Cricut Easy Press or Heat Press. Which is Better?

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Post updated for 2019 new releases!

Crafting has always been something I love and I want to start incorporating it into my blog more. One of my favorite things to do is make shirts for my kids.  When I first started I was using an iron and it was such a pain to do. I quickly upgraded to a Heat Press and fell in love. I never touched my iorn again. Then the Cricut Easy Press came out and I loved that it was portable and light weight, so I got one of those to try out.

Today I am going to explain what I like about my Easy Press and my Heat Press and what I don’t like about them. Do I have a favorite? You’ll just have to read and see… 

Heat Press

The Heat Press I have is a 15×15 inch Fancierstudio Sublimation T-Shirt Heat Press in red. I paid about $160 for it on Amazon. Going from my Iron to my heat press was a game changer. It’s so much quicker and I don’t have issues with HTV peeling anymore (pressure can be an issue when using an iron). My Fancierstudio remembers the heat I last used so I’m not having to reprogram it every time I turn it on, which is nice. Getting the pressure right took some trial and error, but once I got it right all has been wonderful with my shirts. All I need to do is turn it on, put my shirt down, and close. It does all the work for me.

My heat press is heavy. Like 50lbs heavy. Once I put it on it’s table it hasn’t been moved. It heats up in under 10 minutes, so I’ll usually get my shirts laid out and ready to go while it heats up. It can be a little tough to open, but I like it with a bit more pressure to make sure my HTV is getting enough pressure. Low pressure = increased chance of HTV peeling. My heat press does get very hot so when it’s on my kids aren’t allowed in my office since I worry that they’ll touch it.

Easy Press

When the Easy Press came out I instantly wanted it. The portable, lightweight design really drew me in and I liked that if I wanted to press some shirts outside of my office I had the option. The price was slightly below my heat press which made me a little hesitant. I wasn’t sure how it would compare to my Fancierstudio heat press or if it was just a giant iron, but I wanted to try it out. Maybe it would replace my heat press and I could have more space in my office.

The Easy Press is great because it’s small and lightweight. It fits on a shelf in my office and takes up very little space. It’s not bulky or heavy and if I wanted to take it on the go I could. It’s heats up within a few minutes, but it doesn’t remember my previous settings so I have to reprogram it each time I turn it on (but it’s very easy to do). The added base is nice for storing and while using it. It’s beneficial for projects bigger than 15×15 inches (although I haven’t done any yet since I mainly do shirts for my kids.)

It can be hard to use on small shirts because of the seams. UPDATE: Since writing this post they’ve added a variety of sizes for the Easy Press, with the smallest one being about the side of your hand. There is a press for any size project you want to do.

You do have to apply some pressure, but not as much as an iron. You’ll have to give it a firm hold for about 30 seconds. You also have to press both sides of the item (front and back). 

The final verdict

I’m torn. I like both items, but when doing things for my kids I tend to use my Fancierstudio heat press because the seams tend to get in the way with the Easy Press. I am going to add pressing pillows soon and maybe that will change things, but the Easy Press is good for adult shirts and larger items. (Now that they’ve added a variety of sizes for little to big projects I am eager to try some of the smaller Easy Press machines because I think they’ll be great for kid items.

The Easy Press is better when it comes to layering because I can just pick up the press and put it back in it’s holder while I put the next layer on the shirt. With the Heat Press I have to remove the shirt from the press, apply the layer, and then add it back to the press. Not a big deal, but the Easy Press does make it more convenient. 

If you are limited on space and want something portable I would recommend the Cricut Easy Press. If you have no limitations then a traditional Heat Press would be my recommendation. It’s hard to pick a favorite because both make a good heat press.