Want to know about the best rotary cutters for quilting? This post is all about rotary cutters, what they are and what they’re used for.
And I don’t just use my cutter for quilting. I also use the cutter for cutting out my fabric for other sewing projects. Like my doll clothes fabric, scrunchie fabric, pot holder fabric and more.
A rotary cutter is a great time saver and makes an easier quilting experience, when you’re cutting out quilt fabric. Because you can cut multiple layers of fabric at one time and quickly cut long strips of fabric.
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What is a Rotary Cutter?

Before I show you the best rotary cutters. I’m going to explain what a rotary cutter is.
Rotary cutters are tools used to cut fabric. They have a round, sharp blade and a handle. To me they kind of look like a pizza cutter with it’s circular blade.
Most of the time they’re used for cutting quilt fabric, but they can be used for scrapbooking by cutting paper.
A rotary cutter is the best tool for cutting really straight lines and getting a clean cut in your fabric. You’ll use a cutter with a cutting mat, more commonly called a self-healing mat.
Can you change the blades on a Rotary Cutter?
Yes, you can replace your old rotary cutter blades with a new blade. In fact you can buy packs of replacement blades online or in your quilting store.
This is a good thing to know, because if you’re cutting a lot of fabric. Or, if you cut paper with you rotary cutter (paper can really dull your rotary blade quickly).
You’ll need to change your blade more often. And it’s more budget friendly to buy a pack of replacement blades, then to buy another rotary cutter whenever the blade gets dull.
What sizes of Rotary Cutters are there?
There are different sizes of rotary cutter out there. The size of the handles may very a little bit. But the blade is what is in various sizes.

There is a variety of blade sizes out there. The best rotary cutter size to me is my favorite the 45 mm blade sizes. There is also 60mm size rotary cutters and smaller blade size of 28mm and 18mm.
The 45mm is probably the most commonly used size. But, the larger blades are great if you have a lot of fabric to cut or thick fabric. And the smaller blades are great for the more detailed, small cuts and curves.
Are Rotary Cutters better than Fabric Scissors?
To be honest there is a place for both of these in a sewing project. I use both fabric scissors and rotary cutters.
If I’m needing to cut a straight edge, then I will use a rotary cutter. But, if I need to cut out a piece that curves a lot or is really small, then I’ll use fabric scissors.

To me neither is better than the other, they’re both great sewing tools. I like them both and some seamstresses may like one better than the other. But, it’s really just personal preference. Or, what you need it for at the time.
1. Fiskars Classic Loop Rotary Cutter
Now, I’m going to show you some of the best rotary cutters. The first one is the one I use all the time and it is the first rotary cutter I actually got. This is a Fiskars classic loop rotary cutter.
To me this one has a comfortable grip. And I have never had my hand slip and make any accidental cuts using this one.
The blade on this rotary cutter is easy to change. This is a 45 mm rotary cutter and the perfect size for cutting my fabric. And if you need extra blades Here is the replacement blades I use for my rotary cutter.
2. Fiskars Ergo Control Rotary Cutter
Here is a Fiskars 60 mm cutter. The larger size is great for cutting multiple layers and thicker fabrics.
This is one of those ergonomic rotary cutters. And the blade will automatically retract when you let go of the handle. I like the sliding blade protection, so you can keep from cutting yourself.

3. Olfa Quick Change Rotary Cutter
Since I had a couple of Fiskars rotary cutters in this post. I decide I needed another brand, and Olfa cutters is another great brand of rotary cutters.
This is a Olfa quick change cutter that has a straight design. The blade guard on this rotary cutter is made so you can use your right hand or for left-handed use.
4. Olfa 18mm Quick Change Rotary Cutter
Here is a smaller rotary cutter for those smaller more intricate cuts. And this one is also a right or left handed design. Smaller rotary cutters are also great for tight curves.
​When using rotary cutters you’ll also need to use rotary mats. I have 3 different mat, a large mat, a smaller mat and a rotary mat. I also have 2 different types of rotary cutters, but I mainly stick with my 45mm.

Extra
Now, whenever I cut out my fabric for a quilt, I always use my rotary cutter. Because I can cut my fabric more accurately with a rotary cutter. And with more accurate cuts, you’re less likely to have a distorted or wonky quilt block.
Along with the cutting surface a quilting ruler is needed too. A quilting ruler is a acrylic ruler that has grid lines markings to help you cut your fabric more accurately. You can use square rulers, rectangle rulers or triangle rulers.
I showed you a couple of different rotary cutters you can use. But, beside styles and different rotary cutter sizes there is also different colors of rotary cutters out there.

There are also other great brands of rotary cutters out there. I just place the two brands I like the best in this post.
I hope that I have helped you figure out a little bit more about rotary cutters in time for your next quilting project. Thank you for reading this post and I hope that you enjoyed it.
Check out some of my other quilting posts
- Picking The Best Quilt Batting for Quilting Beginners.
- 25 Adorable and Free Baby Quilt Patterns to Sew.
- The Ultimate Guide to Quilt Sizes and Dimensions.
- Beautiful Ideas for Making Unique Quilt Borders.
- How to Sew Half Square Triangles for Beginners.