Best Laser Engraver 2026: 10 Ranked, From £135.99
By Felipe Iglesias · Updated
Two Amazon listings for the same LONGER Ray5 Mini, with the same 3.5 W module, sit £23.79 apart. The cheaper is £135.99 with 410 ratings at 4.3; the dearer is £159.78 with 40 ratings at 4.0. Both quote a 0.04 × 0.04 mm spot and 12,000 mm/min. Pay £1.71 more than the dearer of those two and you get the 5.5 W Ray5 Mini at £161.49 instead. That is what a laser engraver round-up is for: flagging the listings where the price and the spec sheet disagree.
Speed figures need the same suspicion. The xTool F2 Ultra quotes 15,000 mm/s, which is 900,000 mm/min. The two Woxcker machines quote 20,000 mm/min, which is 333 mm/s, 45 times slower than the same large number implies. Meanwhile, 600 mm/s on the Creality Falcon A1 works out at 36,000 mm/min, and 12,000 mm/min on the LONGER machines is 200 mm/s. To find the best laser engraver for a spare room or a small workshop, we ranked ten Amazon models on price, rating volume, enclosure, stated spot size and the materials each listing actually claims to handle.
At a glance
| # | Product | Price | Rating | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | xTool F2 Ultra UV Laser Engraving Machine (Pro Use) | £3,505.00 | 5.0 | View |
| 2 | GWEIKE G2 Pro 30W Fibre Laser Marking Machine | £1,499.00 | 4.6 | View |
| 3 | xTool F2 Dual-Source Engraver, 15W Diode + 5W IR | £1,549.00 | 4.5 | View |
| 4 | Creality Falcon A1 10W Enclosed Laser Cutter and Engraver | £539.00 | 4.2 | View |
| 5 | Woxcker L2 MAX 20W Laser Engraving Machine, 300 × 300 mm | £589.99 | 4.6 | View |
| 6 | Woxcker L2 MAX 10W Laser Engraving Machine, 300 × 300 mm | £389.99 | 4.4 | View |
| 7 | Carverall A1 Pro 5W Enclosed Laser Engraver with Camera | £209.99 | 4.4 | View |
| 8 | Creality 10W Laser Cutter and Engraver, 400 × 415 mm | £269.00 | 4.4 | View |
| 9 | LONGER Ray5 Mini 5.5W, 130 × 130 mm, Wi-Fi | £161.49 | 4.5 | View |
| 10 | LONGER Ray5 Mini 3.5W, 140 × 130 mm, Wi-Fi | £135.99 | 4.3 | View |
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xTool F2 Ultra UV Laser Engraving Machine (Pro Use)
Ranked first on a perfect 5.0, but from just seven ratings, at £3,505, and sold only to commercial users.
Pros
- UV cold-light source aimed at glass, crystal and acrylic with no charring
- Stated spot under 10 μm, the finest figure in this top ten
- Dual 48MP cameras for automatic focus and alignment
- Fully enclosed cabinet measuring 51 × 49 × 49 cm
- 100% of its ratings are five-star
Cons
- £3,505, roughly 26 times the cheapest machine on this list
- Listing restricts it to professional commercial users
- Only seven ratings behind that 5.0 average
- 31 kg, so it is a bench machine, not a portable one
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Amazing machine, the fine detail is incredible. Expensive but to me, worth every penny.”
Verified purchase“The media could not be loaded. What can I say about this machine well I love it from ease of set up to ease of placing my work pieces and using the xtool app and having my work done in minutes instead of loads of time spent moving the work piece about.What I loveCamera makes lining up so easy and is so accurate.The multi screw holes for setting up jigs I've printed my jigs of maker world.The rotary tool I got the ra3 with the 3d printed jig I can change from printing flat pieces of work to using the rotory in seconds lining up is so easy.The xtool app is easy to use and has a lot of pre installed settings for different materials and is fairly spot on.The xtool ultra uv is also compact and don't take up loads of room now this is the thing it may look smaller than some lasers but don't let that put you off as with the easy alignment I can laser larger items quite easy.”
It takes first place on the only 5.0 average in this top ten, and its histogram is 100% five-star. Worth noting, though, that seven ratings is a thin base for a perfect score, and at £3,505 it costs roughly 26 times the £135.99 Ray5 Mini. What the money buys is a 5W UV source: the listing claims a spot below 10 μm and calls it micron-level accuracy that exceeds standard CO2 lasers.
