Best Laptops for Design Space : Recommended Laptops for Cricut’s Design Space in 2020

A Cricut machine is a die-cutting machine  that allows you to cut your designs into whatever material of your choice. Usually, they can cut paper, fabric, vinyl, craft foam, faux leather, sticker paper and much more. If you’re into scrapbooking and homemade crafts, chances are that you’ve already heard of or used a Cricut machine before.  And  if you’re here, you’re wondering what’s the best laptop for design space, in order to take your designs to the next level. Well, you’re on the right place, we have compiled a list of some of the best laptops for Cricut machines. And with Christmas just around the corner, you probably have lots of DIY projects in plans!

In order to help you get the best laptop for your needs, let’s have a look at what you’ll need to use Cricut’s Design Space.

What is Design Space?

Design Space is a companion app that lets you design and wirelessly cut with Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker machines. Design Space is compatible with the Cricut Explore®, Cricut Explore Air™, Cricut Explore Air 2, and Cricut Explore One™. You can install and use the app on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android; which that you don’t necessarily need a laptop in order to use a Cricut machine, a tablet can do.  Design Space is simple and easy to use, but it still gives you enough freedom to remain creative. It’s the project that you create on this application that tells your machine where it needs to cut, score or write. And while most users will use a tablet for design space, using Design Space on a laptop will help you create more complex designs, especially if you’re working on a 2 in 1 laptop with a Pen. In addition to that, the PC/Mac version of design space has some features that can’t be found in the app; you can read more about that here. One of the newest features  is the possibility to use the Design Space in offline mode! Which is now possible if you install Design Space for Windows or Mac (not the browser version).

What look for in a laptop for Design Space?

If you’re interested in using Design Space on a laptop, and if you already own a laptop, chances are that your existing laptop can already run the app. However, if you’re interested in a new purchase, then we will help you find the best laptop for you!

Let’s first have a look at the official system requirements for Windows and Mac, which you can find here: The system requirements are pretty much the same for Windows and Mac:

• CPU : For the CPU you should get an Intel Core Series Processor or an equivalent AMD Processor. Even for a Mac, the recommended processing speed is 1.83 GHz, so try and look for that speed or even higher.
• RAM: A minimum of 4GB of RAM is recommended
• Storage: When it comes to storage, Design Space only needs about 2 GB of free disk space to be installed.
• Display: For the program to run properly, you’ll need at least a 1024 x 768 pixels resolution.
• Ports and connectivity: One available USB port or a Bluetooth connection is all you need to connect your Cricut machine.
• OS: Windows® 8 or later , or macOS 10.13 or later. Design Space is also not Compatible with Chromebooks, Linux, or Windows in S mode.

As you can see,  Design Space isn’t particularly a demanding app, and most laptops nowadays will meet and exceed these requirements.  It should also be noted that an internet connection is required, since Design Space is a cloud based application. However, an offline mode is available with the newly launched desktop version.

To use design space and get the most out of it, we recommend a laptop that has a recent Intel processor or AMD equivalent, a minimum of 8GB of RAM, preferably an SSD, and a Full HD display. Because after all, you’re most likely going to use the laptop for so many other tasks too. Getting a 2 in 1 laptop can also prove to be a huge benefit, especially if it comes with an active stylus. Using a stylus, you can easily draw your design manually, or do handwriting designs.

Best laptops for Design Space:

So, now that you have an idea what to consider when buying a new laptop for your Cricut maker, let’s check some of the best laptops for Design Space available right now:

Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ

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The Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ is one of the best budget laptops to consider; it has an impressive speed and fast boot-up time. With an 8^th Generation Intel Core i5 Processor, this computer will reach speeds up to 3.9 GHz. Then, with 8 GB of RAM memory and a 256 SSD, you’ll feel just how fast it truly is. It also has an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 Card.

The built quality of this Acer is also a plus: the laptop feels very solid and the key lit keyboard is always a nice touch. Another good thing is the monitor, a big 15.6-inch Full HD display, providing a stunning resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. For connectivity you’ll have 1 USB 2.0 port, 1 HDMI port and 1 USB 3.1 Type-C port. The battery will last up to 9.5 hours.

Lenovo Flex 14 2-in-1 Convertible

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The Lenovo Flex 14 is a 2 in 1 laptop that will come in handy when using Design Space. This laptop has an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor, 12GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and an integrated Radeon Vega 8 graphics card. This is a perfect laptop for home use, as well as doing design work, or simply drawing on the screen, thanks to the included active pen. Considering its price, this is great value for money.

Th Lenovo flex 14 comes with a Full HD 14 inch display, that offers decent image quality. Battery life is also good, with up to 10 Hours according to Lenovo.

Asus VivoBook S15 S532FA-DB55

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The Asus VivoBook S15 S532FA-DB55 is another great laptop for Design Space, but also for other design purposes. This is a thin and light laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 8265U  processor, 8 GB of RAM, a 512 SSD and an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU. The S15 is able to find the right balance between performance, portability and character, becoming the ideal choice for home or office usage.

The screen is a 15.6-inch display, which gives you a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Your connectivity requirements will also be covered with 1 HDMI port, 2 USB 2.0 port, 1 USB 3.1 port and 1 USB 3.1 Type-C port. The VivoBook will hold a charge for about 9 hours.

Apple MacBook Air 13

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If you have some money to spare, or if you’re more into the Mac OS, then the MacBook Air is another great choice. With an Intel Core i5, the laptop can reach a speed of 3.6 GHz. Then, it has 8 GB of RAM memory and you can even choose between a 128 GB SSD or one with 256 GB. The GPU is an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 617.

Being this a premium option, you’ll get extra features like Touch ID and even a trackpad with Force Touch. The body is sleek and has a superior finished quality when compared to most Windows laptops. Also, the software is user-friendly and will allow you to use Design Space at its best.

The screen is a 13.3-inch Retina Display with True Tone, giving you a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. The laptop comes with 2 Thunderbolt ports supporting an array of expansion connectors and the battery will last 13 hours of usage.

Acer Spin 3 SP314-53N-77AJ

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Another great 2 in 1 laptop to consider is the Acer Spin 3. This laptop has a powerful Intel Core i7 CPU (capable of reaching 4.60 GHz of speed), 16 GB of RAM memory and a fast 512 GB SSD. Even if the GPU is just an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620, the laptop can still burst out some impressive speed when it needs to. However, the fan may become a bit noisy.

The keyboard is fine, and the backlight is always a nice touch. It also has a fingerprint detector and even comes with a stylus. The screen is 14-inches wide and the resolution is of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It has 1 HDMI port, 1 USB 3.1 port, 1 USB 2.0 port and the battery life last up to 12 hours.

LG Gram 17Z990-R.AAS8U1

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For those of you who like big displays, here is the LG Gram 17. Despite its huge display, LG has built such a thin and light laptop that it almost feels empty on the inside. But it’s not: it has an Intel i7 Processor that provides speeds up to 4.60 GHz; 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. The GPU is an Intel UHD Graphics 620.

This device focuses a lot on portability, it has a silent fan and the thin bezels give it a modern feel. The keyboard and the trackpad are also good. Along side that, is the crisp image that derives from the 17-inch display, which provides a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. It has 1 HDMI port, 3 USB 3.0 ports and 1 MicroSD Card Reader.