Glowforge Pro review: the most powerful laser cutter yet

The Glowforge Pro proves to be a fast, accurate and powerful laser cutter, but is it worth the money?

5 Star Rating
Glowforge Pro; a photo of a Glowforge laser cutter on a table
(Image: © Future)

Our Verdict

Glowforge Pro is an exceptional laser cutter that is in a class of its own, quite literally. The Class 4, 45 watt CO2 laser is better than anything else you can find for home use, making the Glowforge Pro a powerful, fast and accurate laser cutter ideal for professional projects and high-end crafting. If you're looking to see your craft projects online or in stores, or creating large and detailed projects for work and clients, the Glowforge Pro is a good buy. The addition of the Pro Passthrough slot means you can make large projects, too. The Glowforge app is excellent and easy to use, and graphic designers could find a new revenue stream here. It is expensive, and perhaps too much power for most crafters, in which case the Glowforge Plus or Basic could be better suited to you.

For

  • A fast and powerful laser cutter
  • Incredibly easy to use
  • The app is speedy and easy
  • Pro Passthrough slot is vital

Against

  • You need the Glowforge Air Filter

Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Glowforge Pro is a little different from the other ranges of laser cutters and engravers on the market right now. This is a powerful, industrial laser cutter that can, just about, fit in your craft room at home. Despite its size and power the Glowforge is easy to use, approachable in design, and makes cutting and engraving on many materials as simple as pressing the large 'print' button.

If you're not familiar with these types of machines then take a look at my guide to the full Glowforge range in my feature, the best Glowforge machines. These laser cutters can work with many materials, from wood to leather and plastics to metals. If you're a keen crafter, college or small design studio a laser cutter like the Glowforge Pro could be a useful purchase.

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The Verdict
10

out of 10

Glowforge Pro 3D Laser Printer

Glowforge Pro is an exceptional laser cutter that is in a class of its own, quite literally. The Class 4, 45 watt CO2 laser is better than anything else you can find for home use, making the Glowforge Pro a powerful, fast and accurate laser cutter ideal for professional projects and high-end crafting. If you're looking to see your craft projects online or in stores, or creating large and detailed projects for work and clients, the Glowforge Pro is a good buy. The addition of the Pro Passthrough slot means you can make large projects, too. The Glowforge app is excellent and easy to use, and graphic designers could find a new revenue stream here. It is expensive, and perhaps too much power for most crafters, in which case the Glowforge Plus or Basic could be better suited to you.

Ian Dean
Editor, Digital Arts & 3D

Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creativebloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and leading video game title Official PlayStation Magazine. In his early career he wrote for music and film magazines including Uncut and SFX. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on AI, digital art and video game art and tech, and more to Creative Bloq, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5. He's also a keen Cricut user and laser cutter fan, and is currently crafting on Glowforge and xTools M1.