The appeal is materials rather than raw speed. UV cold light is aimed at transparent and heat-sensitive stock — glass, crystal, acrylic, ceramics, plastic — and the listing promises clean edges with no charring or yellowing. As a desktop laser engraver it is fully enclosed, with dual 48MP cameras for auto-focus and alignment and software that generates 3D toolpaths without modelling skills. Its quoted 15,000 mm/s is 900,000 mm/min, the fastest figure here.
The catch is who is allowed to buy it. The listing states the machine is only for professionals in commercial material processing and may not be used by private consumers, and that ordering confirms you are a professional user with the relevant expertise or certificate. At 31 kg and 51 × 49 × 49 cm it also stays where it is put. If you are a hobbyist, this is not your machine, whatever the rating says.
GWEIKE G2 Pro 30W Fibre Laser Marking Machine
The highest-power source in the top ten at 30W, and the cheapest route to metal marking at £1,499.
Pros
- 30W 1064 nm fibre source, the highest power in this top ten
- 90+ colours claimed for marking stainless steel and titanium
- 150 × 150 mm bed with an electric lift column for focus
- Dual red-light positioning and an industrial galvo scanner
- 15,000 mm/s quoted, equal to the most expensive machine here
Cons
- £1,499 before any accessories
- Only 11 ratings behind the 4.6 average
- The "79% efficiency increase" claim has no stated baseline
- No cut-depth figures given for wood or acrylic
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Very good laser for the price. Bought the G2 Pro 30W on a promotion and it's definitely worth the money. A solid upgrade after using the Atomstack M4. Excellent for stainless steel, with a significant increase in both power and speed — jobs that took around 23 minutes on the M4 now take about 3 minutes. It does take some time to dial in the settings, but overall I'm very satisfied with the purchase.”
Verified purchase“I bought this laser after watching lots of youtube videos and reading reviews, to engrave metal rings and other metal products, its my first galvo laser and im really happy with it because affter a few days of getting to know ho it works ive been able to engrave inside and outside of rings with ease also i was amazed at the speed and picture quality it produces compared to my gantry diode laser , i also bought the rotory chuck and the roller which both work very well just watch the setup videos on youtube its quite simple im very happy with my laser and it gets 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.”
Second place goes to the most powerful source here: a 30W 1064 nm fibre module on a 150 × 150 mm bed for £1,499. Its 4.6 average comes from 11 ratings, and the histogram splits 68% five-star against 11% three-star. Crucially, its 15,000 mm/s headline matches the xTool F2 Ultra — both work out at 900,000 mm/min — so on paper this is the same speed class for £2,006 less.
Where a fibre laser engraver for metal earns its price is on the workpiece, not the spec sheet. The listing claims deep 3D embossing on stainless steel and titanium, 90-plus colours marked on metal, dual red-light positioning and a digital galvo scanner. An electric lift column raises and lowers the bed at the push of a button instead of by hand, which matters if you are running dog tags or jewellery in batches.
Two numbers deserve caution. The listing quotes a 79% efficiency increase without saying what it is measured against, and 11 ratings is a small sample for a 4.6. Meanwhile, if your work is mostly wood and leather, the diode machines further down cost a fraction of £1,499 and cut the organics this source is not sold for.
xTool F2 Dual-Source Engraver, 15W Diode + 5W IR
Two sources in one cabinet for £1,549, but the listing's own weight figures disagree by 3.5 kg.
Pros
- 15W diode and 5W IR sources in a single cabinet
- 50MP camera with up to 0.1 mm alignment accuracy
- Fully enclosed, leak-proof body with fan and optional purifier
- Arrives assembled, with material presets and offline working
- 6,000 mm/s quoted, which is fast for a dual-source machine
Cons
- £1,549, and slower than the GWEIKE G2 Pro at £1,499
- A bullet claims 4.6 kg while the spec field says 8.07 kg
- 18% of its ratings are two-star
- Listing is restricted to professional users
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Best Laser Engraver Ever! I owned the Xtool f1 Lite which I absolutely loved but had no idea what I was missing out on with the IR laser. And now with the F2 my creative possibilities have opened up 10 fold. Not only can I now engrave a ridiculous amount of materials but it's also super fast and easy to use.”
