If you’ve decided to start embroidering from the comfort of your home and you want to choose a new sewing and embroidery machine combo, you are in the right place as we have selected the best sewing and embroidery machines for the most affordable prices out there.
And even though sometimes embroidery machine combos may seem a bit expensive, the prices of all the selected models are more than justified, no matter the brand.
Right below the reviews, you’ll find a comparison chart with all their features right after the reviews. You can also jump straight to it.
The 7 Best Sewing and Embroidery Machine Reviews
Best for Beginners. Brother SE600 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
- Budget: $
- Our rating:
- Built-in Designs: 80
- Speed per minute: 400
- Area: 4″ x 4″
- Decorative Stitches: 103
- Speed per minute: 710
- Free Arm: Yes
Brother SE600 is excellent for first-time users as a sewing embroidery machine since it’s super easy to learn how to use its features. I can’t think of a better machine for a beginner and for a more affordable price for the value of the product.
Easy peasy: this sewing embroidery machine simply offers excellent value and performance for a fair price. That is why this machine is my number one for beginners of all ages.
Brother SE600 comes with a 4″ x 4″ embroidery area and with the possibility of re-hooping in case of wanting to embroider a larger design. It also includes 80 Embroidery Designs, 103 Built-In Sewing Stitches and, a large Color Touch LCD screen, where you can easily change specific embroidery thread colors and then preview before stitching.
Also, an automatic needle threader, which comes super useful when embroidering with a broad palette of colors; 6 embroidery lettering fonts, allowing you to personalize your creations also with different sizes and; free arm for cuffs and sleeves which a consider a must.
Besides, as a sewing machine this Brother model brings a feature for auto-sized buttonholes and comes with a USB port so you can import your designs.
Once you become a Brother customer, you’ll have access to more than 1000 free embroidery designs at iBroidery.com.
What you’ll like:
- You can create your own custom stitches to embellish your sewing projects
- Low budget price.
- A low learning curve, perfect for beginners of all ages.
- Free Arm
Something to Consider:
- Limited embroidery area to 4″ x 4″
You may want to read a full review of Brother SE600.
Best Overall. Brother SE1900 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
- Budget: $$$
- Our rating:
- Built-in Designs: 138
- Speed per minute: 650
- Area: 5″ x 7″
- Decorative Stitches: 850
- Speed per minute: 240
- Free Arm: Yes
For half the price of the Janome 8950, you could have a multipurpose machine that is suitable for beginners of all ages who are learning how to sew on their firsts projects. A downside compares to our number 2, is that the maximum embroidery area of 5×7. The good thing is that Brother SE1900 allows a multi-positional hoop of 12 “x5”, which means that the maximum área shouldn’t be an issue.
Brother SE1900 can efficiently perform embroidery on any fabric of your choice and it is my absolute favorite from this brand when looking for a computerized combination machine.
Some of the products that this package includes are a needle of each size (11,14 & 16), a knee lifter, a hoop of 5″ x 7″. But, overall, what I love about this model is that for a very fair price, you get a machine that achieves an excellent quality of the embroidery.
And it only is a home sewing and embroidery machine.
What you’ll like:
- Free motion quilting
- Knee Lifter
- Create your own decorative stitches
Something to Consider:
- It is not the cheapest embroidery machine
Read a full review of the Brother SE1900.
Best for Advanced Sewers. Janome 9850 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
- Budget: $$$$
- Our rating:
- Built-in Designs: 175
- Speed per minute: 800
- Area: 6.7″ x 7.9″
- Decorative Stitches: 200
- Speed per minute: 1000
- Free Arm: Yes
This the new version of Janome 9900 and it is just as robust and reliable as the previous model. You will find that it’s the perfect machine for users working on advanced projects.
It is also super easy to use for you as a beginner giving your first steps in the sewing and embroidering world. Notice the Start/Stop bottom on the picture beneath the text? It is the ideal feature for beginners and even children who are curious about creating their first garments. Of course, supervise them while they experiment.
Janome HMC 9850 includes plenty of features and functions for all types of sewing and embroidery. I would say that, for the price, it is the best option you will find out there today. That is a given. There is no doubt that this high-end model delivers excellent quality stitches. It is a unit that, this machine is very smooth when stitching and super accurate when quilting.
And yes, you can also quilt with this model.
