A honest and impartial list of top 10 sewing machines between $200 and $400. List is created after considering over 50 sewing machines.
We have already done the top 10 list for sewing machines under $200. You can look at it in the Best Sellers tab, if that is your budget range. Now we are going to have a look at the top 10 sewing machines between $200 and $400. This is the latest list for the year 2014, which includes the best sewing machines available in U.S. The list solely based on quality and performance. You can get at least 50 machines in this price range, so it was a hard job for me to create this list. In this list, I have ranked sewing machines according to the quality and performance, price is just a second priority.
Out of the 10 machines, the first 4 features Sewing Machine Reviews list of ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’.
1. Brother SE400
The best sewing machine in the list of Top 10 Sewing Machines Between $200 And $400. Stunning quality and features. It can be used as a sewing and embroidery machine. It has quite lot of customization features. It comes with 67 sewing stitches and 70 embroidery designs. USB connectivity means, the number of designs you can have is infinity, literally. Normally I will find at least a couple of limitations for a particular model, but Brother SE400 beat me in that case.
Pros : The ease of use itself is a great advantage. With the kind of features you can get, the price seems very much affordable. If you are looking for a sewing machine under $400, go through Brother SE400 features and only move to another machine, if you are not satisfied with its features. I think that is the only point where you can ignore this machine. Performance wise it is an absolute gem. Definitely the model to consider if you have embroidery in mind.
Cons : Nothing really.
2. Singer 9960
A member of ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’ family. This machine was priced higher previously, but the price has come down significantly. Singer 9960 now costs less than Brother SE400. It comes with quite a lot of built in stitches, a whopping 600 of them. I am not sure whether you will use all of them in one life time. One good feature of this machine is the auto-pilot, which means you can set the machine in sewing mode and go away if you want.
Pros : So many automated features. It is a great sewing machine for advanced users. You will get a lot of accessories including extension table and hard cover. Considering the features and the accessories, it is a good bargain.
Cons : The first few batches had a thread jamming issue. It is now fixed in the recent update.
3. Brother PC-420 PRW
Another great machine from Brother which is listed in ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’. The performance of this machine made me say ‘wow’. It has 294 built-in stitches. It is a lightweight sewing machine.
Pros : The performance of this machine is absolutely high class. There is a nice option to combine stitch patterns. It is a solid machine.
Cons : One big bummer of PC420 is its price. It comes in the price range of Brother SE400 and Singer 9960, so you would expect a USB connectivity which is absent on this machine unfortunately. Ignore this machine, if importing designs is an important feature for you. Also the LED work light is slightly on the dim side.
4. Singer One Plus
This machine also features the list of ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’. It comes with 221 built-in stitches. The stitches are smooth and even on this machine. One cool feature is the memory to save stitch combinations.
Pros : Excellent stitch quality. It is a user friendly machine. The performance of this machine is something that will stick in mind for a long time.
Cons : No USB connection for the price. The thread cutter is awkwardly placed as well.
5. Brother DZ2400
This is one of the two least expensive models in the list of Top 10 Sewing Machines Between $200 And $400. One of the designers’ favorite machines. It comes with 185 built-in stitches including 55 alphanumeric stitches and 130 sewing stitches. Brother DZ2400 comes with a bunch of designer accessories including an extra wide table. Affordability of this machine is something that most people like. The seams are of high quality.
Pros : One of the least expensive models in the market. Being a lightweight model, it is very easy to carry around.
Cons : Awkwardly placed thread cutter.
6. Brother Laura Ashley CX155LA
A highly underestimated sewing machine model. Another least expensive sewing machine. It is an upgraded version of Brother CS6000i which on itself is the best sewing machine in the under $200 category. It comes with 155 built-in stitches. It comes with a full set of designer accessories and an extra wide table. Most people are not aware of this model and its quality. Those who own this machine, knows how good it is.
Pros : The price is the biggest selling point. For the price, it is a machine with a lot of features. If you are an advanced sewer and you are on a budget, Laura Ashley CX155LA will be something that will suit you. However, the price of this machine is the same as Brother DZ2400 and it has 30 more built-in stitches. So you will be better of going with DZ2400 if there is a toss up between Laura Ashley and DZ2400.
Cons : The only thing that could be better is the LED work light. A little bit more brighter LED would have been perfect.
7. Janome 8077
It is a flawless machine. Normally you won’t get much bells and whistles with Janome beginners machines as they give more priority to quality than the features. As a result, you will get only 30 built-in stitches on this machine. Also please note that this is not an advanced sewing machine, this is just a beginners machine. All other machines in this list of Top 10 Sewing Machines Between $200 And $400 are advanced sewing machines, unless specified.
Pros : A wonderful feeding system that works equally well with thick and thin fabrics. It is a sturdy machine.
Cons : Very expensive for a beginners machine. Lacks features, but no question on performance.
8. Janome 7330 Magnolia
This is the machine for those whose top priority is quality and not the price. The price is just insane to be honest (shocking for me). I had to include this machine in this list just because of two reasons, quality and performance. It is a beginners machine with 30 built-in stitches.
Pros : It is a beast. It can sew through 8 plus layers of denim as if it is butter. If you want to call a sewing machine a ‘workhorse’, 7330 Magnolia is definitely the one.
Cons : Highly expensive for a beginners sewing machine.
9. Brother LB6800PRW
This is a sewing and embroidery machine just like Brother SE400 (the first machine in this list). This machine is the same as the SE400 in features except that this one comes with a special rolling bag. It comes with 67 built-in sewing stitches and 70 built-in embroidery stitches.
Pros : Quite a lot of features on board.
Cons : LB6800PRW and SE400 are the same except for the rolling bag. So decide whether you want the bag or not and then compare the prices. It is a beautiful bag though.
10. Janome HD1000
One of the best heavy-duty sewing machine available in United States, if not the best. The emphasis is on the build quality and not on the features. It is a beginners sewing machine with just 14 built-in stitches.
Pros : Absolutely solid machine. The build quality is of the highest class. If durability is a top priority for you, this might suit you. Absolutely stunning performance while dealing with multiple layers of denim. Another beast from Janome.
Cons : Expensive and slightly noisy operation.
This concludes the list. The reason I did this article was because most people nowadays are looking for quality than budget machines. Under $200 machines are good but they are not quite durable. If you are looking for quality, you will have to look at the price range between $200 – $400. Hence this list.