Verified purchase“Brilliant machine for the money. We run a trophy and engraving business and this laser is so good at engraving on metal, plastic, wood and other items. Very pleased with this after owing an xTool F1 before this. Both great machines. If you're looking to get into laser engraving i can highly recommend the F2!”
Third on the list at £1,549, which is £50 more than the GWEIKE above. What you get instead is two sources: a 15W diode plus a 5W IR head, claimed to cover 300+ materials, with the IR side doing deep colour marking on metal. Quoted speed is 6,000 mm/s, which is 360,000 mm/min — a quarter of the 900,000 mm/min the two machines above quote.
In practice the build is aimed at shop counters and craft fairs. The listing describes a fully enclosed, leak-proof cabinet with a built-in fan and an optional purifier, plus a 50MP camera that gives up to 0.1 mm alignment on rings and pendants. It arrives assembled and works offline from built-in material presets, with the RA3 rotary and slide extension as add-ons.
That said, the weight numbers do not agree with each other. One bullet says the machine weighs only 4.6 kg; the specification field lists an item weight of 8.07 kg and package dimensions of 42.7 × 40.6 × 31.6 cm. On the ratings, 18% of the histogram sits at two stars against 82% at five. And like the F2 Ultra, this listing is restricted to professional commercial users.
Creality Falcon A1 10W Enclosed Laser Cutter and Engraver
The best-reviewed machine under £600: 73 ratings at 4.2, a camera and a 387 × 305 mm bed.
Pros
- 73 ratings at 4.2, the largest sample under £600 here
- 387 × 305 mm working area
- Built-in camera with material recognition and live preview
- Enclosed dual doors filter light, so no goggles are needed
- Arrives assembled; LightBurn, LaserGRBL and Falcon Design Space supported
Cons
- 12% of its ratings are one or two stars
- 10W cuts up to 6 mm wood and opaque acrylic only
- 19.5 kg, so it needs a permanent bench
- The dimension field lists a 0.1 cm depth, which is plainly wrong
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“This is a really nice bit of equipment the software could be better would like to see plugins and more features in the software with the A1You only get 1 bit of wood to work with would be nice if you a bit more for the money you pay for it.Pros* Easy plug-and-play setup- very easy* Fast engraving (up to 600mm/s)- correct very good* Smart camera for accurate positioning - camera could be I little bit better so it lines up with the line on the base but does the job* Enclosed design for better safety - correct* Dual doors for easy access- correct* Large working area (387 x 305mm) - correctCons:* 10W laser limits cutting thicker materials- yes it is 10w but it's I deal I've worked on different types of materials already and works great on all the 20w would be nice but is a higher price* Bulkier due to enclosed design - no really a con but your need the same for the itemBut would 100% recommend this item if you want to have a go with laser cutting”
Verified purchase“I've been using the Creality Falcon A1 for a while now, and overall it's a solid entry-level laser engraver. Setup was quick and straightforward, and the included software is easy to learn, making it a good choice if you're new to laser engraving. The engraving quality is surprisingly detailed, and it can even cut thin plywood in a single pass, which is impressive for a 10W machine. Pros: Easy to set up and beginner-friendly softwareGood engraving detail and accuracyFully enclosed design with safety featuresWorks with LightBurn for more advanced use. Cons: Low laser power means slow cutting and multiple passes on thicker materialsNot ideal for heavy or business use due to speed and performance limitsVentilation and smoke extraction could be betterOccasional reliability or software issues reported. Overall:A great starter machine for hobby projects and learning, but if you need faster cutting or plan to run a small business, you may want something more powerful. Camera Pros 👍Easy positioning of designs. The built-in camera lets you visually place your design on the material instead of guessing coordinates, which is very helpful for beginners. Saves time on alignment Compared to machines without a camera, it speeds up setup and reduces wasted material. Good for batch work (when working properly) Features like drag and drop placement and layout tools can make repeat jobs quicker and more efficient.Write a short review with good and bad points of the Creality falcon a1 laser engraver for amazonHere's a short, balanced Amazon-style review for the Creality Falcon A1 10W Laser Engraver:Great beginner laser engraver, but limited powerI've been using the Creality Falcon A1 for a while now, and overall it's a solid entry-level laser engraver. Setup was quick and straightforward, and the included software is easy to learn, making it a good choice if you're new to laser engraving. The engraving quality is surprisingly detailed, and it can even cut thin plywood in a single pass, which is impressive for a 10W machine.Pros:Easy to set up and beginner-friendly softwareGood engraving detail and accuracyFully enclosed design with safety featuresWorks with LightBurn for more advanced useCons:Low laser power means slow cutting and multiple passes on thicker materialsNot ideal for heavy or business use due to speed and performance limitsVentilation and smoke extraction could be betterOccasional reliability or software issues reportedOverall:A great starter machine for hobby projects and learning, but if you need faster cutting or plan to run a small business, you may want something more powerful. Camera Pros 👍Easy positioning of designs the built in camera lets you visually place your design on the material instead of guessing coordinates, which is very helpful for beginners. Saves time on alignment compared to machines without a camera, it speeds up setup and reduces wasted material. Good for batch work (when working properly) with features like drag and drop placement and layout tools can make repeat jobs quicker and more efficient. Camera Cons 👎 Calibration can be frustrating. Many users report difficulty getting accurate alignment, with designs ending up slightly off. Inconsistent accuracy over time. Sometime the camera "drifts" or becomes less precise after a few uses. Software dependency the camera works best with Creality's own software, which sometimes is slow or buggy, limiting its usefulness. You will need to be in a bright room for the camera calibration to work well.”