What you’ll like:
- Programmable jump thread trimming
- Auto return post thread break
- Twin needle guard
- Automatic thread tension
- Maximum Stitch Width of 9mm
- Up to 3MB of memory storage
- Speed Control Slider
- Adjustable hoop positioning
- 10 Extra Feet Included
Something to Consider:
- Does not include a case nor a cover
Best Affordable Swiss Quality. Bernette B79 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
- Budget: $$$$
- Our rating:
- Built-in Designs: 208
- Speed per minute: 850
- Area: 6.3″ x 10.2″
- Decorative Stitches: 500 + Stitch Design
- Speed per minute: 1000
As the more accessible line of Swiss brand Bernina, Bernette machines are known to have an excellent quality making it worth considering them as a primary option. If you’ve heard of the B77’s sewing wonders and the B70 DECO’s embroidery quality of stitches, know that this is the actual hybrid of both models.
Many features and details make the Bernette B79 go straight into our list.
To name a few, the Stitch Designer program allows you to create your own stitches, in addition to bringing hundreds of different stitches to play around with. With your customized stitches, you will be able to make the most original designs.
To avoid unraveling, you will also get the automatic tie-off function, so you no longer need to reverse stitch. What you will find even better is that you can program it to work together with the automatic thread cutter. Now with a simple tap on the back of the foot controller, you will easily complete the seams in no time.
You can even program it to pause during embroidery and cut unwanted tails for a more professional-looking design.
But now that most machines are made in China and made of large amounts of plastic, the thing I love most about this machine is the Swiss design. You could perhaps say that since it was made of metal and with small plastic components, it will most likely last longer than any other models in the same price range, regardless of its popularity.
To end with Bernette B79, the fact that it’s compatible with most embroidery design formats is another small detail that makes this machine worth considering. You can now skip both converting your designs and buying the now unnecessary software.
What you’ll like:
- Large cast aluminum frame.
- It can read multiple embroidery file types.
- Slide-on table to easily work on larger projects like quilts.
- Knee lifter for the presser foot and guide your fabric with both hands.
- Even beginners can learn how to use it.
- LED light and eco function to save energy.
- Bernina quality for a lower price tag.
Something to Consider:
- It takes more than half a minute to startup.
Best Budget. Brother LB5000 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
- Budget: $$
- Our rating:
- Included Feet: Buttonhole, Zipper, Overcasting, Blindstich, Monogramming, Zigzag, Embroidery, Button Sewing.
EMBROIDERY
- Built-in Designs: 80 + 10 Marvel
- Speed per minute: 400
- Area: 4″ x 4″
SEWING
- Free Arm: Yes
- Decorative Stitches: 103
- Speed per minute: 710
The LB5000 is an ideal choice if you want a machine that can handle all your sewing and embroidery projects.This machine comes in two versions: the LB5000S (Star Wars-themed) and the LB5000M (Marvel-themed). Each of these two models have 10 Star Wars or Marvel embroidery designs built in, which is a real treat if you’re a fan of either!
While most combo machines are “OK” at both tasks but not “great” at either, the LB5000 truly performs well for both regular sewing and embroidery.
One of the advantages of the LB5000’s sewing capabilities is that it sews quietly. If you live in an apartment or sew at night when the rest of your family is sleeping, this is a huge bonus.
The LB5000 machine is fairly easy to use, it comes with a helpful manual, its LCD screen is intuitive and the internet is full of online tutorial is case you get lost as a beginner. Furthermore, it comes with plenty of built-in embroidery designs and several fonts to make getting started easy.
If you’re just getting started with machine embroidery and want an excellent beginners machine on a budget, the LB5000 might be the right choice. For small projects, it works wonderfully as an embroidery machine.
Overall, the Brother LB5000 sewing and embroidery machine is a great buy: for a fraction of the price of a typical fancy embroidery machine, you get a well-made, simple-to-use entry-level embroidery machine.
What you’ll like:
- Both the embroidery and sewing capabilities provide excellent stitch quality
- Custom designs can be effortlessly uploaded using a USB drive
- Switching between sewing and embroidery settings is very easy – crucial for a combo machine!
- For an embroidery-capable machine, it is quite fairly priced
- The automatic needle threader makes threading a breeze
- It features a large variety of sewing stitches, including all the essentials as well as some fun decorative stitches
Something to Consider:
- If you want to embroider larger designs, the maximum embroidery space is 4″ x 4″, which can be restrictive
- Embroidery software is not included with the Brother LB5000
- It isn’t particularly good at stitching through thick fabrics like denim
Best for Home Business. Janome 14000 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
- Budget: $$$$$$$$$$
- Our rating:
- Built-in Designs: 350
- Speed per minute: 1000
- Area: 9.1″ x 11.8″
- Free Arm: Yes
- Speed per minute: 1000
- Decorative Stitches: 400
Whether you want to sew, embroider, or quilt, the Janome 14000 has you covered by always producing the most professional stitches. This machine will take your sewing and embroidery projects to the next level, and while the price is only for those with large budgets, your expectations will be exceeded if you dare to invest in it.
