Cubiio Laser Engraver Review

A laser engraver can be great for crafters or those looking to start their own small business. However, picking one is a difficult venture – especially if you don’t know what to look for.

To help your buying decision, today we’re evaluating the Cubiio Laser Engraver. According to tester feedback, it’s easy to use, comes with a wide variety of safety features, and works on numerous different materials.

Even still, a couple of testers ran into a few snags. They found the app used to control the engraver was a little buggy and thought the air filter didn’t work as well as they hoped.

Are these issues severe enough to become deal breakers? Let’s take a closer look at the Cubiio Laser Engraver and find out.

Cubiio Laser Engraver: The Details

In a Nutshell

• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.5 x 10.4 inches.
• Weight: 2.86 lbs.
• Stand-Out Feature: Cubiio app controls.

Features

App

A highly unique feature of the Cubiio Laser Engraver is that you can control it from your phone via their app. This app enables you to perform different operations with the engraver.

You can simply draw on your smartphone screen and watch as the engraver burns that drawing into whatever material you’re working on.

You can take a picture from your camera roll and have the image engraved. You can also use the app to pre-load a BMP or a G-code file from a microSD card into the app’s file browser, and then move that to the engraver from there.

The app further allows you to engrave images you normally wouldn’t have access to, and you can control the engraver remotely.

Laser

The laser of the Cubiio engraver is able to cut through paper, wood, fabric, and leather, while also enabling you to develop cutouts, logos, and even texts.

The laser uses a semiconductor source and two current-driven mirrors to deflect the laser beam along the X and Y axis. It will translate your sketches or images into commands that will tilt the mirrors a certain way.

The laser is then projected onto the material you’ve chosen and engraves the image.

Safety Systems

The Cubiio comes with various safety features to ensure you won’t get hurt, including goggles, a password lock, a laser indicator, automatic shutdown, and a shield.

The goggles included with the engraver should be worn anytime you work on a project. It will help protect your eyes from possible debris or shavings (but that doesn’t mean you can look directly into or at the laser. That could still cause harm to your retinas).

The addition of a password lock means you need to enter a passcode each time you want to operate the engraver. With this safety feature, only authorized people are allowed to use it.

There is also a LED light indicating when the laser is ready to use, as well as a motion detector that shuts off the engraver if there are any sudden, unauthorized movements.

Next, there’s an automatic shutdown feature, should the laser become too hot. Too much heat can result in damage to the engraver, so powering down ahead of time will prevent harm to the machine and lengthen its lifetime.

Finally, there is the CubiioShield. This must be in place when operating the machine. If it’s not locked in, the app will not allow you to use the Cubiio Engraver, so as to prevent harm from wayward flying shavings.

Cubiio Laser Engraver Review

The Positives

Easy to Use

Whether you’re a novice or have been using an engraver for years, you’ll have the Cubiio up and running in no time.

Once you download the app and connect the engraver, you can then control it wirelessly. You need only choose a picture, a G-code file, or draw something within the app.

Then, place the material you want the design imprinted on into the working zone of the Cubiio. Next, preview and align it, and then press start. The engraver will do the rest!

There’s not much guesswork when it comes to using this engraver, making the craft all the easier. Whether you’re a new hobbyist or have some experience, the Cubiio has a small learning curve to take advantage of.

Sturdy

Most testers liked how sturdy this laser engraver is. The shield is made of strong UV plastic and the plates are chamfered metal, secured with locking screws.

Built with quality materials, there’s no worry of the pieces falling apart or breaking off. It’ll last you for hundreds of uses.

A sturdy machine also means it will likely last you a long time in your workroom, and the inclusion of the shield allowed users to put more trust into this device.

Safe

This Cubiio Laser Engraver could not be safer. Cubiio made sure to include every possible safety feature on this engraver.

Not only is there a shield, so you won’t accidentally hurt yourself, but there is also an auto shut-off and a password lock. To top it off, goggles are included to keep shavings or the laser from hurting your eyes.

Cubiio ensures that only those who intend on using this machine get access to it, making it safe to have around homes that have children, pets or prying hands.

