What Kind of Laser Is Glowforge? (And Why It’s Not a Fiber Laser)

Glowforge is not a fiber laser. Glowforge uses a CO2 laser tube, and the Glowforge Aura’s laser power is roughly 40W. If you’ve been searching for “1550 fiber laser” or “industrial fiber laser engraver” because you need to engrave bare metal, a Glowforge is the wrong tool for that job. I learned this the expensive way.

Back in 2021, I bought a Glowforge Pro for my small workshop. I assumed a desktop laser cutter could handle anything a client threw at it. Then a restaurant owner asked me to engrave their logo on 30 stainless steel serving trays. I ran one test on the back of a tray, watched the laser do almost nothing, and then ran it a second time with higher power. That second pass left a faint brown mark that wiped off with a finger. I had to refund the $450 deposit and tell them I wasn’t equipped. That mistake pushed me to learn exactly what kind of laser Glowforge uses and what it can and can’t do.

The Quick Answer: Glowforge Is a CO2 Laser

Glowforge machines — including the Aura, Plus, and Pro — all use a sealed CO2 laser tube. The laser beam is generated by exciting a carbon dioxide gas mixture. CO2 lasers output at a wavelength of about 10.6 micrometers, which is far-infrared. That wavelength is very well absorbed by non-metallic materials like wood, acrylic, leather, paper, glass, and coated metals.

The Glowforge Aura's laser power is 40W, according to Glowforge’s official specifications (glowforge.com, accessed February 2025). The Plus is rated at 45W and the Pro at 50W. For clarity: that’s the electrical input to the tube, not the peak pulse power. In practice, the 40W Aura will cut thin basswood plywood, engrave glass, and cut ⅛” acrylic cleanly. It’s a legitimate entry-level tool for small businesses doing creative work — just not for industrial metal engraving.

What About ‘1550 Fiber Laser’ and ‘Industrial Fiber Laser Engraver’?

Fiber lasers are a completely different technology. They use an optical fiber doped with rare-earth elements as the gain medium. Most fiber laser engravers targeted at businesses emit at approximately 1064nm wavelength, not 1550nm. The 1550nm wavelength exists and is used in telecommunications and some LIDAR systems, but it’s not what you want for direct metal marking. If you searched for “1550 fiber laser” because you thought all fiber lasers are 1550nm, that’s the first misconception to drop.

An industrial fiber laser engraver — like a 20W or 30W MOPA fiber laser — operates at 1064nm. That wavelength is absorbed directly by bare metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and titanium. It produces high-contrast dark or black marks on metal without relying on coatings. It’s also faster for some plastic marking jobs. But these machines cost much more than a Glowforge. A quality 20W fiber laser from a known brand typically runs $2,500 to $4,500 as of early 2025. And they are not as friendly for cutting wood or acrylic — that’s still CO2 territory.

(Should mention: some industrial CO2 lasers are used for plastic and wood cutting, but they’re not called “fiber lasers.” The keyword mix of “glowforge aura laser power” and “industrial fiber laser engraver” suggests people are trying to figure out which one to buy — and the answer is rarely “both” starting out.)

From My Mistakes: What Glowforge Is Actually Good For

After my stainless steel failure, I kept the Glowforge. I just learned where its boundaries are. Here’s where a CO2 Glowforge works well:

• Cutting and engraving wood — especially basswood, plywood, and cedar
• Engraving acrylic (both cast and extruded) and cutting thin acrylic sheets
• Etching glass — wine glasses, bottles, mirrors
• Leather engraving and cutting
• Marking anodized aluminum — because the anodized coating absorbs CO2 light
• Creating detailed halftone engravings on coated metal like laserable stainless steel sheets

What it can’t do, no matter how many passes you try, is engrave bare metal. The CO2 beam just reflects off the surface. I wasted about $230 one afternoon trying different power settings on a scrap piece of aluminum. Honestly, I knew better. I'd read the spec sheet. But I wanted it to work.

That’s what I mean by the quality perception point: when a client gets a bad engraving, they don’t think “wrong tool.” They think “this shop doesn’t know what it’s doing.” The $50 I saved by not outsourcing the metal work cost me a $450 deposit and a repeat customer.

So Which One Should You Buy?

If your work is mostly wood, acrylic, leather, glass, and other non-metals — a Glowforge Aura at 40W is a solid starting machine. The Aura is actually a great value if you’re doing craft fairs, small Etsy orders, or personalized gifts. Its cloud-based software is easy, and the camera-setup feature makes alignment painless. I use a Glowforge Pro in my shop, but I’ve tested the Aura at a friend’s studio; for light engraving and thin cutting, the workflow feels remarkably similar to the Pro.

If your main revenue is engraving serial numbers on steel tools, marking brass plaques, or producing metal nameplates day in and day out — get an industrial fiber laser engraver. A 20W MOPA fiber laser will handle most of those jobs. You won’t be able to cut wood or acrylic with it reliably, but you won’t need to.

There is a middle ground: coat bare metal with laser marking spray (a ceramic-based compound) and then laser with a CO2 machine. That’s a workaround, not a solution for production. The coating adds time, mess, and inconsistent results. I’ve used it for a few one-off trophies, but I wouldn’t quote a 200-piece job that way.

Borderline Cases and Things I Wish I’d Known

A few extra notes from real experience:

• Glowforge can engrave anodized aluminum, but bare aluminum is a hard no.
• The Glowforge Aura’s 40W is fine for small text and shallow cuts. Don’t expect deep cuts in thick hardwood; use multiple passes and expect charring.
• If you need both wood and metal capability, consider buying a cheap CO2 laser for wood and outsource metal engraving to a local shop until you have consistent volume. It’s what I recommend to friends now.
• “1550 fiber laser” is a jump from a different domain — double-check the wavelength before purchasing any fiber machine. 1064nm is the engraving standard.
• Prices change fast. Verify current Glowforge pricing at glowforge.com, and compare fiber laser quotes from multiple suppliers before committing.

I’ve come to believe that there is no single perfect laser machine for every small business. The right machine depends on the material that makes up your most profitable jobs. For me, that was wood and acrylic, so Glowforge made sense. For you, if every other quote is for brass tags and steel blades, start looking at a fiber laser.

In the end, the worst mistake is not choosing the “best” brand. It’s choosing a laser technology that doesn’t match your client’s needs — and then trying to force it. I’ve got a drawer full of ruined test pieces to prove that.