Fourth place, and the first machine here with a real ratings base: 73 reviews at 4.2. It costs £539 for a 10W source, a 387 × 305 mm working area and a quoted 600 mm/s, which is 36,000 mm/min. That puts it far behind the fibre machines on speed and far ahead of them on price and volume of feedback.
The camera does the practical work. It scans a material and loads presets automatically, then gives a live full-frame preview so you can drag a design onto the wood on screen. It is a 10W diode laser engraver with CoreXY motion — both axes rigged together and driven by two motors — and the listing claims stable performance on intricate work at that speed.
However, 12% of those 73 ratings are one or two stars, the largest complaint share in the top five. The listing also gives a product depth of 0.1 cm for a 19.5 kg machine, which cannot be right. And 387 × 305 mm suits signs and panels, not long boards.
Woxcker L2 MAX 20W Laser Engraving Machine, 300 × 300 mm
20W in a Class 1 sealed cabinet at £589.99, with a claimed single-pass cut of 12 mm wood.
Pros
- 20W output with a claimed 12 mm wood and 5 mm acrylic cut
- 300 × 300 mm working area
- Fully enclosed Class 1 housing with automatic stop on the lid
- 0.01 mm square spot focus
- 4.6 from 33 ratings in a 7.26 kg frame
Cons
- £200 more than the near-identical 10W model
- 5% of its ratings are one star
- 20,000 mm/min equates to only 333 mm/s
- No stated cut depth for metal or other non-wood stock
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“The media could not be loaded. Due to an initial problem with the engraver. I contacted the supplier who solved the problem, by sending a new part. Excellent service and easy to contact. Thank you for you help, the laser engraver works perfectly.”
Verified purchase“Unbelievable piece of kit, easy to put together, very easy to use and link to LightBurn. Still finding my feet with the settings and practicing on scrap material at the moment but the potential of this bit of kit in incredible. Contacted customer services as I had a couple of questions on its use, the response was quick and answered my questions on power settings. Engraved my name on my Glasses case just to see, worked great.”
Fifth place, and the most cutting power per pound among the diode machines: £589.99 for 20W, a 300 × 300 mm bed, 33 ratings at 4.6 and a 7.26 kg frame. The listing claims a single-pass cut through 12 mm wood and 5 mm acrylic.
As an enclosed laser engraver it is built for a room with people in it. The 360° housing is described as Class 1, the machine stops when the lid opens, and the body contains smoke and dust while it works. Focus is quoted at 0.01 mm with square spot compression, 400+ materials are claimed, and it runs LightBurn, LaserGRBL or CutLabX over Wi-Fi, USB, app or TF card.
The awkward comparison is its own sibling. The 10W L2 MAX below lists the same 300 × 300 mm bed, the same 0.01 mm focus and the same 20,000 mm/min for £200 less, which means the extra money buys wattage and nothing else. At the same time, 5% of this machine's ratings are one star, so the 4.6 is not unanimous.
Woxcker L2 MAX 10W Laser Engraving Machine, 300 × 300 mm
Same bed, same focus and same 20,000 mm/min as the 20W model, for £200 less — but 11% of ratings are one star.
