There is no way to deny that adding some embroidery designs to an ordinary garment can help it look extraordinary and without the help of one of the best embroidery machines, it’s almost close to impossible to create that design you always wanted.
There are many efficient and easy to use embroidery machines you can use for creating clothing masterpieces. Today, I am going to review the top 10 of those machines.
Top 10 Embroidery Machine Comparison Table
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Best Embroidery Machine Reviews 2020
With several options available in the market, it is not straightforward to find the best embroidery machine.
Well, you do not need to worry because I have researched and reviewed some of the best models of 2020. Here they are:
Overall Best: Brother PE800 5” x 7” Embroidery Machine
My first pick is the famous Brother PE800 offering 138 built-in designs and many other advanced features. According to what Brother claims, it allows your creativity to flourish. I completely agree with them.
There are 11 inbuilt fonts – English (7), Japanese (3), and Cyrillic (1) – you can use for creating perfect monograms or labels. And, its large LCD color touchscreen display of 3.2” helps in creating them and many more designs.
As it is an embroidery-only machine, all its features make sure that users get perfect results with ease. For example, its 5” x 7” embroidery field makes sure that users face no difficulty in creating larger patterns.
Pros
- The USB port allows importing custom patterns to the inbuilt memory of this machine.
- Its automatic needle threader is useful to make patterns requiring multiple threads.
- Inbuilt LED light brightens the workspace.
- With a larger touchscreen display, users can preview before embroidering.
- Stitch patterns (14) and frame shapes (10) make it a versatile machine.
Cons
- Can’t be used for sewing.
Brother PE800 has almost every advanced feature to embroider beautiful patterns on curtains, bedsheets, hats, and others. If you are involved in projects requiring only machine embroidery, it is for you.
Best Value for Money: Brother SE600 Computarized Sewing and Embroidery Machine
The next one is Brother SE600. It is not only an innovative, stylish machine but also capable of satisfying the requirements of beginners as well as professionals.
It comes with many advanced features such as big colored touchscreen display of 3.2” x 1.8”, 103 built-in sewing stitches, built-in USB port, moving designs on the screen, placing letters on arcs, and many more.
Its square embroidery field of 4” x 4” is perfect for creating most embroidery designs. Its inbuilt alignment feature aids design alignment while re-hooping. If you face difficulty in embroidering on dark fabrics, its bright LED lights will illuminate the work area.
Pros
- Inbuilt decorative sewing stitches (103) make it a utility machine for daily sewing.
- Inbuilt lettering fonts (6) are useful in personalizing the creations
- The convertible free arm aids in sewing sleeves, cuffs, small cylindrical projects
- Its drop-in bobbin is jam-resistant and easy to put in the machine
- USB port for importing unlimited embroidery designs
Cons
- According to some users, its Instruction manual misses some details
Best for Beginners: Brother SE400 Combination Sewing Embroidery Machine
Brother SE400 is in third place on my list. It is best suitable for everyone who already knows how to sew but is starting with embroidery. Besides embroidery, it allows efficient sewing and quilting as well.
There is a backlit LCD touchscreen that gives you access to 70 built-in embroidery designs, 67 amazing sewing stitches, and five lettering fonts. You can increase these numbers by connecting this machine to the computer and importing numerous embroidery designs from different websites.
There is a 1-touch automatic thread cutter allowing you to cut the bobbin and top thread almost effortlessly. Its brightly lit workspace prevents low-light surroundings from halting your embroidery project.
Pros
- Its automatic needle threader keeps you away from tweezers and magnifying glasses.
- The 7-point feed dogs help in the smooth feeding of the fabric.
- Its efficient bobbin-winding system allows quick bobbin preparation.
- The embroidery area of 4” x 4” provides sufficient room for most embroidery patterns.
- Operation manual in English and Spanish covers users of both languages.
Cons
- The design of its screwdriver needs to be more user-friendly.
- Needles break, be careful.
Brother SE400 is a useful embroidery machine for everyone, especially for beginners. With all the necessary advanced features, it will not only do the job but also enhance your creativity.
New sewers, please explore Best Sewing Machine for Beginners
Best for Advanced Users: Brother PE770 Embroidery Machine with Built-in Memory
The top four in this list are from Brother. Brother PE770 is an easy-to-use embroidery machine. Whether you are new to embroidery or doing it for many years, it has something for everyone.
