Product Comparison: Silhouette Portrait 2 vs Cricut Explore Air 2

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Silhouette Portrait 2 Scrapbooking Machines

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Cricut Explore Air 2 Personal DIY Cutting Machine

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General Specifications

About the Product

The Silhouette Portrait 2 is our most compact cutting machine. Don’t let its size fool you, with the Portrait 2 it has never been easier to create your DIY masterpiece. Choose over 100 different materials to cut using the auto adjusting AutoBlade.

Cricut Explore Air 2™ is a DIY speed machine. This smart cutting machine cuts and writes up to 2x faster than previous models and helps you make projects with over 100 different materials.

Brand

Silhouette

Cricut

Model

Portrait 2

Explore Air 2

Origin

USA

China

Key Specs

Type

Electric

Number of Cutting Blades

Cutting Area

8.3 in. x 9.8 ft.

12 x 12 in.

Cut Pressure

7.6 lb/sq.in

Clearance

2 mm

3 mm

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Silhouette Portrait 2 Scrapbooking Machines

Blade installation was really simple once I stopped reading the manual which doesn't simply tell you to plop it into the slot and turn the lock to the right. I saw you tube video and it was a snap.
I am already ordering a spare blade/mat just in case. However, there are two sizes mentioned for portrait which is odd. My original mat is 8x12 but now they also sell a 8.5x12.
Once you figure out how to use the machine and set the blade, it's very easy to use consistently.
I actually hate bringing out my cricut and taking up all the space on my craft area aka bedroom floor. It worked the first time I cut the vinyl...although it cut the backing too, which I didnt want.
The downside is the size of the cutting area. I've needed to cut a 12x12 image and couldn't.

Cricut Explore Air 2 Personal DIY Cutting Machine

Cuts very intricate details with ease. Easy to use interface. Fast cutting/drawing.
This Cricut was the right one for me. I have do so much with it since I got it, and you'd be amazed at all the little personalized craft projects your friends and coworkers will bring to you once they know you have one.
Love this machine! I use it all of the time! It is very precise. The print then cut feature is amazing! I could never say enough good things about it.
It's ok. Cuts great and cuts lots of materials. It is very simple and easy to use my 8 year old can use it on her own from the designing to the cutting.
The tools are minimal to design with. There isn't much creative freedom with this machine. Creating complex designs hard time consuming and tedious due to lack of tool options.
It's not even been a week and i'm having issues, sometimes it ruins a paper and doesnt cut correctly, or it just marks the paper while its on cardstock, other times it disconnects mid cutting, i was really excited to buy this machine but now it just takes too long to cut one thing.

Size & Weight

Height

8 in.

6 in.

Weight

3.53 lbs.

21 lbs.

Width

18 in.

22.2 in.

Depth

9 in.

7 in.

Features

Cutting Materials

Cardstock, Vinyl, Fabric, Magnet paper, Heat transfer material, Photo paper, Copy paper, Rhinestone template material

Paper, Cardstock, Vinyl, Fabric, Magnet paper, Heat transfer material, Photo paper, Copy paper, Rhinestone template material

LCD screen

Built-in Scanner

Wireless Cutting

Yes

Accessories Included

AC adapter, USB cable, Silhouette Studio software, Instructional DVD, 8”x12” cutting mat, blade with ratchet cap

German carbide premium blade, USB cable, Power cord, Accessory Adapter, Pen & cardstock sample, Cricut 12 in. x 12 in. StandardGrip cutting mat

Extras

Mac and PC compatible software included, 50 exclusive digital designs

Up to 2X Faster. Select Fast Mode when you need to make every minute count, Create on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, Embedded Bluetooth® for wireless cutting, Cut 100+ materials from vellum to leather, Smart Set® dial for easy material settings, Upload your own images for free (.svg, .jpg, .png, .bmp, .gif, .dxf), Thousands of designs and ideas to kickstart virtually any project, Upload and use your own image files or fonts for free

What customers say about "Features"

Silhouette Portrait 2 Scrapbooking Machines

I figured that if I wanted to use the print & cut feature, I could only print on letter size sheets anyway, so the Portrait would be the perfect size. I LOVE that it is so small.
Machine is light and portable, make sure you have room on the table for the mat to go back and forth, without it being obstructed by your laptop or wall etc.
Recommend watching the how-to video on the included CD and also using the "Test Cut" feature inside the Studio software.
The Silhouette Software has so many features, after 6 months, I still haven't used them all yet. I can use any font on my computer, I don't have to pay for every design or picture I need
When I bought it, product features listed that it was made in the USA. It is not. It is made in Vietnam.

Cricut Explore Air 2 Personal DIY Cutting Machine

Absolutely Love Love Love this machine! So easy to use with the Cricut design studio. The best feature is the dial for what type of paper you are using. No guessing how much pressure you need as it does it all for you.
Amazing product for DIY for fraction of the cost. I made my own onesies for my friends baby shower and everyone was stunned that I made them. Its so great to personalize things with the Iron-on Vinyl.
love that this machine has the ability to use a pen to write content. I also like the fact that this machine can still use cartridges.
Admittedly, it can be difficult to cut small intricate images and words. I've found the "print and cut" feature a good solution to this problem. That feature allows you to print an image off on your computer and simply have the Cricut cut out the shape of it. I use this technique to make stickers.
The Cricut software needs an always-on, active internet connection to work. Generally speaking, this isn't a problem, however, it does limit your ability to "fire and forget"...as in, send a design to print and walk away with your computer or turning it off.
There is one downfall and it might be something I am doing wrong and that is using the Scoring Tool. It really doesn't score very well. Can't see the lines on the paper of where to fold, so I put one of the cricut markers in the carriage to draw the lines on where to fold.
I bought this on valentines day for my wife. Here 2 weeks later, she gets a notice that she can no longer use the software without paying $10 month. She gets on chat with Cricut and they confirm it. So this machine is now useless to us.

Warranty / Certifications

Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Other Information

Manual

Download

Manufacturer

Link