Diode vs CO2 vs Fibre Lasers: Which One Do You Need?
Three laser types, three wavelengths, and three very different sets of materials. How to tell which one the work you actually want to do needs.
5 October 2026 · by Nate Calder
The three types of hobby laser differ in wavelength, and wavelength decides which materials the beam is absorbed by. Absorbed light becomes heat, and heat engraves or cuts. A beam that passes through a material, or bounces off it, does nothing.
That is why no laser does everything, and why “how many watts” is the second question, not the first.
The short version
| Diode | CO2 | Fibre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wavelength | ~450 nm (blue) | ~10,600 nm | ~1,064 nm |
| Wood | Engraves well, cuts thin stock | Engraves and cuts thick stock | Marks only |
| Clear acrylic | Cannot cut | Cuts cleanly | No |
| Bare metal | Not really* | Not without coatings | Marks and engraves |
| Leather, card, fabric | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Typical form | Open frame or enclosed desktop | Enclosed desktop, heavy | Compact galvo |
*Many diode machines take an add-on infrared module for bare metal. That module is effectively a small fibre-wavelength laser.
Diode
Diodes are where nearly everyone starts. They are compact, relatively cheap, need no cooling water, and engrave wood, leather, card and coated metals well. They cut thin plywood and basswood. Thicker wood takes several slow passes and leaves a charred edge.
The blind spot is clear and pale acrylic. Blue light passes through it, so the beam has nothing to work on. A diode will cut dark, opaque acrylic, but not clear.
Examples: xTool S1, Creality Falcon2 Pro S, Sculpfun S30 Pro Max.
CO2
A CO2 laser’s long infrared wavelength is absorbed by wood, acrylic, glass, leather, rubber and most organic materials. It cuts clear acrylic with a flame-polished edge, and cuts thick wood in one pass. Glass engraves to a frosted finish.
The costs:
- Weight and space. Desktop CO2 machines weigh tens of kilograms.
- Cooling. The tube needs water cooling.
- Venting. They make much more smoke, and need an exhaust run.
- Tube wear. The tube itself wears out over time.
- Bare metal. CO2 does not mark bare metal without a marking spray.
Example: xTool P2S. Glowforge’s Plus HD and Pro HD are CO2 as well.
Fibre
Fibre lasers are absorbed by metal. They engrave stainless steel, aluminium, brass, silver and gold deeply and fast, and are the standard tool for jewellery, tags and tools. Most use a galvo head, mirrors that steer the beam, which makes them very fast over a small area.
They are poor on wood and useless on clear materials. Unless metal is the business, a fibre laser is a second machine.
How to choose
- Wood, leather, coated tumblers, card: diode.
- Clear acrylic, thick wood, glass, or production speed: CO2.
- Bare metal and jewellery: fibre, or an infrared add-on module for a diode.
If you cannot decide between diode and CO2, start with a diode. Very few people regret starting small, and many regret a 45 kg machine they had nowhere to vent.