It is a feature-rich machine. You get access to 136 inbuilt embroidery designs, 12 border styles, and six lettering fonts. All this and more help you get precise results.
It has inbuilt memory, but more exciting is the presence of a USB port. You can use your memory stick and import designs on this machine.
A feature I like the most in this machine is the Brother Embroidery Card Slot. It allows you to use numerous embroidery designs from Brother.
Pros
- It offers variable design editing features such as size edits, mirror image, and rotate.
- The My Custom Stitch feature allows virtually limitless stitches.
- Auto thread trimmer saves time as it takes care of the lower and upper thread.
- The backlit LCD touchscreen allows easy navigation and usage of editing features.
- The larger embroidery area of 5” x 7” is suitable for large lettering, monograms, symbols, logos, and designs on various materials.
Cons
- Some bobbin-related issues may arise.
- Needs an external app for adding additional fonts.
If you are aiming for a Brother embroidery machine with a work area of 4” x 4”, increase your budget a bit and invest in Brother PE770.
Best Sewing Embroidery Combo: Brother SE1900 Computarized Machine with Sewing Feet
Brother SE1900 is my fifth choice. It is one of the few computerized embroidery machines with the maximum number of advanced features.
With 11 fonts, 138 built-in embroidery designs, and 240 inbuilt sewing stitches, it is a perfect machine for monogramming. You can also make ten different types of buttonholes with SE1900.
Some people expect a large display screen and embroidery area in their machine. It doesn’t disappoint them because Brother SE1900 features an LCD touchscreen of 3.2” and offers an embroidery area of 5” x 7”.
Pros
- Its 3.2” LCD touchscreen allows viewing the embroidery designs in color.
- The work area of 5” x 7” provides enough space for large designs.
- Enhance your creativity as its drop-feed feature allows free-motion sewing.
- Eight different sewing feet provide varied experiences.
- The automatic needle threader feature saves time.
Cons
- A bit on the expensive side.
- Not the best choice for novice sewers.
Brother SE1900 is a perfect device for lettering projects and XL designs. It is a bit expensive, but the kind of features it provides justifies the price.
Modern and Efficient: EverSewn Hero 400 Stitch Computerized Sewing Machine
In 2016, not many people believed that Embroidered Patches Are Fashion’s Next Trend. It’s 2020, and this trend is still rocking. Well, machines like EverSwen Hero 400 are one of the reasons behind this success.
It comes with a warning system that automatically stops the machine when the bobbin thread runs low or the upper needle thread breaks. Its stitch library contains more than 400 utility, alphabet, and decorative pattern stitches.
Another feature I found attractive is the simple LCD with triple displaying modes – normal, embroidery, and memory.
Pros
- More than 400 stitch patterns ensure high-quality embroidery.
- The 6.5 inches workspace is sufficient for most designs.
- Its modern look helps this machine stand tall amongst competitors.
- The USB port allows embroidering custom designs.
- Its automatic needle threader is a time saver.
Cons
- Some cutters, like the automatic thread cutter, are missing.
- The instruction manual needs to be more detailed and expressive.
This computerized embroidery machine looks modern, is efficient, and easy to use. In short, it has everything for a robust embroidery experience.
Best for Professionals: Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000
A list of best embroidery machines is incomplete without Janome Horizon MC 12000. It is one of the few embroidery machines that excel in both sewing and embroidery.
This machine satisfies the needs of intermediate and advanced users. The surprising thing is that beginners also find it easy-to-use.
I like that the company has used a 15” SS embossed bed preventing it from being an all-plastic body machine. Also, it provides 11” of workspace towards the needle’s right side. You usually don’t get this much space.
Pros
- Computer connectivity makes sure the perfect design is just a few clicks away.
- The linear motion embroidery system ensures flawless results.
- Less weight and compact design make it easy-to-carry.
- 338 inbuilt embroidery designs give users ample choice to create beautiful patterns on the fabric.
- Its software is user-friendly and simplifies embroidering custom designs.
Cons
- It is costly.
Janome Horizon MC 12000 is a true reflection of Japanese technology. When it comes to the price of this machine, some people say it is beyond the budget. However, the comments of the professionals and experts justify it because they know what it delivers. If you have to complete a big embroidery project flawlessly in less time, this machine will be of help.
