There’s nothing kinder to the environment than extending the life of the things we own.
A sewing machine can help you repair the clothes you already have as well as enable you to create embroidery, face masks, clothes and quilts!
It’s an essential purchase for the modern household that cares about the world around them.
There are a few things to look out for when buying a sewing machine.
- How many stiches can it do and how many styles of stitch? You only need two stitches if you’ve never sewn before but if you have more experience, the more stitches the better. You can’t expand the range of stitches on a sewing machine, you’d need to upgrade to get more – so better to buy more than you need than less.
- What accessories are in the box? You should get a bobbin and a foot pedal at a minimum, but you might get a storage box, a worktable, a zipper foot, etc. too.
- What bonus features do you get? We like to have an automatic needle threader and thread cutter but you can get plenty of other features. The more the better, they make life so much easier.
- What’s the frame made from? As you might expect the metal frames are going to last much longer than plastic ones. You can’t easily repair a sewing machine frame, so this is something to bear in mind when purchasing.
Our seven best sewing machines offer a range of options (at a range of price points) and there’s something there for every sewer from beginner to expert.
BROTHER | CS5055PRW Sewing Machine, Project Runway
Sensibly priced but with a huge number of options. If you want flexibility, then this Brother model can give you 80 different built-in stitches and 8 styles of buttonhole too! This is the best sewing machine for small sewing projects.
We found it very easy to use on quilting projects thanks to the free arm and drop feed. It handles basic stitches like a dream, you don't need mad sewing skills to get started as you might with other machines, and while it's not drowning in fancy features, it has more than enough for most people.
Best of all the LCD screen makes it super easy to get everything adjusted to suit your sewing style. This is a standard sewing machine that is perfect for a sewing table in a busy house and it's heavy duty enough to last.
You really can’t go wrong with this mini sewing machine.
You can find the Brother CS5055PRW Sewing Machine, Project Runway online.
BROTHER | Sewing and Quilting Machine, CS6000i
Amazon users seem to love this computerized machine and have given it a lot of 5-star ratings.
We like it as a nice intermediate level machine which has one of the nicest bobbins of any sewing machine that we tested.
These modern sewing machines make it easy to alter the stitch width, adjust stitch length, change the sewing speed with speed control, and they have a wide range of stitch options too.
If you’ve used a sewing machine in the past, then this one will make complete sense to you and it shouldn’t take any time at all to get it out of the box and set it up.
You can find the Brother CS6000i online.
JUKI TL-2000Qi Sewing and Quilting Machine
If you want a sewing machine that’s made to last, then the JUKI is the way to go. It's a seriously heavy duty sewing machine.
This is a quilting and sewing machine that can make light work of multiple layers of fabric at once. It can also handle the thick fabrics most machines, particularly basic machines, cannot. It's not the sort of thing you give as a first sewing machine but it is the best sewing machine for tough jobs.
It also has a lot of convenience features that you won’t find on other models and that’s worth paying a little extra for too. The bobbin thread mechanism is awesome
You can find the JUKI TL-2000Qi Machine online.
SINGER | Heavy Duty 4411 Sewing Machine, Medium
There's nothing quite like a Singer sewing machine. Not every sewing machine can handle heavy fabrics like denim and burlap.
This one uses a heavy motor and a strong metal frame to make working with heavy material very easy, indeed. It's very easy to adjust sitch length and the built in needle threader is great.
We’d be surprised if you could find a project that you’d want to undertake at home that this sewing machine couldn’t handle.
We even found this Singer machine could tackle four layers of canvas at once!
You can find the SINGER Heavy Duty 4411 Sewing Machine, Medium online.
BROTHER | SE625 Combination Computerized Sewing and 4×4 Embroidery Machine
If you want to make beautiful, embroidered creations then you need a computerized machine that supports embroidery stitching, rather like this one.
There’s no doubt that this capability can come at a steep price, but this is actually very reasonable for a machine of its capability.
You can import designs on a USB or just use thousands supplied by Brother online, this is a big plus with computerized machines when compared to mechanical sewing machines.
If personalization of garments or decorative stitches is important to you, this is an excellent option. Computerized sewing machines are easier to use than a mechanical machine, they're the best sewing machine for complicated jobs.
You can find the Brother SE625 Combination Computerized Sewing and 4×4 Embroidery Machine online.
SINGER | Quantum Stylist 9985 Computerized Sewing Machine
If you want a sewing machine which makes switching between different types of stitches a breeze – this is it.
You’ll find that the LCD touchscreen is the most user friendly of any in our tests and it’s absolutely brilliant to use.
We’re also impressed with how quietly this works, and the stiches are always perfect.
Some users say it’s “push and play” and we tend to agree with them, usability matters, and Singer got it right here.
You can find the SINGER | Quantum Stylist 9985 Computerized Sewing Machine online.
BROTHER | 2340CV Coverstitch Serger
Not cheap but then cover stich machines are never cheap.
This is the best way to handle hemming projects and you will find that if you’re dealing with knits then this machine makes light work of things.
If you think you might use this functionality, it’s very much worth paying for.
You’ll find that the clothes you make on this sewing machine look like they’ve been bought from stores, they’re that good.
You can find the Brother 2340CV Coverstitch Serger online.
Last Word on Sewing Machines
Anything that we can do to improve the impact of our clothing on the environment, we should do.
So, we hope that you found something that you like on our list of the top sewing machines.
We’d also encourage you to check out our piece on sustainable fashion which can help you make choices that are kinder to the planet.
If you're interested in making your own clothes we highly recommend this book: Folk Fashion & Understanding Homemade Clothes.
