Being new to sewing can be a little stressful. So many questions and decisions to face – the first of which is what are the best sewing machines for beginners? Honestly, that answer is going to vary from person to person, but you’re in luck because we’ve put together the 5 Best Sewing Machines For Beginners: Stitching Made Easy! Looking at the vast number of options and narrowing it down is not easy, but having the availability of online reviews helps to understand each sewing machine so we know exactly what each machine’s limitations and potential are. So, whether it be for embroidery, quilting, or regular stitching, we have a machine for you. We put all our years of sewing experience to work for you to help you find a sewing machine no matter your budget or goals. Just want something simple and affordable? We got it. Or do you hope to get into more advanced projects and even do some quilting someday? We have you covered. We walk you through the pros and cons of each machine from our perspective so you get the full scop on each machine. We know your sewing journey is an investment and we want to help you invest wisely. Let’s get right into it!

5 Best Sewing Machines for Beginners: Stitching Made Easy!

What to Look for in a Beginner Sewing Machine

There’s so much to consider when buying a sewing machine for beginners. But you don’t want to miss any opportunities – or step into any pitfalls when investing your money and potentially a lot of time. So, here are two biggest considerations I wish I’d looked out for when purchasing my first sewing machine,

1. Growth opportunity potential. You might be thinking you don’t need the wider opportunity for growth (it’s just a SEWING MACHINE!) – you just want to sew that shirt you’ve been thinking about or maybe that baby outfit. But having your sewing machine be both simple enough to understand it as a beginner, but also grow your skills WITH the machine is actually priceless. It will mean learning to do things the “right way” the first time, not having to relearn a brand new machine when your skills develop and needs grow into that which can only be achieved with a hardier machine, and it will mean being pleased with the more professional results you’ll achieve while still building your skills. Basically, even though you may not be interested in having the machine do a zig-zag stitch yet, having the ability to do that when you’re ready is a fantastic option.
2. Size. Each sewing machine style has it’s own purpose or reasoning behind having a different size. Some are particularly heavy as they are intended to be placed on a sewing table and never moved – while others are intended for portability. But that will also affect usability because a sewing machine needs heft for some projects, to help move heavier fabrics through. So, think about what size you feel will be best for your sewing needs. If you plan for this to be a couple of projects and then you’ll put your machine away for a year and forget it, a compact option with low storage space needed might be your best bet. But if you plan to make sewing patterns and do complex projects on the regular, a larger machine with significantly more weight might be a better choice so you have the flexibility to do thicker fabrics without problems.

Once you have determined what kind of growth opportunity you might want with a sewing machine and the approximate size needs you will have, finding the right beginner sewing machine will be a lot simpler decision.

5 Best Sewing Machines For Beginners

1. Brother CS600i Sewing and Quilting Machine – Best Reviewed

The Brother CS6000i Sewing and Quilting Machine is the sewing machine I wish was available when I was a beginner searching for my first sewing machine. As a beginner sewing machine, it’s full of several user-friendly features that will help you both now as a beginner, but also later as you become more adept at sewing.

The Brother CS6000i has 60 built-in stitch options and 7 varying styles of auto-size buttonhole options. Additionally, for beginners, the automatic needle threader and jam-resistant drop-in top bobbin are frustration-savers. The needle threader is a lifesaver, allowing you to just drop the thread in and the machine takes care of the rest. This feature in particular is one of my favorites and is available on several of the machines discussed in this list.

Unlike some of the other options, the extra-wide table on the Brother CS6000i provides a great surface area to give you more control over where your stitches are going, reducing the amount of “fighting” with your project to keep it steady and straight.

With 10 sewing feet, a hardcover (which comes in handy for keeping your sewing machine clean and in working order), and three bobbins, the Brother CS6000i gets you sewing straight out of the box with no hassles.

But what really has me excited about this particular beginner sewing machine is the sheer number of positive reviews online. On Amazon, at the time of writing this, the Brother CS6000i has over 20,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.7 stars. While not every review is glowing, the overall average is great and the vast majority of the reviews sound very even-handed and honest. 

