Top 5 Best Sewing Machines to Buy

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Sewing can be a favorite pastime, a lifelong hobby, or a source of income; you need to invest in a good one as much as possible.

But the question of what could be a good sewing machine for you may be tricky.

It depends on many factors: the reason for buying a sewing machine, your skillset, the specs and features that a sewing machine has, the price, and even the brand name.

All of them can impact the idea of what is best, and their interplay and balance will largely determine what is best.

Nevertheless, we all agree that some are better than others, talking about sewing machines.

To help you decide what might be the best sewing machine on the market, we have come up with a list of which you can make your choice. 

See More: Want to know more about sewing terminologies?

Best Sewing Machine On The Market: Our Top Selection

Here is the list of our best sewing machines in every category

1. Janome Derby Machine: Best Budget

If you want a sewing machine that can do all those simple things, like hemming, mending some rips, repairing some clothes, and putting stitches on your baby’s clothes, this one from Janome is the most inexpensive.

Janome Derby Machine

It can give you limited options, costing only seventy dollars, but you can have all the basics and essentials you need.

It has 200 stitches, featuring a straight stitch, basic, and decorative ones; it has six one-step buttonholes and four presser feet that allow you to deal with some materials.

This one is very light, not only on your pocket but literally; it only weighs five pounds.

So if you are a hobbyist attending a sewing class or like to bring your sewing machine everywhere, this might be the best machine for you.

Pros

  • It has simple but essential features.
  • It is very light and portable.
  • It is very inexpensive.
  • It comes with a lot of accessories.

Cons

  • It has limited functions and options.
  • It is not as durable as others.

Verdict: You may question, how can a $70 mechanical sewing machine make it to the list of the best?

For so low, you can have as many options and accessories as possible, and though it may have limited functions, it performs well and can give you quality stitches.

Add to that the fact that it is very light, portable, and be taken anywhere, then it adds to the appeal of this mechanical machine. It is not a heavy-duty machine, but it has so much to offer for its price.

This one will benefit those casual hobbyists and others who sew as a pastime.

2. Brother XM2701: Best For Beginners

Brother sewing machines are famous for being user-friendly and having excellent features; this one is no exception.

Even though it is as simple as it can be, with only 27 built-in stitches, beginners would love some of its facets because it makes for an excellent sewing experience.

Brother XM2701

It can run up to 800 stitches per minute, a speed that beginners enjoy. Its bobbin system and automatic needle threader pose no problem; you need only worry about stitching and nothing else.

It is also very light, at twelve pounds, ideal for a beginner attending a sewing class.

Pros

  • Beginners will quickly learn sewing due to its simplicity and user-friendly features.
  • It is very light, portable, and ideal for bringing anywhere.
  • Its automatic features are impressive.
  • At $130, it is very much affordable.
  • It has excellent speed for a beginner, 800 stitches per minute.
  • It has six presser feet.

Cons

  • It does not have any speed control feature

Verdict: Beginners who love their sewing machines to have speed will enjoy this one, especially with all those user-friendly features.

It does not have a lot of options, but those are enough for sewists and hobbyists who want to learn sewing; its characteristics would make them love the activity.

And you can have all of it, plus quality stitching, for over a hundred dollars, not bad at all.

3. Brother SE1900: Best Sewing And Embroidery Machine

There are many contenders for this; after all, combo machines abound in the market, but we choose one with the perfect balance of performance, quality, and easy operability.

We also consider other features like advanced technology, embroidery, and available accessories.

Brother SE1900

Brother SE1900 provides the right balance; it is excellently performing, high quality, and user-friendly.

It has many advanced features that make for easy operability and has many accessories, all of which come at a very reasonable price.

It has 138 with 11 fonts and 240 built-in stitches that come with eight presser feet; these are ideal for sewists of whatever skills; they do not present too much nor present little.

But if you are unsatisfied with embroidery designs, you can upload your own too.

Pros

  • It is easy to use and operate.
  • It has superior advanced technology and automatic features.
  • It is very versatile.
  • LCD touchscreen provides realistic design previews.
  • There are many embroidery designs and stitch options.
  • It has software that allows you to customize designs
  • The embroidery area of 5×7 inches is ideal for sewists of all types.

Cons

  • Some may not like the sewing machine-price ratio.

Verdict: Brother SE1900 gives you the best possible world for a combo, computerized machine.

As such, it cannot be the absolute, heavy-duty, or elite sewing machine, for it needs to sacrifice some and compensate for others.

The embroidery area may be too small for some; the options may be too much or too few, and it might be too expensive.

