Glowforge review
Updated September 30, 2026 · GizmoCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
Glowforge suits makers who want a single enclosed machine that engraves and cuts, listed from $899 with a 515 mm bed. Buyers in the US and GB get support across email, phone and help centre and can keep the machine in a home workshop without adding a separate enclosure.
Key facts
- Best for
- A ready enclosed laser that engraves and cuts in the US or GB.
- Price from
- $899 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Largest build size (mm)
- 515 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Multi-colour printing
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Warranty
- 0.5 to 1 year (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Laser power (W)
- 45 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Enclosed models
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Markets
- US, GB (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Glowforge, Inc. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre, Community, Chat (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Products
- Laser engraver, Cutting machine
- Official website
- glowforge.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Enclosed as standard, so no separate enclosure has to be built around the machine, which suits a home office or a shared studio.
- A 515 mm bed sits above the typical build size in the ranking, so full sheets fit without tiling.
- Support runs across email, phone and help centre, so a problem can go to chat, community, phone or email rather than one queue.
- Sells into US and GB from a US base, keeping shipping, spares and warranty service inside the regions it covers.
Cons
- A single 45 watt beam marks one material per pass, so a second colour needs its own setup and a fresh sheet.
- Warranty runs 0.5 to 1 years, a short window on a machine bought to work weekly.
- The entry price of $899 leaves a wide gap to $129 from ACMER, and that gap often decides a first machine.
- Sells into US and GB only, so buyers elsewhere face cross-border shipping and service on a $899 purchase.
Who it suits
- Makers in the US and GB who engrave and cut on the same job and want the chamber enclosed from the box.
- New owners who need help when setup goes wrong, given support across email, phone and help centre and a help centre.
- Workshops that would rather pay $899 for a ready machine than add guarding and extraction themselves.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who also want fdm or resin printing: MatterHackers lists fdm printers, resin printers and a 3d-scanner alongside its laser-engraver and cutting-machine range.
- Price-first buyers: ACMER is listed from $129 against $899 here.
- Cricut shoppers who only cut shapes: Cricut is listed as a cutting-machine and no laser-engraver, so engraving is not the reason to spend up here.
Core features
The bed measures 515 mm, large enough to take a full sheet in one pass, and the 45 watt laser covers engraving detail alongside cutting duty. The chamber is enclosed from the factory, so nothing has to be built around the machine before a first cut. Multi color is no, which means one material per pass and a fresh setup for a second color. Warranty cover runs 0.5 to 1 years, short enough that a heavy user can reach the end of it during a busy year.
How it compares on our data
On build size mm, Glowforge sits at 6 out of 23 brands in the ranking, which places it in the roomier part of the field. On price from it ranks 23 out of 27, so the entry cost sits towards the dearer end of the table. The trade is a larger bed against a heavier outlay, and readers have to decide which side of that matters more to them.
The company behind it
The machines are sold by Glowforge, Inc., headquartered in the United States. Support runs across email, phone and help centre, so a stuck job can go to chat or the community for a fast answer, and to phone or email when a person is needed. That spread of channels matters most early on, when setup errors are common and there is no settled workflow to fall back on.
How Glowforge compares
- 8.7 vs 9.1
- 8.7 vs 8.6
8.7 vs 8.7
8.7 vs 8.8- 8.7 vs 8.6
- 8.7 vs 9.1
8.7 vs 8.8
8.7 vs 9.2- 8.7 vs 9.1
- 8.7 vs 8.9
- 8.7 vs 9.2
8.7 vs 9.0
8.7 vs 9.3- 8.7 vs 9.5
8.7 vs 9.5
8.7 vs 9.4- 8.7 vs 9.3
- 8.7 vs 9.1
8.7 vs 9.0- 8.7 vs 9.0
- 8.7 vs 8.9
8.7 vs 8.8
8.7 vs 8.6
8.7 vs 8.6
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Xistore BY
Snapmaker US
ESR EU
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Uperfect Monitor
XPPen
Where Glowforge is available
- Available
- United Kingdom, United States
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Glowforge machine cost?+
The listed entry price is $899 for the machine as a hardware purchase. The chamber is enclosed as standard, so the housing comes with the machine rather than as a separate item. In the ranking that figure sits towards the highest end of the price table, so it is worth weighing against the entry cost of cheaper cutters before buying.
How big a build area does it have?+
The build area measures 515 mm, which takes a full sheet of stock without tiling and leaves room for larger panels than a desktop cutter. In the ranking that places Glowforge at 6 out of 23 brands on build size mm. A bigger bed also means a bigger machine to find room for.
Is it safe to run indoors?+
The machine is enclosed as standard, so the working chamber is covered instead of sitting open on a bench. For a home office or a shared studio that answers the usual objection to a domestic laser, because the working area stays inside a closed box. The enclosed body suits a fixed spot in a workshop, where the 515 mm bed stays put beside extraction.
How long is the warranty?+
Warranty cover runs 0.5 to 1 years, and that term is the weakest part of an otherwise solid package. For a machine used every week it is a short window, and any fault appearing after cover ends becomes a paid repair. Owners who keep a laser for years are better off budgeting for that risk than assuming the warranty carries it.
What support does Glowforge offer?+
Support runs across email, phone and help centre, which covers more routes to an answer than a single inbox. A stuck job can go to chat or the community for a quick reply, and to phone or email when the problem needs a person to chase. Glowforge, Inc. stands behind those channels, based in the United States.
Can it print in color?+
Multi color is no on this range, so every pass works a single material. The 45 watt laser is the whole of the color story here: a single beam, a single sheet, a simple setup and a short consumables list. Buyers who want a second color on the same piece will not get it here, and the ranked brands split evenly on this feature.
Where can I buy it?+
Glowforge is sold by Glowforge, Inc., a company based in the United States, and the range covers laser engraver and cutting machine. Buyers in the US and the UK are the ones the brand is set up for, so shipping and warranty service are simplest there. Anyone in another market should read the terms for their own country before ordering.
Is it an engraver, a cutter, or both?+
laser engraver and cutting machine lists both, so the same machine covers engraving detail and cutting shapes. That is the reason to pick this brand over Cricut, which is listed as a cutting-machine only. If you never engrave, the extra capability adds cost you do not need.
Sources
- glowforge.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Price from, Support channels
“1938 Occidental Ave S Suite C Seattle, WA 98134”
- glowforge.com/b/products checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Multi-colour printing, Products
“Create with Glowforge: our lasers, materials, designs, and software.”
- glowforge.com/b/tech-specs/performance checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Largest build size (mm), Enclosed models, Laser power (W)
“Maximum material width: 20" (515 mm)”
- glowforge.com/terms checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Legal entity, Markets
“thank you for your interest in Glowforge, Inc.”
- glowforge.com/warranty checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Warranty
“This Limited Warranty covers the Basic model, Glowforge Compact Filter, the Glowforge Air Filter, and the Glowforge Craft Laser Filter for 6 months; the Plus, Plus HD, Pro, and Pro HD models; the...”
Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
What changed
- September 30, 2026: axisScores offer was 9.0, now 9.1