Ready to make your woodwork stand out with the help of cutting-edge laser engraving technology?
We've handpicked the 5 best laser engravers for wood, ranging from compact desktop models to industrial-grade machines. Each offers precision and efficiency for etching detailed designs onto wood.
Keep reading to find the best laser engraver for wood that'll boost your woodworking projects!
In this article:
Part 1: Laser Engravers for Wood - Top 5 Choices
When it comes to engraving wood with laser, a woodworking laser engraver is the go-to tool. This specialized equipment uses a laser beam to create detailed designs on wooden surfaces.
A top-notch wood laser engraver should excel in accuracy and precise control, ensuring no burns or flames during the engraving process. Additionally, it should be versatile enough to engrave on various wood materials like bamboo and cork.
This comprehensive guide provides all the information you need to know about the best wood engraving machine. It compares them based on weight, laser type, power, workspace size, engravable materials, accuracy, and price.
1. LaserPecker LX1 - Foldable Multi-Functional Laser Cutter & Engraver
- Weight: 5kg
- Laser Type: 450 Blue Laser/1064 Infrared Laser
- Laser Power: 20w/10w/2w
- Workspace Size: 1400 x 420 mm
- Engravable Materials: Wood, leather, paper, cardboard,acrylic, stone, glass, ceramics, stainless steel, titanium, and aluminum oxide, etc.
- Accuracy & Precision: 0.01 mm
- Price: $1329.99 USD
- Where to Buy: LaserPecker LX1
LaserPecker LX1 is the world's best foldable multi-functional laser cutter and engraver. With unmatched power within the LaserPecker series, this laser machine for wood is engineered to tackle all your wood engraving tasks with ease.
This machine is equipped with three laser sources: a 20 W 450nm blue diode laser, a 10 W 450nm blue diode laser, and a 2 W 1064nm infrared laser. Its capability goes beyond wood engraving, as it can also cut through various materials like wood, acrylic, and leather.
Additionally, it features an innovative "Artisr Module," allowing for creative drawing with felt pens, markers, pencils, and other mediums.
Beyond its remarkable power, this machine is built with convenience in mind. Weighing just 5 kg, it's easy to handle and transport, requiring only one hand to carry. Its foldable design sets it apart from other framed laser engraving machines, ensuring easy storage and portability.
Moreover, safety is a top priority with this machine. It features an "emergency stop button" that enables you to halt the laser instantly with a gentle touch. Recognizing the heightened fire risk associated with increased laser power, it incorporates "high temp control" to cease engraving or cutting operations if internal temperatures surpass 50°C.
Main Features of LaserPecker LX1
- Powerful cutting ability: It cuts through up to 15mm solid wood and 10mm acrylic with ease
- More precise cutting: Up to 0.01mm cutting accuracy
- High resolution: Up to 4k ultra fine engraving
2. LaserPecker 4 - The World's First Dual-laser Engraver for Almost All Materials
- Weight: 4 kg
- Laser Type: 450nm Blue Diode Laser & 1064nm Infrared Laser
- Laser Power: 10w + 2w
- Workspace Size: 160 mm x 120 mm (Standard); 160 mm x 300 mm (With the Slide Extension)
- Engravable Materials: Wood, Metal, Leather, Food, Paper, Fabric, Plastic, Acrylic, Glass, Ceramics, etc.
- Movement Accuracy: 0.0019 mm
- Price: $1,599 USD
- Where to Buy: LaserPecker 4 (LP4) - The World's First Dual-laser Engraver for Almost All Materials
LaserPecker 4 is the world's first dual laser engraver for virtually all materials. This versatility allows it to fulfill all your wood engraving needs under any circumstances.
With two lasers—a 10 W 450nm Blue Diode Laser and a 2 W 1064nm Infrared Laser—this machine isn't limited to just engraving wood. It can also cut through specific wood materials like balsa wood, MDF, and bamboo. So it's not just a top choice for laser engraving, but also a reliable laser cutting machine for wood.
Besides, it is also a portable and handheld laser engraver. Weighing just 4 kg, you can easily lift it with one hand. Compared with other machines, Its compact build ensures it can be stored anywhere and effortlessly disassembled and reassembled. Whether you're on the move or at home, you can bring it along and have it up and running in no time.
Even more impressive, this machine offers optional accessories like a slide extension and rotary extension. The slide extension increases the working area from 160*120 to 160*300, making it perfect for large-scale or batch wood material engraving. Meanwhile, the rotary extension allows you to engrave on various cylindrical objects with curved surfaces, like bottles, cans, trophies, and more.
3. Glowforge Aura - Home Crafting Laser Engraver
- Weight: 9.52kg
- Laser Type: 450nm Blue Diode Laser
- Laser Power: 6 W
- Workspace Size: 304 x 304 mm
- Engravable Materials: wood, paper, acrylic, leather, and more materials.
- Price: $1199.00 USD
- Where to Buy: Glowforge Aura
Aura is Glowforge's first 6 W diode laser, targeting family crafters instead of their usual CO2 laser engravers. Compared with other diode laser machines, this machine is quite heavy (9.5kg). This weight may pose challenges for users in terms of mobility and transportation.
Besides, being fully enclosed ensures safety but might limit the working area and expandability. Despite this, Aura offers a large working space and cost-effective pricing, making it an attractive option for users already familiar with Glowforge's CO2 laser products.
Main Features of Glowforge Aura
- Works with 100s of materials
- Offers free and easy-to-use design software
- Well priced
4. xTool S1 - A 40 W Enclosed Diode Laser Cutter
- Weight: 19.95kg
- Laser Type: 450 Blue Laser/1064 Infrared Laser
- Laser Power: 40w
- Workspace Size: 50 x 515 mm
- Engravable Materials: stone, ceramic tile, anodized aluminum, titanium, etc.
