Best CO2 Laser Engraver 2026: 5 Machines Tested on Wood, Acrylic, and Metal

Why CO2 Is a Different Category — Not Just a Stronger Diode

If you have been using a diode laser and you are considering a CO2 machine, there is one thing worth understanding before you look at wattage numbers or work area dimensions: CO2 lasers are not simply more powerful diode lasers. They operate on an entirely different physical principle, and that difference explains why certain materials that diode lasers cannot touch become trivially easy for a CO2 machine.

Diode lasers — the kind found in the xTool D1 Pro, Sculpfun S30, and similar machines — emit light at wavelengths between roughly 450nm and 455nm (blue-violet visible spectrum). CO2 lasers emit at 10,600nm, deep in the mid-infrared spectrum. This matters enormously for materials:

• Clear acrylic is optically transparent to diode wavelengths. A diode laser passes straight through it without depositing energy. A CO2 laser’s 10,600nm wavelength is strongly absorbed by acrylic, which is why CO2 machines cut it cleanly while diode machines cannot cut it at all.
• Glass behaves similarly — diode lasers can barely mark it even with coatings, while CO2 machines engrave it reliably.
• Thick hardwoods are possible on diode lasers above 20W, but CO2 machines cut faster, cleaner, and deeper in a single pass due to superior energy coupling with organic material.
• Bare metal is the one area where CO2 actually underperforms diode machines — the 10,600nm wavelength reflects off polished steel and aluminum. Metal marking with CO2 requires a marking compound like Cermark.

We have covered the full technology breakdown in our diode vs CO2 vs fiber comparison, and if you want to see where a high-end diode machine maxes out before making the jump to CO2, our xTool D1 Pro review is a useful reference point. For a broader overview across all laser types and price tiers, see our best laser engravers of 2026 guide.

This article focuses specifically on CO2 machines. We tested five of them — cutting the same materials under controlled conditions — and the performance gaps between machines are meaningful enough to matter for your purchase decision.

Quick Comparison: 5 Best CO2 Laser Engravers

How We Test CO2 Laser Engravers

Our testing process for CO2 machines is standardized across all five units. Every machine was evaluated on the same materials, in the same sequence, by the same operators. Here is exactly what we ran:

Cut tests (pass count, speed, power, edge quality scored 1–10):

• 3mm clear cast acrylic (the benchmark most CO2 machines struggle to pass cleanly)
• 6mm clear cast acrylic (single-pass capability test)
• 6mm Baltic birch plywood (standard maker material)
• 10mm basswood (thick wood single-session cut)
• 12mm birch plywood (maximum depth test)

Engraving tests:

• 100mm x 100mm photo portrait on basswood (grayscale tone count, detail retention)
• 200mm x 200mm photo on anodized aluminum (marking consistency, tone range)
• 100mm x 100mm raster fill on 3mm acrylic (surface uniformity at high speed)

Practical tests:

• Setup and calibration time from unpacking to first job
• Camera or positioning system accuracy (where applicable)
• Noise floor measurement (distance: 1 meter from machine)
• Speed benchmark: 400mm x 400mm raster fill, identical file

All edge quality scores are from visual inspection at 10x magnification. All timing figures are from a stopwatch started at job launch, stopped at machine idle. Power percentages reflect the machine’s own control interface values.

When You Should Choose CO2 Over Diode

Before we get into individual machines, here is the short version of when CO2 is the right answer:

Choose CO2 if you regularly work with:

• Clear or lightly tinted acrylic (diode lasers simply cannot do this)
• Glass engraving (cups, awards, tiles)
• Wood thickness above 5–6mm where you want single-pass cuts
• Production volume where speed-per-piece matters at scale
• Materials that benefit from a flame-polished edge on cuts

Consider staying with diode if:

• You primarily engrave dark metals, stainless steel, or anodized aluminum
• Budget is the primary constraint — entry-level CO2 machines cost significantly more than equivalent diode machines
• Your space is limited — most CO2 machines (especially open-frame variants) require dedicated ventilation infrastructure

The production speed advantage of CO2 is easy to underestimate. A 400mm x 400mm raster fill that takes 28 minutes on a 40W OMTech-style machine completed in 19 minutes on the xTool P2 in our testing — that is a 32% reduction in cycle time per piece, which compounds rapidly across a production day.