Furthermore, this high-quality machine automatically threads the needle – a feature that often does not work on other manufacturers. Furthermore, its small yet long free arm will allow you to sew in even the most difficult areas, with less itchy eyes, because the light expansion and magnifying glass will help you finish your projects with ease.
If you want to upgrade your machine and are used to having tension issues and bird nests, you’ll really enjoy your time sewing and creating more and more projects with the Janome 14000 because it really is a true workhorse capable of both heavy duty tasks and the finest embroidery stitches. Another thing to keep in mind is that this machine is extremely quiet, so you can use it late at night without worrying about waking up your family.
Given the size of this machine, the manufacturers have included 10 LED lights to ensure that every surface is lit, whether you’re working on a king quilt, embroidering a t-shirt, or creating clothing from scratch.
To be honest, the only feature you could want – which the next model, the Janome 15000, has – is a Wi-Fi connection to transfer all of your designs from the computer directly to the unit. Alternatively, you could save thousands of dollars by purchasing the Janome 14000 and using a cable.
What you’ll like:
- A magnifying glass is included, which is extremely useful for small tasks and wary eyes
- Included is a buttonhole stabilizer plate
- The Knee Lifter enables you to handle fabric with both hands while lifting the presser foot with a touch of your knee
- After a thread breakage, the machine will automatically return where it left off
- Stitch travel feature that can be adjusted in increments of 1, 10, or 100
- Get rid of snipping loose threads with its jumping thread trimming feature
- It comes with several embroidery hoop sizes for all your embroidery projects
Something to Consider:
- You’ll need a large budget
- It will probably take you a while to learn every detail of this machine as it has more features than you will likely ever use
Best for Disney Fans. Brother NQ3600D Sewing and Embroidery Machine
- Budget: $$$$$
- Our rating:
- Built-in Designs: 198 + 35 Disney
- Speed per minute: 850
- Area: 6″ x 10″
- Free Arm: Yes
- Speed per minute: 850
- Decorative Stitches: 291
As you might have guessed, the D in NQ3600D stands for Disney. This is a fantastic embroidery machine that comes with 198 built-in embroidery designs as well as 35 additional Disney designs. It also includes a 5″ x 7″ hoop as well as a larger 6″ x 10″ hoop.
If you are easily overwhelmed by machines that have a plethora of advanced features, such as the Janome 14000, this machine may be your best option because it has a wide range of capabilities while remaining relatively simple to understand.
The Brother NQ3600D has a large LCD screen where you can retouch your design before embroidering it, which is great for finishing touches.
Other useful features include jumping thread trimming, which is lacking in most machines, and an automatic needle threader that works for both sewing and embroidery.
In terms of sewing features, the Brother NQ3600D has 291 stitches and is very easy to use. One feature you’ll appreciate is that it automatically adjusts to different layers of different fabrics without requiring you to change any settings. It can also sew through six layers of denim with ease. Another cool feature of this machine is the sideways directional sewing feature, which comes in handy when sewing over cuffs and sleeves. And if you’re a quilter, this machine has plenty of features that will make your life easier, such as the applique stitch and the pivoting needle, but that’s a topic for another day.
What you’ll like:
- Large hoops of 5 x 7 and 6 x 10 included
- Automatic Needle Threader
- Jumping Thread Trimming
- 198 embroidery designs plus 35 aditional Disney built in designs
Something to Consider:
- Not for every pocket
Sewing and Embroidery Machines Comparison
After reading all the sewing and embroidery machine reviews on our list, you may want to compare the main features and prices these machines can offer you in this chart.
*Speed Per Minute: referring to the number of stitches a machine can perform in a minute.
**Area: referring to the maximum embroidery area that an embroidery machine can reach.
Features to Consider in any Sewing and Embroidery Machine
First of all, have in mind that the model you choose should be based on the size and scope of future projects, your budget, and your skill level. You don´t want to waste any money on an over-featured machine.
Embroidery Features
Hoop Capability
The hoop capability refers to the hoop size within of which your machine will be embroidering on. That is if you decide to go for the computerized embroidery machine. You might want a multi-hoop embroidery machine to work on several designs at the same time. Another option is to buy some spare hoops of different sizes. Don´t miss this article if you want to learn more about different hoop options.
