Cricut Hat Press Review

From cutting machines and heat presses to crafting essentials, Cricut products are well-known for making high-quality customized projects a breeze for hobbyists and professionals alike. The company has made a name for itself by creating tools that unleash the power of creativity at home.

Earlier this year Cricut released a new heat press just for creating hats! The all-new Cricut Hat Press is a specialized machine that makes it super easy to create custom hat designs from the comfort of your home. Today we’ll be breaking down everything you need to know about this exciting machine, so you can decide for yourself if the Cricut Hat Press will be a worthy addition to your creative space.

What is the Cricut Hat Press Used For?

Just like the name suggests, Cricut Hat Press is a heat press that’s specifically designed for the sole purpose of adding custom designs to hats. Until now, working with anything curved has required a lot of patience and some ingenuity. But thanks to its curved heat plate, hat pressing form, and Cricut Heat App, the Cricut Hat Press makes creating custom hat designs fun and easy!

Cricut Hat press allows you to customize a variety of hat blanks, like the Cricut trucker hat, baseball cap, and more! Using three levels of heat, up to 400°F for heat transfer application, the hat press is compatible with both iron-on/HTV and Infusible Ink. It features a 5 in x 3 in curved heat plate, safety base, and auto-off function. All of this means that you can have professional-looking personalized hats in 90 seconds!

Keep reading below for additional details on how this gadget works.

What’s Included With The Cricut Hat Press?

Your Cricut Hat Press shipment will be stocked with everything you need to get started, except a hat. You’ll find the following included in the box:

• Zen blue Cricut Hat Press
• Safety base
• Cricut hat pressing form – for a firm, ideal pressing surface
• Heat resistant tape
• Cut and weeded iron-on design
• Quick Start Guide and User Guide

Allergy Warning: There is an allergy warning on the box and the hat pressing form. The hat form is filled with walnut shells. The hat is placed on the form for you to have something firm to press against. Walnut shells are a great material for this because they’re firm and they hold heat well. The form itself is completely sealed within the box so you would just need to return it if you are worried about a reaction.

What to Know Before You Get Started With the Hat Press

Here are a few important hat press tips for beginners:

• The Cricut Heat app is needed to activate the Hat Press. You’ll need a smartphone to download the app and activate the devices! Once the press is activated via Bluetooth connection, you don’t have to use the app if you don’t want to. Make sure your phone and hat press are within 7 feet of each other to connect. Once activated, you can manually push the buttons.
• Cricut Hat Press shuts off automatically after 13 minutes of inactivity. You’ll hear a warning beep 30 seconds before it shuts off.
• Lint roll the entire hat blank before taping down your design. This helps to prevent lint, hair, and dust from being pressed into the hat design.
• The maximum design size recommended to use with the Cricut Hat Press is 2.25″ high x 4.25″ wide (5.7 cm x 10.79 cm).
• Using the heat-resistant tape that comes with your hat press will ensure that your design will stay in place and avoid distortion of the hat design as you move the hat press from side to side.
• When using Infusible Ink transfer sheets, it’s recommended to use a piece of butcher paper between the design and heat plate.

How Does the Cricut Hat Press Work?

Here we’ll cover the general process for creating a hat using Cricut Hat Press. Keep in mind that the Cricut Heat app will show you the materials needed for your project and all of the recommended settings. You can also click on the Detailed Instructions button to view step-by-step instructions, such as how to layer items, care instructions, video tutorials, and more!

1. Decide on a design for your hat and create it using Cricut Design Space.
2. Using any Cricut cutting machine, cut out the design and trim away the excess.
3. Place the hat pressing form into the hat, making sure the handle is facing outward.
4. Place the design where you want it on the hat and secure it in place with heat-resistant tape.
5. Using the Cricut Heat app, select your base and transfer material(s). Click Send Settings to Hat Press.
6. Once the hat press is heated to the recommended temp, move the press back and forth over the design until the press beeps.
7. Be sure to refer to the Cricut Heat app to determine the proper peeling technique for the materials you used.
8. Enjoy your new customized hat!

This hat press works much differently than most others on the market. Once you put the hat pressing form into the hat, you’ll simply glide the curved heat plate back and forth over the cut design on the curved part of the hat for a consistent, wrinkle-free transfer. Be sure to move the heat plate at least half an inch past the border of your design on each side. Your speed of motion should be similar to using a clothes iron or computer mouse.