Pros
- £389.99, a full £200 below the 20W version of the same frame
- 300 × 300 mm bed and 0.01 mm focus, matching the 20W model
- 45 ratings at 4.4 — a larger sample than the 20W
- Fully enclosed body with automatic stop on the lid
- Wi-Fi, USB, app and TF card options plus LightBurn support
Cons
- No cut-depth figures anywhere in the listing
- 11% of its ratings are one star
- 20,000 mm/min equals only 333 mm/s
- 8.62 kg, heavier than the 20W version it mirrors
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Good piece of kit, easy assembly, decent value for money and tech support were responsive in assisting me with setting up the USB driver.”
Verified purchase“Quick and easy to assemble !Great product for beginners and fair price.Learning curve on the program but over all happy with it.”
Sixth, at £389.99. It is the same L2 MAX shell as the machine above with a 10W module, 45 ratings at 4.4 and an 8.62 kg weight. The specification overlap is almost total: 300 × 300 mm, 0.01 mm focus, 20,000 mm/min.
In practice, the differences are power and evidence. This one has the larger review base, 45 against 33, and the lower average, 4.4 against 4.6, with 11% of the histogram at one star. The enclosure, the auto-stop on the lid, the 400+ material list and the LightBurn, LaserGRBL and CutLabX support are identical on both listings.
What the 10W page never says is how thick a cut it manages. The 20W listing gives numbers — 12 mm wood, 5 mm acrylic — and this one names no depth at all, which makes the £200 saving harder to judge. If board thickness is your main job, the £539 Creality Falcon A1 offers 387 × 305 mm for £150 more.
Carverall A1 Pro 5W Enclosed Laser Engraver with Camera
A 100 × 100 mm bed is the smallest here, but the £209.99 price, 68 ratings and camera make it a tidy starter.
Pros
- Class 1 fully enclosed body with automatic cut-off on the lid
- HD camera with real-time preview and drag-and-drop alignment
- Listing states tested output of 5.12–5.35W
- 68 ratings at 4.4 and only 4.2 kg
- Wi-Fi, Type-C and offline engraving from a TF card
Cons
- 100 × 100 mm bed, the smallest in this top ten
- 12,000 mm/min is 200 mm/s, mid-pack at best
- £209.99 despite the small bed
- 9% of its ratings are one star
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“The media could not be loaded. Good starter laser engraver, fast and efficient.I set this up with a Windows laptop and used the free CutLabX software. There are a lot of controls for the laser, including power and repeating patterns depending on material and what you want to achieve. There is a basic paper manual and a more detailed one on the micro-SD card which also has the drivers (double-click to install and the CutLabX software which you use to calibrate and set the job up.The micro-SD card may be in the machine already if you can't find it and remember to connect both USB-B and USB-C cables. The first receives the camera feed and the USB-C controls the laser.This is an entry level tool and fairly simple to set-up and learn how to use. But it is not a retail item, you need to be fairly technical to understand and get it working. And, of course, the laser is a little dangerous to your eyes (use the orange shield or wear the safety glasses that come with it).(The video shows the laser with the guard, normally raising the guard will turn the laser off, but this can be disabled (where the laser-shield glasses!). The image of the flower still has the calibration crosses - these are not normally there I just used the same piece for that test.)”
Verified purchase“The media could not be loaded. I've been really happy with this laser engraver for developing branded coasters for my gaming club. The speed is excellent, and the detail on the engraved designs is really sharp, even on materials like wood and metal. The built-in camera and software make it easy to set up projects, and I appreciate that it's an enclosed machine, which means I can have it in my office with an extractor connected. It's been a great addition for creating personalised club items.”
Seventh at £209.99, with 68 ratings at 4.4 and a 4.2 kg body. It is a 5W Class 1 unit on a 100 × 100 mm bed with a quoted 12,000 mm/min, which is 200 mm/s — so it is neither the cheapest nor the fastest, and its bed is the smallest of the ten.
The safety design is the selling point. The listing describes this fully enclosed Class 1 laser engraving machine as cutting out when the cover opens, and adds 15° tilt protection, an HD camera for drag-and-drop alignment and pre-calibrated presets for sheets under 3 mm. It connects over Wi-Fi or Type-C and can engrave offline from a TF card, with an optional rotary roller for cylindrical work.
