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Sewing is one of those magical hobbies that are both endlessly creative and especially practical. With relatively little effort—and a good sewing machine—you can make a quilt, whip up some curtains, hem pants, or even make pants out of things that weren’t pants at all before.
But there are as many sewing machines to choose from as there are things you can do with them, so finding the perfect starter setup can be more stressful than it ought to be.
After interviewing a diverse panel of experts and spending more than 80 hours sewing with 27 machines on a variety of projects, we’re sure that the Brother CS7000X is the best option for most beginner sewists, thanks to its accessible price, wealth of helpful features, and versatile included functions and accessories.
The best sewing machine for most beginners – Brother CS7000X
The Brother CS7000X is a surprisingly affordable, computerized sewing machine that’s intuitive enough to allow beginners to gain confidence and skill yet versatile enough to handle more-advanced projects as the sewist’s skills grow. This isn’t an heirloom machine that you’re likely to pass down to future generations—you can expect it to have a lifespan of years rather than decades. But for the price, it’s an impressively sophisticated machine.
The CS7000X comes with a wealth of presser feet, which will help even beginner sewists produce professional-looking work. And it includes a wide table extension and a walking foot, which are rarities on a machine in this price range. This machine has a huge variety of programmed stitches, both utilitarian and whimsical, and the included manual is thorough and helpful.
For the ambitious beginner – Singer Quantum Stylist 9960
Compared with the Brother CS7000X, the Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 is more solidly built, more stylish, and more flexible in the size of its sewing surface. It’s also, simply put, really fun to use.
It has a ton of features, stitches, and accessories, and it includes some extras—such as an automatic thread cutter—usually found only on much higher-end machines. (If you think that sounds goofy, try using it once and see how you yearn for it on every machine afterward.)
In looks and function, the Quantum Stylist feels like a premium machine, but due to its ease of use and relative affordability, it’s also a viable choice for someone who’s just beginning to sew.
Best for people who prefer a mechanical sewing machine – Husqvarna Viking Onyx 25
The Husqvarna Viking Onyx 25 is a chic, basic machine that’ll look great in any space, and it’s just as serviceable as it is neutrally colored (which is to say, extremely so).
It’s powerful, smooth, and quiet. And it has a nifty pull-out stitch reference guide, suggesting starting points for width, length, tension, and more for each stitch. That’ll save less-experienced sewists some heartache and Googling.
The Onyx performed wonderfully on most fabrics, but it does not include a walking foot or the Pfaff Select 4.2’s luxurious IDT built-in system. So this is not a great pick for those who think they will primarily be using stretchy knit fabrics.