If you are new to cutting your might be slightly confused about the different types of Cricut Mats available to purchase. It can be pretty confusing trying to figure out which mat you should use for your projects. But it is important to match up the correct mat with the right materials.

Don't worry, though as we are going to make it all super easy for you!

Cricut Mat Types and Grips

Watch the video below to get a quick overview of the 3 main types of Cricut mats together with their grips.

1. Mats and Their Grips

As seen in the video above, the cutting mats have been designed with a focus on grip. What material you are cutting will make a huge difference in which mat you will want to choose.

For example if you are using thin paper with a strong grip mat, you will most likely tear your design whilst trying to remove it from the strong-grip sticky mat.

Here is a quick explanation of the mats, their grip and the material you should be using with them:

1. The LightGrip Cutting Mat:

The blue LightGrip Cutting Mat has just enough sticky grip to hold material firmly in place during cutting, yet it allows for easy removal of the lighter weight material when you are finished cutting.

2. The StandardGrip Cutting Mat:

The green Cricut® StandardGrip Cutting Mat will most likely be the one that you use most frequently. This mat is perfect for cutting medium-weight materials, and it also has the perfect amount of grip that makes for easy removal of your material.

3. The StrongGrip Mat:

The purple StrongGrip mat is brilliant for heavyweight materials. You need the strong sticky grip in order to keep the thicker material as the machines have to apply more pressure to cut through these materials.

4. The FabricGrip Mat:

The pink FabricGrip mat has specially been created to allow those with a Cricut Maker to cut through even the thinnest of materials without the need for fabric stabilizer.

2. Main Types of Cutting Mats Comparison Table

Find below the 4 main types of Cricut Mats on the market together with a suggestion of which types of material you should cut on each.

3. Mat Sizes

You have the option of either purchasing the 12 x 12" Cricut Mat or the larger 12x24" Cricut Mat. Both of these sized mats work in all the Explore Machines as well as the Cricut Maker machine. So sizing is truly dependent on the size of the projects that you will be working on.

Hopefully you have a clear picture now of which mat you should be using with each type of project that you enjoy creating.

Our recommendation is that you invest in a Cricut mat bundle. That way you always have the right mat on hand, no matter which material you might be choosing to work with.

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