- Accuracy & Precision: 0.0025 mm
- Price: $2299.99 USD
- Where to Buy: xTool S1
Equipped with a 20W 455 nm blue diode laser, a 40W 455 nm blue diode laser, and a 2W 1064nm infrared laser, the Xtool S1 stands ready to tackle engraving and cutting tasks on materials like wood, leather, and paper with ease.
Beyond its array of laser sources and compatibility with various materials, the Xtool S1 stands out with its expansive work area of 498 x 315mm, which allows for engraving of large-sized materials. However, it's essential to note that the machine itself is quite sizable, measuring at 765 x 561 x 268mm. Consequently, you'll need to reserve a dedicated space for it in your workspace.
Main Features of Xtool S1
- Feature-rich software
- Powerful laser and material portfolio
- Large working area
5. LaserPecker 2 - Best Beginner/Entry-Level Laser Engraver
- Weight: 2.72 kg
- Laser Type: 450nm Blue Diode Laser
- Laser Power: 5W
- Workspace Size: 100 x 100 mm (Basic); 100 x 2000mm (With LP Electric Roller)
- Engravable Materials: Bamboo, Paper, Leather, Food, Plastic, Wood, Fabric, Photosensitive printing, Lacquered metal, Anodized aluminum, 304 stainless steel, Plastic, Acrylic, Tinted glass, Color glaze ceramics, etc.
- Accuracy & Precision: 0.05 mm
- Price: $699.00 USD
- Where to Buy: LaserPecker 2 (LP2) - Best Portable Laser Engraver Designed for Wood
LaserPecker 2 is the perfect entry-level laser engraving machine tailored for wood enthusiasts. Despite its small size and lightweight design (2.72kg), this laser engraver is a powerhouse when it comes to wood engraving. From cork to balsa wood, bamboo to MDF, LaserPecker 2 handles various wood types effortlessly.
But its versatility doesn't end there—it can also engrave on metal, glass, ceramic, leather, paper, acrylic, and beyond. Moreover, with a power bank, you can kickstart your engraving projects anytime, anywhere without being tethered to a power outlet.
While LaserPecker 2 might have a slightly lower laser power compared to LaserPecker 4, resulting in engraving results that may not be as impactful, it remains an attractive option for newcomers to wood laser engraving, offering a great balance between affordability and performance.
Main Features of LaserPecker 2
- More Compatible Materials: It is applicable for most materials from wood to metal, plastic and leather.
- High Engraving Accuracy: LP2 is equipped dual optical lens, which allows it to engrave on metal with up to 2K High Resolution
- Multi-functional: LP2 has abundant add-ons & working modes
Part 2: What Type of Laser Is Right for Wood Engraving?
Selecting a suitable laser source for wood can be daunting due to the variety of options available in the market, including diode, CO2 and fiber lasers.
Wood comes in various types like balsa, walnut, basswood, cork, and more.
For all of these kind of wood's engraving, diode and CO2 lasers are popular choices. They're cost-effective and compact, making them perfect for wood engraving tasks. Additionally, these versatile lasers can engrave a wide range of materials including metal, paper, glass, plastic, and ceramic.
If your engraving tasks involve thicker and larger wood pieces, fiber lasers are the optimal solution. Their higher power enables them to effortlessly handle thicker wood materials.
In summary, selecting the optimal wood engraving tool depends on various factors such as the type of wood, its thickness, desired level of precision, and the scale of the project. Diode lasers are often preferred for their versatility and cost-efficiency, but CO2 and diode lasers can also be suitable depending on specific requirements
Part 3: How to Choose The Right Wood Laser Engraving Machine?
There are a few things you need to consider when you choose a wood laser engraver. Below are the things to take into account:
1. Purpose
The first thing you need to think about is your purpose in buying a laser engraver, starting your own hobby, gift customization, or starting your small business. The different purposes will lead to different choices: you can choose an entry-level laser engraver if you want to start a new hobby or gift customization.
However, you need to choose a more powerful laser for your small business and better laser engraving effects, you can choose machines like LaserPecker LX1, Xtool S1 and Glowforge Aura.
Once you have thought clearly about your purpose, you can narrow down your choices.
2. Wood type
As we mentioned before, it's the target materials that decide what type of laser you choose. You can use a fiber laser if you want to engrave on thicker wood (more than 15 mm). But if you're embarking on smaller home-scale wood engraving endeavors, a diode laser is the way to go.
3. User Friendliness
It's a little challenging to learn a new machine or technique. There are two main factors that determine user-friendliness— the software and the tutorials across various platforms. Easy-to-use, stable and free software is a must-have for laser machines as it involves design work and engraving settings.
What's more, various tutorials are also necessary as learning to operate a laser machine and master the art of engraving and cutting different materials can be quite extensive. The more guide is provided, the quicker you will get familiar with the machine.
4. Extra Feature
Furthermore, does the machine come with a rotary module or other valuable accessories? Having a rotary module onboard facilitates engraving on cylindrical objects like round wooden sticks or wooden cones with ease.
Furthermore, expandability and other advanced features enrich the machine's functionality, empowering users to tackle a wider range of engraving tasks.
Conclusion
After thorough research and comparisons, we've identified the top 5 choices that excel in wood laser engraving, taking into account elements such as product design, software versatility, and user-friendliness.
Of these choices, the LaserPecker LX1 and LaserPecker 4 emerge as our top recommendations. Not only are they budget-friendly, but they also boast impressive laser power. With these machines, you're sure to find the perfect laser engraving solution for your wood projects!