But for those looking for the median, the right mix, of a sewing and embroidery machine, what the Brother SE 1900 offers is outstanding.

4. Janome 4120QDC: Best For Making Clothes

Not all buy sewing machines for repairs or pastimes; some have them as a source of income or make clothes as a hobby.

If you are among those who love making clothes for recreation or revenue, then this Janome sewing machine might fit you best.

Janome 4120QDC

Its features are well suited for that sewing task: 120 stitches with fonts of American, European, Cyrillic, and seven presser feet that includes a zigzag foot, zipper foot, buttonhole, blind hemming, and others.

It has a user-friendly LCD, storage that doubles up as a sewing arm, making your sewing area more extensive, and a superb feeding system that makes for precise, even stitching.

It can do 820 stitches per minute, but with versatility, efficiency, and power, you can create your clothing brand in no time.

Pros

  • It has excellent stitch options.
  • The LCD screens make for easy operability.
  • Accessories include seven presser feet.
  • It has a large storage compartment that you can convert into a free arm.
  • The machine can remember any stitch pattern.

Cons

  • There is an issue with the manual thread tension.

Verdict: Those features are ideal for making clothes, and as such, for specific types of fabric. This sewing machine may be unable to deal with other materials, like plastic, rubber, and leather.

And though a sewing machine can be a quilting machine, this one may not be particularly suited. But at less than eight hundred dollars, you can have a sewing machine that can make clothes consistently.

5. Bernina Bernette B77: Best Overall

If you want a heavy-duty sewing machine that is best in everything sewing, can give a top performance, is very durable, and can provide limitless options, this is the one.

It can deal with thick fabrics and do any sewing project easily.

Bernina Bernette B77

This computerized sewing machine has 133 decorative stitches and 35 quilting stitches, all in all, it has 500 different stitches, providing you with limitless options.

This one can take on various sewing projects; it could also be your ideal quilting machine; with its walking foot, it can deal with several layers of fabric.

It is easy to operate because of its advanced technology and other automatic features, like the LCD touchscreen.

It has a stitch width of up to 7mm and can do stitches of up to 1,0000 stitches per minute, but that is stitching consistently and evenly.

Pros

  • It provides you with many stitching options.
  • It has an excellent feed system.
  • It is a high-speed but reliable machine.
  • It has incredible automatic and advanced features.
  • It can handle bulky materials and is ideal as a quilting machine.
  • It can do any sewing project, from clothes to repair to designs.
  • It can take any thick fabric or heavy material.

Cons

  • It is costly.
  • The electrical components are subject to a two-year warranty only.

Verdict: The only reason many will not have this one is its prohibitive price; otherwise, it is as excellent as any machine.

It provides you with many options, can handle all sorts of material, and can take on any sewing projects.

It has excellent performance, and it has quality stitching, it has speed. Its features and available accessories make it easier to operate than other machines.

And it comes from Bernina, a sewing machine brand known for quality. All those things make this one of the best, if not the ultimate, sewing machine.

Some Things To Consider

We, sewists, have different skillset and needs, so you need to look at some things to find the best sewing machine.

The Quality

It would be best to have one durable and long-lasting if you are already an intermediate or advanced user.

It means you need to use the machine for a long time and have far more sewing projects to handle than casual hobbyists or beginners.

The Available Features

Depending on your skill and need, you may need some more than others, or you may need bare essentials at all. Some, for instance, have hundreds of stitch options, while others only have a few.

If you are skilled enough, you may sacrifice some automatic features, but not if you need to save time or begin to engage in sewing.

Whatever the case, you need to find the machine whose features suit your skillet and what you need.

The Price

A sewing machine becomes more expensive as it becomes of higher quality and has excellent features, advanced technology, and many accessories.

If you are on a tight budget, you may need to balance some of these things and sacrifice some aspects to get the best bargain.

But some are non-negotiable: durability is one, and so is the performance, like stitch quality, ability to sew thread, and maybe speed.

But you will learn to balance price and quality as you become more skilled.

Conclusion

The best sewing machine will depend on what you need, whether it can give what you need, and whether you can have it at an affordable price.

We can have our criteria of what is best, but there is no doubt that some are better than others.

Talking about the best sewing machine on the market, what we have here are the best in their categories.

We can be sure that an enthusiastic sewist or hobbyist can find one which is the best for him.

Elissa Obrien

Hi, I have been sewing and designing clothes since I was a little girl. Sewing is my passion, my life. I love to sew anything and everything. I love sharing my passion and hope to inspire you.

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