My goal is to lead you on the right path to finding a good solid sewing machine for leather regardless of your particular needs. And, since you may have different needs than the next person reading this same article, I have mixed both home sewing machines and the best industrial sewing machines for leather that I could find on the market.
Scroll down and let’s quickly go over it!
Top 5 Best Sewing Machines for Leather
5. Singer 4452 Leather Sewing Machine
Ideal for: Thin Leather. Light to Medium Weight Materials.
- Budget: $$
- Our rating:
- Machine Type: Domestic, Mechanical.
- Speed per minute: 1100 spm
- Free Arm: Yes
- Included Feet: All-purpose foot, zipper foot, buttonhole foot, button sewing foot.
Singer 4452 is a straightforward model with more stitches than the average mechanical sewing machine. When using with the correct leather needle and thread, the power of its motor and the speed will surprise you as it makes it super efficient for a household model.
Of course, since this isn’t an industrial sewing machine, it can only do a limited amount of hard work, including thin leather, but, if you have a low budget to invest in a sewing machine for leather, this is definitely a great option.
What’s awesome is that it comes with many heavy-duty accessories, such as a walking foot for quickly sewing through several layers of material, a non-stick foot for thin leather, a clearance plate for thicker seams, and some extra heavy duty needles, so you won’t need to purchase any extra accessories for your leathercrafts.
- Built-in needle threader.
- The included non-sticky foot is ideal for working on leather
- An Even Feed or Walking Foot is included, making this machine a good option to work on several layers of material
- Avoid using it on thick leather
- Debris from leather thread needs to get cleaned often
4. Janome HD1000 Leather Sewing Machine
Ideal for: Thin Leather. Light to Medium Weight Materials.
- Budget: $$
- Our rating:
- Machine Type: Domestic, Mechanical.
- Speed per minute: 860 spm
- Free Arm: Yes
- Included Feet: General Purpose, Zig Zag, Rolled Hem.
Due to the reduced use of plastic parts and the lack of any electronics, the Janome HD1000 would outlast any other home machine.
This sewing machine is undoubtedly best suited for light and medium-weight materials. Nonetheless, sewing thick leather, reptile skin, canvas, twill, plastic, or rubber can cause the engine to overheat.
Furthermore, thanks to its strong motor, it works as well on heavy fabrics such as thin leather or denim as it does on lighter fabrics.
- A powerful motor of 1.0 Amp. for home use
- The frame is made of aluminum, as used in industrial machines
- Threading mechanism that is ideal for left-handed users
- There are no electronics, which means the product would last longer
- Hard cover included to keep it dust-free while stored
- Beginner’s beware: this machine has high power and one can only regulable the speed through the pressure on the pedal
- Debris from leather thread needs to get cleaned often
3. FamYun Manual Leather Sewing Machine
Ideal for: Thin to Thick Leather. Light to Heavy Weight Materials.
- Budget: $
- Our rating:
- Machine Type: Iron made, cobbler hand crank..
- Speed per minute: 860 spm
- Free Arm: Yes, Long Horizontal Cylinder Bed.
- Foot Lift Heigth: 13-15mm
- Included Feet: All-purpose foot, zipper foot, buttonhole foot, button sewing foot.
You can buy this super cheap sewing machine for a little more than a hundred dollars and quit sewing your leather crafts by hand.
What’s even better about this model is the slim cylinder bed, which helps to reach every difficult corner of the leather item you’re working on. This is the most affordable industrial cylinder bed machine you’ll ever find, and the consistency of the stitches is only limited by your ability to improve your skills through practice.
Most likely you’ll have to clean the extra oil and sometimes even sand the presser foot to avoid it from scratching delicate items. Nonetheless, since they are iron cast, they will last you a lifetime for a very reasonable price.
- Very affordable option to upgrade your leathercraft work
- 360º rotating head to easily turn the direction of the stitches
- It will last you a lifetime as it’s completely mechanical
- Super basic system that any beginner can learn
- You might need to clean the extra oil before the first use
- The foot might need some sanding to prevent the leather from getting scratched
- The Tripod stand is a bit flimsy so we recommend changing it to a more stable surface to squeeze all its potential
2. Janome HD3000 Leather Sewing Machine
Ideal for: Thin Leather. Light to Medium Weight Materials.
- Budget: $
- Our rating:
- Machine Type: Domestic, Mechanical.
- Speed per minute: 860 spm
- Free Arm: Yes
- Included Feet: Ultra Glide Foot, Blind Hem “G” Foot, Overedge “C” Foot, Rolled Hem “D” Foot, Zipper “E” Foot, Buttonhole “B” Foot.
Compared to the Janome HD1000 the only differences in this machine are the stitch width that varies from 5mm to 6.5mm, the number of feed dogs that increases from 3 to 5 pieces, 4 extra stitches, and 2 needle positions.
Also, the bobbin winding system automatically stops when full. And, to allow all those changes, the weight goes up 2 pounds from 16.8 to 18.7.
Every other feature remains exactly the same as Janome HD1000 no matter the color edition you choose. A downside is that in this unit the design includes some plastic parts whereas Janome HD1000 has been entirely made out of metal. It’s up to you.
If you give more importance to a full-on metal frame, go for Janome HD1000. If, on the contrary, you consider it more important to have those extra features, stay with HD3000. In the end, and no matter your choice, it’s the quality of Janome you are buying.
- Leather Needles Included
- Powerful motor of 1.0 Amp. for home use
- Threading system perfect for left-handed
- Accessories made of metal
- Aluminum Body for durability
- No electronics for longer durability
- Designed to sew on thin leather and denim
- User-friendly
- Black Edition Available here
- High power and speed for beginners
- Debris from leather thread needs to get cleaned often
1. Consew 206RB-5 Leather Sewing Machine
Ideal for: Thin to Thick Leather. Heavy Weight Materials.