Another Value for Money Machine: Brother PE535 Embroidery Only Machine
Another Brother embroidery machine on my list. This time it is Brother PE535. Like many people, I also trust the brand Brother because it makes versatile and feature-rich machines for beginners as well as professionals.
This particular machine is a workhorse offering 80 built-in patterns, USB port, and 3.2” color touchscreen panel. You can preview the design before it appears on your fabric. The embroidery field of 4” x 4” is perfect for most patterns.
It also has a hoop to support your creativity. An exciting feature of Brother PE535 is giving users the power to adjust embroidery lettering fonts. You can do a lot, such as align the text in curves, angles, and other different ways.
Pros
- Sew Smart LCD touchscreen allows you to view the designs in color. It also makes changing the thread colors easy.
- Its automatic needle threader is an eye saver as it requires only touching a lever to thread the needle.
- Brother customers get access to the vast embroidery design gallery from iBroidery.com
- Nine built-in embroidery lettering fonts are of English (06) and Japanese (3).
- Inbuilt freestanding designs help in creating 3D projects.
Cons
- Most professional sewers do not find it the best.
- It is difficult to put the frame on hard materials.
Brother PE535 is one of the best workhorses of 2019. It is continuing to be the same in 2020 also. If you have to remain busy doing a lot of embroidery tasks, this machine is for you.
Portable and High-Speed: Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 is one of the most popular embroidery machines in the market. It is a fully-computerized and excellent embroidery machine.
Its amazing features include the basic, decorative, and stretch stitches for crafting some of the most beautiful patterns. If you want to personalize your projects, it has many built-in lettering fonts.
Sewing speed plays a crucial role in deciding the efficiency of a sewing machine. With a sewing speed of 850 stitches-per-minute, you can sew your projects quickly. It includes various accessories such as an all-purpose foot, buttonhole foot with underplate, zipper foot, blind hem foot, and others.
Pros
- It is portable. Users can transfer this machine from one place to another easily.
- The sewing speed of 850 stitches per minute finishes the task quickly.
- Attractive price makes it affordable.
- Automatic needle threader does the job in seconds.
- 600 built-in stitches enhance the creative side of the user
Cons
- Made for US and Canadian users only.
- Not suitable for beginners.
Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 is a famous embroidery machine for professional projects. It gives you complete control to finish a project quickly and precisely.
The All-Rounder: Singer 7258 100 Stitch Sewing Machine
Although, there are numerous options on the market to cofuse users, some of the most efficient embroidery machines are from Singer only. Singer 7258 is one of them.
When it comes to the main features of this machine, there are 100 built-in stitches, 6-point feed dog system, speed control slider, presser feet, automatic needle threader, 13 needle positions, automatic bobbin winding clutch, and many others.
Pros
- Easy-to-carry anywhere because of its compact design, lesser weight, and robust build.
- The built-in needle threader leaves no room for guesswork and saves time.
- Programmable needle up/down feature allows stopping the needle in the highest position.
- 1-touch stitch selection allows selecting the required stitch quickly.
- The transparent cover over the bobbin helps in easy monitoring of the bobbin thread.
Cons
- Not the best choice for heavy materials.
- Control for the bobbin tension missing.
Singer 7258 is an all-rounder, but beginners find it more useful. Whether you have just started with embroidery or you are one of the best sewists in your area, it will be a perfect device for you.
Top Embroidery Machine Brands
As mentioned earlier, brands play an important role in helping users decide which embroidery machine to purchase. Here are some top brands you can look forward to in 2020.
Brother
Whether you are a beginner or an advanced user of the 21st century, you must agree that some of the best embroidery machines are from the house of Brother. Many people like Brother because of its embroidery software. The best Brother embroidery machine right now is Brother PE770.
Singer
Singer is one of the oldest and most famous sewing and embroidery machine brands in the world. The entry of new players couldn’t hurt Singer. Its legacy continues because the machines from Singer are always modern and highly efficient. The rockstar model of 2020 is Singer 7258.
Janome
Janome is famous worldwide because it produces some of the best embroidery sewing machines for advanced users. If you are planning to move from the basic to advance model, I suggest going for Janome. The embroidery-only machine making headlines nowadays is Janome Horizon Memory Craft 12000.
EverSewn
EverSwen is the not-so-famous brand. It might be because they do fewer advertisements. But when it comes to selecting the best high-quality embroidery machines, experts never forget to put this brand on the list. Today, EverSewn Charlotte is a hit amongst beginners.
