Should you buy the Cricut BrightPad Go?
Best answer: It depends on your needs. If you need backlighting for your craft projects, this is a great solution. Otherwise, a good task lamp will help.
Lightbox on the go
When you create intricate projects with your Cricut Maker, Cricut Explore, or Cricut Joy crafting/cutting machine, you'll need to "weed" it (remove the unwanted bits around the design.) This can be time-consuming and tricky if you don't have enough light.
A good task lamp would be my first recommendation, but the Cricut BrightPad Go is an excellent pick if you need light from underneath. A lightbox like the Cricut BrightPad Go is also useful for tracing.
Why Cricut BrightPad Go?
It has five light levels, the highest level being 4200 lumens, and a nice evenly-lit surface. The BrightPad Go is portable and lightweight, with a lit area of 11.5-by-9 inches. You'll get up to two hours of light on a single charge. The USB charging cable and wall adapter you'll need are included.
The blue non-slip base won't slide around if you're using it on a desk or other smooth surface. It's an upgrade from the previous BrightPad, which was corded and had just three light levels. There are cheaper lightboxes to be found, but they don't always have such an evenly lit screen.
Don't use your iPad, please
You can use the Design Space app on your iPad to create your designs, but please don't use your iPad as a lightbox when weeding! The weeding tool is sharp and can damage your iPad's screen. The Cricut BrightPad Go is designed specifically for weeding and will resist scratches from weeding tools with a 6H hardness surface.
But do you need it?
The Cricut BrightPad Go is an excellent addition to the lineup of Cricut accessories and makes a great companion for your Cricut machine. I've used the BrightPad Go for weeding a couple of different projects, and I find that I prefer a good task lamp over a lightbox where the light is coming up at me.
It really depends on what you're doing and your personal preference. For tracing, of course, you need the light coming up through your layers. But for weeding, the idea of a lightbox is something I've seen debated in the various online Cricut forums I visit.
Bottom line
If you want a lightbox for your crafting projects, I can certainly recommend the Cricut BrightPad Go. The even lighting, hard scratch-resistant surface, 2-hour battery life, five-light levels up to 4200 lumens, generous 11.5-by-9-inch surface area, and non-slip base make it hard to beat. Whether you're weeding a project you've cut on your Cricut machine, or you're tracing something, the Cricut BrightPad Go is an excellent accessory to own.
Light to go
Free yourself from cords and weed or trace to your heart's delight. This ultra-thin lightbox will give you the backlighting your need.