The 5 Best CO2 Laser Engravers: Full Reviews

1. xTool P2 55W — Best CO2 Laser Engraver Overall

xTool P2 55W

★★★★★

✓ Pros

• Fastest engraving speed in class, built-in camera for precise positioning, semi-enclosed with integrated air assist, desktop form factor for 55W output, LightBurn compatible

✗ Cons

• 308mm Y-axis limits tall workpieces, CO2 tube replacement is an eventual recurring cost, higher upfront investment than open-frame competitors

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The xTool P2 is the machine we kept returning to as the reference point for every other test. When a 60W open-frame machine from OMTech or Sculpfun struggled to match a cut result, we would run the same file on the P2 to confirm what clean execution looks like. That tells you something about where it sits in the market.

Specs

Our Test Results

The P2’s 600mm/s rated speed is not a marketing claim that evaporates under real conditions. We ran our 400mm x 400mm standard raster fill benchmark at full speed settings on both the P2 and a 40W OMTech machine. The OMTech completed the job in 28 minutes. The P2 finished in 19 minutes. At production volume, that difference is the equivalent of running an extra machine.

On acrylic, the P2 performs at a different level than its class competitors. We cut 3mm clear cast acrylic in a single pass at 25mm/s and 85% power — a cut that many CO2 machines at this wattage either fail to complete cleanly in one pass or produce with yellowed, slightly melted edges. The P2’s edge on that cut was flame-polished, essentially optically clear. We cut 6mm clear acrylic in a single pass at 10mm/s and 90% power with the same quality result — no yellowing, no taper visible at 10x magnification.

For basswood, we pushed to 10mm thickness and cut cleanly in two passes at 8mm/s and 100% power with minimal char on the cut walls. The integrated air assist contributed here — it clears combustion byproducts between passes and reduces secondary burn marks.

The engraving quality test on basswood revealed 142 distinct grayscale tones in our 100mm x 100mm portrait benchmark — the highest tone count of any machine in this roundup. Portrait detail at that tone count is genuinely photo-quality on light basswood; you can see eyelash-level detail without any post-processing of the artwork file.

The built-in camera is a practical feature we were initially skeptical about. In real use, we placed a design within 1.5mm of our intended target position on the first attempt, without manual alignment. For anyone doing repeat-piece production work — cutting the same item at multiple quantities — the time savings from camera-assisted positioning are significant over a full working day.

The 308mm Y-axis is the real practical limitation. It means you cannot process a standard 12" x 12" tile in a single job without repositioning. For most desktop work this is fine, but if sheet goods or large-format engraving are core to your workflow, the OMTech’s larger bed becomes a genuine advantage.

2. Glowforge Pro — Best Plug-and-Play CO2 Laser

Glowforge Pro

★★★★★

✓ Pros

• Fastest setup of any machine tested (22 minutes), Proofgrade auto-settings work reliably, passthrough slot handles oversized material, beautiful enclosed design, no ventilation configuration required

✗ Cons

• Cloud dependency means no offline operation, subscription required for full feature access, smallest work area in this roundup, cannot use LightBurn

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The Glowforge Pro occupies a specific and well-defined position in the CO2 market: it is the machine you buy when you want CO2 capability without the setup, calibration, or software learning curve that every other CO2 machine demands. If that trade-off makes sense for your situation, it is genuinely excellent at what it does.

