)
It is price mentioning the important thing distinction between Discover 4 and the dearer Maker 4, as many shall be both to get began in digital crafting. Discover 4 makes use of Cricut’s Adaptive Instrument System to swap blades, and helps six instruments to chop, rating, engrave, and even emboss with much more precision. However Maker 4 helps 13 instruments and can also be the one choice with a rotary blade, important for quilters and sewers, or anybody slicing cloth.
Discover 4 can’t compete with the Maker 4 by way of instruments and cloth versatility, however for many mid-range initiatives, the Discover 4 is quick, dependable, and surprisingly satisfying to make use of.
In terms of direct comparisons to the older Discover 3, it is principally velocity, ease of use, and high quality of life enhancements. For instance, Discover 3 doesn’t include the brand new mini weeder device as customary, and a few bundles have been lighter on extras (that means you typically had to purchase a separate starter equipment). Efficiency-wise, Discover 3 additionally lacked a number of the small usability tweaks, just like the up to date lid mechanism on the Discover 4, that make the brand new machine really feel extra polished.
(Picture credit score: Future / Cricut)
(Picture credit score: Future / Cricut)
Everyday, the Discover 4 is simple to make use of and surprisingly fast. The hyperlink with Design House retains every thing organised, and when you get into the software program, the selection of photographs and initiatives is large. Entry to the total library comes with a subscription, both month-to-month or yearly, however the vary on supply makes it really feel worthwhile.
What stands out most is the flexibleness. From foil transfers to pen drawings to intricate cuts, the Discover 4 handles all of it with a minimal of fuss. It’s a machine that invitations you to attempt issues. However bear in mind, it is a restricted machine in comparison with the extra expensive Maker 4, but inside its mid-range pricing, it does every thing you’d want with wonderful outcomes.
Cricut Discover 4: who’s it for?
The Cricut Discover 4 nails the mid-tier steadiness. It’s extra versatile than the Pleasure, easier than the Maker, and comes with a starter bundle that will get you crafting instantly. When you’re a hobbyist, Etsy vendor, or small enterprise maker, this is among the finest Cricut machines you should purchase with out committing to the Maker’s increased value and complexity.
Purchase it if…
- You’re new to Cricut and need a assured, straightforward entry level
- You need a quick, dependable cutter for paper, vinyl, and iron-on
- You worth Good Supplies and clear tutorials
Don’t purchase it if…
- You’re a quilter or cloth crafter (keep on with the Maker)
- You solely want small, transportable initiatives (the Pleasure is cheaper and extra compact)
- You need completely different software program – attempt Silhouette machines
Cricut Discover 4: Worth Comparability