Pros

• Handles thick materials, with minor foot adjustments
• Adjustable speed settings
• Simple to use and understand
• LCD screen
• Comes with an automatic threader and jam-resistant drop-in top bobbin
• 25-year warranty

Cons

• Some users reported tension issues
• Some users have noted that quilting on this machine can be a challenge with thicker materials as the throat/harp depth is limited
• Built-in light is a little dim

2.   SINGER Tradition 2277 Sewing Machine – Best Alternative

The Singer Tradition 2277 Sewing Machine has been the long-time recommendation I’ve made for a beginner’s sewing machine, until quite recently when I updated this analysis.

This machine has all the basics you need in a beginner’s sewing machine: several fully automated functions, multiple stitch applications, and relative portability.

Featuring a total of 97 stitch applications, three presser feet, and an automatic one-step buttonhole function, this sewing machine is an excellent choice for those looking to try their hand at a number of sewing projects of a wide variety.

If you’re not used to big sewing projects just yet, fret not; the Tradition 2277 comes with a free arm design so you can tackle small projects such as children’s clothing, along with hems and cuffs.

To make things even easier, the machine has a built-in needle threader so you don’t have to worry about manually threading the needle yourself. Simply insert the thread and let the machine do the job for you. It also gives you the freedom to adjust the stitch length and width to further customize your final design.

And while the online reviews have left the Tradition 2277 with a 4 ½ star rating on Amazon, just like the Brother CS6000i, there are only 2,000 reviews available, which is substantially less than the CS6000i. This isn’t problematic, but the larger pool of reviews does give the Brother a heavier weight in my opinion. 

Pros

• Handles thick material such as denim and wool with little to no problems
• Extremely simple to use due to its straightforward, uncomplicated design
• Multiple stitching patterns

Cons

• Some users reported tension issues; bobbin thread would sometimes unwind, get tangled, or bunched up unprompted

3.   Magicfly Mini Sewing Machine – Best Budget Pick

The Magicfly Mini Sewing Machine is one of our favorite budget-friendly sewing machines ever made.

For well under 100 bucks, you get a fully functioning portable machine that you carry around easily from point A to point B. Need to carry a sewing machine to your friend’s house or to one of your sewing lessons? No problem!

It’s quite small, as well; only 10.43 x 9.06 x 7.48 inches. This means you can use it anywhere, anyplace, without having to worry about space constrictions. You don’t even need a power supply to operate it. As long as you have four AA batteries, you’re good to go.

A 42-piece sewing accessory kit is included in the box so you can start stitching straight away. All these items fit in the Magicfly portable bag. If you primarily work with big projects, you’ll be glad to know that a foot pedal and an extension table are included free-of-charge.

The machine itself has two functional speeds to match your expertise level. To make it even easier for beginners, a threading direction is listed on the machine.  

The online community has good things to say, in general, about the Magicfly. The 4 star rating on Amazon from over 11,000 people is generally indicative of a product that generally meets the needs of end users. It “gets the job done”.

Pros

• Ideal for children or beginners on a budget
• Extremely compact and lightweight
• Light button allows you to easily sew in darker conditions
• Has a dual power operation (battery and/or AC/DC power supply)
• Beginner sewing kit available

Cons

• Not strong enough to sew thick fabric (like jeans, wool, etc.)

4.   Brother CS7000X Computerized Sewing and Quilting Machine – Best for Quilting

If you’re a beginner quilter, you need a machine that’ll help you finish the job cleanly and efficiently. That’s where the CS7000X Sewing and Quilting Machine comes in; not only will it help you practice sewing and stitching, but it also gives you the chance to have a go with quilting as well.

The Brother CS7000X has a ton of features that’ll make both sewing and quilting a walk in the park. It comes with 70 individual built-in stitches, ten sewing feet, and seven one-step auto-size buttonholes. It also includes a wide table, a quilt guide, and a user manual written in three languages (English, French, and Spanish).

We also love the machine’s automatic needle threader function, which Brother claims they have improved from the old CS7000X model. Equally important is the included jam-resistant drop-in top bobbin, which both helps load and keep the bobbin in place. This significantly reduces the chance of tension issues and accidental unwinding of thread.

