Once you've decided you want to purchase a Mirrix Loom you have an important decision ahead of you: Which size should you buy?
Generally speaking there are five main things you'll want to consider:
Price: When pricing our looms we've tried to make the differences between each size small enough that customers choose a loom based on their needs rather than price, but obviously price will always be a consideration!
Project Size: The larger the loom, the bigger the project you can make! We recommend thinking about the largest piece you may want to make on your loom (width and height) and using that to determine the loom or looms that will fit your needs.
Shedding Device: Our looms 16" and larger all come standard with a shedding device. Visit this page for more on what the shedding device is. If you have a loom with a shedding device you can put it on the loom or not depending on the project. The Saffron Pocket Loom and The 5" Mini Mirrix do not come with a shedding device. The The 8" Lani Looms and The 12" Little Guy Looms are available with or without one. If you purchase one of these looms without one, you can always add one on later.
Portability: Every Mirrix Loom is relatively portable, but some are much more portable than others! If you want to travel with your loom, weave with your loom on your lap or have limited storage space, we definitely recommend keeping portability in mind when choosing which loom best fits your needs. On each loom product page there is a "stats" heading under which you can find the weight, width and height of each loom.
Buying a Second Loom: You may also want to think about whether you'll be purchasing another loom in the future. If you're trying to decide between the The 12" Little Guy Loom and The 16" Big Sister Loom and think you may also want a 22" Zach Loom in the future, it might be a better idea to get The 12" Little Guy Loom now and then The 22" Zach Loom later on rather than having two looms closer in size ( The 16" Big Sister Loom and The 22" Zach Loom).
Besides these considerations, there are a few differences between some of our looms that are worth noting:
The Saffron Pocket Loom: This loom was developed as a relatively inexpensive and very portable loom. It is less of a "serious" piece of equipment than our other looms, but it's a great loom to buy if you're looking for a throw-in-your-purse size loom (with a tensioning device) or want to try out tapestry weaving without a big investment in equipment!
The 5" Mini Mirrix: The 5" Mini Mirrix comes standard with a No Warp-Ends Kit for bead weaving. The regular warping method is slightly different for this loom, as cord instead of clips to holds the warping bar. This loom is not available with the shedding device.
The 8" Lani Loom: This loom only has ONE fold-out leg. It is available with or without the shedding device.
The 12" Little Guy Loom: This loom is the largest loom we consider a "lap loom", which means that it can be used upright on a table, but also sitting flat on your lap. Take this into consideration when choosing between this loom and a larger one. This loom is available with or without the shedding device.
The 16" Big Sister Loom: This is our best-selling all-around loom for bead weaving and tapestry weaving. If you aren't sure about which size loom you want, this loom is a great and versatile choice.
The 22" Zach Loom: This loom is the largest loom we sell that has the option of adding on loom extenders. These will add an extra 13" of weaving length to this loom.
The 28" McKinley Loom: This loom is a little bit different from our other looms in that it is taller relative to its height than our other looms. This makes it perfect for large and long weavings like table runners.
The 28" McKinley Loom, 32" Joni Loom and 38" Zeus Loom: All of these looms have double top and bottom beams for extra strength.
Still need help? We're happy to give you a free and personalized loom recommendation! Click here!
