The Best Sewing Machines, According to Our Editors

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We found the best models for beginners, experts, and everyone in between.

Camryn Dilger is the associate editor for Real Simple with nearly seven years of experience writing and editing for various brands. She's tested hundreds of the trendiest home and lifestyle products on the internet.

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Do you ever wish you had access to two dozen sewing machines at your fingertips, the time to test them one by one, and the patience to narrow them down to the very best one on the market? Well, we went ahead and did all that for you.

Whether you like to sew your own clothes and costumes or make handmade quilts for your loved ones, the single best sewing machine will make the entire process more enjoyable. After countless stitches and seams, our favorite stood out for its ease of use, clean designs, and array of features, including an incredible 165 different stitches. We’ve also included a budget-friendly alternative that’s perfect for beginners.

Below, find out why they’re the best of the best and which one might be the perfect fit for all of your projects, both big and small.

According to costumer and sewing blogger Elise Chase-Sinclair, the choice between computerized and manual mainly depends on what kind of projects you want to complete. A computerized option might be best if you plan to do more decorative work, like embroidery or monogramming, since it often comes with pre-programmed stitches and designs that make intricate work easier and more precise.

The other option is mechanical, which you might gravitate toward if you’re a beginner sewer working on more basic stitches and projects, as there’s less technology to get confused with, and you might not need as many settings.

We’ve included one of each on our list, and Chase-Sinclair says both categories have high-quality machines that deliver great results.

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Size and weight matter when it comes to your projects, as lightweight machines don't do as well with heavy fabrics but are OK for light use, such as mending clothes or making crafts. “If you want to sew handbags, quilts, canvas, denim, sails, or tarps, you'll want a heavy-duty machine,” Chase-Sinclair says. She prefers using a heavier machine for her own projects, since it can better handle the heavier fabrics she works with as a costumer.

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Just because a machine has more stitches than another, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better or will be more useful to you.

“Most of those extra stitches are decorative stitches and aren't used for actually assembling a sewing project,” Chase-Sinclair says. Because of this, consider the type of stitches rather than the number of stitches and prioritize which ones you’ll use most.

For example, if you primarily sew clothing, Chase-Sinclair recommends looking out for stretch stitch options. If you’re a quilter or like more crafty sewing, though, you might want all the decorative stitches you can get, in which case the more stitching options the better.

If you’re a beginner, start with a more basic machine and then upgrade if you need to and once you have a better idea of what features you will use. If you’re a beginner, Chase-Sinclair says, you’ll likely only need a machine with three stitch options: straight, zigzag, and buttonhole.

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Finding the best sewing machine started with, of course, the setup. We took the packaging off all 24 machines, laid out any accessories, and set up the foot pedal, familiarizing ourselves with things like needle thread guides, the buttonhole foot, and how the bobbin is inserted into the machine. If any additional accessories like scissors, seam rippers, bobbins, thimbles, and needle threaders were provided, we evaluated their effectiveness as well.

Then came the timed test of threading our machine. For this test, as you might guess, we timed how long it took us to thread our machine to see how quickly or long the entire process took us. Was it difficult, or was it relatively simple to figure out?

Next, we performed two different stitches using two different types of fabric—straight and zigzag stitches, and denim and woven cotton, respectively. For this test, we adjusted the thread tension to the appropriate level and set our machine to the appropriate stitch pattern. We sewed a straight line from top to bottom (about 12 inches), used the backstitching feature to lock the stitch into place, released the fabric from the machine and cut the threads, and inspected the quality of our stitches, repeating this again for the zigzag stitch.

We tested any special features as well—things like buttonhole features, decorative stitches, and embroidery features—inspecting our work afterward and paying attention to how well or not well the sewing machine completed the job and how easy it was to use overall. After our initial testing, we took the winners home and used them over the course of six months to see whether they continued to work just as well and if we would still recommend them.

This machine is incredibly easy to use and makes some of the cleanest designs we’ve ever seen.

You might need to play around with the tension for some features to find what works best for you.

After testing this sewing machine, we were way more impressed than we’d thought we'd be. It was easy to use right out of the box—which is half the battle when you’re learning to use a sewing machine—and worked better than any other machine we’d used before.

As soon as we set it up, it took just moments to thread the bobbin and needle. It has everything a beginner might need as well, including a quick guide, a manual that clearly explains all the features (we found this especially helpful for writing notes and keeping track of key settings), and a wide table for working with large panels.

As far as features go, it has a light, a buttonhole feature, a needle threader, a twin needle feature, several different feet for decorative and quilting needs, a seam ripper, and extra needles. We especially liked the way the bobbin was seated for threading—it made it simple to follow and allowed us to get rid of any excess thread at the end.

