10 Best Laptop for Design Space 2020 ✂️(Cricut Maker & Explore Air 2)

Choosing best laptop for Design Space of Cricut will be easy after spending some time on our article. You need a Cricut Design Space compatible laptop to maximize the fun and efficiency of your Cricut Experience. We gathered best laptops to use with your Cricut Maker, Explore Air, or Air 2.

First, you should know what you need to use Design Space efficiently. Not all the specifications are important if you are planning to use your laptop for Design Space. But, these are the ones you should be careful about:

CPU: Cricut claims that Intel™ Dual-Core or equivalent AMD® processor is enough for Design Space. But we strongly recommend an Intel i5 for extra number of cores or at least a good Intel i3. The same applies to AMD processors too. You need more than 2 cores.

RAM: Again, Cricut recommends at least 4 GB RAM but if it is not far above your budget, always go for 8 GB RAM on laptops. Today’s browsers does not go easy on RAM. Just Google Chrome browser alone can take up more than 1 GB RAM if you keep many tabs open. So, you may have a hard time working on Design Space while your browser and Photoshop working in the background.

Display: Never settle for less than 1366 x 768 and go for 1920 x 1080 resolution if possible. Higher your resolution, sharper the image. You will need a good display as you will be designing stuff on that screen. Moreover, you better off by choosing a 15.6” screen since its easier to see details on a wider screen. If you worry about size and weight you can choose a 13” to 14” laptop.

Table of Contents show

Design Space System Requirements for Windows

OS: Windows® 8 or later
CPU: Intel™ Dual-Core or equivalent AMD® processor
RAM: 4GB
2 GB free disk space
An available USB port or Bluetooth® connection
Display: Minimum 1024px x 768px screen resolution

Design Space System Requirements for Mac

OS: macOS 10.13 or later
CPU 1.83 GHz
RAM: 4GB
2 GB free disk space
An available USB port or Bluetooth® connection
Display: Minimum 1024px x 768px screen resolution

Best Laptops for Cricut Maker and Explore Air 2

Model	CPU	RAM	Storage	Display	Battery	Weight
LG Gram Check Price on Amazon	i7-1065G7	8 GB	256GB M.2 NVMe	15 6” IPS Touchscreen 1920 x 1080	17 hrs	2.5 lbs.
Lenovo Flex 5 Check Price on Amazon	AMD Ryzen 5 4500U	16GB	256GB SSD	14.0" (1920 x 1080) Touch	10 hrs	3.64 lbs.
Acer Aspire 5 Check Price on Amazon	AMD Ryzen™ 3 3200U	4 GB	128 GB	15.6" 1920x1080 IPS	7.5 hrs	3.97 lbs.
Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Check Price on Amazon	Intel Core i5-9300H	8 GB	256GB NVMe SSD	15.6" 1920x1080 IPS	8 hrs	5.07 lbs.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Check Price on Amazon	AMD Ryzen 5 3500U	8 GB 2400 MHz	128 GB	14" 1920x1080 IPS	8 hrs	3.30 lbs.
Asus Vivobook 15 Check Price on Amazon	AMD Ryzen 5 3500U	8 GB 2400 MHz	256GB PCIe SSD	15.6" 1920x1080 IPS	5 hrs	3.50 lbs.
MacBook Pro 16" Check Price on Amazon	i9 upto 4.8 GHz	16 GB	1 TB	16" Retina 3072x1920	11 hrs	4.3 lbs.
Asus ZenBook 13 Check Price on Amazon	i7-10510U 4.9GHz	16 GB	512GB PCIe SSD	13.3" Wide View 1920x1080	14 hrs	2.8 lbs.
MacBook Air 13 Check Price on Amazon	10th Gen i3	8 GB	256 GB SSD	13" Retina 2560x1600	11 hrs	2.8 lbs.
Asus ZenBook 13 Check Price on Amazon	AMD Athlon 3050U	4 GB	128 GB SSD	14" 1366x768	10 hrs	3.24 lbs.

1. What is the Best Laptop for Cricut Design Space?

LG Gram

LG Gram is the perfect laptop to use Design Space with your Cricut Maker, Joy or Explore Air. It is an engineering masterpiece. Why? Because it has a 15.6” touchscreen display and high performance specs; yet, it can last up to 17 hours!

This great laptop only weighs 2.5 lbs which we can not comprehend. It probably has the best feature/weight ratio on the market. You can carry it around easily. Work on your desk or couch then carry it with one hand to the room where your Cricut machine located.

This 2020 model LG Gram we suggest is supported by an Intel 10th Generation i7-1065G7 CPU. When you combine it with 8 GB DDR4 RAM of LG Gram, you will never have problems like stuttering or freezing even when you open lots of programs and web browsers. We cant pass on its storage. LG Gram does not carry a regular SSD under its hood. It has a 256 GB M.2 NVMe SSD which is a lighter smaller and faster version of regular SSD.

15.6” IPS 1920 x 1080 display is just what you need for design work. You can also enjoy Netflix or the latest movies on your LG Gram thanks to good display + DTS:X Ultra speaker pair. Also, you do not need to worry about connectivity. Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, lots of USBs, it has all you need.