Bernette
Bernette is taking the quality and values of the Bernina Textile Group in the right direction. It is helping a lot of people to embroider their creativity. People love this brand because its machines are affordable and convenient-to-use. The best Bernette model to bet in 2020 is Bernina Bernette Chicago 7.
NEX
NEX is famous for making compact yet efficient sewing and embroidery machines that can fit almost any sewing table. Another advantage of most NEX machines is that they are easy to carry from one place to another. Yes, because of their size, design, and weight. The trendsetter this year is NEX 4336993393.
Best Embroidery Machine Buyers Guide
Things To Consider Before Buying an Embroidery Machine
Knowing How to Use an Embroidery Machine is not enough. There are also certain vital things you should consider.
Remember, embroidery machines are not something you buy frequently. Once purchased, it should serve you for long. Next time you shop Amazon for an embroidery machine, make sure you place the order after considering the following things.
Embroidery Designs and Stitches
The job of a machine is to simplify the user’s work. It applies to embroidery machines also. To simplify your embroidery work, it should have built-in embroidery designs. Also, go for the one with several decorative stitches. Invest your time to find out how much workload the machine can take off from your shoulders.
Price
The rule “check price before buying” also means that price or your budget is the ultimate deciding factor during a purchase. There are cheap as well as higher-priced models in the market. It doesn’t mean each one is for you. Go for the one in your budget and able to fulfill all your requirements.
Features
Make sure the machine is powerful enough and crafts through various materials. Also, look at different features like stitching speed, LCD screen, embroidery area, computer connectivity, and others. They will help you finish the work more conveniently and quickly.
Brand
A brand gives you peace of mind. When you purchase the machine of a reputed brand, you do not worry about the quality and efficiency of that embroidery machine.
Types of Embroidery Machines
When it comes to researching for something, the more information you collect is better. Do you know how many types of embroidery machines are there? Depending on their functionality, I have classified them into three types. It isn’t the universal classification.
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Everything Built-in
These types of machines are cheaply priced and have everything (designs/ patterns) built-in. It means they offer users a limited number of embroidery layouts. They don’t allow transferring any setting or design online.
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Internet Enabled
Internet-enabled embroidery machines connect to the internet and allow the user to access numerous patterns across the globe. These machines connect to the internet via wi-fi or ethernet. Then with the help of Bluetooth, they connect with the relevant program on the user’s computer.
Users then download designs from the internet and send them to the device. It might be tricky if you are not prepared. Also, these machines support particular file types; you should be aware of them.
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With a USB Port
These machines come with a USB port allowing you to use your custom designs. These machines prevent you from downloading designs through the software on your computer. You can download them directly on the USB stick.
Fun Fact: Do you know your simple sewing machine can be used for embroidery as well? For details, read How to Embroider with Sewing Machine?
Frequently Asked Questions
Clarify embroidery machines vs. sewing machines?
The evolution of the digital world has also led to the rise of Electronic Embroidery. Embroidery machines help users to make designs on already sewn fabric, whereas sewing machines help users to sew single or multiple pieces of fabric together.
Who can use embroidery sewing machines?
People in the business of embroidering designs on the fabric can use embroidery sewing machines. Also, everyone interested in the art of embroidery can use these machines.
Why the bobbin thread breaks?
When the bobbin thread is threaded incorrectly in the bobbin case, it usually breaks the bobbin thread. It also breaks when the bobbin thread tension is tight.
Why does my embroidery machine’s needle keep breaking?
The common reasons are:
- Incorrect insertion of the needle
- Pulling out the fabric in between embroidering
- Using the wrong sized needle
- Using thread inappropriate for the fabric
My sewing and embroidery machine does not run smoothly. What should I do?
Your machine requires oiling (learn How to Oil A Sewing Machine). Also, check for the lint or dirt buildup inside the shuttle or in between the fabric feed dogs’ teeth.
How often should I clean or service my embroidery machine?
It depends upon the usage and kind of work done with the machine. If used for too many embroidery tasks, it will require frequent cleaning.
Embroidery machines help create beautiful designs on fabric, transforming it from simple to extraordinary. It is vital to research and read reviews before investing in an embroidery machine. You can research yourself or go with one of the best options reviewed by me. The only thing you and I want is the best embroidery machine in your hands.