There has never been a better time to start developing your sewing skills. As a beginner, you have online access to a variety of helpful resources that are easy to understand and operate. And in this article, you’ll find the top sewing machines for beginners that everyone is raving about.
These beginner sewing machines work very well for daily sewing and all sorts of lightweight alterations which makes them perfect for adult beginners.
It’s also what many of you are probably looking for in a sewing machine: a nice tool to allow your children, grandchildren, and students their very first experience sewing and finding out whether they want to make time and effort to improve their skills or realize that this is a hobby some other little people might enjoy better.
For best results, use the highest quality threads and needles possible. This will make for a smoother sewing experience and neater stitches.
Don’t expect perfection from these lower-budget machines. In this price range, every machine is likely missing features if you start nitpicking.
Best Overall. Brother CS7000i Quilting and Sewing Machine
The Brother CS6000i, the original model of this machine, is still one of the most in-demand sewing machines. And the new favorite is Brother CS7000i.
Combined with a lot of new features, including presser feet, its reasonable price and ease of use make this model a perfect opportunity for beginners to start. Undoubtedly, a great opportunity to continue exploring the potential of this beautiful hobby without thinking about changing your new machine for a long time.
For some, it may feel a little plasticky, but for all kinds of light and medium-weight sewing and mending tasks, it certainly delivers great stitches.
What you’ll like:
- It’s very easy to figure out for beginners
- Control the speed with the touch of a lever and forget about the foot pedal
- An extension removable table is included
- It works for freehand quilting as you can drop the Feed Dogs
- Includes a hard case for protection and easy transport
- Very easy to store in a small place
- Walking Foot Included for even feed with all kinds of fabrics
To take into account:
- Beware of new quilters; the throat space is small as it is a small machine
Discover more about the CS Series from Brother
Best Value. Janome 2212 Sewing Machine
- The Janome 2212 is lightweight and easy to use, perfect for beginners who want a versatile machine for all kinds of basic sewing.
- Its drop feed dog feature and its fairly decent throat size are ideal for sewers who need a basic machine to start quilting or taking to lessons. Besides, it can be easily carried, and the price is very reasonable.
- For beginners and even children who want a machine to get creative and learn this new skill, this Janome is an excellent choice. In addition, it has so many features that all its possibilities will continue to be explored for a long time by any beginner.
- The only situation when I wouldn’t recommend you buying this machine is if you’re going to continuously be working on heavy duty projects because, although it runs perfectly through tougher fabrics, the engine was not designed for that purpose and will ultimately stop working.
What you’ll like:
- Perfect for beginners and even advanced kids
- Nice beginner throat size for quilting
- You can drop the feed dog for free-motion quilting
- Easy to carry around and take to lessons
- It doesn’t include a needle threader, helping beginners learn the very basic of threading
- Great quality
- Fair price
To take into account:
- Avoid for continuous use on heavy-duty fabrics
Best Basic. Singer Start 1304 Sewing Machine
This machine is a bit tricky as it takes some experience to actually thread it and put it to work for the first time, but it’s a great machine for beginners. First-time users will need a more experienced sewer to teach them the fundamentals of threading and tension.
If you’re persevering and mechanically inclined, the internet is an excellent place for those willing to learn whatever they want. It becomes very intuitive once you’ve taken that step and works very well for daily sewing and all kind of lightweight alterations.
Make sure you use it for basic sewing and stitching tasks. For a small investment, it’s a great little machine.
What you’ll like:
- Good for daily small sewing alterations
- Friendly budget
- Easy storage
To take into account:
- You must first remove the free arm to change the bobbin
- You may want to sew your own dust cover as it’s not included
Best Selling. Brother CS6000i Quilting and Sewing Machine
As a beginner, ideally, you want something that will be simple enough in the short term but advance enough to be used in the long term for more advanced projects.
The Brother CS6000i gives you both. Besides, it’s strong, well-designed, easy to store, and provides a lot of the more advanced features. For instance, the speed slider will help you focus all your attention on handling the fabric alone or give you the perfect constant speed while learning how to sew or free-motion quilts. It also features a needle threader that is a joy to use with practice which will help you revive your love for sewing.
Truly, for a small budget, this sewing machine is very good value. After all, it’s been the favorite beginner’s machine for years.
What you’ll like:
- A hard case is included in the pack
- Also, there is a wide table included that helps you sewing more comfortably
- A speed slider is a must for beginners as it allows you to keep a constant speed while forgetting about the foot pedal, also included
- This machine has a twin Needle feature for parallel stitching
To take into account:
- None for the price
Discover more about the CS Series from Brother.
Best Budget. Brother XM2701 Sewing Machine
- For beginners, it’s a good sewing machine for learning the basics of sewing. If you’re going to be sewing light fabric and not more than 4-5 layers, it works great.
- Ultimately, this is not a heavy-duty machine, but it is quite good and affordable for basic sewing and mending. The metal-made models usually start at three times the price of this sewing machine so, even though it feels a little plasticky, know the price you pay is worth it. In addition to this obvious reality, the Brother XM2701 is well-designed, quick to use, and intuitive enough for a beginner.
Check out the Brother sewing machines for beginners for a similar price and some more added features.
- What you’ll like:
- More decorative stitches than average for a very fair price
- Great number of presser feet included as you can see on the chart above
- To take into account:
- Not suitable for heavier materials or several layers
Best for Quilting. Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 Sewing Machine
- If you’re a beginner, you’ll find that the Singer 9960 is very easy to use and very intuitive. The bonus bundle makes this one a perfect chance to get a hold of several accessories for an affordable price. You won’t need to buy an extra foot, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced sewer.