Worth noting on the power claim: the module is sold as 5,000 mW, and the listing says actual tested output reaches 5.12–5.35W, which is above its own nominal figure. The counterweight is the bed. The £161.49 LONGER Ray5 Mini 5.5W gives 130 × 130 mm for £48 less, and 9% of the Carverall's ratings are one star.
Creality 10W Laser Cutter and Engraver, 400 × 415 mm
The biggest bed in the cheap half at 400 × 415 mm for £269, but 16% of its 20 ratings are one or two stars.
Pros
- 400 × 415 mm bed, the largest under £300
- Anti-UV acrylic cover claimed to block 97% of UV
- Aluminium alloy frame with steel shaft wheel guide rail
- Cuts 5 mm basswood or 3 mm black acrylic in one pass
- 12 months of parts replacement offered by the listing
Cons
- 0.06 × 0.06 mm spot is coarser than the £135.99 Ray5 Mini's
- 10,000 mm/min is 167 mm/s, the slowest here
- 16% of its ratings are one or two stars
- Only 20 ratings in total to judge by
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Fantastic, I love it. I use it with light burn.Whilst lightburn is great software to use with my engraver there is a £92 purchase involved and is pretty decent.The engraver really is a decent buy and I'm really glad I did.I've started some various projects engraving wood and now leather after understanding the settings I'm starting to master the engraving and cutting techniques with the help of light burn.If your considering buying this......Its worth it.”
Verified purchase“A very solid feeling, well designed product.Assembly took around 20min. And as soon as connected and aligned it faultlessly and cleanly cut out the supplied test piece (eagle). Cant wait to download lightburn and start learning to use it for more complex stuff. Would recommend as good starter engraver/cutter.”
Eighth at £269 for a 10W diode unit with a 400 × 415 mm bed, the largest working area in the bottom half of this list. Quoted speed is 10,000 mm/min, which is 167 mm/s — the slowest figure of the ten once everything is converted.
The framing is aluminium alloy with a steel shaft wheel guide rail and a belt tension adjustment, and it will cut 5 mm basswood or 3 mm black acrylic in one pass. An anti-UV acrylic cover is claimed to block 97% of UV, the module has a tool-free focus plate, and assembly is quoted at 10–20 minutes. LightBurn is a paid extra; LaserGRBL is the free route.
By contrast with the price, the figures are modest. The spot is 0.06 × 0.06 mm and described as ultra-fine, yet the £135.99 Ray5 Mini quotes 0.04 × 0.04 mm for half the money. And 16% of its 20 ratings sit at one or two stars, the weakest histogram in this top ten.
LONGER Ray5 Mini 5.5W, 130 × 130 mm, Wi-Fi
£1.71 more than the second 3.5W Ray5 listing buys 2W extra, but the quoted spot grows from 0.04 mm to 0.08 mm.
Pros
- 5.5W module for £1.71 more than the other Ray5 3.5W listing
- 12,000 mm/min with a 32-bit motherboard
- Emergency stop, flame sensor and eye protection included
- Wi-Fi with app monitoring and offline engraving
- 4.5 from 48 ratings in a 2.6 kg frame
Cons
- Spot quoted at 0.08 mm, coarser than the 3.5W version's 0.04 × 0.04 mm
- 130 × 130 mm bed, smaller than the 3.5W listing's 130 × 140 mm
- 11% of its ratings are one or two stars
- £25.50 more than the 3.5W machine ranked below it
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“After using the Longer Ray5 extensively over the last year, I can confidently say it's one of the best investments I've made for my workshop. The real test came during this past Christmas season; I used it to create almost all of my holiday gifts, and it handled the workload like a pro.”
Verified purchase“I love this machine! There is definitely a learning curve and you'll probably need to purchase software such as Lightburn, but you can make a lot of cool stuff if you put in the time. I wouldn't recommend buying if you aren't patient enough to put in the time learning.”
Ninth at £161.49, with 48 ratings at 4.5 and a 2.6 kg frame. Setting it against the other Ray5 listings is the whole point: Amazon carries the 3.5W Ray5 Mini at £159.78 elsewhere, so £1.71 extra buys 2W more power. Against the 3.5W machine ranked below it, the gap is £25.50.
