The Best Laser Cutters and Engravers of 2024

The Glowforge Aura is the company’s first consumer laser cutter aimed at the entry-level market. It’s smaller than other models and has less powerful laser power, but it works very well on smaller projects. We create beautiful engravings, etchings and other laser cut projects on halo rings, all of which are outstanding.

read more: Experience Glowforge Aura for yourself

It’s been a while since I’ve had as much fun with a maker tool as I did with xTool F1. It’s lightweight and very easy to transport, so if you go to many trade shows, conferences, or farmers markets, and with the accessories in this bundle, you can etch a batch of products as easily as you can. The software is also great at making it easy to arrange items or find new items from photos.

I recently took the F1 to a STEM expo for elementary school kids, and it was a hit because it quickly cuts out school logos on metal business cards. While the price is quite high for such a small cutting area, you can easily make your money back with just a little work at a farmers market stand. It’s well worth the investment.

The Beamo is the smallest in Flux’s impressive range of CO2 laser cutters, but don’t let the small size fool you. The 30-watt laser, while weaker than some of the lasers on this list, is still powerful enough to etch glass, although you may need an additional diode laser to etch steel. It can cut wood, leather, and acrylic with ease.

The Beamo device also features a convenient touchscreen, making it easier to control it on the shop floor without having to plug it directly into a computer. Flux even has an app that lets you control Beamo directly from your phone.

The WeCreat is a fun little box that can etch and cut a variety of materials. It won’t carve thick wood or steel, but it can make for fun projects for family fun time. I think it’s perfect for schools, especially its exhaust filter, as the housing and air assist keep classrooms safe and prevent little finger burns. I created several projects for my children’s kindergarten classes and the teachers loved it.
While the software isn’t as good as Xtool or Glowforge, the camera is accurate and allows you to mark good locations for materials. It even has test cubes so you can try any material and see what power level you need. This is what all laser cutting machines should have.

Diode lasers are typically lower powered and do not have an enclosure to ensure your safety. The S1 solves both of these problems by using a 40-watt laser that can cut 18mm of wood in a single pass, albeit at a slow speed. It also has a fantastic case with a green lid to filter the laser light and an active exhaust to blow away any smoke. The basic kit has air assist (a feature all lasers should have) and a honeycomb cutting surface to help reduce scorching at the base of the material.

The S1 didn’t have a camera – which I think it should have – so everything was handled manually. But this is true for most diode lasers.

Glowforge has made it clear from the beginning that its mission is to ensure that anyone can use what it calls a “laser printer,” and the Glowforge Pro is a shining example of that. The fisheye camera lets you view cutting surfaces from within the web app, allowing you to easily click and drag what you want to engrave or cut. If you pay for the additional filtration system, you can use the laser anywhere. Of all the systems tested here, Glowforge’s focus on ease of use is unique.

Ease of use brings with it some limitations you won’t find elsewhere. Many of Glowforge Pro’s features are only available for a monthly fee. If you don’t use Proofgrade, made by Glowforge, the process of identifying the correct settings for engraving or cutting becomes very manual. Additionally, the fisheye lens used by the Glowforge can sometimes cause accuracy issues when you’re cutting or carving on small surfaces that are perfectly centered.