While we think some experimenting with the tension would be needed for some features, overall, we thought the stitches were straight, clean, and easy—we would recommend this machine for basic sewing based on ease of use alone.

The buttonhole was also very effective; we tried two different designs, and both were clean and simple. The stitching was even, too. We tried five different decorative designs, and there were plenty of options available—165 in total. All designs worked seamlessly and were, in fact, some of the cleanest we’ve ever seen from a sewing machine.

After testing it at home for six months, we found this machine to be best for someone who already knows how to sew and doesn't get overwhelmed easily. With so many features, it has more than a beginner needs but is good for someone who plans to sew for years to come.

Type: Computerized | Dimensions: 16 by 7 by 12.5 in. | Weight: 10 lbs. | Number of Built-In Stitches: 110 built-in utility, 55 alphanumeric stitches, and 8 buttonholes | Speed: Not listed

The smooth, quiet operation is what sets this machine apart—it made us feel like we were sewing through butter with silk.

Some fabrics may not handle certain stitches well, and we wished there were more options for switching stitches.

We were incredibly impressed with this machine, even at its budget-friendly price point of less than $200. It’s so quiet and feels so smooth—it felt like we were sewing through butter with silk and hasn’t changed a bit over the course of six months.

Even though we did have some tension issues here and there after switching needles and fabrics, they were quickly remedied by adjusting the tension a tiny bit. Chiffon didn’t handle the zigzag stitch well, but we had no issues with any other fabrics and no issues otherwise—no snags, no halts, or anything else.

It felt extremely sturdy and well made, and even if it weren’t at such an inexpensive price point, we’d consider paying more to have a machine that worked so nicely right out the gate. The arm room was expansive, too; we felt like we could make a fluffy, full-length taffeta-and-tulle dress without having any problem pushing all of that fabric wherever it needed to go.

One thing to note was that we wished there were more options for switching stitches and less options for making the needle move up and down. Also, the machine came with almost too many feet and accessories, some of which seem unnecessary, and there were a couple of things we felt were missing, like scissors, nippers, and a walking foot.

Overall, the machine was very easy to set up, insert the thread and bobbin, plug it in, and go; the instructions were clear and easy to understand as well, and if we didn’t already know how to do something, it was a simple process to figure it out.

Type: Portable mechanical | Dimensions: 15.5 by 5.75 by 12.5 in. | Weight: 13 lbs. | Number of Built-In Stitches: 15 built-in stitches, 1 buttonhole | Speed: Not listed

It has smart, sewist-friendly features, like a built-in thread cutter and stitch-locking interface, that make it easier to focus on your project.

It’s not the most beginner-friendly because it’s not as straightforward as others.

This machine was tested by an editor who’s been sewing since she was 6 years old, and she—along with her grandmother who has over 50 years of sewing experience—gave this machine their stamp of approval. There were no issues with tension, and the bobbin winder is easy to use.

It’s been great for so many crafts over the last six months of testing: doggy bandanas, a quilted computer pouch, cushions for dining room chairs, and makeup bags. The machine handled all of these projects with ease. That’s due in part to several features that make the user experience more enjoyable compared to our Baby Lock model.

For starters, the thread cutting button is incredible, especially if you’re someone who constantly misplaces scissors. You don’t even need clippers by the machine—it's been a game changer for workflow.

The interface on this machine is also better than the Baby Lock because you can't accidentally change your stitch selection. We’ve previously found that it's really easy to brush up against the dial and accidentally change the stitch without realizing until we’re already a few stitches in (which then means we have to pull out our seam ripper), but that isn’t the case with this machine.

We also love that it comes with an extension table, which makes sewing larger projects like quilts much more convenient. Plus, it eliminates the need for an extra purchase. That said, we did add rope lights to this machine, and we love how bright it makes the work area.

One thing to note about this machine is that it's very heavy and bulky, and it's definitely catered more to advanced sewists. Beginners might be overwhelmed by the functions because the computer LCD screen isn't as straightforward as others.

Type: Computerized | Dimensions: 17.25 x 8.25 x 12 in. | Weight: 20 lbs. | Number of Built-In Stitches: 600, 13 buttonholes | Speed: 850 SPM

If you’re looking for the very best sewing machine for your upcoming projects, we recommend the Brother XR9550 Sewing and Quilting Machine because it’s easy to use, has clean and even stitches, and comes with a wide table. For an under-$200 pick, we recommend the Baby Lock Zest Sewing Machine for its smooth and quiet operation and how sturdy and well-made it felt.

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This article was written by Camryn Dilger, an associate editor at Real Simple who has years of hands-on experience researching, testing, editing, and reviewing hundreds of products in the home and lifestyle space. Although she hasn’t sewed since the home economics class of her middle school days, she knows just how important having the right tools for the job can be, especially when it comes to something as precise and intricate as sewing.