Specs

Our Test Results

Setup time: 22 minutes from opening the box to completing the first print. No other machine in this roundup came close. The second-fastest was the xTool P2 at 35 minutes, which itself is competitive for a CO2 machine. The Glowforge’s onboarding process is genuinely the best in the industry — the app walks you through every step, the autofocus system set material height correctly on 6mm basswood on the first attempt without manual intervention, and the Proofgrade material settings worked correctly on every test material we ran without a single trial-and-error pass.

For users coming from inkjet printers or even vinyl cutters, that experience is dramatically different from every other CO2 machine on this list.

Cut performance reflects the 45W output honestly. We cut 3mm basswood cleanly in one pass at 20mm/s — solid result. On 6mm acrylic, we required two passes at 15mm/s to achieve a clean cut, which is slower than the P2’s single-pass result on equivalent material. That is the wattage difference showing up in real work — the 45W tube simply deposits less energy per unit time.

The cloud dependency is real and worth taking seriously. We tested this directly: with the Wi-Fi router disconnected, the Glowforge will not run any jobs. It cannot run offline. If your internet goes down during a production run, you stop. For a home user or a small maker studio with reliable internet, this is rarely a problem. For a production shop or anyone in an area with inconsistent connectivity, it is a material operational risk.

The passthrough slot on the Pro model is a genuine differentiator. It lets you feed material that is longer than the work area through the machine in segments, enabling production of signs, long boards, or banners that would otherwise require a machine with a physically larger bed. The Glowforge app manages the alignment between segments automatically.

The inability to use LightBurn is the software limitation that matters most for experienced users. If you have a diode laser setup and already know LightBurn well, re-learning the Glowforge app’s workflow is a real adjustment. The Glowforge app is good, but it does not have the parametric control, job queue management, or camera overlay precision that LightBurn provides.

3. OMTech 60W — Best CO2 Laser for Production Volume

OMTech 60W

★★★★☆

✓ Pros

• Largest work area at its price tier, deepest single-session cut capability tested, Ruida controller is industry standard, production-rated throughput, LightBurn compatible

✗ Cons

• 45 minutes of initial calibration required, significantly louder than enclosed competitors, large physical footprint, no camera positioning system

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The OMTech 60W is what you buy when output throughput and raw cutting depth are more important than ease of use or form factor. It is louder, larger, and requires more initial setup than any other machine in this roundup — and in exchange it delivers the largest usable bed area and the deepest single-session cuts we recorded.

Specs

Our Test Results

Initial setup required 45 minutes of calibration — mirror alignment, focal height verification, and bed leveling. This is not unusual for open-chassis CO2 machines; it is simply the reality of the form factor. Users upgrading from a K40 machine will already know this process. First-time CO2 buyers should budget time and patience.

Once calibrated, the 60W tube shows its capability clearly. We cut 6mm acrylic in a single pass at 12mm/s and 85% power — edge quality comparable to the P2, which is the right result for a 60W machine. The slight speed disadvantage versus the P2 (12mm/s vs 25mm/s on 3mm acrylic) reflects the difference in tube quality and machine dynamics rather than raw wattage.

The standout result in our testing was 12mm birch plywood, cut through in two passes at 6mm/s. That is the deepest single-session cut of any machine we tested this year. If you regularly work with thick hardwoods — cutting box joints in 12mm Baltic birch, producing structural components in thick plywood — the OMTech is the machine in this roundup designed for that work.

The 400 x 600mm usable bed area accommodated a full 12" x 24" tile in a single job without repositioning, which none of the other machines in this roundup can match. For production engraving of memorial tiles, kitchen tiles, or large-format slate pieces, that bed size changes the economics of each piece significantly.

Running noise is the most significant practical constraint. At one meter, the OMTech operates at an industrial noise floor — noticeably louder than both the P2 and Glowforge. It is not appropriate for a shared office environment. A dedicated workspace with ear protection during operation is the appropriate context.