The machine arrives pre-assembled, with a dovetail guide for height adjustment and a 32-bit motherboard driving 12,000 mm/min — 200 mm/s. Safety covers an emergency stop button, a flame sensor and eye protection, and there is Wi-Fi with app monitoring for offline jobs. LaserGRBL and LightBurn are both supported.
The catch sits in the small print of the two listings. This 5.5W model quotes a 0.08 mm spot; the 3.5W version quotes 0.04 × 0.04 mm. More power, coarser focus — the opposite of what the higher price implies. Its working area is also listed as the smaller 130 × 130 mm against the 3.5W model's 130 × 140 mm, and 11% of its ratings are one or two stars.
LONGER Ray5 Mini 3.5W, 140 × 130 mm, Wi-Fi
Cheapest here at £135.99 and by far the best-evidenced, with 410 ratings at 4.3 — but 12% of those are one or two stars.
Pros
- £135.99, the lowest price in this top ten
- 410 ratings at 4.3, the largest review base by a wide margin
- 0.04 × 0.04 mm spot, the finest quoted among the diode machines
- Motion-detection shutdown, X/Y limit switches and goggles included
- 2.37 kg and delivered pre-assembled
Cons
- 3.5W is the lowest output on this list
- 12% of its ratings are one or two stars
- 140 × 130 mm bed limits project size
- The same machine is listed elsewhere at £159.78
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“I love this, it has become my new best friend.The free laser GRBl software works great, no need to buy the subscription software, just leav a donation.It took about 10 mins to put together, download and install the software and be up and ready to print.Just load a jpg image in to the GRBL, drag and drop.Set the image size you want, use 130 for maximum size in the width or hight and press create.It converts to a negative image.It works very much like an old dot matrix printer.Tip make sure any white is white in your background. It will skip white and make for faster printing. If it is off white it won't print anying but will take longer.This will give a print like finish. For deeper cut/printing raise the laser higher.For large surfaces, you can just move the printer around and layout your design a section at a time.There is a draw icon that moves the laser around the outer limits of the section it will use.I wanted to use this on some boxes that I am making for my grand kids, so I made an adjustable stand for it to sit on for higher objects. (They don't sell.anything for this. I would have baught one if they did).Very impressed with what this will do, especially for the money. Would definitely recommend for a starter like me.”
Verified purchase“Well worth the money for what you can do with it. Just be aware it is not the best for cutting thin wood and won't engrave uncoated metal, but for engraving wood it is perfect. The app is also super easy to use.”
Last place, but the cheapest machine on the list at £135.99, and the only one with a serious review history: 410 ratings at 4.3, more than five times the next-largest sample. It is a 3.5W laser engraver over a 140 × 130 mm bed, with a 0.04 × 0.04 mm spot and 12,000 mm/min — the finest quoted spot of any diode machine here.
It ships pre-assembled and connects by USB, Wi-Fi or app, with LaserGRBL, LightBurn and LaserBurn all listed as compatible. Safety covers an emergency stop button, motion-detection auto-shutdown, X/Y limit switches and goggles. At 2.37 kg it is the lightest machine in this top ten.
Who should not buy it: anyone cutting thick stock. 3.5W is the lowest output here, and the 5.5W Ray5 Mini costs £25.50 more for 2W extra. Even so, the sharper caveat is the duplicate listing. The same Ray5 Mini 3.5W, the same 0.04 × 0.04 mm spot and the same 12,000 mm/min are also on sale at £159.78 with 40 ratings at 4.0 — £23.79 for nothing. Meanwhile 12% of this machine's 410 ratings are one or two stars.
Final Verdict
For most homes, the £135.99 LONGER Ray5 Mini 3.5W is the sensible first laser engraver: 410 ratings, 4.3, and a 0.04 × 0.04 mm spot over a 140 × 130 mm bed. If you need to mark stainless steel or titanium, the 30W GWEIKE G2 Pro is the fibre laser engraver to look at. If you want a sealed cabinet for a shared room, the Woxcker 20W at £589.99 gives you a fully enclosed Class 1 body with a 12 mm wood cut claim, while the £539 Creality Falcon A1 adds a camera and a larger 387 × 305 mm bed for less money. Either way, check the two Ray5 3.5W listings before you buy. The £23.79 gap buys you nothing.
Written by
Felipe Iglesias
Founder & Lead Reviewer
Felipe is a computational engineering student who has been working in SEO since he was sixteen. He founded ranked10 and researches every guide on the site.
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