- This machine will take you from a beginner level to an experienced one, without having to upgrade to a new machine. With the Start/Stop button and Speed Controller option, you can leave your pedal foot aside for an even more intuitive experience. Furthermore, you’ll also save loads of time for future tasks due to the automatic threader and the thread cutting feature.
- Every time you have to cut threads, you’ll be amazed at how effective it is to avoid getting the scissors out. Noticed the included walking foot above in the chart box? If you often work with piece quilting or Minky fabric, it’s an incredibly useful accessory to have in your sewing room that you can’t easily find within the sewing packs at this price range.
What you’ll like:
- Included Walking Foot among many others
- Extension table Included
- Hard Dust Cover Included
- Needle Up/Down for free motion quilting or apliqué
- Thread trimmer Button
- Built-In Needle Threader
- Metal Frame
- Perfect for quiet sewing at night
To take into account:
- Sensitive buttons near the sewing area
- No presser foot pressure adjustment although easily fixable with an included walking foot
Best for Making Clothes. Brother CS5055PRW Quilting and Sewing Machine
This limited-edition Brother sewing machine was the star of the TV Show Project Runway, so it’s more than ideal to start making your own clothes and for all kinds of projects. Either if you’re beginning to sew or have some experience, this computerized sewing machine is a nice choice to have in your new sewing room.
You’ll love how quiet it is as well as the more than enough decorative stitches plus advanced features. It can also be a fairly good quilting tool and certainly ideal for taking to classes.
What you’ll like:
- Drop in bobbin system
- Very good price for all the things you can do
- Very lightweight, making it perfect for taking to your lessons
To take into account:
- Built-In needle threader is not very good
Best for Embroidery. Brother SE600 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
The Brother SE600 is excellent for beginners to sew and embroider because it’s super easy to learn how to use its features. I can’t think of a better sewing machine for a beginner with embroidery capabilities or a lower price for the product’s value and efficiency.
What you’ll like:
- Create your own decorative stitches
- Low budget price
- Low learning curve
- Free Arm
To take into account:
- Small embroidery hoop
You may want to read a full review of the Brother SE600 embroidery machine.
Best Heavy Duty. Singer 4423 Sewing Machine Review
The Singer 4423 could be perfect for you as the engine power and speed are surprisingly efficient for a household model. It may indeed take some time for a beginner to get used to this machine’s power, but it is really very easy to use and could be perfect as a sewing machine for beginners or as a backup.
In addition to thin stretch jerseys, it plows through several layers of thick stretch fleece fabrics and denim types. Moreover, the stitch quality is excellent and the bobbin winder is easy to thread and operate.
In general, I think it’s a good cash machine and would recommend it to anyone wanting a mechanical machine with a few basic stitches.
What you’ll like:
- Built-In Needle Threader
- Friendly ease of use
- The inside frame is made of light metal
- Masculine Look
- High power and speed
To take into account:
- Noisier than average because of its stronger engine
- It has no advanced features
Best Serger. Brother 1034D Serger Machine Review
No serger can compete with the overall performance and price of the Brother 1034D. Even if you’re a professional sewer, spending twice the money isn’t going to reflect on what you’re going to get for your new serger.
Once you’ve tried a serger, you’ll realize it’s an indispensable machine that, for a very reasonable price, will allow you to get creative making rolled hems, blind hems, ruffles, and finishing hems on different fabrics and quilts.
And let’s not forget that this model has been a bestseller in the Sergers Category for years now. That has to mean something.
What you’ll like:
- Designed for Left Handed
- Fast and simple threading
- It has an auto-tension feature, perfect for beginners who are unaware of tension issues.
- Lightweight and compact
- Outstanding quality for a reasonable price
- A Gathering Foot comes Included
To take into account:
- No Seam Guide to indicate the edge width, but an elastic band can be placed around your machine’s shoulders to solve the issue
- A bit noisy, although it can be easily lessened by placing a cork base beneath the machine
- Light Bulb, but it can be replaced with a table lamp.
Best for Kids. Janome Fastlane Sewing Machine
This machine is more like a cute toy for little kids who want to have their first sewing machine. One that is pleasing to their eyes and is great for learning or creating their very first little projects.
Understand that this machine can’t in any way be as powerful or durable as regular machines. Some of the beginner sewing machines come with speed slider control to help children learn this new skill. Yes, they’re more expensive, but they’ll be a much better option in the long run. If you think about it thoroughly, your child is likely to outgrow it in about one or two years.
In my opinion, the Janome Fastlane is a great option for little children as a gift. You could also use it as bait to see how they react to sewing before buying a more expensive choice, as children are constantly discovering new hobbies.
You may want to read the Best Sewing Machines for Kids
What you’ll like:
- Great for little people starting their very first little projects
- Affordable enough to see how your child reacts to this new hobby
To take into account:
- Your kid might outgrow it sooner than later
- It’s got no light
Learning to sew may seem daunting if you haven’t done it before but the decision of what kind of sewing machine to purchase can be even more difficult! There are so many different models and types out there to choose from, right?
Read our General Buyer’s Guide to learn more about the main things to consider when purchasing a sewing machine and ways to help you narrow down your search.
FAQs
What is the best sewing machine for beginners?
Because there isn’t one sewing machine that is best for beginners we have created a full article helping you decide what’s the best beginner sewing machine for your needs. Give it a go!
Which is the best sewing machine for home use?
There are several household sewing machines that might do the trick for you. The most important thing is to understand your actual needs before choosing one model. That’s what made us create a full article with the best sewing machines to buy according to everyone’s needs. We hope you enjoy it!
What is the best inexpensive sewing machine?
There’s not only one as it really depends on your needs and budget. However, most of the sewing machines included in our article about the best sewing machines for beginners are also inexpensive.
Which brand of sewing machines is best?
If you want to learn a little bit more about the different brands and their quality, check our buyer’s guide and learn more about the best sewing brands.