The Ruida controller is industry standard for a reason: it is reliable, well-documented, and LightBurn’s native integration is excellent. Any LightBurn setting or profile you develop on this machine will transfer directly to any other Ruida-controlled machine you ever use.

4. Sculpfun SF-A9 60W — Best Mid-Range CO2 Value

Sculpfun SF-A9 60W

★★★★☆

✓ Pros

• Large 600 x 400mm work area, strong single-pass cut performance, LightBurn and LaserGRBL compatible, semi-enclosed design, competitive value at this wattage

✗ Cons

• Brand ecosystem smaller than xTool or Glowforge, community resources less developed, fewer first-party accessories

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The Sculpfun SF-A9 sits in the middle of this roundup’s price-performance spectrum and makes a compelling case for buyers who want 60W CO2 performance with a larger work area but cannot justify the premium of the xTool P2 or the setup overhead of the OMTech.

Specs

Our Test Results

The SF-A9’s 600 x 400mm work area is the largest in the roundup when you account for the combination of width and height — the OMTech’s 400 x 600mm bed has more height but less width. Depending on your material shapes, one or the other configuration may serve you better.

Cut performance was consistently strong across our material set. We cut 6mm clear acrylic in a single pass at 11mm/s — one tick behind the OMTech at 12mm/s on the same material, effectively equivalent in real production use. On 3mm birch plywood, we cut cleanly in a single pass at 30mm/s, which is fast enough to make thin ply production work efficient.

The semi-enclosed design keeps the Sculpfun’s noise floor lower than the OMTech and closer to the xTool P2. It is not as quiet as a fully enclosed machine, but it is manageable in a home studio environment with adequate ventilation.

LightBurn compatibility is full and straightforward — the SF-A9 appeared in LightBurn’s device database without requiring manual configuration, which simplifies initial software setup considerably.

Where the SF-A9 falls short is ecosystem depth. xTool has an extensive accessory library — rotary attachments, risers, conveyor feeders — all designed specifically for their machines. Glowforge has its Proofgrade material catalog. Sculpfun’s ecosystem is smaller, which means you will occasionally be sourcing third-party accessories and adapting community profiles from similar machines rather than using first-party solutions.

For a buyer whose primary need is large-format cutting and engraving of wood and acrylic at a mid-range investment, the SF-A9 is the most work-area-per-dollar machine in this roundup.

5. Thunder Nova 24 — Best for Hobbyists Upgrading from Diode

Thunder Nova 24

★★★★☆

✓ Pros

• Build quality above its price tier, cleanest single-pass thick hardwood cuts at this wattage class, LightBurn native, welded steel chassis, solid community support

✗ Cons

• Work area smaller than OMTech equivalent, limited US dealer network, fewer accessories in ecosystem vs xTool

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If you have been running a diode laser for a year or two, know LightBurn well, and are ready to step up to CO2, the Thunder Nova 24 is built specifically for that transition. It is a properly engineered mid-range CO2 machine that rewards the experience you already have without demanding you start from scratch.

Specs

Our Test Results

The standout result from our Thunder Nova testing was a single-pass cut through 8mm basswood at 8mm/s and 85% power — the cleanest single-pass thick wood cut we recorded at the 60W class. The welded steel chassis contributed here: at high cut speeds through dense material, machine rigidity determines whether your cut line stays true at entry and exit points. On lower-rigidity K40-heritage chassis machines, we see slight entry-point deflection on thick material cuts that produces a small v-groove at the top of the cut face. The Thunder Nova’s welded steel eliminated that artifact.

Setup and calibration took 30 minutes from unboxing to first job — faster than the OMTech, close to the P2. The Ruida controller’s interface is familiar to anyone who has used a commercial CO2 machine before, and LightBurn connected on the first attempt via USB.

On anodized aluminum, the Nova 24 engraved a 200mm x 200mm photo portrait with 138 distinct grayscale tones. That is good result — slightly behind the P2’s 142-tone count on basswood, but anodized aluminum is a more demanding surface for tonal engraving than basswood, so direct comparison is not straightforward. The marking consistency across the aluminum surface was even with no visible banding artifacts.