You can use any Cricut cutting machine with the Cricut Hat Press. However, Cricut Infusible Ink pens and Infusible Ink transfer sheets only work on the high polyester count hats.

Here’s a quick how-to video:

Cricut Hat Press Design and Features

Hat Press Design

Cricut Hat Press is an elegantly designed gadget weighing approximately 2.5 pounds. It’s small and portable enough to be kept in a cabinet or on a small table in your craft room. This makes it much different than other models available on the market, which are typically large and heavy.

The curved heat plate on this press makes it stand out when compared to other heat presses. It’s much easier to use on the front of hats, making it a game-changer! This is just one of the features that makes the Cricut Hat Press much simpler to use than other models.

An insulated safety base provides protection while the machine isn’t being used. Keep in mind that this is a professional-level tool. Children should always be supervised around the Cricut Hat Press.

Hat Press Features

• Patent-pending curved heat plate and hat pressing form – For seamless, professional results every time.
• Hat pressing form fits a variety of adult-sized hats, including baseball caps, sun hats, and bucket hats, providing a firm surface for pressing curved materials.
• Cricut Hat Press features a simple power button and an auto-off feature activated after 13 minutes of inactivity.
• The Cricut Heat app allows for wireless connection to the hat press and step-by-step guidance. The heat app comes equipped with customizable heat settings and three presets of up to 400°F (205°C), which works with all major brands of Infusible Ink, iron-on vinyl (HTV) transfers, and sublimation materials. The app also provides a list of other types of transfer materials available.

What is the Cricut Heat App?

If you’re a fan of the Cricut Heat Guide, you’ll love this interactive app! The Cricut Heat app works in conjunction with the Cricut Hat Press by sending exact time and temperature settings to your heat press via Bluetooth. This nifty app also gives you step-by-step guidance, from pre-press prep to final peel, and even provides mockups of your design, so you know how and when to layer your materials, ensuring perfect results every time!

The Cricut Heat app takes the guesswork out of creating heat-pressed crafts, making it a stress-free process. You’ll simply select the desired heat press you’ll be using (Cricut Hat Press), select the type of base, and the transfer material and the app determines the proper time and temperature settings for your project. As soon as you press start, a countdown begins for the precise time needed. The machine will beep once your transfer is complete. This intuitive app takes it one step further by letting you know when it’s safe to remove the liner and heat-resistant tape from your hat.

The Cricut Heat app is free to download to iOS and Android devices through the Google Play Store or Apple Store.

What Types of Hats Can You Use with the Hat Press?

The Cricut Hat Press works with almost any type of hat including baseball caps, visors, sun hats, and bucket hats. To get started, Cricut provides you with a free design setup project in Cricut Design Space. This is made for Cricut hat blanks so if you’re using a different brand be sure to check the sizing and adjust as necessary.

Cricut released two compatible hat blanks with the release of the Cricut Hat Press: the Cricut Trucker Hat and the Cricut Gray Ball Cap. Both hat blanks are engineered to work with Infusible Ink and iron-on vinyl. You can pick them up for about $9.99 each or in a pack for a little less.

Again, you can use Infusible Ink designs on the front surface of compatible hats. And iron-on vinyl can be used all over the hat.

Another awesome feature of this machine is its ability to press the design material perfectly over the seam in the center of the hat. Just be mindful of buttons, eyelets, etc.

Lastly, you can use the Cricut Hat Press on certain kids’ hats. Larger-sized children’s hats and hats that can stretch to fit over the pressing form will work best. The pressing form is likely too big to fit infant and toddler hats.

Hat Blanks for Sale

Conclusion

This specialized gadget is a little on the pricey side with the retail price averaging $149. But it comes with everything you need to get started making pro-level custom hats. The features that we feel make the Cricut Hat Press worth the expense are:

• Ease of use. Specifically, its compatibility with the Cricut Heat app which does most of the thinking for you and almost guarantees consistent flawless results.
• Thoughtful safety features include an auto-off function and an insulated safety base.
• Additionally, it’s an elegant-looking machine that’s really fun to use.

There’s a little bit of a learning curve with the Cricut Hat Press but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be thrilled with the amazing results you’ll get in a matter of minutes.

If you already own a Cricut cutting machine and you’re familiar with the Design Space app, we highly recommend the Hat Press. And if you’re a serious crafter who wants to make hats as gifts or to sell, we feel the Cricut Hat Press is absolutely worth the investment.

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Last update on 2023-05-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API