Glowforge Aura review: a beginner-friendly laser cutter for hobbyists

 hen Glowforge CEO Dan Shapiro told me that the Aura “just works,” I was skeptical. As someone who owns a vinyl cutter, I’ve long had to deal with picking out the right materials, making sure the machine has the right blade, and creating my own designs. I was expecting a similar level of legwork (minus the vinyl) when the Glowforge Aura arrived on my doorstep — but it proved me wrong.

At $1,199, the Glowforge Aura sits on the higher end of the entry-level laser cutter price range. However, it makes up for that by making laser cutting and engraving a ridiculously simple task. While Glowforge doesn’t market it as such, the Aura is a CNC (computer numerical control) machine that uses a laser to make precise cuts and engravings based on information that gets fed through its accompanying software.

7Verge Score

Glowforge Aura

$1198

THE GOOD

• Simple to set up
• Easy-to-use UI and controls
• Makes precise cuts and engravings

THE BAD

• Diode laser can’t cut translucent materials
• ¼-inch cutting depth 
• Expensive

$1199 AT GLOWFORGE$1199 AT AMAZON$1198 AT JOANN

How we rate and review products

Like Glowforge’s more expensive models, the Glowforge Aura can slice and dice through hundreds of different materials, including wood, acrylic, leather, paper, rubber, cardstock, and a whole lot more. But with a price that’s several thousand dollars less than the $6,995 Glowforge Pro and the $4,995 Glowforge Plus, it comes with some limitations, including a smaller, 12 x 12-inch cutting area and a 1/4-inch depth limit when cutting (or 3/4-inch for engraving) that makes it more difficult to work with large, thick sheets of material. Both of Glowforge’s premium models, on the other hand, let you cut materials up to 18 inches wide and half an inch thick and also come with a Pro Passthrough slot that lets material hang outside the cutting area for oversized projects.

At 20.5 inc

 Verge

Another drawback is that the Glowforge Aura comes with a weaker 6W diode laser as opposed to the 40W CO2 laser in the Glowforge Plus and the 45W CO2 laser in the Glowforge Pro. The stronger CO2 lasers allow Glowforge’s premium printers to cut and engrave at a much faster rate when compared to the Aura. They’re also able to cut through transparent and translucent materials, something the Glowforge Aura can’t do because its diode laser emits a blue light that will pass through the material without scoring it.

When a laser cuts or engraves material, it emits fumes that could be harmful to your health. That’s why, for this review, I used the Aura alongside Glowforge’s personal air filter, which the company sells separately for $399. The filter combines HEPA and carbon filtration technology to purify the Aura’s exhaust. You don’t have to purchase the filter if you don’t want to spend the extra money — the Aura comes with a ventilation hose that you can place outside of a window instead. 

Setting everything up was simple: I popped the Aura’s laser into place using the built-in magnet and then slid in the crumb tray that catches excess material. From there, I connected the cutter’s ventilation hose to the Personal Filter. The machine and filter were much bigger than I had anticipated. At 20.5 inches long and 22 inches wide, the Aura just barely fit on my desk, so I opted to put it atop my coffee table alongside the air filter, which is about the size of a small desktop tower.

After connecting the Aura to Wi-Fi (you can’t print without an internet connection), I was ready to start crafting. You control the Aura through Glowforge’s web app — there aren’t any controls on the machine itself besides the big, glowing button that you press when you’re ready to cut or engrave something.

The same goes for the Personal Filter. Both devices shut on and off automatically, although you can always just unplug them when you’re done.