8 Best Embroidery Machines For Beginners

An honest and impartial list of 8 best embroidery machines for beginners. If you don’t like to compromise on quality, this list might help you.

Embroidery machines tend to be very expensive and as a beginner it is always wise to not to invest a lot on your first machine. It is always better to start with a beginner machine and then upgrade when you do it on a bigger, professional level. So I have decided to keep a $1000 cap on this list. I think $1000 would be the most, one would like to spend on a beginner embroidery machine. Here I have compiled a list of 8 best beginner embroidery machines, that are at least a class above which they are priced. Some of the machines in this list would even put those $1000 machines to shame, in terms of stitch quality.

Your first embroidery machine will be the one that will decide your fate with embroidery. If you fall in love with your first machine, it is almost certain that you will grow your skills fast and become a great sewer. If your first machine gives you trouble, you are going to hate the art for the rest of your life. This is what my teacher told me 20 years ago. So don’t compromise on quality, if you do you will regret your decision later. Now let us have a look at the best beginner embroidery machines you can get in US for under $1000.

1. Brother SE400

If Lion is the King of the Jungle, then Brother SE400 is the King of beginner embroidery machines. SE400 has been ruling the segment for years now. There are 3 reasons for its success, quality, affordability and features. Unique thing about SE400 is that it is a sewing & embroidery combo machine. This means, you can use it as a regular sewing machine and as an embroidery machine. There is no need to own a separate sewing machine for regular sewing. Killer pricing contributed a lot to its success. You can’t find a better specced embroidery machine for this price.

Features

  • 4″x4″ embroidery area
  • 67 built-in sewing stitches
  • 70 built-in embroidery designs
  • 5 built-in fonts
  • Automatic needle threader
  • Automatic thread cutter
  • Programmable needle up/down
  • Top drop-in bobbin
  • USB connectivity

Pros : SE400 is the most user-friendly embroidery machine I have ever come across. It’s easy to use controls and settings make it a beginners’ favorite. The stitch quality is worth a mention. SE400’s stitch quality is right up there with industrial embroidery machines. USB connectivity is another USP of this machine. In addition to the built-in 70 designs, you can import designs from the internet. There is no limit for the type of designs you can use.

Cons : 4″x4″ embroidery hoop may not be ideal for real large projects, but it works in most cases.

Why Beginners Like This Machine?

Brother SE400 is a complete package. It is very affordable, it has great stitch quality and it has almost all the features you are looking for. Which is the reason why SE400 has been the best seller for long long time.

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2. Brother PE770

If you loved SE400, except for the small 4″x4″ embroidery area, Brother PE770 is your answer for it. But keep in mind that, PE770 is an embroidery only machine, there is no regular sewing option. If embroidery is your only priority, PE770 is the best you can get. Which is the reason why it won so many awards over the years. The large 5″x7″ embroidery area helps you finish your projects in a professional style. You can call PE770 as the ‘most professional beginner embroidery machine’.

Features

  • 5″x7″ embroidery area
  • 136 built-in embroidery designs
  • 6 built-in fonts
  • Automatic needle threader
  • Automatic thread cutter
  • Programmable needle up/down
  • Top drop-in bobbin
  • USB connectivity

Pros : Brother PE770 is a user-friendly machine. USB connectivity and built-in memory provides you unlimited options to experiment with different designs. The stitch quality is great. In fact PE770 is the closest you can get to the professional quality stitches, that you normally see on store bought items. It is nicely priced as well.

Cons : The LCD display is just black and white. For the price, it is a bit odd.

Why Beginners Like This Machine?

The large 5″x7″ embroidery area, in addition to the great stitch quality and features, makes Brother PE770 a complete embroidery machine.

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3. Brother LB6800PRW

Yes, Brother LB6800PRW is a quality embroidery machine, but there is a downside. You might have seen this machine while searching for a beginner embroidery machine, but most people are unaware of the fact that it is the same as Brother SE400 which we already discussed. Yes, feature and quality wise, both LB6800PRW and SE400 are identical, it is just a different model number. The extras you will get with LB6800PRW are a rolling bag and couple of accessory feet. You can compare the prices of LB6800PRW and SE400, and pick the one that suits you.

