Pretty much everyone can find a use for a stitching machine. Whether you would like to hem too-long jeans or too-long curtains, monogram gifts, make baby blankets, or simply want to manipulate with textiles, a stitching machine will vastly expand what you’ll be able to do.

And although there are some beginner machines on this list, sewing machines are appliances which will last for many years with enough patience and care.

What we’re searching for

Machine type: Sewing machines are a broad and diverse category: There are many types of stitches and functions they’ll perform, and each machine offers a rather different set of uses. In general, a standard household appliance uses two threads.

To sew a straight stitch and might also sew a preset selection of specialised stitches, sort of a zigzag stitch or a smocking stitch. (Beyond the fundamentals, some sewing machines produce other functions, just like the ability to stitch buttonholes or do basic embroidery.)

There’s lots of crossover within these types — my household appliance contains a setting meant to duplicate an overlock stitch, for instance, and with a bit finagling, you’ll be able to sew a basic straight stitch on a serger.

But the category will tell you what your machine is meant to be best at and what it’ll do frequently with the foremost ease. Like many appliances, choosing which textile machine to shop for may be a balancing act between general use and the next degree of specialised efficiency. “

Quality-of-life features:

Though not strictly necessary for a well-functioning machine, several of the experts we spoke to recommended features that make repetitive tasks easier — especially threading needles.

A machine “needs to be very easy to string,” says Maayan Zilberman, the founding father of candy company Sweet Saba, especially when you’re starting out, “because if it’s rough to string, then anytime you get a jam or have to switch color thread, it’s another excuse to administer informed the project.”

Computerized versus mechanical:

Some modern sewing machines are computerized, which allows for a wider range of customization options that wouldn’t be available on a mechanical, microchip-less machine. Still, many of the experts we spoke to prefer mechanical machines for his or her simplicity and customarily more straightforward repair process.

“Digital machines can have a mind of their own,” says Bryn Taubensee, designer and co-founder of Vaquera. “You really don’t need one with bells and whistles — a straight and zigzag stitch is all you actually need.”

Best overall

Janome HD1000 Black textile machine

Sewing machine, 14 stitches | Mechanical

This simple, powerful Janome machine could be a favorite of graphic designer and residential sewer Tracy Ma, who got it as a present from her husband. (“My mother-in-law Susan could be a pro-quilter and her quilting buddy spoke highly of this machine,” she says.) Ma describes the machine’s aluminum construction as “incredibly hard-wearing,” and he or she appreciates its compact footprint.

“It’s perfect for brand spanking new York homes because it encloses into a small little thing and you’ll slide it in your tiny closet,” she says. “I’ve never had any problems with it. I’ve recommended it some times over the years to folks that haven’t sewed before.” and also know about best embroidery machine for home business

Best beginner textile machine

Janome Arctic Crystal Easy-to-Use textile machine

Sewing machine, 15 stitches | Mechanical

“What sold me” on this Janome machine, says Strategist writer Kat Gillespie, “was its series of accompanying YouTube videos apparently aimed toward teenagers looking to hem their Depop jeans.” Gillespie named her turquoise Easy-to-Use machine the simplest thing she bought in 2021.

She likes that it’s easy to modify on and begin using, and says that it’s “neither over- nor underloaded with features,” a useful quality for beginners.

Best all-purpose home appliance

Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 Computerized Portable home appliance

Jessie Randall, founding father of Loeffler Randall, says that her Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 “sits right at my table, sort of a sixth member of my family.” She says the machine has delayed well to frequent use on a large range of projects: The machine “can do numerous things, including quilt, embroider, make many different stitches, and gather fabric. And also check out ricoma embroidery machine cost

” She’s used it to stitch pillows, quilts, Halloween costumes, scrunchies, Loeffer Randall slipper prototypes — and, during the pandemic, over 1,200 fabric face masks. Randall also loves its time- and material-saving features, like an automatic thread cutter: “When you’re done sewing, you’ll push a touch button and it cuts the thread very near the material … once I am sewing 30 face masks at a time or quilting, those extra thread tails really add up.”

Brother Pacesetter PS500 Computerized household appliance

For a computerized machine with a good range of uses, pattern designer Angela Wolf recommends the Brother Pacesetter PS500, which “provides great high-end features at a mid-level price point,” like one-step buttonholes and automatic reinforcement stitches.

(She also recommends the Pacesetter PS100, which costs $150, as “a more budget-friendly model for truly new beginner sewers.”)

Juki MO654DE Portable Thread Serger home appliance

Designer Rhi Dancey, the founding father of her eponymous brand and heavy-duty serger user, encompasses a secondhand industrial machine by cult-favorite Japanese brand Juki that she says is “really, really, really good” which her studio uses “all the time.” Taubensee also likes its domestic MO 654DE model: She has two, and they’ve “held up great for nearly seven years,” she says.

Bernina 770 QE home appliance

If you’re receptive splurging on the sports car of stitching machines, three of the experts we spoke to mentioned Swiss company Bernina as an aspirational brand, inspiring cultlike loyalty from users for its reliability and high-quality engineering.

Zilberman’s mother gave her a Bernina textile machine as a present in highschool, which she compared to “[getting] a spaceship so I could head to a neighborhood college.” At first, Zilberman was “really overwhelmed by all of the various functions that it had,” but once you get acclimated, she confirms that it really is that the best.