Which laser suits you? A decision guide before you buy
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There is no single best laser engraver. There is only one that suits your materials, your space and your budget. Instead of a model, this article gives you the questions you can use to narrow down the choice yourself.
1. What do you want to do?
The material decides the laser type, because each material only absorbs certain wavelengths well. How the types differ is explained in detail in Laser types compared.
| You mainly want to | Suitable type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Engrave wood, leather and card and cut them thinly | Diode laser | inexpensive, compact, organic materials absorb 450 nm well |
| Cut thicker wood and dark acrylic | Powerful diode laser or CO₂ | Cutting depth depends on power and beam quality |
| Cut clear or light-coloured acrylic | CO₂ laser | 450 nm simply passes through clear acrylic |
| Engrave and mark metal | Fibre laser, occasionally an infrared module | Metal absorbs 1064 nm well |
| Photos on wood or slate | Diode or CO₂ with a fine spot | Resolution and focus matter more than power |
| Glass, crystal, sensitive plastics | UV laser | Cold processing without much heat |
| Business with production runs | Depends on the material, often CO₂ or galvo | Speed, area and reliability count for more |
If you have several goals, put them in order. One machine for everything is usually a compromise.
2. Open or enclosed?
This is the most important question after the material, because it determines where you can set the machine up.
Open machines are laser class 4. Everyone in the room needs suitable laser safety glasses, and reflections are dangerous too. Without an enclosure, smoke spreads through the room. In return, open machines are cheaper, often have a larger area and also take tall or bulky workpieces.
Enclosed machines reach class 1 if the manufacturer states so. The enclosure shields the radiation, and a lid interlock stops the laser. The smoke can be extracted in a controlled way through a hose.
For a flat, for households with children or pets and for rooms without their own workshop door, an enclosed class 1 machine is the much less critical choice. Make sure the class is stated explicitly. If it is missing, assume class 4. Details are in Laser safety.
3. How much power do you need?
With diode lasers, what counts is the optical power, not the electrical power. An “80 W” module with 10 W of optical power is a 10 W laser. What the figures mean is explained in Understanding laser power.
Rough guide for diode lasers:
- 5 to 10 W: engraving, cutting thin plywood and card
- 20 to 24 W: solid all-rounders, wood up to about 10 mm in a single pass according to the manufacturers
- 33 to 48 W: thicker wood and faster cutting; not automatically better for fine engraving
Manufacturer figures for cutting depth are usually optimistic. Allow for less and for several passes.
4. Work area and build height
Typical areas for diode lasers range from 100 x 100 mm on compact machines to around 400 x 400 mm. Large open frames reach 850 x 800 mm. Desktop CO₂ machines are usually around 500 x 300 to 600 x 300 mm.
A small area is enough for pendants, coasters and labels. For signs, boxes and model construction kits you need more. On enclosed machines, the enclosure also limits the height of workpieces. On some machines a passthrough allows long boards.
5. Gantry or galvo?
Gantry machines move the laser head along axes. They have large areas and cut well. Galvo machines steer the beam with mirrors, engrave very fast, but have a small field and are hardly meant for cutting. Fibre and UV lasers in the hobby sector are almost always galvo. More in Gantry or galvo.
6. Features that shape everyday use
- Camera: shows the workpiece in the software so that you can place designs accurately. Convenient, but not a must.
- Air assist: blows smoke and flames away from the cut. Practically indispensable for cutting. Integrated or as an accessory.
- Extraction: Check whether the machine has an exhaust connection and whether you can run a hose to a window. Without a window you need an exhaust filter, and that costs extra.
- Autofocus: saves time when material thicknesses change.
7. Software
Many manufacturers supply their own free software. Before buying, check whether the machine also works with LightBurn. LightBurn Core costs US$99 as a one-off and supports GCode controllers, as most diode lasers use. LightBurn Pro costs US$199 and additionally covers DSP controllers (such as Ruida) and galvo machines. Both licences include one year of updates.
Some machines, especially galvo and combination machines, are not supported by LightBurn, or only without camera and autofocus. This is stated in the data sheets in our device overview.
8. Running costs and space
| Item | What you should plan for |
|---|---|
| Safety glasses | for every person in the room with open machines, matched to the wavelength |
| Exhaust or filter | hose and window adapter, or a filter unit with replacement filters |
| Air assist | as an accessory if not integrated |
| Wear | protective glass, lens, and for CO₂ the tube and mirrors |
| Material and test boards | more than you expect at first |
| Fire protection | CO₂ fire extinguisher, non-flammable surface |
With CO₂ glass tubes, service life is the biggest item. Figures vary widely depending on the source and use, with values from around 2,500 operating hours being quoted. RF metal tubes last considerably longer but cost more. CO₂ machines also need cooling, are heavy and need a fixed place with an exhaust. What else makes sense is covered in Laser accessories.
9. Budget: what you typically get
The examples come from our database, as of 10/2026. They are not a recommendation but show which type of machine falls into which price range.
| Price range | Typical machines | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| under €500 | open diode lasers with 10 to 24 W, small enclosed class 1 machines | Atomstack A24 Pro, Longer Ray5 20W, Creality Falcon A1C, Sculpfun iCube Ultra |
| €500 to €1,000 | powerful open diodes above 30 W, compact enclosed diode machines, diodes with an additional infrared module | Sculpfun S30 Ultra 33W, Acmer P2 33W, xTool M2, Acmer P3 IR Dual |
| €1,000 to €1,500 | enclosed diode machines with camera, simple fibre galvos, portable dual lasers | WeCreat Vision 20W, Ortur H20, ComMarker B4 20W, xTool F2 |
| €1,500 to €3,000 | enclosed diodes with 40 W and more, desktop CO₂ with glass tube, more powerful fibre lasers, combination machines | WeCreat Vision Pro 45W, OMTech Polar Lite 55W, xTool P2S, Bambu Lab R1, Bambu Lab H2D Laser |
| €3,000 to €5,000 | high-power MOPA fibre lasers, UV lasers | Acmer SM 60W MOPA, xTool F2 Ultra UV |
| over €5,000 | large enclosed CO₂ machines, dual-laser galvos, CO₂ systems for business use | xTool P3, xTool F2 Ultra, Thunder Laser Bolt 30W, Thunder Laser Nova 35 |
In short
| Question | If yes |
|---|---|
| Only wood, leather, card? | A diode laser is enough |
| Cutting clear acrylic? | CO₂ laser |
| Engraving metal? | Fibre laser or infrared module |
| Flat, children, pets? | Enclosed machine with a stated class 1 |
| No window nearby? | Plan for an exhaust filter |
| Want LightBurn? | Check compatibility beforehand |
On to the machines
With your answers you can go through the device overview in a targeted way. In the laser comparison you can put machines side by side. When we recommend a machine from our own experience, we say so explicitly.
Continue with: Laser types compared and Laser accessories.
Want to use a laser in your flat? What matters there is covered in Lasers in a flat.