- Budget: $$
- Our rating:
- Machine Type: Industrial Walking Foot
- Speed per minute: 3300 spm
- Free Arm: Yes
- Foot Lift Heigth: 14mm
- Included Feet: Walking Foot.
This triple feed machine has been specifically designed to work on heavy-duty materials such as medium or thick leather with 14 mm clearance under the presser foot and a stitch length of up to 10 mm.
The 206RB-5 model from this renowned brand, Consew, is a super complete option if you sew from automotive seat repairs, marine vinyl, or canvas to medium weight apparel garments on a daily basis and on different types of projects. Just change the needle, adjust tension and stitch length, and keep sewing.
The strength of this industrial unit can pull material through no matter how much weight is hanging from the machine, and without breaking needles. Many users have noted how quiet Consew 206RB is for what it does, making a good option for you if you will be installing the machine at home.
Additionally, you can easily press the installed lever to reverse the direction of the lock stitch and to change the bobbin, you leave whatever it’s being sewn under the presser foot.
- Triple or Compound Feed provides excellent stitch and smooth sewing.
- Great for leather, denim and vinyl
- Bobbin type M to hold double the thread
- Centralized Lubrication System
- Too rough for light cloth garments
- Separate tool using the motor belt to wind the bobbin
Leather Sewing Machines Comparison Chart
| Machine | Stitches | Features | Motor & Dimensions | Ideal for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Singer 4452 Read Review | - 1100 spm* - 32 Built-In - 1 Buttonhole - 6 mm Width - 4 mm Length | - Metal Frame - Needle Threader - 5 Piece Feed Dog - NonStick Foot - Heavy-Duty Needles | - Mechanic - 0.7 Amps - Presser Foot Lift: 13mm (1/2") - 15.5" x 6.25" x 12" - 14.6 lbs | - Light leather: only for spare thin leather projects - Light to Medium Weight Materials: cotton, sateen, oxford, velvet, denim, brocade, poplin, etc. | |
 Janome HD1000 Read Review | - 840 spm* - 14 Built-In - 1 Buttonhole - 5 mm Width - 4 mm Length | - Needle Threader - Aluminium Body - 3 Piece Feed Dog - NonStitck Foot - Leather Needles | - Mechanic - 1.0 Amps - 15.6" x12.4" x6.3" - Work Space 6.4" x4.7" - 16.8 lbs | - Light Leather: designed to work on thin leather. - Light to Medium Weight Materials: cotton, sateen, oxford, velvet, denim, brocade, poplin, etc. | |
 Hand Cobbler Read Review | - Stitch Width 6mm - Standard Needle System 130x15 & 135x15 - Needle #15 to #22 - Maximum Thread Size #138 | - Hand Crank - Cylinder Bed - Iron Made - 360º Rotating Foot allowing Reverse Stitches | - Throat Depth 11.8" (300mm) - Presser Foot 13mm - 21" x 14" x 6" | - Thin to Thick Leather up to 13mm - Heavy Materials: nylon, cotton wire, high heels, leather shoes, rubber shoes, raincoats, leather bags, etc. | |
 Janome HD3000 Read Review | - 860 spm* - 18 Built-In - 1 Buttonhole - 6.5 mm Width - 4 mm Length | - Needle Threader - Aluminium Body - 5 Piece Feed Dog - NonStitck Foot - Leather Needles | - Mechanic - 1.0 Amps - 16" x11.3" x7.2" - Work Space 6.5" x4.6" - 18.7 lbs | - Light Leather: designed to work with leather. We recommend non-continuous use. - Light to Medium Weight Materials: cotton, sateen, oxford, velvet, denim, brocade, poplin, etc. | |
 Consew 206RB-5 Read Review | - 3300 spm** - Bobbin Type M - Needle 135 x 17 - Stitch Type 301 - Stitch Length 10mm | - Walking Foot - Elyptical Feed - Centralized Lubrication - Adjustable Reverse Stitch | - Foot Lift Height 9/16" (14mm) - Underarm 10 5/16" (258mm) - Bed Size 7" 18 7/8" (178 x 480mm) - Head Weight 82 lbs | - Servo Motor Included - Table Included - Ideal Use: Heavy Weight Materials: vinyl, upholstery, synthetics, canvas, coated products, etc. |
*Speed Per Minute: referring to the number of stitches a machine can perform in a minute.
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FAQs
What is the best industrial sewing machine for leather?
The ideal industrial sewing machine to make sure you can stitch through any kind of materials would be a walking foot or triple feed compound model. However, it all depends on different factors like the leather thickness or the budget you have.
It’s such a complex matter that we have created a full article with the best sewing machines for leather in the market.
What kind of sewing machine do you need for leather?
When working with leather, a walking foot machine (also called triple compound) is what you need. You might want to read right our Buyer’s Guide for more specific information.
Do I need a special sewing machine for leather?
As an amateur, if you just want to use your machine to sew on leather sparingly, it could be sufficient with a heavy duty home model if you add a walking foot to it. Nevertheless, be aware that the motor might stop working soon as it may not be strong enough for the task.
As a professional leather crafter, you know you do.
In any case, feel free to read our Buying Guide to choose the right leather sewing machine for your needs.
Which is the best sewing machine to sew thick material and leather?
There are many options that could make the best sewing machine for you. It really depends on one’s needs, but no matter the machine you choose, make sure to get a walking foot with a servo motor.
Don’t know what I’m talking about?
You may benefit from reading our Buyer’s Guide to learn what machine better suits your needs.
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