4. Singer XL-400

XL-400 is Singer’s flagship model in the beginners category. Like Brother SE400, Singer XL-400 is also a sewing and embroidery combo machine. This machine is the best embroidery machine from Singer in the category. It is different from other embroidery machines as there is no built-in LCD screen. All the editing is done on your PC/Laptop with the help of an editing software.

Features

  • 10″x6″ embroidery area
  • 30 built-in sewing stitches
  • 125 built-in embroidery designs
  • 5 built-in fonts
  • Automatic needle threader
  • Programmable needle up/down
  • Top drop-in bobbin
  • Computer connectivity

Pros : XL-400 is very easy to thread. Even though the large hoop is 10″x6″, you can do designs up to 12″x20″, thanks to multihooping ability. The stitch quality is quite good as well.

Cons : The lack of LCD screen might not be convenient for all, as you need to connect the machine with your computer for it to work (Singer says that, they removed the LCD screen to bring down the cost) The machine is slightly on the noisy side as well.

Why Beginners Like This Machine?

Singer fans will love it for sure. Its large embroidery area is its USP.

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5. Brother PE525

Take the regular sewing features out of Brother SE400 and you are looking at Brother PE525. It is an embroidery only machine. The quality and features (embroidery) are the same as SE400. It is released in 2015, so you are looking at a machine with latest software updates.

Features

  • 4″x4″ embroidery area
  • 70 built-in embroidery designs
  • 5 built-in fonts
  • Automatic needle threader
  • Automatic thread cutter
  • Programmable needle up/down
  • Top drop-in bobbin
  • USB connectivity

Why Beginners Like This Machine?

Since it is the latest release by Brother, you will get the latest software updates on this machine. There will be a few bug fixes here and there. But make sure that you compare the price with that of SE400, as SE400 offers a lot more features for more or less the same price.

6. Brother DZ820E

Brother DZ820E is identical to Brother PE770, which is the best beginner embroidery only machine. The only difference is in the accessory package you get with each machine. It all comes down to the price difference. So I would recommend you to read the comparison before making a decision. The reason why I put PE770 above DZ820E is because currently (at the time of writing this list) DZ820E is a bit over priced. The price keeps on changing according to shopping seasons. So price comparison is inevitable.

7. Brother PE540D

Brother PE540D is a quality embroidery only machine. It is very similar to Brother PE525, but comes with some extra built-in stitches. The stitch quality is great.

Features

  • 4″x4″ embroidery area
  • 105 built-in embroidery designs
  • 5 built-in fonts
  • Automatic needle threader
  • Automatic thread cutter
  • Programmable needle up/down
  • Top drop-in bobbin
  • USB connectivity

Cons : The small embroidery area and slightly higher price tag can be a bummer.

Why Beginners Like This Machine?

In addition to the wonderful stitch quality and ease of use, Brother PE540D brings 35 extra Disney designs to the table, which some beginners will love. Letter ‘D’ in the model number stands for ‘Disney’.

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8. Singer S10

Singer S10 is a recently launched beginner embroidery machine. During its short run, it has managed to bag some great feedback from its users. It has a lot of features on board.

Features

  • 5.5″x5.5″ embroidery area
  • 55 built-in embroidery designs
  • 3 built-in fonts
  • Automatic needle threader
  • Top drop-in bobbin
  • Built-in memory
  • USB connectivity

Pros : The best thing that Singer did was to equip S10 with an LCD screen, which was not the case with XL-400. Now that S10 has an LCD screen, you can do all the editing on the machine itself. 5.5″ x 5.5″ and 2″ x 2″ hoops will be good for beginners. The stitch quality is great and the machine is easy to thread as well. You can even store customized designs on the built-in memory of the machine.

Cons : Features like automatic needle threader, programmable needle up/down are a miss.

Why Beginners Like This Machine?

Beginners will love S10 for its stitch quality and features. Singer fans will definitely love it.

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