This machine is way better than the Air 2 that I used for several years before getting this one. I noticed small details don't come up as often when pulling vinyl back before weeding, and even weeding itself seems a lot easier. I have some doubts about the matless option however, as it catches sometimes and makes the desired decal crooked or messed up entirely.The color wasn't what I was expected. I was expecting a rose gold color, based on the images of the product. However, it's more of a light beige with a rose gold top and accent line toward the bottom. The machine itself is amazing overall, so certainly don't let the color bother you, I just thought it was noteworthy, as the images do not match the actual product.

I’ve been a cricut owner for several years, if this is your first cricut machine, then the cricut maker 4 is a great smart cutting machine, and continues to be quite reliable. The software is intuitive, and it allows beginners to quickly make customizable art. A few tips keep in mind the cricut software is now under a subscription model for a lot of the library of designs and advanced features. I use inkscape a free software to generate svg files which then export to the cricut software and so avoid paying the subscription. I also do not use the cricut matless materials, using a mat isnt really a big deal and 3rd party materials/mats are quite a bit cheaper. Being this is a cricut theres tons of tutorials everywhere on how to make stuff yourself which is great.If your current cricut maker owner, and wondering if its time to upgrade. It’ll depend on your use case. In the picture i attached you can see the maker 4 on the left and the original maker on the right. They look very similar with just minor differences. For the most part all the accessories from my maker seem to work fine on the maker 4. Even the parts organizer that i had in maker tray was directly movable to the maker 4. The two notable differences i could tell was being able to use the cricut proprietary materials which was first introduced with the maker 3, and the speed/pressure of the blades. The speed is significantly faster than the maker original, but to be honest im not an etsy seller so it really wasnt much of concern.

I had a video comparing speeds with my Maker 3 and Maker 4 and it won’t let me post it for some reason, but, I will start this review by saying it is quite a bit faster, almost twice as fast but not quite. During my cut, my new Maker 4 took 3 minutes and 30 seconds, while the Maker 3 took 5 minutes and 23 seconds. They were both started at the exact same time, had the exact same design, measurements, input metrics, and vinyl. They were even on the same brand mat. I had also done a comparison with the smart material, and although again, the cricut maker 4 did cut faster, the times were not as drastically different. So as far as speed goes, the Maker 4 absolutely holds the claim as the fastest Maker machine.A few other things to note, one, to me…the machine is pink. I was kind of expecting more of a cream color, but it’s like a peachy, blush, pink with rose gold accents WHICH I LOVE. I am a huge pink fan, so I am obsessed with the color. It is so adorable.It is a legit cricut, has all the intro materials including a little mini weeding tool. Mine was in the sampler envelope taped to the lid, so don’t just throw that away, or you will miss your little tool. It also comes with some practice smart vinyl, iron on vinyl, and permanent vinyl as well as some cardstock and one black cricut pen. Additionally, you get your power cord, one fine blade (already installed in the machine) and a USB-C cord which is different from the maker three as the cord is a standard USB.If you have any maker 3 accessories, they will all fit the maker 4. All of the blades, including the rotary blades, are compatible. I am telling you, this machine in look, apart from color, is inch for inch identical to the maker 3. There is ONE piece I notice that is different, and that is a small clear plastic piece under the blade unit. That is it. Otherwise, from what I can physically see, the two machines are identical. They use the same materials and accessories, so don’t toss anything out if you are upgrading.On upgrading, I would say it is worth it if you want something with more speed. But if you have a maker 3 and are not looking for a speed upgrade, it’s probably not worth it to spend the money for this machine. However, if you have an older maker, or another cricut machine, this is definitely worth the upgrade.If you are new to cricut, you will need to download the Design Space app. For me, I have it on my apple phone, my iPad, and my pc. There is a lot you can do on the free version, but if you you want access to the majority of images and shapes, you will have to pay the monthly fee. I do, and it’s about $11 a month. But know even with Cricut Access, you still have to pay for a few licensed images like the limited Disney images they have. But don’t let your creativity be limited to Design Space images and projects, if you are pretty computer savvy, you can import any image and PNG file to make your own stuff. Or you can even make your own PNG images using Procreate if your an iPad user. I will say paying for Cricut Access does give you more tools to use when importing images for layering purposes. I have personally never utilized them, but apparently there are other apps you can manipulate images with and layer, but again, I have never used them and you will still have to use Design Space to cut as it is the only place you can control your machine.As for machine control, I used Bluetooth and had no issues. You do need to add it in your Bluetooth settings first on your device or computer, then add the machine in Design Space. The USB-C cord will work though if you don’t have BT, or are having connection issues.I think that’s it, I love my maker 4, it is such a fun machine to use, and I can’t get over the subtle pink color.