Do not think it is fragile because it is light. LG gram passed seven military-grade tests for and graded as MIL-STD-810G. The last feature we want you to hear is the backlit keyboard that allows you to work easily in dim environments and at night.

It might seem pricy but consider that this laptop can satisfy all your expectations as a designer/crafter. It is powerful, light, durable, stylish and got lots of extra features.

2. Best 2 in 1 Laptop for Cricut Design Space

Lenovo Flex 5

Are you more of a tablet person, or you just like using a pen and paper? Well, Lenovo Flex will give you lots of flexibility in that case. You can draw your designs on tablet mode while sitting in a comfortable position and convert it to laptop mode in seconds and start searching on web. It is pretty handy to use with your Cricut Maker or Air if you like moving around.

Moreover, you never need to worry about what you left open in the background as Flex 5 has 16 GB RAM and a 6 core AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor that has a similar performance of i7 CPUs you can find in premium laptops. So performance-wise we guarantee that Flex 5 will satisfy you.

To be honest 3.64 lbs. weight is a bit high for a device you will use as a tablet. However, for a lighter option, you should either sacrifice performance or pay a lot more. So we can say it is fair for such a deal.

As you can see most specs just at the right of the picture, let’s talk about things that differentiate this device. Lately, we are obsessed about our privacy right? Many people cover their laptop’s webcam with tapes or gadgets. You don’t need that on Lenovo Flex 5. Lenovo came up with a simple solution and included a physical shutter on webcam so you can feel safer.

Narrow bezels on all four sides of 14” screen make it satisfying to look at. It has a good digital pen compared to some convertible laptops at this price range. 360 degrees hinge is pretty soft and makes it easy to change between tablet, laptop, stand modes. Soft-touch body chassis gives a comfortable feeling when you’re holding Flex 5.

3. Best Cheap Laptop for Cricut Design Space

Acer Aspire 5

When it comes to budget laptops, Acer Aspire 5 is unbeatable champion of 2022! It offers a lot for a price this low. If all you want is a laptop to run Cricut Design Space without problems, this is what you need.

To be honest, this laptop is not best in anything. BUT, it offers literally everything you need for Cricut Design Space. You can use your Cricut Explore Air 1,2, Jor or Maker easily with Aspire 5. Also do not forget, this laptop is probably half or even one-third price of any laptop that offers just a few more features!

If we do a quick checklist:

Big enough screen with good display quality? Check!

A good CPU to run Design Space without freezing? Check!

4 GB RAM recommended by Cricut’s system requirements? Check!

SSD Storage for fast data transfer? Check!

Extra features like backlit keyboard, advanced wifi connection, Bluetooth, Port availability… All check!

If the price is your priority, do not think twice. This laptop does the job and does it for a surprisingly cheap price.

4. Best Laptop for Cricut Machines and Gaming

Acer Nitro 5

Are you a gamer? Do have a child who likes video games? Do you run graphics-heavy programs? If your answer is yes for any of these, here is a great budget gaming laptop that can also run Cricut Design Space smoothly.

We intentionally found a model that is suitable for gaming but not overkill for Design Space. Because you would not want to waste potential of a $1.500 gaming laptop to use your cute Cricut Explore Air 2.

Since it is a gaming laptop, Acer Nitro 5 is made for performance. If it can run games, it also can run Desing Space and your favorite designing programs. External Graphics Card Nvidia GTX 1650 lets you even do 3D graphics rendering.

It has a nice looking red backlit keyboard, loud speakers, ethernet cable socket and lots of ports (HDMI, USB 3.1 Type-C, 3.0 and 2.0).

5. Good Laptop for Cricut Design Space (All-Arounder)

Lenovo IdeaPad 3

IdeaPad 3 is Lenovo’s answer to mid-level laptops at low price range which dominated by some solid choices from Acer and Asus. We should admit that aside from some flaws Lenovo IdeaPad 3 proved to be a safe bet to use with Cricut Machines and Design Space.

Firstly, it has a great kit to keep up with the needs of a student, professional or a casual user. Its all-around capabilities are the reason why we included it in our Design Space compatible laptops list.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500U is a Quad-Core/Eight-Thread processor. 3500U backed up by 8 GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM to give you enough performance for everyday use. Actually, as IdeaPad 3 has an integrated Vega 8 GPU we can say this laptop is suitable for light-gaming. You will be fine especially while playing CPU dependant games.

Its weight and battery life are pretty good on this price range. Some extra features it has are; stylish abyss blue body and a physical shutter on webcam.

Only thing that disappointed us is display quality. Lenovo used an unlikable TN Panel screen which mostly used for cheap pc monitors. An IPS panel would be better. Also 200 nits brightness will be a problem in bright environments and especially when light source is at your back. Lastly, even if it has narrow bezel on sides, wide black spaces on top and bottom are distracting.

6. Best Designed Laptop for Crafters

Asus Vivobook 15

We LOVE this laptop at Tracebest. It is designed almost perfect in many ways. It offers great design, performance and utility for an average price.