Safety is huge when it comes to these products and Cubiio has taken no risk on the safety of this item.

Versatile

The Cubiio works on a number of different materials. You can engrave a phone case, a cup, or even a chair. Anything that’s made of wood, fabric, paper, or leather can be used with this machine.

You’re really only limited by your imagination. This opens up a world of projects you can tackle and learn, perfect for crafters of all skill levels.

Given its versatility, the Cubiio will give you the chance to up your skills with other materials without having to upgrade your machinery, saving you both time and money in the long run.

Whether you’re personalizing cabinets or adding a special touch to a leather bag or tote, this machine won’t let you down.

Compact

If you’ve been in the market for a laser engraver, you’ve seen how big and clunky they can be. That is not the case here. At a little over 10 x 10 inches, this Cubiio will fit anywhere you hope to put it.

The size allows you to engrave just about anywhere and even take it travelling if necessary. When you’re ready to store the machine away, you can simply slide it into a cupboard or onto a shelf. It takes up almost no space at all!

It’s lightweight, making portability a breeze, and thanks to its safety features, you won’t have to worry about moving it around. Don’t let the size fool you though, remember this engraver packs sturdiness and versatility all into one small package.

Convenient

One thing’s for sure, given the above notes, the Cubiio is one convenient engraver.

Not only does its compact size make it easy to move and store, but the ability to control this device all from your phone makes this engraver all the easier to have.

The safety features take a ton of the worry out of owning an engraver, and since Cubiio continues to update the app, you’ll be able to keep up with better features for your engraver. Even the price is convenient in comparison to other engravers!

The Negatives

App Buggy

A few testers did have problems with the Cubiio app. The app would either disconnect from the engraver, fail to pick up the Wi-Fi, or would freeze or close out on its own.

This could be a deterring feature that makes getting projects done troublesome in the long run. Hopefully, in the future, Cubiio will update the app to make it more user-friendly.

That being said, not many testers had these issues, so you may encounter no problems at all. And thankfully, the Cubiio comes with a 12-month warranty to protect users against manufacturing errors.

Air Filter Ineffective

This engraver comes with an air filter that has activated charcoal and zeolite inside of it. It’s meant to suck the smoke made by the engraver into the filter, so you don’t have to smell or breathe it in.

However, testers found this didn’t work at all. The smoke was still there and leaked out of the casing, defeating the purpose of the filter.

This was a pretty common complaint overall. If you find the air filter to be struggling on your model, it would be a good time to use your warranty.

Flimsy

While many testers noted how sturdy the engraver is, a few had issues with that aspect. They thought it was rather flimsy and that the plastic shield, while great for safety, wasn’t particularly sturdy or scratch resistant.

They also mentioned the accessories seemed cheap and easily breakable. This wasn’t a majority opinion, but is still worth keeping an eye on, should you decide to buy this model.

Here’s a video showing what the Cubiio Laser Engraver looks like out of the box and in action.

Overall Verdict

After going over all the positives and negatives, we cautiously recommend the Cubiio Laser Engraver. Based on the majority of testers, it seems to be a compact workhorse that does exactly what it promises.

However, if the air filter is a problem, this isn’t the engraver for you. Almost everyone talked about how the filter was useless.

You’ll have to run a fan or simply deal with the smoke an engraver gives off while it’s working. Otherwise, you should find no other issues with the Cubiio engraver.

With its convenient size and features, it’s worth checking out!

Where to Buy the Cubiio Laser Engraver

Cubiio got a lot of attention thanks to their innovative idea being featured on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Already backed by an interested audience, Cubiio already had some popularity from the start.

Even with some popularity though, the Cubiio Laser Engraver will prove hard to find both in-store and online.

This brand seems to only be selling their products through third-party retailers but we hope to see them in more outlets soon.

Until then, you can kick-start your search by checking out their website.

• Cubiio (from $565)

And as mentioned, you can find the Cubiio Laser Engraver on Amazon.

That’s the end of our Cubiio review. Curious to give it a try?