I feel like no matter what I do it’s not venting correctly. We bought the better hose and got the insert for our window to properly hold it into place but it still smells and I get a little headache when I use it. Feeling really frustrated and frankly worried about what I’m breathing in. I know MINIMAL about these things. ANy help or support would be a blessing.
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That sucks you’re having issues. Let’s see if any of us can help you come up with solutions. First - keep in mind some people just have better noses than others, so you may be one of the lucky ones 
First I’d try to verify if anything really is escaping. Presuming you’ve stuck with the length/turn maximums in the manual then your internal fan should be powerful enough to clear everything. Also verify that you don’t have anything blocking the intake fan under the right side.
You can check your exhaust tonight (you need a dark room) by starting an engrave of something (just so you have the highest “dust” coming out), turn off all the lights, and lay a blanket over the top of your forge (to block the light). Then with a flashlight, go over every piece of your exhaust system. See if you find any spots where you can see exhaust coming out. If you do - great - that’s the spot you need to cover (if you find one, still go over everything else because there could be more than one).
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Check your sash gap in the window, check your joints to make sure they aren’t leaking. I had to use aluminum sealing tape on the joints to get them to seal, even after installing a double-wall hose.
I run an air purifier right next to the GF while in operation and for at least several hours afterward. With these steps, the majority of the smell comes from the leftovers that you just took out of the unit. Take those outside or get them in a sealed container and they won’t smell.
You will always have some odor, it is pretty much unavoidable. If you react, use a respirator.
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I’m so sorry to hear your Glowforge is having issues with venting.
When your Glowforge is properly set up, you may have some harmless odor during printing which will rapidly dissipate. You may also smell something when you open the Glowforge lid after a print is complete. This is not harmful.
However, if you detect a strong, sharp smell that also causes eyes, nose, or throat irritation, or if there is visible smoke escaping while the lid is closed, shut off your Glowforge unit immediately. Smoke and fumes could be entering the room in excessive concentrations.
We’ve created a troubleshooting guide with illustrations. You can see it here:
Hi @keeferwoodworks. It’s been a couple days since David’s response, and I wanted to check in to see if you’re still running into any venting issues with your Glowforge. Feel free to let us know if the suggestions in David’s Support page link were able to help, and if not, we’ll be here to assist with any troubleshooting next steps. Thanks!
Hi @keeferwoodworks. It’s been a while since we’ve seen any activity or responses I’ll go ahead and close this thread, but feel free to start a new thread, or write us at support@glowforge.com, you run into any further trouble. We’ll be here happy to help. Thanks!