Another great addition to the Cricut heat-press toolkit range, with Bluetooth connectivity to quickly customize settings.

Like the Cricut EasyPress 3, the Cricut Hat Press provides an easily accessible option for those looking to expand their heat transfer toolkit. Normally, learning separate temperature ranges for different blank types and materials would be its own endeavor. However, the Cricut Heat app combined with the hat press temperature ranges provides an easy way to quickly customize your hats.

For anyone looking for a more concentrated heat transfer device like the Cricut Mug Press, it's a welcome option that won't take up much space.

The Cricut Heat Press introduces another crafting path-specific heat press to Cricut's line-up. For those looking to expand beyond the traditional shirts and bags, the curved design allows for seamless transfer of designs to hats. But with any new crafting opportunity, your time is crucial.

With fast Bluetooth connectivity and the Cricut Heat app, does the Cricut Hat Press offer more than a typical heat press for specialty projects?

If you've already experimented with Cricut's recent Bluetooth-ready Cricut EasyPress 3, there are a few immediate similarities to take into account. Like Cricut's standard heat presses, the Cricut Hat Press excels at the transfer of iron-on heat-transfer vinyl (HTV), infusible inks, and sublimation paper. The curved ceramic-coated heat plate also achieves a maximum temperature of 400 ℉ (205 °C).

However, in contrast, you're dealing with a much smaller heat plate. The curved heat plate of the Cricut Hat Press measures out at 5 in x 3 in (12.7 cm x 7.6 cm).

Whilst the EasyPress 3 remains compact enough to fit inside the likes of a duffel bag, this hat press can be tucked away much more easily. With this said, the Cricut Hat Press doesn't come with its own drawstring bag like other Cricut releases, so you'll want to consider an alternate storage option.

To help with peace of mind and heat management, Cricut once again offers an insulated base and an auto-off feature. While the EasyPress 3 cuts off after ten minutes, the Cricut Hat Press does so after thirteen minutes. Like before, you'll be alerted shortly beforehand with a warning beep.

For easy setting transfer and project prep with the Cricut Heat app, Bluetooth lets you send precise time and temperature settings to the Cricut Hat Press.

For those unfamiliar with the Cricut Heat app, the Cricut Hat Press requires the use of it for activation. Just download the Cricut Heat app and sign in with your Cricut ID.

When pairing the hat press via Bluetooth to the Cricut Heat app, there was no issue with even older mobile devices. Instead, the Cricut Heat app instantly detects the unit. After following the prompts for activation, the Cricut Hat Press is ready to go.

Unlike with the EasyPress 3, there was no suggested sample project to complete. Previously, these were a source of some occasional glitches. So if you're looking to dive right in to either manual operation or assisted operation via the Cricut Heat app, it's a quick matter.

With the Cricut Hat Press, there's no screen depicting your current temperature. Instead, the Cricut Hat Press operates with three generalized heat settings: low, medium, and high. These, in turn, cover a set of temperature ranges to fulfill your projects.

Both low (255 °F – 295 °F) and medium (300 °F – 355 °F) ranges start with a sixty-second timer. The high (360 °F – 400 °F) setting comparatively comes with a default timer of ninety seconds. While, the Cricut Heat app will guide you across your specific blanks and material type, the medium setting covers most materials whereas high is typically used for infusible ink.

If you need to depart from these settings, you're free to edit them from within the app. You're also able to manually change the temperature from the hat press itself using the temperature button. When overriding Cricut Heat's recommended settings, the app will prompt you if it's okay to change the settings for the Hat Press.

With the Cricut Hat press, there are a few variables to familiarize yourself with before starting a new project. Cricut advises that you keep your designs at a maximum of 2.25 inches high by 4.25 inches wide. This is to ensure that there's adequate time to properly press a design in one press cycle.

This also allows for better adhesion with the included Cricut-brand strong heat-resistant tape since you're constantly moving the hat press back and forth during operation against the curved design. Similarly, the included hat pressing form provides an adjustable yet firm surface to prevent air pockets and allow for even transfer of your design.

While it's completely possible to work outside the suggested parameters, there are more variables to account for whenever sizing up. However, more experienced users may feel confident enough to break this from the get-go.

With the Cricut Heat app, there's a focus on being able to easily follow guidance to get more projects done faster. When paired with the likes of Cricut's smart materials and Cricut's newer machines, it's a much more fluid process. When crafting, you'll find yourself more time-gated by your designing and weeding time.

As Cricut ideally suggests a design sized for a single press pass, the Cricut Heat app still doesn't account for multiple presses. So if you're working with a taller or longer design, you'll simply need to press the go button again to repeat the heating process. It's not a major demerit if you're already practiced on smaller designs or feel confident from previous heat transfer projects, but it's still a factor to keep in mind for more advanced designs.

For instance, I decided to do a five-inch width design composed of three different iron-on layers. While I dipped initially into the Cricut Heat app to send the settings to the device, I simply repeated the procedure several times until each layer adhered as was desired. When approaching the brim of the hat, a more delicate motion with adequate pressure needed to be applied to ensure adhesion.

After trying a variety of cut iron-on designs, I also opted to press traditional iron-on patches. Using the default medium setting, the glue backing of each adhered cleanly to the hat. While not specifically addressed in the Cricut Heat app, the Cricut Hat Press served as a quick heat transfer method.

While working with Cricut's trucker hat blank, I did run into an issue with an air pocket where a taller design didn't full adhere to the hat. Prior to pressing, I worked extensively with the hat pressing form to attempt to mold around the more rigid front of the hat. However, I still wasn't able to get it as smooth as desired, and the transfer results weren't as desirable.

The Cricut Heat app and hat press does do a good job at providing the pressure, timing, and heat you need. However, taking into account your design's size and positioning relative to your blank is still crucial. While this was the only error I ran into while working outside the suggested parameters, it's a more realistic concern when working with a curved surface.

With the relative easy of iron-on with the Cricut Hat Press, I always consider the use of infusible ink to be a more advanced trial. While it does allow for a wider array of colors, users do have to pay more attention to the layering of butcher paper to prevent the likes of bleed. With the Cricut Hat Press and the constant motion of the heat process, it's advised to at least check out the Cricut Heat app for some initial guidance on how to layer your design appropriately.

While I cut two different colored infusible ink designs and pressed them side by side in multiple passes, I didn't run into any real problems with the transfer. As I used two slightly different-sized designs, you do have to be mindful to adequately spread the heat across the design area. At the highest heat setting on the Cricut Hat Press and with the default press time of ninety seconds, it's a much more forgivable time frame for most.

For those looking to layer their colors more and tweak their effects by playing with the heating on the ink, there's plenty of experimental exploration for those using infusible ink pens or sheets.

For those on the fence about the Cricut Hat Press, it's largely a question of what type of designs do you want to transfer. While Cricut's usual heat presses offer a wide variety of materials, the Cricut Hat Press offers an inexpensive heat press option for those looking to explore different kinds of hats. If you're not a fan of headwear, it's a much greater limitation compared to the likes of the EasyPress 3, but it's an easier area to self-judge.

But if you're looking for an easy way to integrate into another style of personalized, custom crafting then the Cricut Hat Press is an affordable option. While there's some minor restrictions to account for, it's overall an excellent way to transfer a variety of designs.

James is a Staff Writer for MakeUseOf and lover of words. After finishing off his B.A. in English, he has chosen to pursue his passions in all matters of tech, entertainment, and the gaming sphere. He hopes to reach, educate, and discuss with others via the written word.

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