Built-in Embroidery Designs
This feature is a particular one. Any machine will come with easy and straightforward embroidery designs and patterns these days. Nevertheless, depending on the embroidery machine that you finally choose, it will include more or fewer designs. If you decide you go for a cheaper version thinking that you don´t need to overspend your money, think twice. The more 2D designs and patterns included, the better. The main reason is that you will have to pay if you wish to use some other not included in your brand new machine. Some computerized embroidery machines come with more than 250 fantastic embroidery designs and patterns.
Ability of Editing
This one is another unique feature. After all, it will allow you to correct the designs and patterns that the machine includes giving you plenty of possibilities to play with. Let´s say you want to add a black line along the border of the design to add that quality touch that we all looking for. If your machine has this feature included, you won´t feel that you have to be content with the design. You will be able to actually improve it!
USB Computer Connectivity / Built-in Memory
If you want to buy new designs online or create your ones to embroider, later on, then make sure that the machine of your choice comes with the USB connectivity so that you can transfer those. Some machines also come with built-in memory for the same purpose.
LCD Touchscreen
With new technologies, touchscreens have become a prominent feature to add to emboridery machines since they bring a much enjoyable experience thanks to the possibilities that brings with it. Depending on the unit, it can even include high-resolution color screens or the possibility of on-screen design editing. Brilliant, isn´t it?
Number of needles
A single-needle embroidery machine will need you to change threads while working. On the contrary, a multi-needle one would do it alone. So if you are one of those people who already know that time is money, you may want to invest in one of these and use the time machine uses to embroider, to write a new book or work outside in your garden. Of course, expect a higher range of prices as well.
Stabilizers
Stabilizers are pieces of different materials that are used to put under the section of fabric to embroider on with the end of making the stitching process possible. Think of any embroidered hat or t-shirt that you have at home. Notice the white fabric that comes stitched on the inside of the embroidery? That is it. It also helps to create tension when putting any material in the hoop.
Sewing Features
Built-in Stitches
When speaking of built-in stitches, we are talking about the number of specialty stitches that the machine can sew – zig-zag, straight-stitch, etc. We will sometimes get a map of stitches on the front side of the device. Some may be decorative while others functional such as those for hemming or buttonholes. Nowadays it is unlikely that a sewing machine won´t have at least ten of these installed. Computerized embroidery machines always bring plenty of them among their features.
Other Features
Machine Size
Taking into consideration the size of the unit is a no brainer. Make sure you have the space to fit in the embroidery machine you want to get.
What’s a Sewing and Embroidery Combo Machine?
A sewing and embroidery combo machine is actually a combination of two very different types of machines: sewing and embroidery.
Now, on the one hand, a sewing and embroidery combo machine has all of the features that you would expect to find in a typical sewing machine. This includes simple stitches for basic fabric work like hemming or mending clothes, as well as more advanced stitches for decorative purposes. But in addition to these basic sewing features, a sewing and embroidery combo machine also has a built-in embroidery function.
With an embroidery function, you can add all sorts of embellishments to your fabric projects, from simple designs to complex patterns. And because the embroidery function is built into the machine itself, you don’t have to worry about transferring your designs from computer to machine.
icon-lightbulb-o Using a low-quality thread when embroidering increases the chances of thread breakage.
Some other articles you may want to read:
FAQs
As it includes some kind of computer, any embroidery machine nowadays can be referred to as computerized. Just read this article with the top-rated sewing and embroidery machine and decide which will be your best choice.
There are several machines that you could say are the best sewing and embroidery machine for beginners. For every person, there will be a specific best choice, as each one may use them for different crafts or have a different level of experience.
Read more about the best embroidery machine for your needs.
It depends on what machine you have. An embroidery only machine can’t sew in any case. However, if you choose a sewing and embroidery machine, you’ll be able to both sew straight stitches and embroider flat designs by simply changing a few functions.
You can read an article about the best sewing and embroidery machine for every kind of user.
A combination or combo machine is the one that can both stitch straight and embroider 2D flat designs like those from business logos or Disney t-shirts. That’s what we also call a sewing and embroidery machine.
As stated before, our number one choice is the Brother SE600 machine. Nevertheless, if you know for sure that you will keep embroidering for years, know that you can potentially grow out of it soon. A smart thing to do is to invest in a machine like the Brother SE1900 or the Janome Memory Craft 9850 that are beginner-friendly, very easy to use, and are so well designed and manufactured that will last a lifetime.
Feel free to check the best embroidery machines for beginners.
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