The Red Dot pointer for material positioning is a step down from the camera-based system on the P2 and Glowforge, but it is effective for experienced users. If you have aligned work manually on a diode laser before, the Red Dot workflow will feel immediately familiar.

The limited US dealer network is the practical concern worth flagging. Warranty service and support for Thunder laser products in the US involves either return shipping to the dealer or sourcing replacement parts independently. xTool and Glowforge both have stronger domestic support infrastructure. For users comfortable with DIY maintenance — which covers most experienced diode laser users — this is a manageable trade-off. For buyers who want easy warranty service, it is worth weighing.

How to Choose a CO2 Laser Engraver

Wattage: What the Numbers Actually Mean

In CO2 machines, wattage determines cutting depth per pass and maximum cutting speed. A 55W machine cuts the same 6mm acrylic as a 60W machine — but the 60W machine may do it slightly faster or with better edge quality on a single pass at equivalent settings. The relationship is not linear: a 60W tube is not 50% more capable than a 40W tube. The difference between 40W and 60W is meaningful for thick material cutting; the difference between 55W and 60W matters mainly at the margins.

What wattage actually determines in practice:

• Under 45W: Good for thin materials (3mm and under) and engraving. Struggles with single-pass cuts on 6mm+ material.
• 45–55W: The versatile middle range. Handles most maker and small business work. Single-pass acrylic up to 6mm.
• 60W+: Production cutting, thick hardwoods (10mm+), maximum throughput.

Work Area: Match Your Actual Materials

The work area you need is determined by the largest single piece you need to process in one job. If you regularly work with 12" x 12" tiles, a 300 x 300mm bed is the minimum — and you will want more headroom. If you produce 24"-long signs, you need either a 600mm+ bed dimension or the Glowforge Pro’s passthrough slot.

A common mistake is buying a machine with a work area significantly larger than you need. Larger beds mean larger machines with larger footprints, more powerful exhaust requirements, and higher prices. Be honest about your largest realistic single-piece dimension rather than imagining theoretical future projects.

Enclosed vs Open Frame

Every machine in this roundup is enclosed or semi-enclosed, and that is intentional. Open-frame CO2 machines exist at lower price points, but they require external enclosures for safe operation and are not appropriate for home studio or shared workspace use. CO2 laser exhaust contains VOCs and particulates; proper enclosure and ventilation are not optional.

For most buyers, a semi-enclosed machine (xTool P2, Sculpfun SF-A9) or fully enclosed machine (Glowforge, Thunder Nova 24) with an external inline fan exhausting to the outdoors or through a filtration unit is the correct setup.

Software Ecosystem

Note (2026): The xTool P2 has been succeeded by the xTool P2S, which adds 2x faster acceleration and an AI camera upgrade. Both remain available — see our P2S review for the full comparison.

LightBurn is the industry standard for CO2 laser software, and compatibility with LightBurn is a meaningful quality signal for a machine. Every machine in this roundup except the Glowforge Pro runs LightBurn. If you already know LightBurn from a diode laser, your settings knowledge, material profiles, and workflow transfer directly to any LightBurn-compatible CO2 machine.

Glowforge App is purpose-built for the Glowforge ecosystem. It is genuinely excellent for its intended user — someone who wants a guided, cloud-managed experience. But it cannot be used on any other machine, and LightBurn cannot be used on the Glowforge.

xTool Creative Space works alongside LightBurn on xTool machines and adds camera-positioning functionality that LightBurn does not natively support for the P2’s camera.

Who Should Read Our Beginner Guide First

If you are still deciding between diode and CO2, or you are not sure whether CO2 is the right step up for your current projects, read our best laser engraver for beginners guide before finalizing a decision. CO2 machines at this tier are capable tools that reward users who understand their material requirements going in.