Pros

• Wide table makes it easy to work with large quilting projects
• Comes with a free-arm design for hemming pants, sleeves, and cuffs
• LCD screen and button selection allows you to choose your stitch of choice
• 25-year warranty

Cons

• Built-in light isn’t bright enough to work in darker conditions
• Loud operation

5.   Brother SE600 Computerized Sewing and 4×4 Embroidery Machine – Best for Embroidery

If you’re a big fan of embroidery, you’ll love the SE600 Sewing and Embroidery Machine.

It comes with 80 embroidery designs to play with, some of which include six embroidery lettering fonts and multiple floral, applique, sport, and nature images. On top of that, it also comes with 103 built-in sewing stitches and ten styles of one-step, auto-sized buttonholes. That’s more than enough for beginners and professionals alike!

You can select your desired design on SE600’s 3.2″ LCD touch screen display. If you’re not too fond of the premade colors it comes with, you can actually edit and change the thread colors individually before you start stitching.

If you want to embroider something specific, why not import your own designs? That’s right; the SE600 has a USB port that allows you to upload and customize your personal styles! To further add to the machine’s functionality, it has a needle up/down feature and a variable drop feed and speed control that is extremely helpful if you’re fond of free-motion sewing.

Pros

• Multiple stitching and embroidery designs to choose from
• Comes with an automatic threader and jam-resistant drop-in top bobbin
• USB port allows you to upload unlimited design and stitching options
• 25-year warranty

Cons

• Limited arm space

4 x 4 embroidery hoop isn’t the best for large embroidery projects

After Buying Your First Sewing Machine

Once you’ve got your machine in hand, there are some things to keep in mind to make the experience as stress-free as possible. Namely, I recommend that you: 

1. Watch videos using that specific sewing machine. Tutorials on how to use different settings and how to troubleshoot the machine are going to be priceless. Back in the long ago before-times when I was purchasing my first machine, we didn’t have videos to watch and it was so confusing. Since the advent of the internet and all the available share of information, I was honestly surprised at what my sewing machine could do that I had never learned in the first 10 years of owning it.
2. Work with smaller projects first. When you’re learning how to use a sewing machine, no matter how informed you were before purchasing it, you can easily become frustrated when it comes to those first few projects. Sewing machines are not simple and getting the results you want is not simple either. So, work on small projects until you’ve mastered a skill or two, then work up in scale. This will help you to have accomplishments more frequently than if you try to tackle a large project on day one.
3. Don’t skimp on supplies. Honestly, a year ago, I thought my sewing machine had completely lost the ability to do any good projects. Thread kept breaking, I kept losing tension, and the bobbin seemed like it constantly had to be readjusted to work. I was flabbergasted when my friend suggested that I just get a higher-quality thread. This made all the difference. My sewing machine now operates as it did 10 years ago when I bought it. Apparently, the cheap thread I had been working with was the culprit all along!
4. Read the manual. I know, I’m not that person either. I would much rather chuck the manual and just dive right into a project. But, sewing machines are complex, as stated, and they’re not magic. Especially if it’s your first time using a sewing machine, take the time to get to know the machine before taking off. There will be important steps that could otherwise be skipped, ruining your first project, frustrating you, and just overall making sewing unpleasant for you. Just read the little book, it will be worth your time.

So What’s the Best Sewing Machine for Beginners?

There’s a “right” beginner sewing machine for every person, depending entirely on their chosen sewing goals. While I absolutely met my goals at the time when I purchased my first sewing machine, it was a big-box store, a least-expensive option that I sure wish I’d known more about before I paid. 

Having the ability to look at reviews like this one or read personal reviews and watch videos before buying has really changed my perspective on the purchase of a sewing machine for beginners. So, guided by the goals of your sewing journey, hopefully, you have adequate information to make a decision that’s right for you. 

Were I to be purchasing a new sewing machine today for one of my children who have no experience sewing, I would definitely invest in the Brother CS6000i. The cost is not extravagant, the growth opportunity potential is immense, and the size is the most versatile in my opinion. It’s the machine I would have purchased as a beginner had I known then what I know now.

However, if your goals are not as focused as mine, I understand that your favored sewing machine for beginners might be different.

It’s truly a “to each his own” decision because the needs are so varied. 

If you liked learning about these 5 best sewing machines for beginners: stitching made easy, make sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board or share it with friends on social media. If you decide to make this simple project on your own, be certain that you take a picture afterward and tag us on social media as we love seeing the fabrics and color choices that people use!