A compact Cricut bundle with smart features, but only if you want the smaller format

Yes — the Cricut Joy | Starter Bundle (2025) is worth buying if you want a lightweight, compact cutting machine at the current all-time low price of £161.40. It has a 3.9/5 rating from 308 reviews, which suggests many buyers are happy with it, but there are also enough mixed experiences that it is not an automatic buy for everyone.

First impressions

At 1.75kg, the Joy is clearly designed for portability and small-space crafting rather than large, heavy-duty jobs. That low weight makes it easy to move between rooms, tuck away after use, or bring out for quick personalisation sessions. The bundle also includes an Amazon-exclusive curated collection of 25 additional images in Cricut Design Space, which adds a little extra value for buyers who want ready-made creative options straight away.

What can it do?

Cricut says the machine works with 50+ materials, including Iron-On, Card, Vinyl, Paper, Smart Materials and more. That gives it a useful spread for everyday craft tasks: labels, decals, cards, iron-on projects, and quick custom pieces. It can draw any shape and write in a variety of styles, so it is not just a cutter; it also handles lettering and decorative drawing for more polished results. You can upload and cut your own designs or use the Cricut Design Space library, which is important for makers who want both flexibility and a guided starting point.

How does it perform?

On paper, the Joy’s strengths are speed of setup, compactness, and versatility for smaller projects. The feature set is tailored to crafters who want to personalise items without committing to a larger machine. The main limitation is implied by the format: this is a smaller, lighter machine, so buyers looking for broader workshop-style capability may find it restrictive compared with Cricut’s bigger models. The 3.9/5 rating also suggests performance is good for many users, but not flawless.

Is the build quality good?

The most concrete build clue is the 1.75kg weight, which points to a machine built for convenience rather than bulk. That is a strength if you value easy storage, but it can also mean the machine is less substantial than heavier alternatives. For crafters who prioritise a tidy desk footprint and quick use, that is a fair trade; for those expecting a more robust machine feel, it may disappoint.

Is it good value for money?

At £161.40, the Joy Starter Bundle is on a strong deal because that price is the all-time lowest recorded, compared with an RRP of £169.99. The savings are only 5%, so the headline discount is modest, but the timing is excellent because the current price is also the lowest ever seen. The value improves further when you consider the included 25 additional images and the fact that it supports 50+ materials.

How does it compare to alternatives?

Against the Cricut Explore 3 at £230.00, the Joy is much cheaper, but the Explore 3 carries a 4.5★ rating versus the Joy’s 3.9/5. That suggests the Explore 3 is the stronger-rated machine, though it costs £68.60 more. The gap becomes even wider versus the Cricut Maker 3 | Starter Bundle at £386.92, which is £225.52 more than the Joy and also rated 4.5★. The Cricut Explore 3 | Starter Bundle (2024) at £329.99 is another premium option, coming in at £168.59 more than the Joy. In short, the Joy is the budget-friendly entry point here, but the higher-rated alternatives are likely better if you need more capability and can spend more.

Bottom line

This is a good buy for compact crafting, personalised gifts, labels, cards, and smaller vinyl or iron-on projects — especially at £161.40, which is the lowest recorded price. It is less convincing if you want the strongest-rated Cricut option available, because the 4.5★ Explore and Maker models have better review scores and broader appeal.

Should you buy it now?

Yes, if the Joy’s size and feature set match your projects. The current price is at the all-time low, so there is no timing penalty for buying now.

What should you watch out for?

The main warning is that the 3.9/5 rating from 308 reviews is noticeably lower than the 4.5★ ratings of the Explore 3 and Maker 3. That tells you some buyers are not fully satisfied, so this is best treated as a compact specialist machine rather than a universal upgrade.