If you will spend lots of time on Cricut Design Space, editing programs, searching on the web and other activities that you actively interact with laptop, Vivobook will amaze you. It has an impressive IPS screen with 178 degrees viewing angle. This screen surrounded by super thin nano edge bezels. You will be lost on this screen and focus your work easily.

It also has a comfy keyboard with well placed keys. Moreover, ErgoLift hinge that Asus uses on Vivobook 15 gives you a slight tilt on keyboard so you can have an ergonomic typing experience.

There is something that should hold you back from buying this laptop. If you are planning to plug out your laptop and work on battery, it may not last long. 5 hours of battery life will last even shorter under heavy workload. Also do not forget that laptop batteries lose their maximum capacity over time. You may end up with 2 hours of battery life after a year or so.

7. Best MacBook Laptop for Design Space

Apple MacBook Pro 16″

If you are an Apple fan, this laptop is definitely the best you can get. We do not even need to talk about performance. CPU, RAM, Storage are all top-notch quality. MacBook can handle everything you can do with Design Space and beyond. It also has a massive storage capacity.

Performance is not even the best thing about it. When you see how good 16” retina display is, you will know it was the right choice. 500 nits brightness comes handy when you are using your laptop outdoors. MacBook is one of the top players when it comes to visual quality.

Sound and microphone quality got major improvements since the last models. You can feel the beats like they are coming from a portable Bluetooth speaker. New three-microphone setup makes doing calls without an earphone possible.

MacBook also comes with Mac-exclusive Touch Bar technology that is pretty cool. It also has Touch ID for secure login.

Naturally, all these power, quality and features come with a cost. Price can be intimidating but if you want the best experience, this is a laptop you should consider.

8. Best Travel Laptop that can be used with Cricut Machines

Asus Zenbook 13

Here comes the perfect travel laptop. It meets the MIL-STD-810G military standard that simply means military grade durability. The battery life of Zenbook is 14 hours which is a real deal considering how well-equipped it is.

Intel i7-10510U is outstanding. It can boost up to 4.9GHz which is powerful enough to even run most CPU intensive designing, engineering and architecture software. 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM are both above average.

NanoEdge display with a 95% screen-to-body ratio is what makes this little laptop so special. It has a futuristic view with almost non-existent screen edges. Moreover, whole these specifications contained in a body with dimensions of 11.90 x 7.40 x 0.70 inches. Its compact design also affects weight. Zenbook 13” is one of the lighter laptops of 2022 with only 2.8 lbs weight.

9. Cheaper Macbook Alternative for Crafters

MacBook Air 13”

If you are a Mac fan, MacBook Air is a great budget alternative to MacBook Pro. It is still powerful enough to run Design Space but it is lot cheaper. Do not expect the performance of the MacBook Pro though. As MacBook Air only got an Intel i3, multi-tasking is not its speciality.

You can still enjoy great keyboard, fascinating display an Apple quality. The durable aluminum body just weighs 2.8 lbs. 11 hours long battery life can last until the end of the day.

10. Best Budget Laptop Cricut Maker and Explore Air 2

HP 14” 2020

It is not the best laptop around but if you need something cheap, portable and last longing battery, HP 14” 2020 is a good choice.

You can do basic daily tasks including using Cricut Design Space with this device. However, do not buy it if you are planning to go above that level of usage. Its low-end CPU and 4GB RAM cannot handle any heavy task.

To be honest, the display quality is a bit low. 1366 x 768 resolution is lower than we recommend. But this little guy makes up with its long battery life and a very affordable price.

Note: If battery life is not a problem for you, go for Acer Aspire 5 which is our 3^rd ranked choice on the list.

Either you are about to upgrade your home-business with a powerful Cricut Maker or you are a hobby crafter that liked the handiness of Cricut Explore Air 2; you need a laptop that suits you.

We gathered 10 best laptops for Design Space for you. We hope question marks on your mind all perished after reading our guide and you found the best laptop for you to use with Cricut on the list.

2 thoughts on “10 Best Laptops for Design Space 2022 (Cricut Maker & Explore Air 2)”

cricut.com/setup

14 June 2024 at 11:44

Cricut Design Space is an essential app to use for various Cricut machines. You can download the app just by clicking here. With the help of this software, Cricut users can create stunning designs for projects. The app can be used on both Windows and Mac devices. Plus, the Cricut Design Space is also available for Android and iOS smartphones. Keep reading the whole content to get extensive info about the app.
install cricut design space app

31 July 2024 at 09:00

If you’ve purchased a new Cricut machine, you must be wondering about its setup on your device, such as a computer or a smartphone. It is crucial to setup your Cricut on an operating system in order to use it effectively when creating DIY projects. This guide will help you learn how to connect Cricut to computer and utilize it for some project-making tasks. If you’re a beginner, you must know about Cricut Design Space, the specialized software from Cricut that offers numerous features for creating unique designs and stunning projects. Let’s explore this guide to learn more about the Cricut machine setup on a computer.