xTool F1 Review 2026: Is the Portable Dual Laser Worth $1,299?

Quick Answer: The xTool F1 is the fastest portable dual-laser engraver you can buy in 2026 — around $1,299. It uses a galvo mirror system to hit 4,000 mm/s (roughly 10× a typical open-frame diode) and pairs a 2W 1064nm infrared laser that marks bare metal in seconds with a 10W 455nm blue diode for wood, acrylic, and leather. The catch is a small 115×115mm work area and a price well above budget diodes. Buy it for jewelry, metal marking, and craft-fair personalization; if you need a bigger bed and full cutting power, get the xTool S1, and for production metal work step up to the F1 Ultra.

The xTool F1 carved out a category of its own: a genuinely portable, briefcase-sized machine that engraves both metal and wood at speeds no gantry diode can touch. This review covers what it actually does, where the galvo speed and dual lasers pay off, how it stacks up against the pricier F1 Ultra and the enclosed xTool S1, and who should buy it.

xTool F1 at a glance

xTool F1 by the numbers

• The F1 engraves at up to 4,000 mm/s using a galvo mirror system rather than a moving gantry (per MakerHacks) — because it steers the beam with fast mirrors instead of accelerating a heavy laser head, it’s roughly 10× faster than a typical open-frame diode running at ~100–400 mm/s.
• It combines a 2W 1064nm infrared laser with a 10W 455nm blue diode in one machine (per xTool) — the IR laser marks bare metals like steel, brass, and titanium in seconds, while the diode covers wood, acrylic, and leather, so a single desktop unit spans jewelry to signage.
• The work area is 4.5”×4.5” (115×115mm) (per Tom’s Hardware) — small by design, which is the price of galvo speed and portability; it’s sized for tags, tumbler blanks, jewelry, and pens rather than large panels.
• Reviewers consistently rate it as one of the fastest and most portable engravers on the market, praising it for craft fairs and on-site personalization (per Hobby Laser Cutters) — the compact, premium enclosed body is the reason it became the go-to machine for live, sell-while-you-engrave setups.

What the xTool F1 does well

Speed is the headline. The galvo system runs at up to 4,000 mm/s with no gantry to shake, so batch jobs — 50 tumbler tags, a tray of jewelry blanks — finish in a fraction of the time an open-frame diode needs. For anyone selling personalization live, that throughput is the whole business case.

The dual laser is a genuine two-machines-in-one. The 2W IR module engraves bare metal — the one thing budget blue diodes fundamentally can’t do without marking spray — while the 10W diode handles wood, acrylic, and leather. That combo makes the F1 uniquely versatile for makers who mix materials, and it’s why it shows up in our best laser engraver for metal and best laser engraver for jewelry picks.

It’s built to travel and to sell. The compact, enclosed body with a built-in camera for positioning makes it far more home- and booth-friendly than an open Class-4 gantry. That portability and the safer enclosure are why it’s a favorite for craft-fair and small-business use — see our best laser engraver for small business roundup.

The base F1, the RA2 Pro rotary for tumblers and rings, and the smoke-purifier bundle are all listed on Amazon, and pricing moves with xTool’s frequent promotions.

xTool F1 vs xTool F1 Ultra

The two machines target different buyers. The standard F1 is the portable personalizer: dual laser, 4,000 mm/s, small bed, priced for hobbyists and side hustles. The F1 Ultra is a production tool — its 20W fiber laser deep-engraves and cuts metal (thin stainless, brass, aluminum) rather than just marking it, runs at 10,000 mm/s over a larger 220×220mm bed, and adds a 16MP camera with batch “Auto Streamline” workflow, per xTool. If your work is jewelry, tags, and mixed-material personalization, the F1 is plenty; if you’re cutting metal parts or running volume production, the Ultra’s extra ~$2,100 buys real capability. For a fuller picture of the brand’s range, see our Glowforge vs xTool comparison.

Where the xTool F1 falls short

• The work area is tiny. At 115×115mm, the F1 is sized for jewelry, tags, pens, and tumbler faces (with the rotary), not panels or large signs. If you need a big bed, the xTool S1 (498×319mm) or an open-frame diode is the better tool.
• It marks metal, it doesn’t cut it. The 2W IR laser is superb for engraving and marking bare metal, but it can’t cut through steel or deep-etch like a 20W+ fiber. For that you need the F1 Ultra or a dedicated fiber laser engraver.
• Price is high for a diode’s cutting power. You’re paying for galvo speed and the IR laser, not thick-material cutting. Pound-for-pound cutting capacity, an open-frame 10W diode costs a third as much — see our best budget laser engraver guide.
• XCS-first software. The F1 is tuned around xTool Creative Space and its camera framing; if you’re committed to LightBurn on a GRBL machine, the workflow is different here.

Who should buy the xTool F1

The xTool F1 is the right machine if speed, portability, and metal-marking matter more than a big bed. It’s ideal for jewelry makers, tumbler and tag sellers, and anyone personalizing products live at markets or in a small studio — its enclosed body and galvo throughput are built for exactly that. It’s not the pick if you need to cut thick material, engrave large panels, or work on a tight budget. For most sellers who want to mark metal and wood fast in a machine they can carry, the F1 remains in a class of its own in 2026 — and a standout entry in our overall best laser engraver and best portable laser engraver rankings.

Ready to buy? Compare the base F1, the RA2 Pro rotary, and the purifier bundle and check today’s price: