10 Best Computerized Sewing Machines Under $500

Honest and impartial list of 10 best computerized sewing machines you can buy under $500.

Which is the best computerized sewing machine? A lot of people ask me this question. The answer to this question requires a lot of explanation. Because it depends a lot on your budget. It depends on how much money do you have, to spend on a computerized sewing machine. In U.S, you can get computerized sewing machines for a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. So you must first decide, how much you are going to spend. To explain things in a simple manner, here I have compiled a list of 10 best computerized sewing machines that cost under $500. Even though this is a list based on price, first priority is always given to quality, price comes second only.

One thing you need to be really careful is about the quality of a computerized machine. Higher price doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a great sewing machine, so you need to be picky. When I started my sewing career, I didn’t know about all these things but now I have enough experience to identify the best and the worst sewing machines. I hope this list will help you make a decision.

10. Janome DC2014

Janome sewing machines are always much more expensive than Brother and Singer machines. DC2014 is no exception, this is the most expensive sewing machine in this list. There is absolutely no question about the quality of this machine though. It comes with 50 built-in stitches and all other features you get on a computerized sewing machine. If not for the price, more and more people would have considered buying this machine. The ability of this machine to sew through heavy-duty fabrics is commendable. It is a solid workhorse for sure.

Cons : For the price, some might feel that the number of built-in stitches is very less. A lower price tag would have made this machine much more appealing.

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9. Brother PC420PRW

PC420PRW already features in our list of ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’. As far as quality and performance is concerned, this machine is right up there with the best. But this is slightly expensive. It is the second most expensive sewing machine in this list. PC420PRW is a sewing machine for advanced users. It has 294 built-in stitches along with 3 lettering styles. It even has an automatic thread cutter on board. The machine works equally well on both heavy and light weight fabrics. The custom stitch feature is one thing I really like about this machine. With this feature, you can design your own stitches and store it in the built-in memory of the machine.

Cons : Not much to talk about.

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8. Brother HC1850

HC1850 comes with 130 built-in stitches and 1 built-in monogramming font. The stitches are of good quality. Still there are better alternatives from Brother for more or less the same price.

Cons : Monogramming doesn’t look great on light fabrics. The current price is not reasonable at all.

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7. Brother Laura Ashley CX155LA

This is a limited edition sewing machine model from Brother, which surprised even its competitors with the ease of use and quality of stitches. As CX155LA is a limited edition model, most people were skeptical in the beginning but the kind of response you get from its users is amazing. Even those who bought this machine were actually surprised about its quality. It is slowly making its way to the top. It has 155 built-in stitches and 1 lettering font. Other advanced features like programmable needle up/down and automatic needle threader are also there. You will also get a complete set of designer accessories with this machine.

Cons : LED work lights could have been brighter.

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6. Brother DZ2400

DZ2400 is the best advanced sewing machine in the medium price category. It offers a lot in value. It has 185 built-in stitches and 1 sewing lettering font. As far as the features are concerned, you won’t get a better machine for the price. DZ2400 is the best alternative for the HC1850 we discussed earlier in this list. This machine is few dollars cheaper and is far more advanced. The quality of stitches are really great on DZ2400. Similar to the Laura Ashley machine, you will get a full set of designer accessories with this machine. This definitely will be a great choice for a designer.

Cons : The thread holder looks fragile.

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5. Singer 9960

9960 features in our list of ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’, which is a testimony to the quality of this machine. Feature wise, there is no other sewing machine that even comes close to 9960 in this list. It is absolutely feature packed. It has a whopping 600 built-in stitches and 5 built-in alphabets for monogramming. There are many other advanced features like mirror imaging and stitch elongation functions. Stitches come out perfect on  this machine. This has to be the ultimate sewing machine for advanced users.

Cons : Bobbin jamming was an issue with older 9960’s, but a recent product upgrade has fixed it.

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4. Singer 7258

This is an award winning beginners sewing machine from Singer. It won Women’s Choice Award for the best home sewing machine in America. It is by far the best beginners computerized sewing machine from Singer. It has some nice features that beginners will love. It comes with 100 built-in stitches, programmable needle up/down and automatic needle threader.

Cons : No lever to lower feed dogs for free motion quilting.

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3. Brother XR9500PRW

XR9500PRW has been voted as the best sewing machine for the money under $200. You can call this a complete beginners sewing machine. It has all the features that a beginner needs. It has 100 built-in stitches, sewing font for monogramming, automatic needle threader, programmable needle up/down etc etc. Most people will be confused over this machine and the previous machine from Singer. Both are great beginners machines and has the same number of built-in stitches, but I prefer XR9500PRW from Brother because of the free motion quilting option. XR9500PRW has quality and has great features on-board.

Cons : Not much to talk about.

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2. Brother SE400

If you are looking for a combo of embroidery and sewing option, this is the best sewing machine you can get in U.S. It belongs to our list of ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’. It has 67 sewing stitches and 70 embroidery designs. Even better is the fact that you can connect the machine to your computer for importing designs from the internet. The room for creativity with this machine is absolutely unlimited. All advanced features like automatic needle threader, automatic thread cutter are present. The stitch quality is excellent. The price is very reasonable as well.

Cons : The maximum embroidery area is only 4″x4″. Those who need a larger area will have to go for an expensive embroidery only machine.

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1. Brother CS6000i

This is the best computerized sewing machine you can get in U.S. It is not because of its features, it is mainly because of the price and the value it offers. CS6000i also features in our list of ‘Machines You Can Buy With Your Eyes Shut’. If you are a beginner, looking for a budget computerized sewing machine, this is the best you can get. It is the least expensive machine in this list. Brother CS6000i is the best seller across all categories of sewing machines. The reason is its price and performance. It has been the best seller ever since it was released.  It has 60 built-in stitches, automatic needle threader, programmable needle up/down etc. It has everything a beginner needs and that too for an unbeatable price. That is the reason why Brother CS6000i has been so popular among beginners.

Cons : Nothing much.

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Final Verdict

I think you are still confused over which one is the best computerized sewing machine. Let me break it down for you

Looking For An Advanced Sewing Machine

  • Go for Singer 9960 (for features) or Brother DZ2400 (for value for money)

Looking For A Beginners Sewing Machine

  • Go for Brother CS6000i (for low price) or Brother XR9500PRW/Singer 7258 (for features)

Looking For A Sewing & Embroidery Combo

  • Brother SE400 all the way

These are my views, you can choose the one that suits you.


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